Debate on the Address

Part of Sessional Orders – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 2 July 1970.

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Photo of Mr Arthur Blenkinsop Mr Arthur Blenkinsop , South Shields 12:00, 2 July 1970

I am obliged to my hon. Friend. Hon. Members opposite cannot escape the fact that their speeches and policy demands follow them. They have made clear, as have their leaders, that their policy is to end Government intervention in industry in this way. It is, therefore, acutely important that we know precisely what the new Government intend to do. Some of us are not prepared to wait for months for a reply on matters of this kind. We want to know whether the temporary arrangements which were made with regard to such places as Palmers Yard, which used to employ thousands of men on Tyneside, including many of my constituents, are to be carried further. We want to know what their future is to be, and also what the future of ship repairing is to be. The industry itself prepared a report for the previous Government. At least, that report, with the present Government's recommendations, ought to be published so that we know what the issue is.

This is a serious matter. The hon. Member for Gillingham (Mr. Burden) may laugh if he likes—