§ 30. Mr. David NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures he is taking to revive the Scottish rural economy by creating new employment opportunities.
§ Mr. StewartThe main instruments for promoting the full range of the Government's training, employment and economic development initiatives in rural areas as elsewhere in Scotland are Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise and their associated networks of local enterprise companies. The Government have provided the Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise networks with a combined budget this294W year of some £540 million. A broadly similar level of resources is planned for 1993–94. In addition, the networks have at their disposal their own resources and European Community funding. All of this is available to encourage economic development, to help create new employment opportunities and to help people secure jobs.
All areas of Scotland benefit from having local enterprise companies which are able to tailor their activities to the needs of the local economy; and local enterprise companies are also able to plan better than in the past for the distinctive needs of rural communities, even where the area for which they are responsible is not predominantly rural.