§ 20. Mr. SalmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the chief executive of Scottish Enterprise to discuss the underlying trends in the Scottish economy; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. StewartAs I have indicated to the hon. Member for Renfrew, West and Inverclyde (Mr. Graham), my right hon. Friend and I frequently meet the chairman and chief executive of Scottish Enterprise to discuss a range of issues relevant to the Scottish economy. I am pleased to note that independent forecasters continue to predict that the present recovery in Scottish output will be sustained. I am also delighted that unemployment has fallen over the past four months. We continue to have an unemployment rate significantly below the United Kingdom average.