Mr David Ginsburg: Like the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Mr. D. Price), I will concentrate on the second half of the Amendment—the country's economic weaknesses. In view of the hon. Gentleman's argument, much of which I accept, I am surprised that he says that he will not follow us into the Division Lobby on our Amendment—and I hope that he will not think me churlish in saying that. I begin deliberately with...
Mr David Ginsburg: I do not dissent on that specific point, but the general picture is of a decline in demand and excess capacity. There is evidence of substantial hidden unemployment in the economy today. I want to say a few words about an industry which is most important in my own constituency, namely, the heavy woollen industry. The statistics for clothing and textiles—it is an omnibus figure involving...
Mr David Ginsburg: Let the Chancellor ponder those words and bring in sound, positive measures and, above all, end the squeeze.
Mr David Ginsburg: As an hon. Member in whose constituency wool is the major industry I must add my voice to the debate and take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Wool Industry Research Association for all its work. I had the privilege last year of visiting Torridon, the research association under discussion. I was extremely impressed with everything I saw and I can say confidently that a fine organisation...
Mr David Ginsburg: asked the Prime Minister if he will appoint a Minister for Exports.
Mr David Ginsburg: But would not the Prime Minister agree that the failure of exports to rise adequately is the greatest of the Government's many failings in the economic field? Would not he at least have an immediate official inquiry into our export arrangements, and will he remember that the last time this matter was inquired into was at the time of the MacMillan Committee in 1930?
Mr David Ginsburg: asked the Minister of Labour what change there has been in the ratio of unemployed to vacancies for January, 1962, compared with January, 1961.
Mr David Ginsburg: Is not this a very serious deterioration? Is not the position for February rather worse? Is not there also a growing amount of concealed unemployment in the economy, and will not the Minister make representations to his right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer for an immediate end to the credit squeeze?
Mr David Ginsburg: Will the right hon. Gentleman look at the figures again? If he examines them carefully he will see that the figures for vacancies this February, as against the previous February, have deteriorated significantly.
Mr David Ginsburg: I support my hon. Friend the Member for Normamton (Mr. A. Roberts). The action of Express Dairies (Northern) Ltd., in discontinuing half-pint milk bottling has caused very grave concern in my constituency. Like my hon. Friend, I have received numerous protests on the subject. I have had representations from the council of the county borough of Dewsbury, from the mayor of Ossett, on behalf of...
Mr David Ginsburg: It is a very unusual experience for me to follow a poacher turned gamekeeper. The hon. Member for Kidderminster (Mr. Nabarro) has at least this in common with me, that we in Dewsbury spin the yarn and in Kidderminster they make the carpets, but it is a bit rough that the only sector of our local industry that obtains any relief should be the sector that serves Kidderminster. The wool textile...
Mr David Ginsburg: asked the Prime Minister what action has been taken to co-ordinate the activities of the several departments concerned in the execution of the Government's distribution of industry policy.
Mr David Ginsburg: Is not that an extremely complacent reply? Is there not urgent need for a Government policy for the distribution of industry? Is it not a fact that some areas are starved of industry while in other areas too much industry is coming in? Finally, is it not a fact that the Local Employment Act, while it is a beneficial Measure in some respects, is totally inadequate as a measure for dealing with...
Mr David Ginsburg: asked the Minister of Power if he will state the reasons for averring, in his letter of i5th June to the hon. Member for Dewsbury, that the decision to use oil heating at the new Government offices in Dewsbury was the right one.
Mr David Ginsburg: Is the Minister aware of the great local concern in this matter? Is he also aware that I have a letter from the chairman of the North-Eastern Division of the National Coal Board stating that it was not consulted and was not asked to supply information on costs? How, then, does the right hon. Gentleman consider that the Ministry of Works' calculations were right and that its decision was...
Mr David Ginsburg: Would not the Minister agree that, in this case, it was very regrettable that the Ministry did not go to the National Coal Board, because the figures, as at that time, would have shown that coal would have been cheaper?
Mr David Ginsburg: asked the Minister of Power if he is satisfied with the liaison between the Government Departments concerned and the National Coal Board when plans for the heating of new Government offices are considered; and if he will make a statement.
Mr David Ginsburg: Will the Minister consider making a further statement about the liaison in this field, so that, at least, the House may know that the sort of incident which happened in my constituency does not happen again?
Mr David Ginsburg: The hon. Member for Willesden, East (Mr. Skeet) asked us to take a broad view of the problem, and I am in general sympathy with him. I am not a protectionist, and I welcome any agreement which will have as a consequence the increase of international trade. I accept the fact, too, that this agreement though it contains features which I intensely dislike, should benefit wide sectors of British...
Mr David Ginsburg: There is nothing in what I have said which is an attack on the British Embassy in Tokyo. What I was asking, and what I think it is legitimate to ask, is that we should be sure that there is an adequate staff to give the Board of Trade the sort of information about economic practices in the Japanese wool textile industry which will enable us here to judge whether unfair competition is taking...