1. Mr. R. C. Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will pay a visit to the Strachans factory in Eastleigh.
§ 20. Mr. David Priceasked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he has received a letter from the Joint Union Occupation Committee at Strachans Limited, Eastleigh, about the closure of the two factories at Eastleigh and Hamble, dated 8th March 1974; and what reply he has sent.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Industry (Mr. Michael Meacher)I have received the letter to which the hon. Gentleman refers and although I have no 3 plans at present to visit the Eastleigh factory I have arranged to meet representatives of the management and the unions to discuss the closures.
Mr. MitchellI thank my hon. Friend for that reply and for hoping that something useful will come from the meeting. Does he not think it is disgraceful that in 1974 a factory can be closed, several hundred men thrown out of work and the men given only one and a half hours' notice?
§ Mr. MeacherI entirely agree that it is a serious matter that the men were called in only at 11 o'clock on the day of the intended closure and were then told that the management wished to have the plant empty by 12.30 p.m. That is one of the matters I shall certainly be taking up with the management.