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Mr. Rifkind : The latest available student numbers and projections for Scotland are given in the table.
Higher education Vocational
non-advancedc further
education
Session |Full-time and sandwich|Part-time |Full-time and sandwich|Part-time
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Actual:
1986-87 |81,600 |45,900 |30,200 |154,700
Projections:
1987-88 83,400 49,800 n/a
1988-89 84,400 52,800 n/a
1989-90 84,800 55,900 n/a
1990-91 84,700 58,600 n/a
1991-92 83,400 61,000 n/a
1992-93 81,900 63,100 n/a
1993-94 81,000 65,000 n/a
1994-95 80,000 66,700 n/a
1995-96 78,600 68,000 n/a
1996-97 78,100 69,100 n/a
Notes:
1. The higher education projections have been taken from the high variant published in statistical bulletin No. 7/J1/1988 "Higher
Education Projects for Scotland" which is available in the House.
2. Vocational non-advanced further education comprises various types of student, such as school leavers continuing education, adults
returning to education, persons on government employment schemes, and employees undertaking training on a part-time basis. Projections of
student numbers for the whole group of students are not
available.
3. Over the period shown the base population of 17-year-olds is projected to fall by 25 per cent.
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Prisoners
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prisoners there are in Scottish prisons ; and what is the average number for each of the last 10 years.
Mr. Rifkind : The number of persons held in Scottish penal establishments at lock-up on Friday 20 January 1989 was 4,997. The average daily penal population in 1987 and 1988 is provisionally estimated as 5,446 and 5,229 respectively. For earlier years, corresponding figures are given in appendix 2 of the annual report "Prisons in Scotland Report for 1986" (Cm. 223) copies of which are available in the Library.
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prisoners in Scotland are on remand ; and what this is as a proportion of the total number of prisoners at the latest date for which figures are available.
Mr. Rifkind : The number of persons held on remand in penal establishments at lock-up on Friday 20 January 1989 was 782--16 per cent. of the penal population at that time.
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of Scotland's prisoners have been imprisoned for non-payment of fines ; and what is the average amount of fine involved at the latest date for which figures are available.
Mr. Rifkind : During December 1988 a total of 4 per cent. of the average daily prison population in Scotland had been imprisoned for non- payment of fines. Information is not available on the average amount of fine involved.
Competitive Tendering
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what instructions he has given to health boards concerning the procedures to be followed before issuing a press release on competitive tendering.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Health boards copy press releases to the Scottish Home and Health Department as part of their routine progress reports on competitive tendering.
Elderly People (Residential Care)
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of continuing care residential places are provided for the elderly (a) by local authorities, (b) by voluntary organisations and (c) by the private sector in each health board for (i) the year 1987 and (ii) the year 1988.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The latest information by local authority area is set out in the table.
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Percentage of residential places in homes for the elderly at 31 March 1987
Region |Total number of places|Local authority |Voluntary |Private
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Borders |566 |62 |23 |15
Central |743 |63 |25 |12
Dumfries and Galloway |534 |61 |23 |16
Fife |1,120 |62 |19 |19
Grampian |1,830 |54 |36 |10
Highland |734 |62 |24 |14
Lothian |2,538 |56 |34 |10
Strathclyde |6,012 |65 |24 |11
Tayside |2,295 |46 |29 |25
Orkney |82 |85 |0 |15
Shetland |86 |81 |19 |0
Western Isles |200 |98 |0 |2
Scotland |16,740 |60 |27 |14
Note: Because of roundings, the national totals exceed 100 per cent.
New Towns
Mr. Ingram : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the survey undertaken by East Kilbride district council on the attitudes of the residents of East Kilbride district to the consultation document, "The Scottish New Towns, Maintaining the Momentum", a copy of which has been sent to him.
Mr. Lang : I welcome the findings of the survey as a constructive contribution to the consultation process and recognise the professional manner in which the survey was conducted.
Mr. Ingram : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will detail the method by which he will consult tenants within the Scottish new towns on the consultation document, "The Scottish New Towns, Maintaining the Momentum".
Mr. Lang : I expect shortly to consider proposals from my officials regarding the conduct of a survey in the Scottish new towns. I intend that the results of that survey will be published to inform the debate on the future of the Scottish new towns.
