§ 35. Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will pay an official visit to the Borders region to discuss the future of the local regional economy with specific reference to agriculture and textiles.
§ Mr. Allan StewartI am very much aware of the problems which the economy in Borders region is experiencing, in the agricultural and textile sectors in particular. The Secretary of State and my noble Friend the Scottish Office Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, met representatives of the Borders branches of the Scottish National Farmers Union on 24 October 1991 to hear of their concerns at first hand. In addition, I met the hon. Member and the right hon. Member for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Launderdale (Sir D. Steel) to discuss the current state of the textile industry in the Borders on 15 October 1991. Notwithstanding the current difficulties, the economy of the region as a whole remains strong with unemployment at 5.3 per cent. which is well below the national average of 8.9 per cent. Scottish Enterprise has recently completed a review of the textile industry in Scotland with a view to developing a strategy for the industry. Scottish Borders Enterprise has established a Borders textile initiative specifically to address t he difficulties being experienced by the industry in the region. Like other farmers throughout the less-favoured areas of the United Kingdom, those in the Borders benefited from a 14 per cent. increase in hill livestock compensatory allowances this year.
My right hon. Friend has no immediate plans to visit Borders region.