Orders of the Day — Employment Subsidies Bill

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 20 February 1978.

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Photo of Mr Ivan Lawrence Mr Ivan Lawrence , Burton 12:00, 20 February 1978

I agree with the hon. Gentleman and perhaps later in my speech I shall be able to come a little closer to taking up some of his remarks. However, I was making the point that our young people are becoming work recidivists. The Sub-Committee of which I am a member has been touring parts of Britain, and we have discovered that some of the regional problems of unemployment are horrific. We have heard representations from the North-West, but I might also mention parts of Wales.

It is not just the regions which are affected in this way. It is also certain sectors of industry, including clothing, textiles and footwear. In any event, I want to turn the discussion away from the North-West—the North-West can look after itself—because the point was made and is always made by the Secretary of State that this is part of a general malaise throughout the world.

The fact is that we as a country were doing better than other countries and that now we are doing worse. Even if there are differences about the methods of calculation, there are also similarities. For example, in all the countries more people register as unemployed than are actually unemployed. But the general position is that we are doing worse now, and we should ask ourselves why, not just to make party points but to see what the Government have done wrong. That might help us to see what the Government ought to do and whether what they are doing now should be extended and improved. I am referring to the temporary unemployment measures, especially the temporary employment subsidy.

I do not accept that which is always being said by some Labour Members in respect of North-Western textiles, that the fault lies with the Common Market. It is true that the Commission is trying to stop the temporary employment subsidy, and it may well succeed. It is feared by the EEC that the subsidy will be used to export our unemployment into the other member countries. That fear can be understood. I am not sure how much it is an argument about unemployment and how far it is an argument about fisheries. When dealing with the Common Market one never knows what the real argument is about.

I have no doubt that the Government have waiting an alternative scheme that will be acceptable to the Common Market when the temporary employment subsidy is phased out, which will, I am sure, fulfil the wishes of Labour Members.