HC Deb 13 October 1975 vol 897 cc849-51
Mr. Canavan

asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether he will make arrangements to meet the Scottish Trades Union Congress to discuss the industrial situation.

The Minister of State, Department of Industry (Mr. Gregor Mackenzie)

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland met the General Council of the Scottish Trades Union Congress on 10th October, when, among other things, the industrial situation was discussed.

Mr. Canavan

Does my hon. Friend know that the STUC held a special conference on 24th September to discuss unemployment in Scotland, where, for example, in Kilsyth, in my constituency, a total of 14.5 per cent. of males are unemployed? On that same day, the multi-national company, Coats-Paton, which ruthlessly closed down its factory in Kilsyth at the turn of the year, announced a further 550 redundancies in the Central Region. Is it not about time that the Government started taking some radical Socialist initiatives with regard to the ownership and management of industry, so as to stop this exploitation of workers and continue support for the Labour Government in Scotland?

Mr. Mackenzie

I was of course well aware of the STUC conference, which, unhappily, I was not able to attend. I also know of some of the issues discussed there, which I understand were also discussed with the Secretary of State for Scotland when he met the STUC just the other day. As to what are or are not radical measures, I should have thought that some of those which we have introduced, in the shape of the Industry Bill—to set up planning agreements and the National Enterprise Board and, above all, we hope, by the end of this year, the Scottish Development Agency—would be a considerable help in alleviating the unemployment in Scotland.

Mr. Teddy Taylor

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that one industry in Scotland for which we have tried a number of radical Socialist initiatives is shipbuilding, and that we are facing an acute crisis in that industry? Did he discuss shipbuilding with the STUC, and has he any plans to deal with the acute problem affecting a large number of jobs in areas of high unemployment?

Mr. Mackenzie

We are all conscious of the problems of shipbuilding. Those of us, like the hon. Gentleman and me, who represent Clydeside constituencies, have been concerned about it all our adult lives. Some of the measures we now propose will help the industry. That is why we are continuing to press ahead—against the wishes, I know, of hon. Members opposite—with taking part of this industry and the aircraft industry into public ownership.

Mr. Crawford

Does the Minister agree that one of the best ways of curing unemployment in Scotland would be to give the Scottish Development Agency a proper budget of about £300 million a year, as has been suggested by my party? Does he further agree that it is humbug for representatives of the Labour Party to call for a policy of reflation because the vast majority of them voted against such a policy in Scotland during the Counter-inflation measures?

Mr. Mackenzie

The hon. Gentleman is asking questions which should be directed to the Secretary of State for Scotland. The budget of the SDA is ongoing.

Mr. Heseltine

Will the Minister of State explain to those facing unemployment in the shipbuilding industry that there is a positive deterrent to investment in that industry because the Government have published their Bill for nationalisation with totally inadequate terms of compensation for future investment?

Mr. Mackenzie

I have studied the shipbuilding industry for many years. The deficiencies in that industry have not arisen because of the publication of the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Bill. They existed a long time before that. The problem of under-investment in shipbuilding existed for a number of years when the Opposition were in office.