and thank you for visiting my website. It is designed to provide information for my constituents and to introduce you to Inverclyde — the finest Constituency in the land — where I was born and grew up. If you are unfortunate enough not to live in Inverclyde then you can find out who your Member of Parliament is through the House of Commons Information Office.

I share an office in the constituency with local MSP Duncan McNeil and we hold regular advice surgeries, details available on my contact page. After the boundary reorganisation in 2005 Port Glasgow, Kilmacolm and Quarrier’s village joined my constituency and the MSP for this area is Trish Godman with whom I work closely. Since Devolution, certain matters have been devolved to Holyrood — click here to see what is the responsibility of Westminster and the Scottish Parliament. Also on this site you’ll find my views on various issues, my press releases (if you’re a journalist) and some photographs of my activities in the constituency.

8.2.2010 17:11

Printable version

MP AND MSP IN TOP LEVEL JOB TALKS WITH SCOTTISH ENTERPRISE

High level job talks will be taking place at the Parliamentary Office later this week when David Cairns MP and Duncan McNeil MSP meet Scottish Enterprise’s Director of Business infrastructure, Allan McQuade. The talks will focus on what Scottish Enterprise can do to help bring more jobs to the area.

The meeting comes on the back of a steady fall in local unemployment with figures showing there are now 721 fewer people out of work than in August 2009.

Renewable energy is one of Scottish Enterprise’s priorities and it’s something David feels Inverclyde is ideally placed to exploit:

“We should be at the forefront of renewable energy and I will be asking Scottish Enterprise how they can help us break into this market. Inverclyde has the facilities and the people with the skills to make things like wind turbines, and I would like to see us become a major player in this new industry.

“The Inchgreen Dry Dock and Ferguson’s would both be ideal for building the hardware that the renewables market needs. We could revitalise our heavy industry and increase the number quality engineering jobs on our waterfront.”

Duncan McNeil MSP added:

““It is important that the regeneration of the waterfront addresses the employment issues as well as housing development.

“The land area in around the Inchgreen dry dock has been designated for industrial use and we have to ensure that we maximise job opportunities.

“I know that Highlands and Islands Enterprise played an important role in the development of the future use of the Nigg and Ardersier yards in the north of Scotland.

“Equally, I believe that Scottish Enterprise can play a leading role in the future development of this industrial land here in Inverclyde.”