§ 90. Mr. Mortasked the Minister of Supply if he has any statement to make respecting the location of the cold reducing plant in West Wales.
§ Mr. WilmotOn 21st April, I stated that the Government accepted the need for new cold reduction and finishing plants for tinplate and sheet steel as part of the scheme for the modernisation and development of the tinplate and sheet steel industry in South Wales and that a further 247W statement would be made as to their location. The location of the cold reduction plant for tinplate has had to be decided in the light of the fact that the reorganisation of the tinplate industry will, as the new plants come into operation, cause the redundancy of a considerable number of persons at present occupied in that industry. It will, therefore, be necessary to arrange for other industries to be provided within the tinplate area capable of employing the redundant manpower.
The Government have given careful thought to the question how best to locate the cold reduction plant for tinplate in order to provide the best arrangement and location for the other industries that will be required. After weighing all the social and technical factors involved they have concluded that Trostre, near Llanelly, is the most suitable place at which to erect the plant for the cold reduction of tinplate and that new heavy industries to employ the redundant manpower should be located in or near Swansea. They regard it as an essential part of the scheme that proper opportunities of employment should be provided for those men who will become redundant owing to the starting up of the new plants. The location of the cold reduction plant for sheet steel has not yet been decided.