HC Deb 23 February 1972 vol 831 cc1274-5
28. Mr. William Hamilton

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the type of minor projects of environmental improvement he has in mind on which local authorities might spend the additional £1 million on work to be completed by the end of June, 1973; and what estimate he has made of the additional jobs which such work might provide.

Mr. Younger

Examples are clearing up slum and empty sites, disused allotments, rivers and canals, cleaning and painting buildings, and planting trees.

I cannot at this very early stage forecast how much employment will be created, but my right hon. Friend has asked local authorities to concentrate on projects which can provide additional jobs.

Mr. Hamilton

Does the hon. Gentleman accept that this is just fiddling with what is a major scandal in Scotland? We shall see the extent of the unemployment in the figures which will come out tomorrow. Will the Under-Secretary consider publishing in the OFFICIAL REPORT such responses as he has had to date indicating how seriously they take this suggestion?

Mr. Younger

As the hon. Gentleman knows, this is only a tiny part of the massive aid this Government have put in to help to alleviate unemployment. The total figure amounts to about £60 million or £70 million, and I can assure the hon. Member that the Secretary of State will be watching very carefully to make sure that local authorities make the maximum use of this additional money.

Mr. Ross

Does the hon. Gentleman's answer not make rather silly the arbitrary reduction the Minister made in the rate support grant? For those two years, he took away £3½million and he is now giving back £1 million.

Mr. Younger

The matter must be seen in the general context of the massive amounts of money made available. They are greater than was requested by any of the many bodies which have asked my right hon. Friend to help.

Mr. MacArthur

Will my hon. Friend also put in the OFFICIAL REPORT the long list of the massive help which has been given to restore growth to the Scottish economy, and will he do so in particular to assist the hon. Member for Fife, West (Mr. William Hamilton) in this welcome broadening of his interests?

Mr. Younger

My hon. Friend's last suggestion is a very desirable aim. The information will be published in the OFFICIAL REPORT today.