1. Government involvement in the Central Belt

2. What influence do you think Government and EU policy has on industry in the central belt? Main factors – Subsidies for businesses Tax breaks for certain industries Offering low rents and rates for the first few years Giving grants and loans to factories that set up in the area. Building more roads to serve the area (The M74) Providing ready-made factories with services laid on Training the local labour force in the skills required

3. There have been many attempts to attract new industry into Scotland in recent years In the 1980s Enterprise Zones were created where large amounts of funding were available for the setting up of new industry- Clydebank and North Lanarkshire were two major EZ The EU funded some initiatives in the Central Belt – European Investment Bank and European Regional Development Fund. http://www.enterprise-europe- scotland.com/sct/services/enquiry_service.asp?Cont entID=017&BackTo=0&savemsg=&CustomMessage= http://www.enterprise-europe- scotland.com/sct/services/enquiry_service.asp?Cont entID=017&BackTo=0&savemsg=&CustomMessage

4. Inward Investment in the form of Scottish Development International has attracted many industries into Mossend and other parts of the CB. SDI seeks out potential companies through tax incentives, training grants and other financial inducements. http://www.sdi.co.uk/invest-in-scotland/top- seven-reasons.aspxhttp://www.sdi.co.uk/invest-in-scotland/top- seven-reasons.aspx

5. Clyde Corridor Scottish Enterprise has identified the Clyde Corridor as a strategic economic development zone The west coast has already seen huge investment along the City Harbour The M74 extension in the east has improved accessibility allowing for urban regeneration The reopening of the rail line between Airdrie and Bathgate has improved access and opened up opportunities for more links with the west coast

6. Scotland is now developing Science Parks and technopoles (cluster of IT and biotech firms). Biotech industries employ about 35,000 people in Scotland. This depends on the firms and government agencies attracting substantial investments from banks, entrepreneurs and transnationals. Universities also provide a considerable amount of investment. They partly receive their funding from the government and students but large amounts come from research grants. The technopoles and Science Parks are closely related to the 11 Universities found in the CB

7. Government and E.U help for new industry The government and EU have invested heavily in this area via Locate Scotland which was established in 1981 to attract foreign investment. Money is available in the form of grants, tax relief, rent and training costs. By 1995 £981 million worth of investments were attracted to the Central Belt with a promise of safeguarding or creating 10,000 jobs. In 1997 a further 14,300 jobs were secured at a cost of £3.1 billion.

8. Government and E.U help for new industry European Union E.U. (creation of EU itself provides huge European market for goods) joining EU opens up a huge source of funds available to outlying areas – ERDF (European Regional Development Fund), EIB (European Investment Bank), ESF (European Social Fund) and their associated benefits Cohesion Fund – aimed at states whose Gross National Income (GNI) is <90% of EU average

9. There have been many attempts to attract new industry into Scotland in recent years. In the 1980s Enterprise Zones were created where large amounts of funding were available for the setting up of new industry- Clydebank and North Lanarkshire were two major EZ The EU funded some initiatives in the Central Belt – European Investment Bank and European Regional Development Fund. Inward Investment in the form of Scottish Development International has attracted many industries into Mossend and other parts of the CB. SDI seeks out potential companies through tax incentives, training grants and other financial inducements.

10. Scotland is now developing Science Parks and technopoles (cluster of IT and biotech firms). Biotech industries employ about 35,000 people in Scotland. This depends on the firms and government agencies attracting substantial investments from banks, entrepreneurs and transnationals. Universities also provide a considerable amount of investment. They partly receive their funding from the government and students but large amounts come from research grants. The technopoles and Science Parks are closely related to the 11 Universities found in the CB