HC Deb 27 November 1952 vol 508 cc93-4W
Mr. D. J. Williams

asked the President of the Board of Trade which of the Grenfell factories in South Wales are now in full production; and what is the position with regard to the others.

Mr. H. Strauss

Tenants are well established in seven of the Grenfell factories, but the factories are not, in general, in full production. A new tenant is at present installing machinery in another factory. The two remaining factories are in the hands of Receivers, but negotiations are taking place in order to secure new tenants for them.

Mr. D. J. Williams

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many persons are employed in each of the Grenfell factories in South Wales; how many of them are disabled; how many of them are ex-miners disabled through pneumoconiosis; and if he will give the corresponding figures for the same period last year.

Mr. H. Strauss

Information about employment in individual factories is supplied in confidence by the firms concerned. The total employment in the 10 Grenfell factories at the 30th September, 1952, the latest available date, was 575. This included 219 registered disabled persons, of whom 133 were pneumoconiosis cases. Owing to a change in the date for collecting information, I cannot give comparable figures for 30th September, 1951, but on 18th August, 1951, 717 people were employed in the factories of whom 311 were disabled, including 150 cases of pneumoconiosis. I understand that practically all the cases of pneumoconiosis are ex-miners.