§ 2. Mr.MacArthurasked the Secretary of Slate for Scotland what plans he has to publish a revised edition of the White Paper, The Scottish Economy, Command Paper No. 2864.
§ Mr. MacArthurWill the right hon. Gentleman stop being so obstinate and complacent about his totally discredited pre-election employment forecast? Will he revise his figures and face the fact that there has been a net loss of 67,000 jobs in Scotland over three years?
§ Mr. RossThe hon. Gentleman should start reading the White Paper again. I am neither obstinate nor complacent. I see no need to revise a document whose objectives are so evidently being achieved. If he looks at the emigration figures, the road figures and the housing figures, he will see that we are making progress in the right direction.
§ Mr. Gordon CampbellI have the White Paper in my hand at the moment. The six-year period which it covers is due to end in just over a year. Will not the Secretary of State at least issue a progress report to show how differently events have turned out from what was forecast?
§ Mr. RossI assure the hon. Gentleman that progress reports on housing, roads, and so on, are always made available. Meetings of the Economic Planning Council are always followed by Press conferences.