HC Deb 13 February 1983 vol 54 c21 3.32 pm
Mr. Greville Janner (Leicester, West)

I beg to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House, under Standing Order No. 10, for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration, namely, redundancies at BXL Plastics Ltd and Davis Manufacturing Ltd in the city of Leicester in my constituency.

The matter is specific, because it refers to redundancies at those two plants and at sister plants in the area. The managing director of BXL Plastics Limited informed me, to use his words, that due to the major restructuring of our plastics bottles business located at Leicester", some 150 redundancies are likely to occur. The other firm, Davis, is due to be closed.

The matter is important because it is cumulative. It adds to the awful total of redundancies that has been announced in the past few months in Leicester—in particular, 924 for the area since the beginning of last month. It is cumulative in a city that was once the second most prosperous in Europe. Since this Government came to power, unemployment in the city has been well over 20 per cent.—and, in parts of my constituency, over 60 per cent. According to the latest figures that are available—they have been provided by the Government, and apply only to October 1982—since the Government came to power, unemployment has gone up by 177 per cent., and the percentage of people unemployed for more than 52 weeks rose by over 222.6 per cent. That was 14 months ago.

The matter is urgent because the hour is late, and the citizens of Leicester carry an intolerable burden of unemployment, substantially as a result of the inept, awful and incompetent way in which this Government have treated the matter.

Mr. Speaker

The hon. and learned Gentleman asks leave to the Adjournment of the House for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that he thinks should have urgent consideration, namely, redundancies at BXL Plastics Ltd. and Davis Manufacturing Limited in the city of Leicester.

I listened very carefully to what the hon. and learned Member said, but I regret that I do not consider that the matter he has raised is appropriate for discussion under Standing Order No. 10. I cannot, therefore, submit his application to the House.

    c21
  1. FOSDYKE BRIDGE BILL [Lords] 15 words
    2. c21
  2. SOMERSET HOUSE BILL [Lords] 15 words