§ Dame Irene Wardasked the Minister of Labour whether he now has anything further to report on the unemployment position on Tyneside; what are the present prospects in ship-repairing and shipbuilding; and to what extent there are prospects of additional industries being established in the area.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodYes. The number of workers registered as unemployed at employment exchanges in the Tyneside area declined slightly in December. The number of shipbuilding and ship-repairing workers included in the total also declined, but this does not indicate a permanent improvement in the industry. Factory building schemes approved or in prospect should provide up to 5,600 additional jobs.