§ 44. Mr. Eadieasked the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received from James Galloway and Sons Paper Mill, Balerno, on development area status; and what reply he has sent.
§ Mrs. Gwyneth DunwoodyThe company has asked that the Scottish development area should be extended to include the parish of Balerno where its factory is located. After careful examination of the company's request, I have explained to the company why this extension cannot be justified in present circumstances.
§ Mr. EadieIs my hon. Friend aware that this is the only paper mill in the whole of Scotland which does not have development area status? Would not she agree that the paper industry is under intense competition from E.F.T.A. countries and that it provides employment in a very bad employment area in my constituency?
§ Mrs. DunwoodyI am very sympathetic with the difficulties facing this paper mill, but I hope that my hon. Friend will accept that many branches of industry find themselves in this difficulty when they are in close relationship with development areas. It would not be possible simply to draw a line round this one paper mill.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinIs not this merely one example flowing from the exclusion of the whole of the Edinburgh district from the development area? Does not this give rise to grave difficulties in many other industries within this small enclave, which is excluded from the whole development area of Scotland—for instance, in the shipbuilding industry at Leith?
§ Mrs. DunwoodyThe shipbuilding industry has had assistance in other ways. We sympathise with industries which find themselves just outside development areas, but the areas were extended to assist many more people. It would be foolish to take any action while we are waiting for the Hunt Report.