asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what special initiatives to tackle unemployment have been set up by the Scottish Development Agency or other public authority in Scotland; what travel-to-work area(s) each covers; and what is the unemployment level in that area.

There are five major area initiatives currently in operation which were set up by the Scottish Development Agency in conjunction with local authorities and the private sector. These are at Clydebank, Coatbridge, Dundee, Inverclyde and Motherwell. While measures to tackle unemployment are a major component, the initiatives also have wider economic and environmental objectives. The travel-to-work areas covered by the initiatives and relevant unemployment rates are set out below.