HC Deb 31 January 1972 vol 830 cc14-5
17. Mr. Abse

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what are the results of his review of the unemployment situation in Cwmbran New Town; and whether he will now include Cwmbran New Town within the Welsh development area

Mr. Peter Thomas

No decision on future status has been taken. I agree that the unemployment situation is serious but, as I have previously said, a decision on Cwmbran cannot be taken in isolation

Mr. Abse

Is the Secretary of State aware that his inertia and dalliance are causing despair in Cwmbran, where hundreds of men are leaving the town to seek employment in England or elsewhere? What is the rationale of investing millions in a new town and taking no action to rescue the new town from the unemployment which, while he is dallying, is increasing? There have been redundancies in Panteg Steel Works and Guest Keen, and further redundancies affecting the new town will result from the British Steel, Stewart and Lloyd, announcement of closure in Newport. Is he prepared to do practically nothing? How much longer must we wait for the decision on whether this will be a development area?

Mr. Peter Thomas

Decisions on the status of individual areas, which are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, cannot be taken without regard to the situation elsewhere, and the claims of other areas in Wales have to be taken into account. I assure the hon. Gentleman that decisions will be taken as soon as possible

Mr. Fred Evans

Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman accept that, if Cwmbran is made a development area and the efforts of the Government are no greater in the new town than they are in the present development areas, he will be adding nil to nil, and the equation, by my arithmetic, will still be nil?

Mr. Peter Thomas

That is an interesting observation, because the special development area has a considerable differential and attraction to industry. As the hon. Gentleman knows, it is not as if industry is moving into other places and not going into the development areas. When there is—as one has every expectation that there will be—an upsurge in investment, then the special development areas should benefit greatly

Mr. George Thomas

The Secretary of State in answer to Questions this afternoon has four times said "as soon as possible". Will he please tell us when he expects to be able to help Cwmbran in its grievous difficulties?

Mr. Peter Thomas

All I can tell the right hon. Gentleman is that a decision will be taken as soon as possible.