§ Mr. Kennedyasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will assess the impact on the economy of the Highlands and Islands of the rundown associated with the North sea oil and oil-related industry; if he will announce any Government initiatives in the light of such developments; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. LangWithin the Highlands and Islands, employment wholly associated with North sea oil was 5,573 in December 1985 and 5,783 in June 1986. Since then 550 redundancies have been reported at McDermotts and the Howard Doris yard, employing around 700, has gone into receivership.
The Government are of course concerned about the effects of low oil prices, particularly on jobs, but it should be borne in mind that the oil industry still presents major opportunities for Scottish industry and will continue to do so for many years to come.