Industrial Communities

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at 5:36 pm on 17 March 2010.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Jim Mather Jim Mather Scottish National Party 5:36, 17 March 2010

I put on record my thanks to Cathy Jamieson for raising the issue of our former industrial communities and putting it in context so well. As she said, the Industrial Communities Alliance has evolved to handle these historic legacy problems, so that we can learn from mistakes, learn from elsewhere and move on. I spent my boyhood years in Greenock. Latterly, as an accountant, I audited companies such as John G Kincaid & Co Ltd, Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Co Ltd, Lithgows Ltd, John Hastie & Co Ltd, Drummond tin, Mitchell's and so on, all of which are gone. What has replaced them has never been enough, and some communities in Ayrshire have not had even that interim solution.

I have listened carefully to the debate and am grateful to the Industrial Communities Alliance, especially Professor Steve Fothergill, for the work that it has put into its report. The Scottish Government is always willing to listen to and consider new ideas and approaches. I understand that the alliance and Alex Neil met this afternoon and that we have three action-agreed responses. We face the possibility of an emergency budget that could create further difficulties, but Mr Neil has agreed that he, the alliance and I will meet in September or October and that ICA will contact officials on other issues to provide views on areas where funding rules are prohibitive at present.

Many issues were raised in the session that we held on Monday in Ayr; I am sorry, it was in Kilmarnock. I give the Ayrshire members who are present a total assurance that we intend to drive forward on those issues. The importance of local authority leadership and the need for a pan-Ayrshire approach were mentioned, but many practical measures—on planning, public sector procurement, internationalisation, on-going collaboration across the private, public and voluntary sectors, and better links with the business community—were suggested.

The cross-party approach that was evident at the meeting was striking. The four Labour, one Conservative and three Scottish National Party members—including me—who were present all came to the same conclusion. We have a focus on industrial communities throughout Scotland and realise that those communities have faced and are facing a considerable challenge, especially during this recession, which is the deepest in living memory, has manifested itself over the past two years and may continue for some time. The Scottish Government is meeting that challenge, through the economic recovery plan, by supporting jobs in our communities, strengthening Scotland's education and skills, and investing in innovation and the industries of the future.

It is important that we combine such actions with talking to people. Jeremy Purvis made a significant point about trusting communities—getting in among them, bringing in people who can help them and benefiting from their success. It is a matter of trying to achieve the cross-pollination that has taken place among some successful social enterprises, with people being taken from one area to cross-pollinate another. We have strengths in all the key components that we need—in water, energy, food and drink, and education, as well as the tourism possibilities. I am keen for us to go the extra mile to make that happen. Our approach is the right one, although we need to do more and bring more people together.

I recently met Susan Deacon at Celtic Connections. I found that, although we come from different places, with different experiences and different backgrounds—and different gender, clearly—we have come to the same place as far as solving problems is concerned. My version is to get everyone in the same room; hers is more modern, as we would expect from a younger woman: to get everybody in the same space. We can do that.

There is now a greater degree of cohesion from Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scottish Development International, local authorities, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish funding council. The Scottish manufacturing advisory service recently went through an expansion. That might sound oblique, given that we have lost the manufacturing base, but a new level of resilience is being created.

I was out last week listening to Gilad Tiefenbrun, Ivor Tiefenbrun's young son, who has essentially rescued their company and has allowed it to evolve. I listened to Rhona Brankin telling us about the proud manufacturing tradition in Midlothian. I wonder what it would be like if we had a few more Gilad Tiefenbruns, who could help to move technologies forward.

Work is being put into the Scottish manufacturing advisory service, and there is much happening at the Strathclyde institute for operations management.

On short-term subsidies, the Scottish Government has responded rapidly to the downturn by putting in place a comprehensive support package for education and skills through ScotAction. Through ScotAction we have invested £145 million to help unemployed people to enter the labour market. We will continue to prioritise skills and investment training by providing 34,500 training opportunities, including new apprenticeships and training for the unemployed. I heard today that we have exceeded targets on that.

The budget for 2009-10 accelerated £293 million of capital spend, on top of the £53 million from 2008-09. That has supported 5,000 jobs, including 3,000 jobs in construction. Members all know the story of what has happened there.

The key thing that I wish to emphasise is almost the same as the message that Willie Coffey gave us at the end of his speech: there is a need in the world economy, particularly in the west, for a new beginning. There is a need for a new approach that is less based on debt and which seeks to resuscitate the real economy, real communities and real people and to get real businesses under way. I believe passionately that that can be done.