§ 3.5 p.m.
§ LORD OGMOREMy 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 what are their plans and those of the Steel Corporation for the future of the John Summers & Sons steel works on Deeside at Shotton, Flintshire, and why they have excluded Flintshire from the Welsh Development Area.]
§ THE MINISTER OF STATE, HOME OFFICE (LORD STONHAM)My Lords, the Corporation have not yet drawn up any plans other than those in their first report on Organisation (Cmnd. 3362) for the long-term development of any part of the nationalised steel industry. The Government will, as was made clear in Wales: the Way Ahead [Cmnd. 3334], aim to ensure the full use of the labour and other resources available in North-East Wales, which includes Shotton, although the circumstances of the Shotton area do not justify its designation as a development area.
§ LORD OGMOREMy Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for that statement, may I ask him whether he is aware that a fortnight ago a national newspaper came out with an article which said that the Steel Corporation had decided either to close down or materially run down this industry at Shotton? Do Her Majesty's Government realise that this would have a very serious effect on employment in the Flintshire area, particularly as for some reason Flintshire is not a development area?
§ LORD STONHAMMy Lords, I have not read the article to which the noble Lord refers but, taking his account of it, 1320 I can say that it is quite inaccurate. With regard to the future of Shotton, the Corporation regard it as of prime importance. They are well aware of the large investment in it and of the need to make good use of the assets there. With regard to the question of a development area, unemployment in February in the area was only 2.2 per cent., which is relatively low. This is being constantly watched by the Board of Trade and if any change of policy should be warranted it would be made.
LORD REAMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord to bear in mind that this is not a question merely of Shotton? The whole Merseyside area has a great deal to do with Shotton and lives with it to a great extent. Any closure at Shotton would have sad repercussions in Merseyside.
§ LORD STONHAMMy Lords, I am dealing with the Question on the Order Paper, but I think that the grouping of Shotton in the Scotland and North-Western Group is a help to Merseyside, and that is one of the reasons for the grouping.