GROUP 1A (Finance)

Part of Schedule 10 – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 17 January 1978.

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Photo of Mr Harry Ewing Mr Harry Ewing , Stirling Falkirk and Grangemouth 12:00, 17 January 1978

I begin by answering the point raised by the hon. Member for Ayr (Mr. Younger) about the Scottish Development Agency. It is true, as he said, that the appointments to the SDA will be made by the Scottish Administration. The guidelines will be devised and laid down by the United Kingdom Parliament, albeit through the person of the Secretary of State for Scotland.

The reason for that is perfectly obvious. It is because the Government's approach to devolution is an approach to devolution within the context of maintaining the economic unity of the United Kingdom. It is really against that background that we see it as necessary to devise those guidelines. However, the guidelines themselves will come up for discussion at a later date when my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State deals with them.

The point I made earlier about the SDA is relevant. At present it is operating under published guidelines, so it is not as though something new will happen. It has been happening for some time.