HC Deb 09 July 1974 vol 876 cc1119-21
5. Mr. Frank Allaun

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will speedily draw up and publish plans for redeployment of any workers who may be affected by reduction in arms spending, including the policies successfully adopted in 1945 to transfer workers from war work to peaceful industrial employment.

24. Mrs. Wise

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will draw up and publish plans for redeployment of any workers who may be affected by a reduction in defence spending and/or armaments production for export, to prevent unemployment.

Mr. John Fraser

My Department is studying the employment implications of a revision of the defence programme including the need for the redeployment of workers. This work cannot be finalised until the defence review is completed in the autumn.

Mr. Allaun

I am grateful for that reply. Will my hon. Friend consider following the experience of the American Government which required major arms firms to submit plans for diversification of their products if necessary? Will he plan to ensure that where arms production is cut it will be replaced in the same locality by alternative work of greater commercial value to the country?

Mr. Fraser

I take note of my hon. Friend's remarks. It is too early to be able to give specific instances of how unemployment, if it arose from arms reduction, would take place, but I am grateful for my hon. Friend's suggestions.

Sir P. Bryan

Can the hon. Gentleman gauge the scale of unemployment directly attributable to loss of orders due to the Government's attitude to some of our regular arms customers, and more especially the potential loss of custom from those who might have dealt with us but who now see that Britain cannot honour her contracts?

Mr. Fraser

I think I explained on the last occasion when I answered Questions that I was not aware of any unemployment which arose as a decision of the Government. The second part of the hon. Gentleman's question is purely hypothetical.

Mrs. Wise

Is my hon. Friend aware that many of us on this side would welcome a reduction in the export of armaments as we do not understand the logic of a policy which arms people in all the different parts of the world without there being any guarantee about what will ultimately happen to those arms? Does he agree that any examination of the arms industry should take this into account? Will he ensure that workers in the armaments industry are fully reassured that any changes in policy will not be at their expense, that they will be fully consulted and that their expertise will be utilised in deciding on suitable redeployment?

Mr. Fraser

With regard to the first part of my hon. Friend's supplementary question, matters of policy relating to the sale of arms are not matters for my Department. No doubt my hon. Friend's remarks in that respect will be noted. With reference to the second part of her supplementary question, it is too early to say, on the current defence review, what kind of cuts may take place but I can assure my hon. Friend that there will be consultation between Departments, and I am sure that the views of workers and their representatives about problems of redeployment will be taken into account.

Mr. Prior

Will the hon. Gentleman have a word with the Prime Minister and persuade him to go to dockyard constituencies and ensure that this time, instead of making speeches about expansion of the Royal Navy, he says what the Labour Party is really up to?

Mr. Fraser

No doubt the right hon. Gentleman will have an opportunity later to put a question to my right hon Friend the Prime Minister, if he wishes. As, however, we have in this country—despite the level of the unemployment figures—a considerable shortage of skilled labour and considerable civil objectives to fulfil I am sure the right hon. Gentleman will welcome the proposals which ultimately will be made by the Government on defence reduction.