Car Works In Scotland

FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT
GLASGOW. JAN. 19

An announcement that Scotland and Wales are to benefit substantially from the Government's desire to divert expansion of the motor car industry from the Midlands may be made later this week by the British Motor Corporation. It now seems almost certain that by about 1962 a major factory providing work eventually for at least 4,000 men on tractor and other production will be located near Bathgate, in West Lothian.

A B.M.C. official declined tonight to make any official statement of their expansion plans, which involve a capital investment of £49m. The corporation appealed, he said. for patience to prevent progress being hindered by premature disclosures at a time when negotiations involving many different interests were proceeding. A formal announcement by B.M.C is likely soon, and may be made as early as Thursday. It may apply at this stage only to Scotland, although other developments could follow in Wales. Scottish interests concerned in the possible B.M.C. project were guarded today, but it emerged that the Board of Trade had investigated sites in the Bathgate area on behalf of "an industrial firm" which had later expressed satisfaction with one of them.

Mr George Harriman, deputy chairman and managing director of B.M.C.. visited the district yesterday and is believed to have reached agreement with Amalgamated Engineering Union officials on the wages and conditions acceptable for Scotland.