To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if his Department will make any assessment of the effects on employment in the petrochemical and allied industries in Scotland of a free trade agreement between the European Community and the states of the Gulf Co-operation Council.
The Government have consulted widely with industries interested in these forthcoming negotiations, including the petrochemical industry and remain ready to consider further views. Employment in Scotland will be one of the issues to be considered.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if his Department will make any assessment of the effects on the offshore industry in Scotland of a free trade agreement between the European Community and the states of the Gulf Co-operation Council.
Assessment of the effects of a free trade agreement between the European Community and the Gulf Co-operation Council is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. However, any such agreement is expected to have little effect on the offshore sector in Scotland.
| Interval (in weeks) between pleading and trial diets A. Sheriff Courts | ||||||
| Quarter ended | ||||||
| Sheriff Court | 31 December 1988 | 31 March 1989 | 30 June 1989 | 30 September 1989 | 31 December 1989 | 31 March 1990 |
| Aberdeen | 19 | 14 | 18 | 22 | 20 | 17 |
| Airdrie | 14 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 12 |
| Alloa | 16 | 23 | 14 | 9 | 6 | 8 |
| Arbroath | 12 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 15 | 9 |
| Ayr | 17 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 11 | 12 |
| Banff | 10 | 9 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 10 |
| Campbeltown | 12 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 8 |
| Cupar | 14 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 11 | 9 |
| Dingwall | 8 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 13 | 12 |
| Dornoch | 10 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 12 |
| Dumbarton | 21 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 |
| Dumfries | 17 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 10 |
| Dundee | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| Dunfermline | 7 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 10 |
| Dunoon | 11 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 15 | 16 |
| Duns | 6 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Edinburgh | 20 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 |
| Elgin | 7 | 7 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 9 |
| Falkirk | 7 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 |
| Forfar | 7 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 |
| Fort William | 12 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Glasgow | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 12 |
| Greenock | 20 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 20 | 17 |
| Haddington | 26 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 9 |
| Hamilton | 16 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 18 | 20 |
| Inverness | 8 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 11 |
| Jedburgh | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
| Kilmarnock | 17 | 17 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 |
| Kirkcaldy | 10 | 11 | 14 | 8 | 11 | 12 |
| Kirkcudbright | 17 | 14 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 11 |
| Kirkwall | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 |
| Lanark | 5 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 10 |
| Lerwick | 8 | 10 | 16 | 11 | 12 | 11 |
| Linlithgow | 10 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 14 |
| Lochmaddy | 12 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 12 |
| Oban | 10 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 12 |
| Paisley | 22 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 15 | 13 |
| Peebles | 10 | 4 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 10 |
| Perth | 8 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 7 |
| Peterhead | 16 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 12 | 10 |
| Portree | 12 | 12 | 8 | 16 | 8 | 4 |
| Rothesay | 6 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 18 |
| Selkirk | 6 | 7 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 10 |
| Stirling | 13 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 8 |
| Stonehaven | 10 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| Stornoway | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 12 |
| Stranraer | 8 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 10 |
| Tain | 6 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 7 |
| Wick | 7 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 8 |
| Interval (in weeks) between pleading and trial diets B. District courts | ||||||
| District court | Quarter ended | |||||
| 31 December 1988 | 31 March 1989 | 30 June 1989 | 30 September 1989 | 31 December 1989 | 31 March 1990 | |
| Aberdeen | 15 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 22 | 20 |
| Airdrie | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 18 |
| Alloa | 19 | 16 | 15 | 8 | 6 | 11 |
| Arbroath | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |