HC Deb 26 March 1973 vol 853 cc900-1
11. Mr. Thomas Cox

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give the number of industrial development certificates which have been granted to each of the 32 London boroughs, in each of the last three years.

Mr. Anthony Grant

I regret that the information in the form requested is not available.

Mr. Cox

I very much regret that reply, if I can call it such. Is not the hon. Gentleman aware that London is losing more jobs per month than any other region? Therefore, can he give the assurance that, when local authorities support the granting of industrial development certificates for the establishment of new industry in their boroughs, the applications will be considered very sympathetically by his Department? Will the Department also look more closely at the asset-stripping of companies, which is losing many jobs for Londoners while making huge profits for those who are indulging in what is becoming an absolute racket?

Mr. Grant

I was unable to give the hon. Gentleman an answer in the form in which he put his Question because IDC data are collected on an employment exchange basis. If the hon. Gentleman likes to table a Question on that, I shall give the information. What he overlooks is that we have adopted a much more flexible IDC policy since coming to office. That is demonstrated by the figures. However, I must have regard to the interests of places where there is much higher unemployment. In the past year unemployment in London has fallen from 2.1 per cent. to 1.6 per cent. and vacancies have increased by over 50 per cent. That is a situation which many parts of the country would very much like to have.

Mr. Lipton

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that unemployed people are not very interested in percentages, that there has been a catastrophic fall in the number of jobs available in greater London and that there are now hundreds of thousands of jobs fewer than there were, say, 10 years ago? What is he doing to remedy a state of affairs in which there is more unemployment in London than in Scotland or Wales?

Mr. Grant

Really, the hon. Member must have a sense of proportion. He obviously did not hear the answer I gave that there has been an increase in the number of vacancies of 50 per cent. in the last year.