HC Deb 15 April 1975 vol 890 cc49-50W
18. Mr. Teddy Taylor

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many jobs in Scotland will be affected by the defence cuts.

Mr. William Rodgers

Planning of reductions in MOD civilian employees is continuing and it is not possible to give detailed figures for Scotland at this stage. So far as defence industries are concerned, the main effect in Scotland will be felt by Rolls-Royce's Glasgow factories. The extent to which job opportunities will be affected will depend, among other things, on management decisions by Rolls-Royce.

21. Mr. Palmer

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the likely effect of the defence review on employment in the Bristol area.

Mr. William Rodgers

On the basis of present planning the only significant effect we foresee in the Bristol area is that the rephasing of the MRCA production programme will affect Rolls-Royce. It is too early to say how many job opportunities will be affected, because this will depend, among other things, on decisions by Rolls-Royce how to manage the revised programme.

22. Mr. Woodall

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he has now considered the industrial consequences of his defence review as it will affect the Yorkshire and Humberside region: and if he will make a statement.

Mr. James Johnson

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he has now considered the industrial consequences of his defence review as it will affect the Yorkshire and Humberside Region, particularly Hull and district and if he will make a statement.

Mr. William Rodgers

The defence review is unlikely to have any marked effect on industry in the Yorkshire and Humberside Region.

Mr. Onslow

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has formed of the loss of jobs in civilian dockyards that will result from the transfer of the refitting of Royal Fleet auxiliaries to Her Majesty's dockyards.

Mr. Judd

There is no prospect for several years at least of any significant loss of jobs in civilian dockyards resulting from the transfer of the refitting of RFAs to Her Majesty's Dockyards.

Capacity in the Royal dockyards will not be released from warship refitting in any quantity as a result of the defence review until 1977–78. In the meantime, the great majority of RFA refits will continue to be placed with civil ship repairers. The allocation of RFA refits from 1977–78 has still to be decided and will depend on various considerations, including the dockyard capacity then available, other demands for its use, as well as the effect on employment in civil shipyards.