HC Deb 14 July 1959 vol 609 cc192-3
17. Mr. G. M. Thomson

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his recent official meeting with Lord Polwarth, Chairman of the Scottish Council (Development and Industry), on the subject of Scottish employment.

Mr. Maclay

I have had no recent meeting with the Scottish Council about employment, but, as I said in the debate on 2nd July, I am very ready, together with my right hon. Friend the President of. The Board of Trade, to meet the Council to discuss any further representations that it may wish to make on this subject, and I hope that this meeting will take place soon.

Mr. Thomson

Is the Secretary of State not aware that, following a meeting he had with Lord Polwarth, Lord Polwarth said that he was completely dissatisfied with the Government's plans for Scotland and that he did not regard the Secretary of State as having any fundamental appreciation of Scotland's problems?

Mr. Maclay

The hon. Member must have misunderstood a statement made by the Scottish Council which referred to a letter it had received from me. That letter has not been published, but I referred to it in a recent debate. The statement was not in reference to any meeting that I had with Lord Polwarth.

Mr. Ross

The Council still said it.