Advance Factories

HC Deb 04 December 1972 vol 847 cc902-3

24. Mr. Edwin Wainwright

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many advance factories have been built in the South Yorkshire area over each of the past four years; how many are occupied; what is the number of jobs supplied; and how many advance factories are planned over the next four years.

Mr. Chataway

Three were completed in 1972 and a fourth is under construction. None is yet occupied though two have been allocated to prospective tenants. The further needs of the area will be borne in mind when planning further advance factory programmes.

Mr. Wainwright

Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that to build one factory in a district where there is high unemployment and then to sit back and not find a tenant justifies the thoughts of a good many people that the Government are too complacent to look after the unemployed? Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether there is any truth in the statement from his Department that it is better to build advance factories than provide employment in any other way? If that is so, why are we not building more?

Mr. Chataway

I have told the hon. Gentleman that two are allocated and that we are considering a further programme of advance factories. I agree that they can be of considerable importance. I think the hon. Gentleman will have been pleased to note the considerable reduction in unemployment figures in an area where there is a particular problem.

31. Mr. James Hamilton

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many advance factories are empty in the Bothwell constituency; and when he expects to obtain tenants for them.

Mr. Chataway

None, Sir. However, one advance factory is empty in the Coat-bridge employment exchange area, which extends into the Bothwell constituency. The Department continues its efforts to find a suitable tenant for this factory.

Mr. Hamilton

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for that reply. Will he note, however, that the unemployment situation in Lanarkshire as a whole is one of the worst in the country? Will he also bear in mind the number of redundancies coming forward about which we know but which have not become a reality? Will he particularly bear in mind those people who will become unemployed because of the situation in the steel industry? Jobs in the pipeline are no use to us. We want actual jobs.

Mr. Chataway

I great deal of what the hon. Gentleman has said is true. He will have been encouraged by the 0.8 per cent. drop in unemployment in the area over the past year. But we recognise that there is a need in this special development area to attract new industry and to expand existing industry.

Mr. Dempsey

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that Coatbridge is top of the unemployment league in Scotland? As the advance factory to which reference has been made has been lying unoccupied since March 1971, is it not high time that special, high-powered salesmanship campaigns were organised to find a suitable occupant as soon as possible?

Mr. Chataway

I agree with the hon. Gentleman. We shall continue to do all in our power to find a tenant for the factory.