HC Deb 14 February 1940 vol 357 cc783-4W
Dr. Little

asked the Minister of Supply whether he has considered the claims of Northern Ireland for additional war work in the form of shipbuilding, armaments, and other necessary requisites for the successful prosecution of the war; and whether he will, at the earliest possible moment, have additional provision made by the establishment of added facilities for this kind of work in order that work may be made available for the large number of unemployed who are willing and eager to do their full share in the different forms of war work for the defeat of the enemy?

Mr. Burgin

Considerable orders for armaments and cotton textiles have been placed in Northern Ireland, and every opportunity is given to firms there to tender for supplies of clothing and textiles, thus providing work for those firms whose orders for flax material have largely fallen away. An Area Officer has been appointed for Northern Ireland, and an Area Advisory Committee and an Area Board are both in course of being set up to consider and report upon offers of capacity.

Arrangements have also been made to despatch to Northern Ireland a representative sample of war stores of an engineering character in constant use by the Army, for which some of the smaller firms may wish to be considered as potential suppliers. I am informed by my right hon. Friend the First Lord of the Admiralty that large orders for shipbuilding, armaments, and other naval requisites have been placed in Northern Ireland and that further contracts will follow.

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