§ Mr. James Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what reply he has sent to the letter from the hon. Member for Bothwell concerning the factory of Ranco Motors Ltd.; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Anthony GrantA reply to the letter of 20th June from the hon. Member was sent on 4th July.
§ Mr. HamiltonI thank the hon. Gentleman for that reply. The factory owned by Ranco Motors Ltd. at one time employed 1,700 people and the firm had received all the appropriate Government grants. When it stood off the workers and closed the factory, the firm made 500 workers redundant. Government grants have been given in respect of the new factory in Livingston, now employing close on 200 people—or it soon will 1020 be. The company itself has categorically stated that the workers from my constituency who have been made redundant were the finest in the country and trained to do the job, although they have now been thrown on the scrap heap. Many of the workers at Livingston, however, are having to be retrained. Is not all this a gross misuse of public money?
§ Mr. GrantThe company's decision to go from one specific development area to another, namely Livingston, was made on commercial grounds and I do not think that the Government ought to interfere with that—it is within the same special development area. I am advised that no special assistance has been given to the company that is not available to any other company. I accept that this was a first-class work force, but of those made redundant only four men and 35 women are still registered as unemployed, and as vacancies have increased by 200 per cent. it should be possible to get them placed very soon.
§ Mr. HamiltonOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of that reply, I beg to give notice that I shall raise the matter on the Adjournment at the earliest possible opportunity.