§ 1. Mr. Sillarsasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent representations he has received from the Scottish Trades Union Congress following the publication of the January unemployment figures; and what replies he has sent.
§ The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. Gordon Campbell)None, Sir. But, as the hon. Member will be aware, the Scottish Trades Union Congress earlier this week had a meeting with my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister at which I was present.
§ Mr. SillarsAt that meeting, did the Secretary of State confess to the Scottish Trades Union Congress delegation that his designation of a large part of Scotland as a special development area amounts to a clear admission that his own investment allowances system is a failure?
§ Mr. CampbellNo. Sir. This S.D.A. designation happened to be a recommendation put to the Government by the S.T.U.C. itself earlier. At the meeting at No. 10 on Monday, there was a full discussion, and I had the impression that the S.T.U.C. considered it extremely useful.
§ Mr. MacArthurDid my right hon. Friend point out to the delegation that the industrial future of Scotland depends on the defeat of cost inflation and, thereafter, on the resumption of growth in the total United Kingdom economy?
§ Mr. CampbellIt would be right to say that there was general agreement on that.
§ Mr. RossBearing in mind the gravity of the unemployment figures in Scotland, and whatever the merit of the S.D.A. proposals, since they can have little or no effect this year and very little next year, if the Prime Minister's figures given yesterday are correct, has the Secretary of State any plans for immediate action to alleviate the situation during the coming months
§ Mr. CampbellIn July, when I first met the S.T.U.C., we were aware that unemployment was standing at over 90,000 then, at the height of the summer. I have seen the S.T.U.C. since then, and we have kept in touch about the matter. The S.D.A. was the quickest method to be brought in because, contrary to what the right hon. Gentleman said, but in accordance with what I said on 3rd February, legislation was not required and it could be designated straight away. [HON. MEMBERS: "The right hon. Gentleman did not know."] I replied at the time —this was in my first speech—but hon. Members did not take it in, that I had been advised that legislation was not necessary to designate it. The point is that legislation is still necessary to raise the grants to the amounts which have already been announced.
§ Mr. CampbellI have already stated that the S.D.A. system was a method which was to hand and was the quickest to introduce in order to deal with the situation. The right hon. Gentleman knows that already, in order immediately and urgently to relieve as much as we can of the unemployment which we found on coming into office, we have introduced, for Scotland only, the winter works programme,