Mr. Ingram : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the timetable of the consultation process that he proposes to undertake involving new town tenants in relation to the consultation document, "The Scottish New Towns, Maintaining the Momentum".
Mr. Lang : I expect that the fieldwork element of the Government commissioned survey will be completed in April and that a full report on the findings should be published in the early summer.
Mr. Ingram : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he intends to commission a survey into the attitudes of new town residents to the issues raised within the consultation document, "The Scottish New Towns, Maintaining the Momentum".
Mr. Ingram : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the organisations which have responded to the consultation document, "The Scottish New Towns, Maintaining the Momentum", identifying district councils as potential landlords on the wind-up of the new towns.
Mr. Lang : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to his previous question of yesterday's date. It has not yet been possible to analyse the detailed contents of the responses received to date. I shall write to the hon. Member once these details are available.
NHS (Reorganisation)
Mr. Ingram : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will visit East Kilbride to explain to the residents the Government's proposed reorganisation of the National Health Service.
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Mr. Michael Forsyth : My right hon. and learned Friend and I do not have any plans to visit East Kilbride for this purpose. We have given wide publicity to the Government's proposals in the White Paper "Working for Patients" and the Lanarkshire health board is making information available locally.
Fisheries
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultations his Department is having with the Federation of Highlands and Islands Fishermen to discuss stock conservation, licensing and fisheries management ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland is in regular contact with the Federation of Highlands and Islands Fishermen and its constituent bodies on matters of mutual concern, including conservation, licensing and fisheries management.
City Technology Colleges Trust
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if any meetings have taken place with the City Technology Colleges Trust involving Ministers or civil servants.
Locate in Scotland
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the total number of inward investment projects attributed to Scotland by Locate in Scotland in each of the years 1981-82 to 1987-88, including the number of jobs involved, and the volume of expenditure.
Mr. Lang : The following table shows the number of decisions to locate inward investment projects in Scotland as announced in the years 1981-82 to 1987-88.
_
|Number of projects|Planned jobs |Planned investment
|£ million
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1987-88 |88 |11,852 |337
1986-87 |50 |5,084 |427
1985-86 |58 |8,217 |562
1984-85 |69 |9,443 |689
1983-84 |54 |6,900 |166
1982-83 |46 |5,400 |186
1981-82 |32 |7,000 |234
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions have taken place with the Scottish Development Agency about the future of Locate in Scotland.
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Mr. Lang : There have been no discussions with the Scottish Development Agency regarding the future of Locate in Scotland. We recognise the substantial benefits which flow to Scotland from its activities and no changes are foreseen to its present method of operation.
Grant-maintained Schools
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if any meetings have taken place with the Grant Maintained Trust involving Ministers or civil servants.
Chernobyl
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will commission a special study of areas near Kinloch, Rannoch and Carstairs in Scotland of the exposure experience to radioactivity from fall-out from the Chernobyl accident.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Studies already commissioned by the Department of the Environment and by the Scottish Office to evaluate exposures in Scotland resulting from the Chernobyl accident have been in progress for some time. The areas covered include Kinloch, Rannoch and Carstairs.
Teachers (Incentive Allowances)
Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what incentive allowances exist for teachers in Scotland.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 30 January 1989] : Teachers in Scotland do not receive incentive allowances ; these are paid to certain teachers in schools in England and Wales. The average salary of teachers in Scotland is higher than that of England and Wales--£14, 250 against £13,600 based on current pay scales.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Potatoes
Ms. Quin : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of United Kingdom potato production was treated with tecnazene in 1988 and in any of the previous five years for which figures are available.
Mr. Ryder : No figures are available for the 1988 crop. Figures available from the 1986 crop in Scotland indicate that some 20 per cent. of stored ware potatoes were treated with tecnazene. This proportion is likely to be similar in the rest of the United Kingdom. New potatoes and main crop potatoes which are sold to consumers without being stored will not have been treated with tecnazene. In 1982 the latest year to which figures are available for England and Wales, they indicate that some 5 per cent. of potatoes stored on farms were treated with tecnazene but no data is available for off-farm stores. A further survey of the current use of tecnazene is planned for the 1988 crop.
