§ Q6. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his recent discussions and correspondence with the Scottish Council on the need for new initiatives in regional economic policy.
§ The Prime MinisterI would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20th January to a Question from the hon. Member for Rutherglen (Mr. Gregor Mackenzie).—[Vol. 829, c. 250.]
§ Mr. HamiltonDoes not the Prime Minister recognise that the Scottish Council, which is a non-political body, has been highly critical of the Government's regional policies and that its criticisms are more than adequately borne out by the intolerably high unemployment figures in Scotland and elsewhere? When will the Government produce a White Paper indicating in what ways the current regional policies are different from those of the previous Government and how far they have been successful as compared with those operated before 1970?
§ The Prime MinisterThe hon. Gentleman's Question refers to the meeting that I had with the Scottish Council. He will have seen in the Scottish Press that the council expressed its warm welcome of our discussion. The council put to me two major proposals which are now being examined by Government Departments, and we discussed a variety of other detailed matters which it wished to raise.
The hon. Gentleman asks for a White Paper. The original arrangements for regional policy were set out in a White Paper. If the hon. Gentleman wants further information, certainly I am prepared to look into it.
§ Mr. Bruce-GardyneDid the representatives of the Scottish Council, as they should have done, draw the attention of my right hon. Friend to the burden on the Scottish economy which is at present resulting from the disastrous increases in taxation on road transport imposed by the last Government and the manner in which the fiscal system drives private companies with Scottish roots and identities into the arms of English and multinational companies with neither?
§ The Prime MinisterThose two points were not raised by the Scottish Council in my recent discussions with it. They are points about which representations have been made in the past and which are quite valid.
§ Mr. GrimondWill the right hon. Gentleman assure us that the point about the additional transport charges is also being closely studied and that actions will be taken on it? Secondly, as regards the two major proposals of the Scottish Council, when does the right hon. Gentleman hope to give the council an answer and, even more important, to take action upon them?
§ The Prime MinisterI will ensure that the transport matter is considered. As for the two major items, oil exploitation on the East Coast and the developments at Hunterston, I was able to assure the Scottish Council that these matters were being examined urgently by the Departments concerned. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland has already taken action in some respects on planning at Hunterston and about an inquiry in respect of its development. Certainly we shall produce a decision at the earliest possible moment.