§ Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that some of the present unemployment in Scotland has been caused by changes in the Government's defence policy, and that the laying off of the skilled workers concerned 11W is a loss to the productive potentialities of Great Britain; and if he will state his plans to absorb these workers into other productive spheres in Scotland.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodThe majority of workers discharged as a result of changes in the defence programme have found other employment. I would refer the hon. and learned Member to the Answer given by my right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal on 30th January about the measures taken to ensure that so far as possible cuts in defence production do not result in unemployment. Where sizeable redundancies occur it is the normal practice of my local offices to register the workers concerned in advance of their discharge so that they can be submitted to other vacancies without any intervening interval of unemployment.