TNAG-0345-FCO40-381-UK-and-Hong-Kong-talks-on-cotton-textiles-1972 — Page 110

Oral Answers

17 JANUARY 1972

attrouted solely to the high national level of unemployment and that economic ex- pansion alone will not solve this prob- lem? Will he assure the House that the Government are studying the situation with a view to bringing forward new regional policy measures within the next few months?

Mr. Davies: On several occasions I and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister have made it clear that these matters are under urgent and continuous study by the Government.

Mr. Edward Taylor: Is my right hon. Friend aware that the Common Market's regional rules prevent and forbid grants of more than 20 per cent. in areas desig- nated as central by the Common Market Commission? Has he had any communi- cation from the Commission as to the areas of Scotland, and Britain as a whole, that the Commission would wish to desig- nate as central? If so, when may we have information about this?

Mr. Davies: No. This is a matter which will require further discussion with the Community. It will be, perhaps, of interest to my hon. Friend to know that, at present at least, I am sure that the 20 per cent. to which he has referred would not impede the incentives available in intermediary areas, even if those inter- mediary areas were characterised as cen- tral areas.

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Mr. Hefer: Is it not clear that the Government's regional policy has failed totally? Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that in certain areas such Merseyside. Scotland and North Wales- all areas of growing and high unemploy- ment--the workers are now not prepared to accept unemployment and are now, in certain cases, occupying factories in order to oppose the Government's policy? Is not this an indication that at the earliest possible moment there must be a reversal of Government policy, in order to create employment in those areas?

Mr. Davies: I agree with the hon. Gentleman in this: that over perhaps the whole of the post-war period regional policies have not been able to create the number of employment opportunities in many parts of the country which we all would have wished. The Government have worked hard to try to develop the right policies to counter this very damag-

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Oral Answers

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ing effect, and will continue to do so. But that the present Government's policies are themselves responsible for a more serious situation is something to which I would not accede.

Mr. Leadbitter: Despite the Secretary of State's assurance that this matter is under continuous examination in the Department, is it not time that the House was informed of the results of the review and of the Government's policy? The Northern Region, in particular, as well as the areas mentioned by my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Walton (Mr. Heffer), is running at the rate of 2.000 redundancies a month. In my con- stituency there is one vacancy for every 137 males unemployed. In view of this, and because of the right hon. Gentle- man's concern, would it not be proper for the House to have the information, arising from this examination, perhaps in the form of a White Paper on regional policies?

Mr. Davies: The House will clearly wish to discuss these matters. Surely it would be best to discuss them against clear propositions which seek to amend and improve the situation.

Mr. Varley: Can the right hon. Gentle- man confirm the assurance given on 20th December by the Minister for Industry that, when this current review is com- plete, the results will be announced to the House and there will be an oppor- tunity for the House to debate these issues, perhaps on the publication of a White Paper?

Mr. Davies: That is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House and not for me. I am sure that my right hon. Friend will be prepared to recognise the clear desire of the House to debate these matters.

Cotton Textile Imports

14. Mr. Tebbit asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to what extent, when forming his decision to re- tain in 1972 the present quotas for cotton textile imports, he took into account the needs of clothing manufacturers who can obtain neither the textiles they require nor substitutes from United Kingdom manufacturers.

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