Chamber
Plenary, 06 Jul 2000
06 Jul 2000 · S1 · Plenary
Item of business
Enterprise Networks
Sir David, you would not expect me to agree with John Swinney's analysis of the state of the Scottish economy. I am always impressed by unemployment figures that are at a 24-year low, employment rates that are at a 34-year high, low interest rates, low inflation rates, and a Chancellor of the Exchequer who wants to underpin our science and technology base by investing an extra £1 billion, from which Scotland will derive significant benefits. In essence, John Swinney has highlighted what we want to avoid. We know that there will be differences in emphasis over macro-economic policy, but today we seek unity and consensus on how local economic delivery should progress in Scotland.
I am grateful for John Swinney's comments on several issues. I certainly agree with him about e-commerce. I also agree that we must seek to move traditional industry into e-business while acknowledging what it contributes from, in some cases, a non-technological point of view. I welcome his comments about the gateway. It is intended to provide a single focus and I think that it will be successful.
In December, we committed ourselves to an enterprise review and, a few weeks ago, we announced the economic framework. Sir Ian Wood and Robert Crawford are introducing major structural changes in Scottish Enterprise. Today we are holding a review. The time scale is not long, as by the end of the year the talking will have stopped. As I have told John Swinney, we intend to hold a conference in the autumn. We will ensure that the high level expert group will work out the strategy for enterprise, which will provide the targets and the milestones. They will be tough, as Scotland cannot afford the luxury of talking up targets and not delivering in added value and value for the taxpayer. I agree entirely with the urgency that John Swinney is injecting into this matter.
A supplementary paper on the changes that we have announced today will be available this morning. I think that John Swinney already has a copy. We will detail more information over the coming weeks. Today's statement is constrained by time. I hope to progress matters in consultation with the business community, John Swinney and other members of the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee.
We are introducing some fairly significant changes. This is a wake-up call. Scotland will not prosper in the future if it continues to talk a good game without implementing change. Every LEC and forum, and every member of the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee, the Parliament and the Executive, should be aware that the Scottish economy is vital for prosperity and that we now need to register our interest in making it a real success.
I am grateful for John Swinney's comments on several issues. I certainly agree with him about e-commerce. I also agree that we must seek to move traditional industry into e-business while acknowledging what it contributes from, in some cases, a non-technological point of view. I welcome his comments about the gateway. It is intended to provide a single focus and I think that it will be successful.
In December, we committed ourselves to an enterprise review and, a few weeks ago, we announced the economic framework. Sir Ian Wood and Robert Crawford are introducing major structural changes in Scottish Enterprise. Today we are holding a review. The time scale is not long, as by the end of the year the talking will have stopped. As I have told John Swinney, we intend to hold a conference in the autumn. We will ensure that the high level expert group will work out the strategy for enterprise, which will provide the targets and the milestones. They will be tough, as Scotland cannot afford the luxury of talking up targets and not delivering in added value and value for the taxpayer. I agree entirely with the urgency that John Swinney is injecting into this matter.
A supplementary paper on the changes that we have announced today will be available this morning. I think that John Swinney already has a copy. We will detail more information over the coming weeks. Today's statement is constrained by time. I hope to progress matters in consultation with the business community, John Swinney and other members of the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee.
We are introducing some fairly significant changes. This is a wake-up call. Scotland will not prosper in the future if it continues to talk a good game without implementing change. Every LEC and forum, and every member of the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee, the Parliament and the Executive, should be aware that the Scottish economy is vital for prosperity and that we now need to register our interest in making it a real success.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Sir David Steel):
NPA
Good morning. The first item of business this morning is a statement by Henry McLeish on a review of the enterprise networks. The minister will take question...
The Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning (Henry McLeish):
Lab
I announce this morning the interim conclusions from my review of the enterprise networks. Following on from the framework for economic development published...
Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP):
SNP
I thank Henry McLeish for his statement and the courtesy of giving advance notice of its contents.I take issue with one point that the minister made at the b...
Henry McLeish:
Lab
Sir David, you would not expect me to agree with John Swinney's analysis of the state of the Scottish economy. I am always impressed by unemployment figures ...
Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con):
Con
I welcome the minister's certainty of pronouncement that the talking will stop. Although that is a worthy aspiration, I fear that, as long as we have politic...
Henry McLeish:
Lab
I thought things were going well until the end.It is difficult at times, but we must look at the bigger picture. Within a year, we have had the first-ever fr...
George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD):
LD
On behalf of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, I welcome the minister's statement. I want to consider more closely the Executive's announcement that it is to s...
Henry McLeish:
Lab
I agree with much of what George Lyon has said. First, I want to work out the guidance that we provide for the creation of the economic forums. There are exa...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
In theory, we have only just over a minute for back-bench questions, but as it is an important statement, I will let the discussion run on a bit. I urge memb...
Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab):
Lab
I welcome the minister's statement and the changes to the structure of Scottish Enterprise. I was going to ask a very similar question to that asked by Georg...
Henry McLeish:
Lab
I was absolutely determined to ensure that, with these changes, we did not lose the business focus. That is why I told Annabel Goldie that, although we have ...
Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP):
SNP
By what date will the forums be established and who will serve on them? Will the business and voluntary organisation voice be in the majority? If not, how wi...
Henry McLeish:
Lab
With the greatest respect I can muster, I have to say that nothing Fergus Ewing ever says in this Parliament surprises me. When we talk about raising the eco...
Mr Swinney:
SNP
The same question?
Henry McLeish:
Lab
Yes, indeed; the same question, which I answered.
Mr Swinney:
SNP
Slightly more.
Henry McLeish:
Lab
John Swinney says, "Slightly more" but he did not finish the sentence—and I know why.
Mr Swinney:
SNP
Slightly more tough.
Henry McLeish:
Lab
Slightly more irrelevant. If one answers a question, one expects some people to absorb the answer.That said, I will try to keep consensual.
The Minister for Children and Education (Mr Sam Galbraith):
Lab
Why?
Henry McLeish:
Lab
I refer Fergus Ewing to my answer to George Lyon.We want to discuss with key players and partners the issues that Fergus Ewing has raised. My target is to ge...
Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab):
Lab
I welcome the minister's statement this morning, particularly its reference to changing the legal status of LECs. I saw a ripple of pleasure among my Labour ...
Henry McLeish:
Lab
I have been in correspondence with Helen Eadie on the co-operative idea. I hope that it is taken further as a developmental idea at a local level. One of the...
Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I ask the minister to set realistic expectations of what the enterprise network can do. He says that it will be charged with closing the productivity gap, th...
Henry McLeish:
Lab
I have partly answered Alex Neil's last point already. We have changed the name to local economic bodies. As a matter of urgency, we will have a discussion a...
Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab):
Lab
I welcome the minister's statement. Does he agree that to foster the dynamic enterprise environment that he has spoken about, we must do two things: foster e...
Henry McLeish:
Lab
I agree entirely with Irene Oldfather's comments. We are developing new ideas for taking entrepreneurship into primary schools and right through to the unive...
Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD):
LD
The minister made no specific mention of our local enterprise trusts. Kincardine and Deeside Enterprise Trust, which is in my constituency, is concerned abou...
Henry McLeish:
Lab
I will make two points about Mike Rumbles's comments on trusts. Yesterday, we considered the partners who will contribute to the business gateway. The trusts...
Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con):
Con
We thought, when we came to the chamber this morning, that we might cross the rubicon, but we are actually on a stepping stone in the middle. It would be chu...