§ 71. Mr. McQuarrieasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number of employees in British fishing boatbuilding firms; and what proportion of unemployment has been created in these firms due to the lack of orders.
§ Mr. YoungerSince most of the firms specialising in the construction of fishing boats are located in Scotland I am replying to this question. My Department estimates that about 1,770 people are presently employed in Scotland by specialist firms engaged in the construction and repair of fishing boats. This represents a decline of about 5 per cent. over the past year but it is not possible to say how much of this decline is due to the lack of new orders.