§ Q2. Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Prime Minister if he will arrange for an interdepartmental committee from the Departments of Employment, Industry, Trade and Defence to plan the bringing of employment on oil rigs, commercial vessels, electronics and other civilian projects to factories, naval dockyards and Royal ordnance factories which might be affected by reductions in the arms programme.
§ The Prime MinisterFinal decisions on the defence review have still to be taken, but I can assure my hon. Friend that we are taking full account of the industrial and employment implications.
§ Mr. AllaunWill the Government ask each plant concerned to submit plans for the diversification of its products if necessary and for switching workers to new jobs within their existing workplaces as has been done in America?
§ The Prime MinisterI will certainly consider it. I know that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry has a lot of these ideas in mind. This will be particularly relevant with any firms which are covered by planning agreements. It is not only privately-owned defence contractors which are concerned. As for the point about the Royal dockyards, as I said in Portsmouth on 20th September no dockyards are to be closed as a result of the defence review. The work they have to do will be supplemented by transferring to the dockyards servicing of ships and repair work from private dockyards.
§ Mr. HeathAs the Question refers to oil rigs and commercial vessels, many of which are concerned with the oil business, may I ask the Prime Minister to recognise that there has been, particularly on 1099 the East Coast of Scotland and in Glasgow, a great development of an industrial response to the requirements of the oil industry? Can he give an assurance that no attempt whatever will be made to persuade firms to move this business away from Scotland and down to the dockyards and ordnance factories which for the most part are in the South?
§ The Prime MinisterI entirely agree with the right hon. Gentleman. There has been this development. We are anxious—I am sure the whole House is—to ensure that the maximum amount of work is made available not only to Scotland but to other development areas. We are also anxious that there should not be proposals to transfer that work back, particularly to areas which are on the whole, even now, somewhat more prosperous than those particular areas. My own view—although it is early yet to form a view about this, not only on the defence review but on the oil programme—is that we will need all the capacity we can possibly get in Scotland and elsewhere for the oil industry.
§ Mrs. WiseIn view of the fact that my right hon. Friend has pointed out the important part which planning agreements can play in pursuing any change in defence work, may I ask him to assure the House that he will take steps to bring about the early implementation and commencement of the planning agreement system?
§ The Prime MinisterMy hon. Friend will be aware that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry is hard at work on the preparation of the Bill. Some of us have been concerned with this. We are all anxious to see that the Bill is brought to the House as quickly as possible and passed into law after due parliamentary consideration.