§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many people were employed in merchant shipbuilding in 1979 and in the most recent year for which figures are available in (a) Great Britain, (b) the United Kingdom, (c) France, (d) Germany, (e) Italy and (f) the European Economic Community as a whole.
817W(2) if he will publish the most recent information available to him of the support for shipbuilders in (a) Japan, (b) Taiwan, (c) Korea and (d) all individual countries of the European Economic Community;
(3) under what circumstances shibuilding intervention fund support is now available to private sector yards; and what are his proposals for the future.
§ Mr. Giles ShawI shall reply to the hon. Gentleman as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much shipbuilding intervention fund support has been paid out in each year since 1977, and in total, to each of the member countries of the European Community.
§ Mr. Giles ShawThere is no support for merchant shipbuilding paid to Member countries from European Community funds. Each member state administers a regime of aid that is agreed with the European Commission within the framework of successive Council directives on shipbuilding aids. For the United Kingdom, Her Majesty's Government have made the following payments to merchant shipbuilding yards from the shipbuilding intervention fund:
Financial Year £ million 1976–77 1.4 1977–78 19.3 1978–79 10.8 1979–80 36.3 1980–81 45.8 1981–82 54.5 1982–83 54.9 1983–84 43.4
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Company March 1979 September 1986 April 1987 Appledore Shipbuilders1 870 585 550 Austin and Pickersgill2 2,999 1,131 22080 BS (E & TS) 1,131 — — BS Marine Design Consultants 1,089 232 220 Clark Kincaid (Greenock) 1,350 510 565 Clark Kincaid (Wallsend) 1,933 78 — Ferguson-Ailsa—(Pt Glasgow)1 414 334 490 Ferguson-Ailsa (Troon) 522 227 — Govan Shipbuilders 5,474 2,385 1,850 Smiths Dock 2,756 999 — Sunderland Forge Services — 386 400 Sunderland Shipbuilders2 4,374 1,754 (see Austin and Pickersgill2) Barclay Curle 315 — — Blackwall Engineering 105 — — Brigham and Cowan (Hull)/Tyne Shiprepair 3,594 — — Brooke Marine 855 — — Cammell Laird 4,450 — — Clelands 515 — — Falmouth Docks and Eng. 162 — — Falmouth Shiprepair 747 — — Goole 427 — — Grangemouth Dockyard 176 — — Hall Russell 896 — — Henry Robb 677 — — Henry Robb (LPG) 24 — — K. and L. Marine Equipment 99 — — R. Harris and Son 179 — — River Thames Shiprepair 1,044 — — Scott Lithgow 7,170 — — Sunderland Forge 692 — — Swan Hunter Shipbuilders 10,284 — — VO Offshore 140 — —
Financial Year £ million 1984–85 28.1 1985–86 30.8 1986–87 19.3
§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of world orders has been won by British shipbuilding yards in 1985 and so far in 1986.
§ Mr. Giles ShawDuring 1985, United Kingdom shipbuilding yards won 2.7 per cent. of world new orders for merchant ships. During the first six months of 1986, United Kingdom yards have won 1.6 per cent. of world orders.
§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of orders placed by British shipowners has been placed in Britain in 1985 and so far in 1986.
§ Mr. Giles ShawDuring 1985, 61 per cent. of new orders for the United Kingdom flag were placed in United Kingdom yards. During the first six months of 1986, 78 per cent. of new orders for the United Kingdom flag were placed in United Kingdom yards.
§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the numbers employed in each of the yards of British Shipbuilders in 1979, the numbers employed currently, and the number to be employed in April 1987.
§ Mr. Giles ShawThe information is as follows. The figures for 1979 include employment at companies since sold or closed:
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Company March 1979 September 1986 April 1987 Vosper Thornycroft 5,073 — — Vickers Shipbuilding 9,020 — — Vickers Engineering 4,950 — — Vosper Shiprepairs 1,533 — — Wallsend Slipway Eng. 336 — — Wolsingham Steel 411 — — Yarrow Shipbuilders 5,544 — — BS Headquarters etc. 203 166 160 Total 82,533 8,787 6,320 1Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd. merged with the Ferguson yard at Port Glasgow in September 1986 to form a new subsidiary, Appledore-Ferguson Ltd. 2Austin and Pickersgill Ltd. and Sunderland Shipbuilders merged in April 1986 to form a new subsidiary, North East Shipbuilders Ltd.
§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the current orders of British Shipbuilders and the date of completion.
BS yard Current orders Completion date Govan 1 passenger RO/RO ferry March 1987 Austin & Pickersgill 1 multi purpose cargo vessel First half 1987 1 barge First half 1987 12 ferries June 1987 to mid-1989 Sunderland 1 diving support vessel First half 1987 1 diving support vessel First half 1987 1 crane ship First half 1987 13 ferries June 1987 to mid-1989 Appledore 1 dredger 5K April 1987 1 dredger 2K September 1987 Ferguson (Port Glasgow) 1 passenger RO/RO ferry February 1988 Ferguson (Troon) 1 research vessel Early 1987 Smith's dock 1 SD King cargo vessel Early 1987 Clark Kincaid (Greenock) 1 engine July 1987