§ 35. Mr. Raymond S. RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made on the role of Edinburgh(a) as a key financial centre and (b) as a venue for major international conferences.
§ Mr. StewartEdinburgh has a well-established reputation as a business and financial centre of international standing. The city is the acknowledged focus of the Scottish financial services sector which contributes some 15 per cent. to Scottish gross domestic product—twice the European Community average. Edinburgh's status in the international conference market has been strongly enhanced by its success in hosting the meeting of the European Council in December 1992 and will be further strengthened by the completion of the Edinburgh international conference centre in 1995.