§ Q1. Mr. Douglasasked the Prime Minister if he will pay an official visit to Glasgow in March, 1972.
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Edward Heath)I have no plans to do so.
§ Mr. DouglasI regret that answer. Will the Prime Minister concede that the University of Strathclyde has held two excellent conferences on the future of the shipbuilding industry? On 29th March it will be holding a conference on the future of the shipbuilding industry in the United Kingdom. Would not that be an excellent opportunity for the right hon. Gentleman to present the Government's view on how they may assist the industry, and to comment on the various figures which have been presented of assistance to the industry in the region of £150 million to £250 million.
§ The Prime MinisterI should be very willing to take advantage of the discussions at Strathclyde. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has already made one announcement about shipbuilding which affects the Clyde. If the conference at Strathclyde has fresh ideas to offer we shall gladly consider them.
Mr. Edward TaylorDoes my right hon. Friend realise that if he visits Glasgow at the present time he will find that the workers in the shipyards there are feeling more secure than they even did under the previous Government?
§ The Prime MinisterI hope that that, too, will lead them to agree to reasonable arrangements for the future conduct of the shipyards.