14. Mr. Tom Ellisasked the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met representatives of Welsh industry to discuss the state of Welsh manufacturing industry.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsI and my hon. Friends frequently meet representatives of industry to discuss a wide range of matters.
Mr. EllisIs the right hon. Gentleman aware of the need—which we all accept, and to which he referred—for high productivity in manufacturing industry? Given that the most immediate and effective way of achieving high productivity is to produce to full capacity, what are the right hon. Gentleman and his colleagues doing to stimulate demand so that Welsh manufacturers can produce to capacity?
§ Mr. EdwardsThere is no shortage of demand at present. All the figures for the pre-Christmas period show that there is a major upturn in retail demand. One of the problems is whether our industry can compete effectively with imports and retain a proper share of the market.