HC Deb 19 July 1955 vol 544 cc29-30W
87. Mr. Lee

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps the Government are taking to estimate the speed with which automation will displace productive workers in the engineering and other manufacturing industries; and whether he is aware that such developments taking place at a time when the rearmament programme is tailing off will necessitate large-scale industrial planning in order to maintain full employment.

Mr. Kaberry

The Government are taking a close interest in the greater use of automatic processes in industry. The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research is at present carrying out a study to discover the extent to which automatic processes have been and are likely to be introduced in industry. It is hoped that an interim report will be published in the autumn.