§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current level of unemployment in east Lothian; what will be the impact of redundancies notified by Lemac of Haddington; and if he will consult the East Lothian council and Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise Ltd. about action to create jobs in east Lothian. [10837]
§ Mr. KynochIn December 1995, there were 844 people—5.8 per cent. of the work force—in the Haddington travel-to-work area who were registered as unemployed or claiming benefit. If the redundancies notified by Lemac take place, there will be a further 73 indirect and induced job losses in the Haddington travel-to-work area. Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise Ltd. has arranged an early meeting with the company to discuss the retraining of staff who are made redundant, and to discuss the scope for assisting towards product development by the company. I understand that those affected by these redundancies will be eligible for immediate entry for training for work support.