§ 50. Mr. Darlingasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on employment prospects in Edinburgh over the next five years.
§ Mr. LangEmployment prospects in Edinburgh, as elsewhere, are dependent upon continued economic growth, industrial competitiveness and pay restraint. Unemployment in the Edinburgh travel-to-work area is well below the Scottish level for both males and females and is falling. I note the importance for Edinburgh of developments in electronics and other manufacturing sectors and also the service sector, in particular financial and business services, and tourism.