§ 30. Mr. Douglasasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on Scottish initiatives to attract German direct investment to Scotland.
§ Mr. YoungerThe Committee for European Investment in Scotland has been set up with the co-operation of the Scottish Council, and my right hon. Friend is paying a grant of £100,000 a year to support its work in attracting industrial investment to Scotland from Europe. The committee's initial attention has been directed to the Federal Republic of Germany, and together with the Committee's Chairman, Lord Taylor of Gryfe, I led a mission in November last year to launch the promotion campaign there. The committee's staff is in active contact with firms in Germany about prospects in Scotland, and attention is now turning to other countries in Europe.
§ Mr. DouglasWhen does the Minister expect to announce a single piece of direct investment in Scotland from a German company?
§ Mr. YoungerI hope we shall be able to announce some results before long. The hon. Gentleman will appreciate that a matter of this kind is a big operation and it takes a long time to achieve results, but it is well worth doing. Every job which is brought to Scotland in this way will be warmly welcomed by the people of Scotland.