HC Deb 01 December 1976 vol 921 cc893-4
5. Mr. Pardoe

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will seek to ensure that all future contracts for road building are designed to provide the maximum number of jobs for the unemployed and to use the minimum quantity of imported machinery and energy.

Mr. Horam

If the hon. Member has any practical suggestions which would not increase public expenditure or de- crease the mileage of roads which can be built I shall gladly consider them.

Mr. Pardoe

Has the Department made any estimate of the import content of the road building programme and its effect on the balance of payments? Does he accept that a switch to labour-intensive road building would provide substantially more jobs at no extra cost, with no increase in the borrowing requirement and no fewer roads?

Mr. Horam

We have no information about the import content of machinery used by the road construction industry. I should be reluctant to single out road construction if we did not have more general policies about the import content of machinery. I do not agree with what the hon. Gentleman said about there being no extra cost. Going back to manual methods of constructing roads would be horribly expensive and scarcely in the interests of increased efficiency.

Mr. Selby

Does the Minister agree that to do what the hon. Member for Cornwall, North (Mr. Pardoe) suggested would be a form of Ludditism—turning back the clock? Why not extend it to all forms of industry and employ all the unemployed?

Mr. Horam

I am interested in my hon. Friend's suggestion that the Liberals are associated with the Luddites. That is very apt.

Mr. Scott-Hopkins

Does the Minister accept that, while contractors are most willing to use the most modern machinery, his Ministry is the worst payer in the business, keeping firms waiting for two years for payment on contracts for road works and motorways? Will he make sure that payment is made more quickly?

Mr. Horam

The Department is extremely cost conscious. If we have been too mean and too long-winded, I shall look into it. If the hon. Gentleman has any particular instances he can bring to mind, I shall certainly consider them.

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