§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Secretary of State for Scotland why the Scottish Economic Council is being continued; and to what extent its functions in Scotland are comparable to those of the former regional economic planning councils in England.
§ Mr. Alexander FletcherMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State considers the Scottish Economic Council, of which he is chairman, a useful forum for advice and discussion particularly in view of his wide ranging responsibilities for economic matters in Scotland. Like the former regional economic planning councils in England the council provides advice on matters relating to economic development, but unlike the REPCs a major part of whose function was to assist in the production of regional strategies, the SEC does not produce such studies and reports