HL Deb 27 July 1966 vol 276 cc777-8

2.45 p.m.

LORD TWEEDSMUIR

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will consider setting up an inquiry to ascertain the extent of the damage to the economyof the islands of Scotland, resulting from the recent merchant seamen's strike.]

THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR SCOTLAND (LORD HUGHES)

My Lords, the Highlands and Islands Development Board is making a special review of the effects of the strike in the islands in consultation with local authorities and other public bodies concerned. Her Majesty's Government consider that the Board is best placed to assess the situation and to consider whether any new measures to promote the development of the affected areas are necessary. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State has said that he will be very ready to consider any recommendations the Board may put forward.

LORD TWEEDSMUIR

My Lords, I am obliged to the noble Lord. I would ask him this further question. In view of the grievous hardship suffered by the people of the Scottish islands during the recent seamen's strike, will the Government consider giving sympathetic study to finding some means of relieving them of some of the harsher aspects of the selective employment tax?

LORD HUGHES

My Lords, that is another question.

LORD FORBES

My Lords, are the Government aware that crofters do not have large reserves of capital or, for that matter, large reserves of artificial manure? They live a hand-to-mouth existence and the seamen's strike has hit these crofters in the islands very hard indeed.

LORD HUGHES

My Lords, I have no doubt the intention there was good, though not too happily expressed. But I can assure noble Lords that the Government have all these matters very much in mind. It is because we believe that we have a very useful instrument in the Highlands and Islands Development Board that the Government have entrusted to them, in the first instance, the task of assessing the effects and what action may be necessary.

LORD TWEEDSMUIR

My Lords, will the noble Lord tell us when the Highlands and Islands Development Board are likely to make their report?

LORD HUGHES

No, my Lords, I am afraid not. I can only say that the Board were very willing to have this remit and very much impressed with the urgency of getting the report in quickly.

LORD STRANGE

My Lords, the noble Lord will bear in mind the Isle of Man in all this?

LORD HUGHES

My Lords, when the territory to be under consideration by the Highlands and Islands Development Board was being considered in your Lordships' House some noble Lords on the other side of the House had some suspicion about how far South in Scotland the Highlands would be considered to go, but, to the best of my knowledge, no one suggested that the Isle of Man would come within its limit.