§ Q3. Mr. Strangasked the Prime Minister if he will now pay an official visit to Edinburgh.
§ The Prime MinisterI did so on 12th May, Sir, when I met representatives of the Scottish Council, Development and Industry. I have at present no plans for a further visit.
§ Mr. StrangWill the Prime Minister go again to Edinburgh and arrange an urgent meeting with the Chairman of the Scottish Conservative Party who last week made a slashing attack on the 234 Government's failure to develop our North Sea oil resources in a way which maximised the number of new jobs created in Scotland? How long shall we have to wait before the Government do an about-turn and adopt for the oil industry the sort of interventionist policies they have already adopted for shipbuilding and computers?
§ The Prime MinisterWhat Sir William McEwan Younger said was that, in the issue of licences, the Government ought to have tied the licences for North Sea oil development to the use of specific products made in Scotland. This was not done by the previous Administration. We have considered it but have not embarked upon this policy. We believe that these companies can develop best under the present licensing system, as they have done. What Sir William did was to deliver a slashing attack on the defeatism of Scottish industry, all parts of it, for not being prepared to work with the oil companies in order to produce all their requirements. These were personal opinions. But I hope that Scottish industry can take the initiative required in order to meet all the requirements of the oil companies. It cannot achieve it by being ordered to do so by a Government. It has to be done by individual firms, managements and trade unions.