Industry, Employment and Roads

Part of Scotland – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 2 July 1959.

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Photo of Lieut-Colonel Sir Thomas Moore Lieut-Colonel Sir Thomas Moore , Ayr 12:00, 2 July 1959

At times the hon. Member for Dunbartonshire, East did not seem to be fully aware of the facts.

The third speaker was the hon. Member for West Lothian (Mr. J. Taylor). His was an entirely different type of speech. The impression which he left on me was one of sympathy for his constituency and for those who were feeling the effects of and fall in employment and the halt in industrial expansion. I propose leaving it to my right hon. Friend to deal with other speeches and, after some years of comparative quiescence on the subject of Prestwick Airport, to address my few observations to that subject. I hope that the House will be patient with me in dealing with it once more.

I do not propose to refer to the question of the tunnel versus the loop road in connection with the main runway, since that is both confused and controversial, and in any case it will have little effect on either industry or employment in Scotland. I will, therefore, concentrate my remarks on the present position of Scottish Aviation Limited.

As the House is aware, or, at any rate, as Scottish hon. Members are aware, this company is the only design and manufacturing unit for aircraft in Scotland. It was created by our former colleague, the Duke of Hamilton, and his friend, David McIntyre—the first conquerors of Mount Everest—just after the last war, when their operational enterprise in Scotland and elsewhere had been crushed by nationalisation. Through the fortunate acquisition of a brilliant and imaginative designer they produced the Prestwick Pioneer, a single-engined machine, later followed by the Twin, which, as its name implies, has two engines. These machines had at the time of their design and manufacture the unusual advantage of being able to take off and land in practically their own length. They were and are, therefore, particularly suitable for use in jungle, forest and desert operations, or wherever no airfields of any kind were available.

I know that I am repeating what is old history to hon. Members, but I want the House to appreciate the background to my final few remarks. After many set-backs, these aircraft achieved recognition by the Aeronautics Board and were also accepted by the Ministry of Supply, as suitable for the Services. Since that time 44 single Pioneers and 70 Twins have been manufactured and sold, some to the R.A.F. for service in Malaya, Borneo and elsewhere, some direct to colonial Governments and some even to foreign Governments.

As a consequence, the number of people employed at Prestwick by Scottish Aviation Limited rose to 2,400; and what appeared to all of us to be a flourishing industry had been established, a fact of which Scotland was properly proud. Here I want to pay tribute—even though this may not be palatable to the Opposition—to the Government and their predecessors, in particular the Treasury, the Ministry of Supply and the Secretary of State for Scotland, for the constant interest, encouragement and tangible assistance which they gave and have continued to give to the company.

Unfortunately, sad times have come upon this gallant little enterprise. It is difficult precisely to state the reasons, except that other manufacturers have recognised the unique advantages of the Pioneer. Therefore, possibly through strong competition or possibly through the untimely death of that amazing personality and salesman, David McIntyre, orders have fallen off to such an extent that this company has now only two aircraft in production and only seven on order. The tragic and, I suppose, inevitable result is that 600 employees, as the hon. Member for Leith said, have already been put off and this very day 400 more are due to receive their notices.

I would impress on the House, although no doubt some hon. Members already know it, that among these men are some of the most highly skilled craftsmen in the industry, whether in Scotland or England. At first, when orders began to fall off, which was about a year ago, it was possible for men to find equivalent employment in England. Although, naturally, they were deeply distressed at having to uproot themselves, with or without their families, many went south of the Border. Today, unhappily, owing to a general recession in the aircraft industry, even that avenue for their further employment has been closed. The ultimate result is that our only native industry of its kind in Scotland, excellently managed as it is, with first-class industrial and labour relations and a splendid team of workers, designers, engineers and draftsmen, is in danger of extinction.

What can be done about it? Steady orders for two machines a month would be needed to keep even the reduced staff fully employed. With the original number of employees the capacity was four machines a month, and orders for that number—one a week—would be required if the firm is to get back to its old standard of employment and output. It is not a great number with the world as its market, but it means a lot to Prestwick and Ayrshire and, indeed, to Scotland as a whole.

The Secretary of State for the Colonies has done much to bring to the notice of the territories over which he has authority the advantages of the Pioneer for use in those countries. The Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations has also done the same with regard to the countries with which he has contact. The Minister of Supply has proved a most helpful channel for the Services, while the Secretary of State for Scotland—and I should like to pay a special tribute to him here—has been a tower of supporting strength, although he has been somewhat circumscribed in his efforts by the statutory tentacles which were spread over B.E.A. in Scotland when nationalisation first came into operation.

These, however, are all individual efforts by individual Ministers and Departments. I cannot help thinking that if all these eager, ardent spirits in the Government were brought together in a Government committee presided over by the Secretary of State for Scotland, plus, possibly, the Board of Trade, and they could meet regularly and actively with all the authority of the Government behind them, they would find a field or fields in which the sale of this aircraft could be stimulated and guided. If they could find a way of furthering the sale of these machines they would, I am convinced, save this pioneer company and its Pioneer planes. I believe that it is within their power to succeed, and if they did they would certainly earn the deepest gratitude of the people of Scotland including, I venture to say, that of the hon. Member or Ayr.

I therefore beg the Government to give us some hope in this matter.