§ Mr. Sillarsasked the Prime Minister if he will detail the number of visits he has made to Scotland; how many times he spoke or gave interviews on the subject of unemployment; and how many times he forecast that Scottish unemployment would be reduced.
797W
§ The Prime MinisterI have visited Scotland several times since I became Prime Minister. Unemployment has naturally had high priority in discussions. It is not my usual practice to forecast levels of unemployment, and I have generally taken the opportunity to stress that the key to the reduction of unemployment in Scotland in the longer term lies in the success of the Government's policies to reduce inflation and to create a favourable climate for increased investment and industrial expansion.