asked the President of the Board of Trade, in view of the consistently high level of unemployment in Coatbridge and Airdrie, if he will have an advance factory built in Airdrie.

No, Sir: the Board of Trade has recently built one advance factory at Coatbridge and my right hon. Friend does not consider that the building of another at Airdrie would be justified in present circumstances.

Is the Minister aware that figures released over two weeks ago by the Ministry of Labour indicate that we now have the highest level of unemployment in that part of the country since January, 1960? Has not experience demonstrated that the most effective way in which to attract industry, with a view to combating unemployment, is to have an advance factory available so as to induce industrialists to come to this part of the country? Will the Minister, therefore, in view of the experience which we have gained in North Lanarkshire, reconsider his decision and agree to have a factory built in the town of Airdrie?

I think that the experience to which the hon. Gentleman is referring is that of immediately after the war when factories were very short and hard to come by. It is not necessarily the experience now.