HC Deb 12 May 1976 vol 911 cc435-7
4. Mr. Morro

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his meeting with the Scottish Trades Union Congress on 23rd April.

6. Mr. Canavan

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will make a statement on his meeting with the Scottish TUC at its conference at Perth.

18. Mr. Younger

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his meeting with the Scottish Trades Union Congress on 23rd April.

The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. Bruce Millan)

My speech to the Scottish Trades Union Congress on 23rd April has already been given wide publicity. I shall be meeting the General Council again on 28th May to discuss matters affecting the Scottish economy.

Mr. Monro

Does the right hon. Gentleman recall that he spoke optimistically about employment? Is he aware that his Government have now been in office for over two years and that, despite the promises that his leader gave in October 1974, unemployment is now 50 per cent. higher? Is he not thoroughly ashamed of his record?

Mr. Millan

Not at all. I am optimistic about employment in Scotland. Unemployment in Scotland in relation to the rest of the United Kingdom is better than it has ever been. That is to the credit of the present Government.

Mr. Canavan

Is it not obvious that there is a great deal of agreement between the Labour Party and the STUC about devolution and other issues? Is it all that surprising that the Labour Party is the only organisation which has this special understanding with the STUC, as the Tories cannot make up their minds about devolution and Scottish nationalists cannot make up their minds about whether they are Socialists?

Mr. Milan

I agree completely with my hon. Friend. There is a very warm and friendly understanding between the Government and the STUC, and I hope that it will continue.

Mr. Younger

Does the right hon. Gentleman recall that in his speech to the STUC, speaking as Secretary of State. he made the startling admission that both he and the Government were prepared to take no responsibility for the present levels of unemployment? How does that tie in with the fact that defence cuts under this Government are throwing hundreds of people in my constituency out of work and that other cuts which the Government are being forced to make because of their economic policy are putting thousands of others out of work every month in Scotland? The Government should be ashamed of themselves

Mr. Milan

I did not say to the STUC that the Government took no responsibility for unemployment. That would be an absurd thing to say.

Mr. Younger

The right hon. Gentle man said that.

Mr. Millan

The hon. Gentleman must bear with me. I think that I am rather better informed of what I said at Perth than the hon. Gentleman is. I did not make any such statement. Of course we take responsibility for the general economic situation.

Mr. Younger

And unemployment?

Mr. Milan

And unemployment, of course. Concerning the defence budget, I notice that the hon. Gentleman has joined his hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Carthcart (Mr. Taylor) in calling for more Government expenditure.

Mr. Robert Hughes

Did my right hon Friend have any discussions with the STUC about Chrysler? Did the STUC make any comment on the fact that those who are always shouting "Put Scotland first" refuse to buy cars made in Scotland?

Mr. Millan

There was no specific comment. I did not get the impression that the STUC took the SNP at all seriously. Indeed, the SNP was not mentioned in my company.

Mr. Teddy Taylor

As the right hon. Gentleman has again said that he is optimistic about the future at a time when the seasonally-adjusted figures show that 100 Scots are losing their jobs every working day, will he give an indication of when he thinks that, because of the Government's policies, unemployment in Scotland will begin to go down?

Mr. Millan

I hope that we shall very soon begin to see the turn-round in unemployment. It will be brought that much nearer if we get full support for the Government's budgetary and pay policies. I am disappointed that the Opposition, in their hypocritical way, cannot bring themselves to support the Government's efforts.

Mr. Crawford

Does the Secretary of State agree with the STUC that the Scottish Assembly should have control over the Scottish Development Agency and Scottish universities? May we have a categorical reply on that matter?

Mr. Millan

At Perth I said that I thought that the STUC's document on the Government's White Paper was very interesting and that its ideas were being carefully considered.

Several Hon. Members

rose—

Mr. Speaker

Order. For the rest of Question Time I shall call fewer supplementary questions.

Mr. Younger

In view of the totally unsatisfactory nature of that reply, I beg to ask leave to give notice that I shall seek to raise the matter on the Adjournment.