HC Deb 29 April 1960 vol 622 cc26-8W
Mr. Matthews

asked the Secretary of State for War to what extent he can continue to employ the existing capacity of Royal Ordnance Factories for small arms production; and whether he will make a statement.

Mr. Soames

Two Royal Ordnance Factories, one at Enfield and one at Fazakerley, are now engaged on a programme of small arms production for the Services. Requirements for personal weapons have been much curtailed in consequence of the reduction in the size of the Army, and when current orders have been completed there will be no immediate or long-term prospect of enough work to justify retaining more than one factory. One must therefore be closed, and it will not be possible to keep the other continuously at full activity.

Our need in the coming years in the one remaining factory will be for design capacity and varied, comprehensive experience, rather than for long runs of a few lines of production. These considerations point decisively to the retention of Enfield. It is the parent small arms factory with a reputation that is world-wide, and it is fully versatile. The preponderance of skill and the accumulated experience of a century of work in this field are concentrated in this factory, and there is the added advantage that both the small arms development centre and the proof ranges are located there.

I have given careful consideration to the problems of Merseyside, but in this instance I have had to be guided by defence interests. I have therefore reached the reluctant decision that Fazakerley will have to be closed when current orders are finished. The factory will begin to run down in June, and, except for a small force remaining to wind up, all employees will have become redundant by about the end of the year. Further, it will not be possible to maintain Enfield at full capacity and about 120 workers will shortly become redundant there.

My right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour, will do his utmost to help displaced workers to find new employment. Established employees will be offered employment in other Government establishments. My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade and I will do all we can to find a suitable firm to make good productive use of the Fazakerley factory.