§ Mr. Wrigglesworthasked the Secretary of State for Industry what advice his Department receives from professional production engineers on its industrial policies.
§ Mr. CryerThere are five professionally qualified production engineers at Principal level and above working in headquarters divisions of my Department. These are backed up by a further six at ranks below Principal level. There are also a number of professionally qualified production engineers working 431W in the Department's various reasearch establishments.
Apart from departmental staff, I am advised by a number of senior professional production engineers, having between them wide industrial experience, who are members of the Steering Group of the Department's Manufacturing Advisory Service or its Merchanical Engineering and Machine Tools Requirements Board. If circumstances require it, my Department is also able to employ specialist consultants to undertake particular investigations and advise me on subsequent action.
§ Mr. Wrigglesworthasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will appoint a professional production engineer to his staff to advise on industrial policies.
§ Mr. CryerNo. I am satisfied that at present the availability of advice from professional production engineers on matters of industrial policy meets the requirements of my Department.