§ 13. Mr. Harry GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many jobs have been created as a result of inward investment over the past five years; what were the figures for 1974 to 1979; and if he will make a statement. [26043]
§ Mr. Gwilym JonesFigures for 1974 to 1979 are not available. In the past five years, 852 inward investment projects have been recorded, promising almost 38,000 new jobs and capital investment of £4.5 billion. Those figures are a clear illustration of the importance of inward investment to Wales.
§ Mr. GreenwayI congratulate my hon. Friends on those remarkable figures. Is it not amazing that the Labour Government from 1974 to 1979 did not record their figures? No doubt they had nothing to record. My hon. Friend should continue to go for it: it must be good for jobs, good for Wales and good for the whole of Britain.
§ Mr. JonesI am most grateful for my hon. Friend's congratulations. They give me the opportunity to explode another myth being peddled by the Opposition—that the jobs being brought to Wales are cheap, part-time jobs for women. They are not: the manufacturing employment pay 491 figures show that males are now on 99.9 per cent. of the United Kingdom average, and females in manufacturing in Wales are earning above the UK average.