Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by Ann McKechin (Labour). It was answered on Tuesday, 28 March 2006 on behalf of the Scotland Office.

Employment Statistics

Question: My right hon. Friend may be aware of the article in Monday's edition of The Herald, showing that Glasgow's and Edinburgh's economic performance outstripped that of every other city in the United Kingdom, with the exception of London. Does he agree that that represents a success for the employment policies of this Government, who are spending much more time and money on ensuring that more people in Scotland enter the employment market?

Answer: I agree with my hon. Friend that it is good that both Edinburgh and Glasgow are doing extremely well in terms of economic performance. It is good to see so many people in work today, whereas a decade ago many were out of work. There is still more to do, particularly in Glasgow, where there are still many people who could, with appropriate help, get back to work. What has happened shows that those who opposed the new deal almost 10 years ago were wrong to do so.

Secondary information