§ 25. Mr. Donald Stewartasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to assist in reducing unemployment in the Western Isles.
§ Mr. YoungerAs a development area, the Western Isles benefits from the full range of national and European regional aid. The Highlands and Islands Development Board continues to be active in developing the economy of the Western Isles. Furthermore, we have recently announced the integrated development programme for the Western Isles, which will involve almost £56 million of public expenditure over five years, to improve and diversify the economy of the islands.