§ 5. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his estimate of the amount to be spent annually over the next three years in Scotland as a result of the new regional policies.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Mr. Anthony Grant)I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him in reply to a similar Question on 17th April, 1972.—[Vol. 8, c. 1.]
§ Mr. HamiltonIs it not the case that the Government have no idea of the total cost? When they drafted their legislation, did they not have some figure before them, or is this just a blank cheque with the Government unaware of how much or how little these policies would cost?
§ Mr. GrantNo, Sir. The Government clearly set out in paragraph 59 of the White Paper the estimates for Great Britain as a whole. It is not practicable to make forecasts for individual areas.
Mr. Edward TaylorDoes my hon. Friend not agree that the amount to be spent will be considerably more than Scotland has ever enjoyed in the past and will lead to a substantial reduction in the unemployment figures?
§ Mr. GrantYes, my hon. Friend is absolutely right in saying that the Government's proposals measure up to the biggest-ever incentive to investment and the biggest-ever differential to the regions.
§ Mr. EadieWould the hon. Gentleman not agree that the unemployment figure in Scotland is the greatest we have seen for many a year?