HC Deb 30 November 1962 vol 668 cc116-7W
Brigadier Clarke

asked the President of the Board of Trade what assistance he is giving to find a suitable firm to take over the De Havilland factory site at Portsmouth.

Mr. Erroll

This is a privately owned factory and its disposal is a commercial matter.

Brigadier Clarke

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he aware of the increased unemployment in Portsmouth; and what steps he proposes to take to reduce it.

Mr. Erroll

I realise that unemployment in Portsmouth, as in the country generally, has risen recently. But there are prospects of substantial additional employment in the Portsmouth area over the next few years, and I do not consider that in the circumstances any special steps to introduce further new developments are necessary.