§ Mr. SalmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the remit given to A. D. Little by the Scottish Development Agency extends to an examination of options for steel production at Hunterston.
§ Mr. SalmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the A. D. Little study includes conducting an examination of possible retrenchment of tube finishing within British Steel's diversified activities division: and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. SalmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the A. D. Little study into Scottish steel is to include an examination of seamless tube production and steelmaking at Clydesdale and the finishing process at the Imperial Works; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Allan StewartThe remit given to A. D. Little by the Scottish Development Agency was broadly drawn. It requires it to carry out a wide-ranging analysis of the prospects and opportunities which may arise for the steel industry in any part of Scotland, taking into account Scotland's locational, resource and asset base; and to assess the commercial viability of any opportunities identified. The remit does not exclude consideration of any location within Scotland, nor does it include a requirement to examine operational decisions by British Steel.
§ Mr. SalmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy to publish the A. D. Little preliminary report of December 1990 and its final report in 1991.
§ Mr. Allan StewartI cannot give a categorical assurance at this stage that all parts of the consultants' report will be published as some of these are likely to be commercially confidential. But I hope that it will be possible to publish the greater part of the study.