Oral Answers to Questions — Ministry of Labour – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 12 April 1965.
Mr Peter Mills
, Torrington
12:00,
12 April 1965
asked the Minister of Labour how many men were unemployed in the Okehampton area of Devon at the end of January, 1965.
Mr Richard Marsh
, Greenwich
Ninety at 8th February, the date of the count of unemployed nearest to the end of January.
Mr Peter Mills
, Torrington
Will the Minister repeat that? I never heard a word.
Sir Harry Hylton-Foster
, Cities of London and Westminster
Order. Let there be less noise, because we want to be heard the first time.
Mr Richard Marsh
, Greenwich
Ninety at 8th February, the date of the count of unemployed nearest to the end of January.
Mr Peter Mills
, Torrington
Will the hon. Gentleman bear in mind that due to the direct action of the Railways Board there will be well over another 100 unemployed in the very near future because of the closure of Meldon quarry? Will he state what redundancy payments these men will have and what his Ministry proposes to do to help to re-employ them?
Mr Richard Marsh
, Greenwich
The hon. Member is unnecessarily pessimistic about this. About 130 workers will be affected directly, and some may be offered re-employment by the new owners of the quarry. The Railways Board is investigating the possibility of new work for these men. The staff of the employment exchange are also doing what they can.
