HC Deb 09 June 1980 vol 986 cc14-5
10. Mr. Allan Roberts

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what discussions he has had about efforts to maintain a ship repairing industry on Mersey-side.

The Under-Secretary of State for Industry (Mr. Michael Marshall)

The Department is fully aware of the difficulties being experienced by the ship repair industry generally, and it was for this reason that last year we extended the home credit scheme to conversions. The market remains depressed, however, and the level of ship repair activity has to be a matter for the commercial judgment of the companies involved.

Mr. Roberts

This is proving a fascinating Question Time. Is the Minister aware that two weeks ago one of his colleagues in the other place—the Minister of State, Ministry of Defence—promised a delegation of Merseyside Members that discussions would take place with the Secretary of State for Industry or his Department about the CBS ship repair yards on Merseyside, which are threatened with closure? Is he further aware that if those yards close the ship repairing skills that exist will be lost to the nation for ever and that there will be no ship repair yards at all on that coast?

Mr. Marshall

I am aware of the conversations to which the hon. Gentleman referred. As he said, my noble Friend the Minister of State, Ministry of Defence, had conversations with CBS Engineering, but he had to tell it that, on the defence front, there were not many potential orders in the pipeline and that a commercial approach would have to be adopted.

Mr. Kilroy-Silk

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that there have been thousands of redundancies in the ship repair and other industries on Merseyside since the Government came into office, most of which have been directly attributable to their policies? Will he therefore, at the Cabinet meeting in 16 July, ask his right hon. Friend to support a change in economic and regional policies, or, alternately, would he like to admit that he is proud of the ever-lengthening dole queues on Merseyside?

Mr. Marshall

I cannot accept the hon. Gentleman's premise. The decline in that business has been consistent over a number of years. No one enjoys it, and no one wants to see anything but a change in its fortunes. However, the world shipping industry faces great difficulties at the present time.