Scottish Borders (Productivity)

Question Time — Scottish Executive — Finance and Sustainable Growth – in the Scottish Parliament at 2:15 pm on 27 September 2007.

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Photo of Christine Grahame Christine Grahame Scottish National Party 2:15, 27 September 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive, following the recent Experian report showing that economic growth in the Scottish Borders was twice the national average, what additional investment is planned to improve productivity in the region. (S3O-729)

Photo of John Swinney John Swinney Scottish National Party

The Scottish Government is committed to raising the sustainable rate of economic growth in every part of Scotland. Our Government economic strategy, to be published in the autumn, will set out our principles and priorities for achieving that. In addition, we are committed to ensuring that the benefits of economic growth will reach the Scottish Borders and that the gap in wealth between our richest and poorest areas will be narrowed.

Photo of Christine Grahame Christine Grahame Scottish National Party

What the Experian report says about economic growth is welcome, but it also highlights the continuing difficulty in the Borders of attracting growth industries such as financial and business services and communications. That is reflected in the low wages for Borderers, which are still well below the Scottish and United Kingdom averages. Will the cabinet secretary consider reviewing the level of provision to support the development of those growth industries, to help match the outstanding economic growth record of the Borders with an improving financial and business foundation for the region?

Photo of John Swinney John Swinney Scottish National Party

As I said, the Government is determined to ensure that the measures that we take have an impact on every part of Scotland. I appreciate the points that Christine Grahame makes about the Borders; she has made such points assiduously in the Parliament over many years.

When I was in the Borders in the summer, I saw at first hand some of the exciting projects on economic development there and many of the challenges that are faced. I assure Christine Grahame that the Government will do everything in its power to address, as part of its economic strategy, the issues that she has raised.