§ Q7. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Prime Minister whether he will seek an early meeting with the Scottish Council (Development and Industry) and the Scottish Trades Union Congress.
§ The Prime MinisterI have at present no plans for such meetings but my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry met both bodies on 1st December; and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland has arranged to meet both bodies on 8th December. I shall be receiving full reports of these meetings.
§ Mr. HamiltonIf that is so, the Prime Minister must know that both those bodies agree that if the Government's plan for a 5 per cent. annual growth is to be met there will have to be a substantial increase in steel production in Scotland, and I hope that this will be taken into account when the statement is made on the future of the steel industry before Christmas. Will the Prime Minister make sure that consultations take place on the discovery and exploitation of North Sea oil and its effect on the coal industry?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, I give the hon. Gentleman an assurance that these 1101 matters will be taken into account. I have discussed them on several occasions with the Scottish TUC and other Scottish bodies.
§ Mr. EwingWill the Prime Minister reconsider that decision and agree to meet the Scottish TUC to explain why, when unemployment begins to fall, it falls much faster in the Midlands and South-East of England than it does in Scotland and the North-East and North-West of England?
§ The Prime MinisterIt is an historical fact that when the trade cycle moves and reflationary forces begin to work the Midlands and the North-West show the impact more quickly than does Scotland. The only effective answer is a regional policy which will get sufficient industry to Scotland so that in future it will be able to expand at the same rate. This Government have produced the best regional policy of any Government.
§ Mr. AtkinsonWhen the talks eventually take place, will the Prime Minister explain why he has allowed the National Industrial Relations Court to continue without the existence of the Commission for Industrial Relations about which the former Solicitor-General said that the court should not continue if the commission were allowed to go out of existence?
§ The Prime MinisterThe hon. Gentleman is on the wrong Question. This is a Question about the Scottish Council (Development and Industry) and the Scottish TUC. It is not Question 8, which I shall come to later.
§ Mr. AtkinsonThis is about Scottish questions—
§ Dame Irene WardWill my right hon. Friend acknowledge the pleasure it gave us on the North-East coast when he came last Friday and went round—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. This Question relates to Scotland. Mr. Lawson.
§ Dame Irene WardI beg your pardon, Mr. Speaker. I did not hear what you said.
§ Mr. SpeakerThe Question relates to Scotland and not to the North-East.
§ Dame Irene WardWell, there has been a lot of talk about the North-East.
§ Mr. LawsonHas the Prime Minister considered the views of the STUC and the Scottish Council for Development and Industry on the recent decision to stop paying the Government grant towards the productivity councils which have rendered such excellent work, especially in Lanarkshire?
§ The Prime MinisterThis is not a matter which has been raised with me, but I am prepared to discuss it.
§ Mr. SpeakerMr. Milne.
§ Mr. AtkinsonMay I raise a point of order, Mr. Speaker, about that last Question to the Prime Minister? Will you explain why it is that if there is a Question on the Order Paper relating to an English matter, Scotsmen are allowed to participate, whereas apparently there is now a ruling that English Members cannot intervene in the course of a Scottish Question to raise matters applicable to both Scotland and England?
§ Mr. SpeakerThe selection of those hon. Members who ask supplementary questions is a matter for the discretion of the Chair.