§ Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to his answer of 16 September 2003,Official Report, column 640W, to the hon. Member for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, on manufacturing, why he estimates the number of people employed in the manufacturing industry in Scotland has fallen since 1997; and what his Department is doing to reverse this trend. [132899]
§ Mrs. McGuireScotland's manufacturing sector, along with that of other advanced economies, has experienced falling output in recent times, due to the global slowdown and re-structuring in key industries such as electronics. Opportunities to grow manufacturing are recognised within the Government's Manufacturing Strategy, published in May 2002, which identified seven key areas of activity. Action is being taken in all of these areas to help UK manufacturers improve productivity in difficult global conditions.
The Scotland Office will continue to work with the Scottish Executive and a wide range of manufacturing interests on initiatives such as the Scottish Manufacturing Steering Group.