§ Mr. McQuarrieasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what increases in employees of the Highlands and Islands Development Board occurred in the years 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982, respectively.
§ Mr. John MacKayThe information is as follows:
Year Approved Complement Change over Previous Year 1978–79 249 — 1979–80 249 0 1980–81 249 0 1981–82 249 0 1982–83 257 +8* *The additional eight staff consisted of six legal staff already based in Inverness who had previously been on the Scottish Office complement, and two temporary additional posts to enable HIDB to undertake special measures in the Invergordon area, following the closure of the aluminium smelter.
§ Mr. McQuarrieasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons are employed by the Highland and Islands Development Board(a) in total, (b) in each department and (c) in each specialisation or type of employment.
§ Mr. John MacKayThe information is as follows:
365W
(a) total number employed—257 (b) numbers employed in each Department Secretary 1 Audit 2 Finance Division 65 Fisheries Division 17 Industrial Development and Marketing Division 28 Land Division 11 Legal Division 17 Policy and Research Division 13 Tourism Division 17 Administration Division (that is common services and so on) 86 257
(a) total number employed—257 (b) numbers employed in each Department (c) The total of 257 employees includes 133 clerical-administrative and supporting staff and 124 specialists.
§ Mr. McQuarrieasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many firms received grants and loans from the Highlands and Islands Development Board to set up businesses in the board's area in the years 1979–80, 1980–81 and 1981–82; and how many male and female employees gained a job and are still in employment.
§ Mr. Alexander Fletcher[pursuant to his reply, 28 February 1983, c. 9]: The Highlands and Islands Development Board estimates that in the three years 1979–80 to 1981–82 the board assisted a total of 541 new businesses predicted to provide 1,406 new jobs.
More detailed information could be extracted only at disproportionate cost.