§ Mr. Mylesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report those companies, including nationalised industries, employing more than 500 people in Scotland and the sites of their main operations.
§ Mr. Alexander FletcherIt is not possible to provide the information because of restrictions contained in the Statistics of Trade Act 1947 on the publication of details relating to individual businesses. A list of United Kingdom
1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 to date Total Borders 6 9 2 — 3 7 — 27 Central 4 7 6 11 11 3 6 48 Dumfries and Galloway 3 7 6 2 4 5 1 28 Fife 8 4 5 4 8 4 2 35 Grampian 6 17 1 3 13 10 9 59 Highland 4 6 3 1 17 10 4 45 Lothian 7 7 14 13 20 7 8 76 Orkney 2 5 — 1 2 1 1 12 Shetland 6 7 3 3 — 1 5 25 Strathclyde 71 50 21 24 44 29 22 261 Tayside 12 7 8 13 12 8 12 72 Western Isles — 8 1 4 13 — 3 29
§ Mr. Mylesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the total grants made to Scotland from the European regional development fund since 1975; and what estimate he has made of the extent to which these grants have assisted the employment situation in Scotland.
§ Mr. Alexander FletcherSince the European regional development fund was established in 1975 grant commitments totalling £166.4 million have been made in respect of Scottish projects. These cover a very wide range, including many which have provided basic services, such as roads and water supplies, necessary for industrial development. It is not possible to estimate the extent to which the employment situation has in consequence been assisted.