§ 8. Mr. Michael Moore (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale)If he will make an official visit to the borders to discuss economic development in the region. [49921]
§ The Minister for Education and Industry, Scottish Office (Mr. Brian Wilson)My right hon. Friend has no immediate plans to visit the borders, but has kept in close touch with recent developments. Those recent developments include my visit to the borders on 2 and 3 July to discuss economic development issues with, among others, the hon. Gentleman. During that visit, I announced a wide package of new measures, including an additional £1 million for Scottish Borders Enterprise.
§ Mr. MooreI acknowledge the importance of the initiatives announced by the Minister on his recent visit to the borders. They are the beginning of an answer to the 903 area's difficulties. Does he acknowledge the infrastructure problems about which he heard, and the need to help local businesses to diversify, about which the Scottish Affairs Select Committee heard yesterday when it visited the borders? When will the south of Scotland convention meet? That was one of the initiatives that he announced on his visit.
§ Mr. WilsonI should like to express my appreciation to the hon. Gentleman and his hon. Friend the Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood) for the arrangements that they helped to put in place for that visit. Everyone agreed that it was a positive response and the beginning of efforts to address the problems of the borders.
On the south of Scotland convention, the date that we propose—about which I should be happy to consult—is the end of September or the beginning of October. That would allow sufficient time for matters to develop after my visit, but not to drag on.
§ Dr. Julian Lewis (New Forest, East)I am glad that the Minister enjoyed his visit to Scotland. May I suggest that he should make as many visits north of the border as he can, because, thanks to the craven approach of his Government to appeasing Scottish nationalist ambitions, it will not be long before he needs a passport to travel there?
§ Mr. WilsonI am inclined to suggest that, if white coats are manufactured in the borders, the hon. Gentleman's remarks might assist the textile industry there.
§ Mr. Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale)We are all aware of the serious situation in the borders, but the Minister will also be aware that unemployment in Dumfries and Galloway is double that in the borders. Therefore, will he consider visiting Dumfries and Galloway? As he has given an extra £1 million to Scottish Borders Enterprise, will he consider making a similar allocation to Dumfries and Galloway Enterprise, which would put that money to good use?
§ Mr. WilsonI am sure that the hon. Gentleman does not mean to be divisive, and that he would agree that there was a specific problem in the borders. Unemployment statistics do not tell us everything. We are witnessing in the borders the rapid deterioration of a key industry, and it was right for us to take the step that we took. Almost every one of my hon. Friends could make the same argument about some of the older industrial areas of Scotland having higher unemployment figures. What has been done in the borders is not at any other region's expense.
I shall be pleased to visit Dumfries and Galloway, and I hope to do so during the recess. The South of Scotland convention will be a useful forum—it is a one-off—to discuss on a wider basis the economic problems of the south of Scotland and to bring in the people from the other side of the border. That point was made and reinforced at the meeting in Hawick, because there is a movement of labour across the border. One cannot draw a line there, and the more people can come together to discuss the problems of the entire south of Scotland and the borders area, the better.