HC Deb 18 January 1972 vol 829 cc212-3
Q5. Mr. Joel Barnett

asked the Prime Minister if the public speech of the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in London on 7th December on economic policy represents Government policy.

The Prime Minister

Yes, Sir.

Mr. Barnett

The Secretary of State said categorically that it was the Government's policy to bring down the level of unemployment. In the past, the Prime Minister has always said that it was due to the high level of wages. May we now take it that this unreserved promise to reduce the level of unemployment means that the Government feel that they have solved the problem of wage inflation?

The Prime Minister

What my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State said, which was what the Government said, was that the measures put forward by the Chancellor of the Exchequer were designed to reduce unemployment. Surely it must be recognised that that is the purpose of the immense reflation that my right hon. Friend has undertaken.

Mr. Kaufman

Has the Prime Minister received any representations from the Secretary of State, whose constituency is very near to Greater Manchester where, during the past few days, more than 2,000 redundancies have been announced among workers in basic industry and where there is no hope of alternative employment because of the Secretary of State's ban on industrial development certificates for new industry? Will the Prime Minister ask the Secretary of State to remove that ban on I.D.C.s in Greater Manchester?

The Prime Minister

The hon. Gentleman knows that this is a very controversial matter. I do not think that he will have very much support from those of his right hon. and hon. Friends who come from development and special development areas.