§ 51. Lord Malcolm Douglas-Hamiltonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the functions of the Scottish Board for Industry; its annual cost; and whether he will make its minutes available to Scottish Members of Parliament.
§ Mr. R. A. ButlerThe functions of the Scottish Board for Industry, in common with the 10 other regional Boards for Industry, are to advise Ministers and their Departments upon industrial conditions in their region, and to keep local industry informed of Government policy affecting industry. The cost of the Scottish Board in the financial year ending on 31st March 1953, was £4,458.
In reply to the third part of the Question, the proceedings of the regional boards are confidential, and wider circulation of their minutes and papers would be a bar to full and frank discussion of the questions brought before them.