§ Mr. Craigenasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many new jobs have been created by firms locating in Scotland's enterprise zone; and if he is satisfied that the usual prudential inquiries are being made into applications for assistance given in these areas and that none of those applications approved has been from persons previously involved in insolvent businesses.
§ Mr. Alexander FletcherCompanies which have approached the Scottish Development Agency's task force at Clydebank about their plans to set up within the zone have proposals which involve the creation of 1,400 jobs.
Enterprise zone benefits are automatically available to firms in the zones; no application is required. Criteria for other forms of assistance are the same in enterprise zones as elsewhere. So far as assistance from my Department or the Scottish Development Agency is concerned, the fact that an individual concerned may have been previously associated with a failed business would cause an application to be scrutinised with particular care, but it would not automatically preclude an offer of assistance.