HL Deb 03 March 1970 vol 308 cc223-5
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 how many persons were in employment in Scotland by the end of 1969, and how many are expected to be in employment in Scotland by the end of this calendar year.]

THE MINISTER OF STATE, SCOTTISH OFFICE (LORD HUGHES)

My Lords, the most recent estimates are that 2,221,000 persons were in civil employment in Scotland at March, 1969. The Department of Employment and Productivity is not prepared to give forecasts of the future level of employment.

LORD TWEEDSMUIR

My Lords, I am obliged to the noble Lord for that reply, and would ask him this simple question—and I would ask him to be very precise in answering it. I have in my hand Command 2864 which was published not quite three months before the General Election. In Part I, paragraph 1, it says: The increase in the number of jobs contemplated by 1970 is of the order of 50,000 or 60,000. Do the Government still think that they can reach that target; and if not that target, what lesser target?

LORD HUGHES

My Lords, the forecasts which were made in 1964 were to a certain extent affected by subsequent information which we gathered about the activities of our predecessors. I would, however, point out that the number of unemployed, while remaining at approximately half as much again as the figures for Great Britain as a whole, at least compare favourably with the period of years when, unfortunately, there was twice as much as Great Britain as a whole.

THE EARL OF LAUDERDALE

My Lords, would the noble Lord and ex-Lord Provost confirm that in the nine years to 1964 the net emigration from Scotland fell short of natural increase by 7,000, whereas in the five years since 1964 it exceeded the natural increase by 5,000?

LORD HUGHES

No, my Lords, not without notice. I would direct your Lordships attention to the fact that during the last two years we have succeeded in reversing considerably a trend which had been rising for a number of years previously.

THE EARL OF LAUDERDALE

My Lords, does the noble Lord recognise that my figures are taken from his Answer to a Question of mine a week or two ago? Would he confirm the view widely expressed that net emigration from Scotland has slightly slowed down of late only because of rising unemployment in England?

LORD HUGHES

No, my Lords.

THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIAN

My Lords, would the noble Lord give the House some indication as to when rather more up-to-date figures of the numbers of persons in employment in Scotland will be available? After all, he said that his figure was for last March, which was roughly a year ago.

LORD HUGHES

My Lords, I answered the Question which was asked.