§ Mrs. Winifred Ewingasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he has taken and what meetings he has held, with whom and on what dates, in connection with the general well-being of the building and civil engineering industries in Scotland.
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§ Mr. FreesonThe Government have taken various measures to assist the construction industry. Total output and new orders in Scotland have fallen less than elsewhere in Great Britain. The main forum for formal consultation between the Government and the industry is the National Consultative Council for the Building and Civil Engineering Industries, of which I am chairman, and its committees. The last meeting of the council, which covers the whole of Great Britain, was on 19th March. The Department has a Joint Advisory Panel for the Building and Civil Engineering Industries in Scotland; the panel last met on 13th February. In order that I can have more direct contact with the industry I have recently established, under my chairmanship, a Construction Industry Liaison Group which will be concerned with the situation in Great Britain; its first meeting will be on 24th April. In addition I have frequent informal contacts with representative bodies in the industry.