§ Mrs. EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the number of Scottish-based active exporters; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. StewartThis answer necessarily has to be best estimate, as it cannot be definitive. The Scottish Council (Development and Industry) has around 1,800 manufacturing companies on its database, about 1,000 of which could be termed active and significant exporters. There are no data available in relation to active service sector exporters.
Exports pertaining to small and medium sized companies had shown an 18 per cent. increase in 1993 and are now worth over £1.4 billion. Some 110,000 jobs are thought to be dependent on exporting and the SCDI's latest estimates point towards Scotland's spectacular 1993 performance being sustained.