§ Mr. Sillarsasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take action to assist Girvan Town Council to attract further industry to the Grange-stone industrial estate.
§ Mr. Anthony GrantThere has been a close and continuing co-operation between the Department's office for Scotland and Girvan Town Council in developing Grangestone industrial estate and this will continue. I am hopeful that the efforts to attract further industry to the estate, now supported by the wide range of regional assistance available, will shortly meet with success.
§ Mr. Sillarsasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to assist the Maybole Town Council in its effort to attract industry to the town, especially in view of the continuing high unemployment in the Ayr travel-to-work area.
§ Mr. Anthony GrantI am fully aware of the problems of Maybole and the Ayr travel-to-work area, and the Department will continue to do all that it can to assist the local authorities concerned in their efforts to attract industry.
§ Mr. Sillarsasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, in view of the continuing concern in the Cumnock district about the lack of job opportunities, if he will offer direct assistance to the local authorities in their effort to attract more industry to the area.
§ Mr. Anthony GrantNo. The Cumnock district already stands to benefit from the generous development area incentives to industry. The Department's office for Scotland will continue to cooperate with the local authorities in their efforts to attract industry. It is encouraging that unemployment in the employment exchange area has fallen by 1.6 per cent. in the past year.