This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Competitiveness White Paper
16/12/1998
Scottish Secretary Donald Dewar stated today "competitiveness is the key to creating a strong and vibrant Scottish economy".
Speaking following the publication of the Government's Competitiveness White Paper, Our Competitive Future - Building the Knowledge Driven Economy Mr Dewar said:
"I believe the Government's Competitiveness White Paper heralds a new era in the country's pursuit of improved competitiveness and higher and sustainable productivity. It provides a clear framework with focussed and well defined goals.
"Crucially the White Paper recognises that in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the devolved administrations will lead these efforts. However, we must not forget that productivity and competitiveness issues are common throughout the UK and need to be considered on that basis.
"In Scotland we have been making efforts to work with business. One example is the establishment of the Scottish Business Forum which created a new partnership between the business sector, Scottish Ministers and the Chancellor of the Exchequer and other Treasury Ministers who attend its meetings.
"We have also encouraged a partnership approach to tackle specific projects. These have included Rapid Reaction Units, Task Forces and Partnership Working Parties to co-ordinate broad responses to a range of issues related to business failure or redundancy. The Borders Working Party and the Prestwick Task Force are two examples of this inclusive approach.
"While we are in no way complacent, Scotland is ahead of the game in many respects. The White Paper on Competitiveness will further advance Government policies and will amplify many policy areas to which Scottish Enterprise already gives priority:
· encouraging a culture of enterprise with a positive attitude to personal success and greater acceptance of the right to fail;
· creating more companies, funded and run by risk-taking entrepreneurs;
· developing and exploiting research by linking universities and business more closely;
· speeding the adoption of new digital technologies to enhance efficiency;
· facilitating companies to learn from one another by collaborating in clusters to compete; and
· increasing research and development in indigenous business to international standards.
"However our efforts can always be improved and I have challenged Scottish Enterprise to take the lead in building a new knowledge driven economy, which will allow Scotland to compete in the world market place. I asked Scottish Enterprise to develop a strategy, which will encourage innovation, promote enterprise and life long learning, and secure a modern and inclusive economy. It is essential that we help the base of Scottish business on which their commercial success in the next century will increasingly depend."
BACKGROUND
1. The Competitiveness White Paper entitled Our Competitive Future - Building the Knowledge Driven Economy is published today. It is available from HMSO and is also on the Internet in the DTI web site.
2. In June 1997 the Secretary of State asked Scottish Enterprise to carry out a comprehensive review of its strategy, and provided guidance to inform that process. The Secretary of State issued strategic guidance to Scottish Enterprise on 8 December 1998, details of the guidance are contained in Scottish Office News Release 2587/98.
News Release: 2666/98
16 December, 1998