§ 12. Mr. Rankinasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the progress made with the plan for the development of Central Scotland.
§ Mr. G. CampbellIn reply to Question on 29th January, my right hon. Friend circulated a full statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT, and he proposes to publish a comprehensive review of progress later in the year. Meanwhile I should be happy to see that the hon. Member gets information on any specific point of which he cares to give notice.
§ Mr. RankinI have studied that reply given on 29th January. Can the hon. Gentleman tell me in what way a change of ownership at Turnhouse Airport will affect employment in Scotland one way or another? Can he also say whether an increase in the budget expenditure of £4.2 million indicates the completion of a great deal of actual work by the end of 1965? Could he also say how the attempt to form joint working teams of the central Department and the local authorities is progressing in order to produce a phased programme of action?
§ Mr. CampbellThe hon. Gentleman has raised three points arising from the report circulated seven weeks ago, and in order to make sure that he gets up-to-the-minute information I shall be glad to inform him as soon as I can of the very latest developments. Now I can only say, on the last point he raised, that this is a matter which my noble Friend the Minister of State put to the local authority representatives, who agreed to consider it.
§ Mr. RankinOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. When an hon. Member puts a Question of this nature, which is based on a statement made two months ago, is it not in order that he should expect an answer that shows that the Minister has some knowledge of what is taking place in his own Department?
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Gentleman has been here long enough to know that that raises no point of order.