HC Deb 07 August 1972 vol 842 cc1235-6
11. Mr. Rost

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will pay an official visit to Ilkeston.

Mr. John Davies

I have at present no plans to visit Ilkeston.

Mr. Rost

I regret that my right hon. Friend has no immediate plans to visit the Stanton iron works in my constituency. Is he aware that the British Steel Corporation has so far not produced any substantial factual evidence to support the proposed closure of part of the works and its removal to Workington? Does he agree that the 1,500 workers who are likely to be affected are entitled to have a detailed explanation of the economic position and that the British Steel Corporation has an obligation to make a commercially viable decision rather than the one it has made?

Mr. Davies

I am sure that the British Steel Corporation realises how necessary it is, in the course of the consultations which it has imposed upon itself by its own arrangement, to make abundantly clear the reasons for which it makes its decisions. The BSC has made it clear that the remaining activities at Stanton, which command a much bigger work force, are likely, on the contrary, to be pursued energetically.

Mr. Raymond Fletcher

I assure the right hon. Gentleman that when he does visit my constituency—and I sincerely hope he will—he will receive a much friendlier response than did the hon. Member for Derbyshire, South-East (Mr. Rost) who was literally hooted off the stage at a demonstration where he had no right to be. Will the Secretary of State refrain from paying an official visit to Ilkeston until such time as he has given a directive to the BSC to go for expansion, which will resolve the main problem arising in my constituency?

Mr. Davies

As the hon. Gentleman knows, it is my firm hope that the strategic plans of the BSC will be forthcoming shortly. I hope, therefore, that when Parliament reassembles after the summer break there will be an opportunity to talk with Parliament about the expansion plan and its importance for constituencies like that of the hon. Gentleman.