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Part of Civil Estimates, 1964–65 – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 16 July 1964.

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Photo of Mr Edward Heath Mr Edward Heath , Bexley 12:00, 16 July 1964

No one can dispute that the North-East has kept its vigour. Let us agree to take the view of the Chairman of the North-East Development Council, when he said that there had been a tremendous improvement in the public morale of the North-East. There was a new confidence throughout the region, and he felt that all could feel justifiably optimistic about the future.

The hon. Gentleman then went on to make an attack on the North-East Development Group, and the civil servants v/ho form it. I want to repudiate straight away what he said. When this programme was put into action, I was urged to set up the most powerful machine possible in the North-East in order to achieve results. What we have is a group of civil servants who are responsible to the Government, and the Government are responsible to this House, and that is how the machine works.

There is no question of these civil servants interfering with the powers of the local authorities. They are working extremely closely with the local authorities, and very successfully, and the local authorities welcome it. For the hon. Gentleman to suggest that people throughout the North-East are feeling that they have no say in their own affairs, which are run by faceless civil servants, is absolute nonsense and should be absolutely repudiated. In any case, I have presided over one of their meetings myself, and I resent what the hon. Gentleman said about them.

Hon. Members have raised a good many points in this debate and I will, in the brief time available, try to reply to as many as I can, though I recognise that hon. Members for London constituencies also want to carry on with the next debate.

When I first went to the North-East I was asked, "This is a long-term programme—what about immediate results? We may see results through the growth of the infra-structure—what about the present?" We now see that through an expanding economy unemployment has been reduced to 3 per cent., and we are determined to bring it lower. That is a matter for general recognition and welcome, not for the constant looking back of the hon. Gentleman. One thing that is characteristic of the North-East is that it is no longer looking back; it is looking forward, and rightly so.

When the hon. Gentleman is talking about the achievements of the North-East and comparing figures, let him and his friends also bear in mind the number of jobs that have been lost because of structural change in the economy, and the decline of the coal industry, and of ship repairing and ship building. If we look at the figures for coal mining alone, we find that manpower in four years has fallen by 23,000. That one simple fact means that 23,000 new jobs, from new industries, from new plants have to be found. [HON. MEMBERS: "No."] That is the criterion against which progress must be judged, and it is the one thing that is never mentioned by the hon. Gentleman and his hon. Friends.

When we look at the present position in regard to industrial certificates we see this continuing and very welcome increase. From 1st April, 1963, to 30th June, 1964, 217 industrial development certificates were issued for 7 million sq. ft. of factory space, with jobs for an estimated 15,000 male workers. Of these industrial development certificates, 29 are for units new to the area with 2½ million sq. ft. of factory space. Surely this is a matter for congratulation for the North-East. The movement of industry in this country is not dictated by the Government or by anyone else. It is brought about by the expansion of industry itself and, in a free economy, that will always be so.

The other interesting figure is the monthly average of male jobs from industrial development certificates issued. It is an increasing average. From April to September, 1963, there were 532 jobs per month; October to December, 1963, 1,111—