Meat Products
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what checks are made on the meat content of meat products ; and what is the number of cases of inaccurate labelling of meat content in each of the last two years.
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Mr. Ryder : Where there is a statutory requirement regarding the meat content of a meat product or where such information is declared on the label, the enforcement of the relevant food law is undertaken by local authorities who are food and drugs authorities. Information on infringements of these laws is not held centrally.
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what standards exist to specify and require the contents of meat products including beefburgers, sausages, salami, saveloys, haslet, and white pudding ; what measures are taken to enforce those standards ; and what information he has as to standards for meat products in other countries of the European Economic Community.
Mr. Ryder : The Meat Products and Spreadable Fish Products Regulations 1984 require most meat products to bear a declaration of their minimum meat content on the label. In addition, they contain minimum meat content requirements for a number of products, including burgers and sausages. White pudding is not regarded as a meat product for the purposes of the regulations but, in common with all foodstuffs, is subject to the general provisions of the Food Labelling Regulations 1984 and the Food Act 1984. Enforcement of this food law is carried out by those local authorities which are food and drugs authorities.
My Department does not keep detailed information on standards for meat products in other member states of the European Community.
Nitrates
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he proposes to implement, following the European Community directive on nitrates in drinking, ground and sea water, to minimise the leeching of nitrates from agricultural land.
Mr. Ryder : The document referred to is only a proposal at this stage and will have to be examined in detail and agreed by the Council of Ministers before any question of implementation arises.
Farmers
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all those subsidies, grants, tax-allowance and schemes currently available to British farmers.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 26 January 1989] : Market support measures, provided under the CAP, vary according to commodity but generally include some or all of the following : intervention purchase, private storage aid, production aid, livestock premia, import levies and export refunds, and minimum prices.
In addition, national schemes have been introduced under EC and United Kingdom legislation. These include capital and non-capital grant schemes, the farm diversification grant scheme, hill livestock compensatory allowances, environmentally sensitive areas, set-aside and the farm woodland scheme.
Questions concerning tax allowances are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor.
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ENERGY
Nuclear Materials
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether there is any connection between the Central Electricity Generating Board's nuclear power stations and the manufacture of nuclear weapons.
Mr. Michael Spicer : There is no connection between the Central Electricity Generating Board's nuclear power stations and the manufacture of nuclear weapons.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what system nuclear materials have been deemed to be civil or military after the co- processing of safeguarded and unsafeguarded spent Magnox nuclear fuel at BNFL Sellafield since May 1979.
Mr. Michael Spicer : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 11 March 1988 at column 362.
Cash Limits
Mr. Ward : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has any changes to announce to his Department's cash limits or running costs limit for 1988-89.
Mr. Parkinson : Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, the following changes will be made. The cash limit for Class VI, Vote 2 will be increased by £58,223,000 from £277,922,000 to £336,145,000. This is to cover restructuring costs relating to the fast reactor programme and outstanding liabilities of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority to British Nuclear Fuel plc for decommissioning and radioactive waste management operations. This increase is partly offset by savings of £5,077,000 on this Vote. The net increase will be charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure. The cash limit for Class VI, Vote 3 is increased by £1,275,000 from £26,788,000 to £28,063,000. This is the net effect of higher than forecast costs arising from the Piper Alpha technical investigation and public inquiry and on departmental staff and supporting services, plus provision for an extra Minister and the transfer of £3,000 to Class XX, Vote 1 as a contribution towards the costs of the direct entry grade 7 competition 1988. Savings of £291,000 have also been taken into account. The net increase will be charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.
The Department of Energy's running cost limit will be increased by £827,000 from £28,249,000 to £29,076,000.
Electricity Supply Industry Employees
Mr. Brandon-Bravo : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether the rights of those electricity supply industry employees and former employees currently enjoying concessionary electricity tariffs will be protected after privatisation.
Mr. Michael Spicer : I am pleased to be able to confirm that we have received an assurance from the electricity supply industry that benefits such as this will not be affected by the changes resulting from privatisation.
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Plutonium
Mr. Brandon-Bravo : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he has anything to add to his reply to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy, (Dr. Thomas) Official Report, column 157, 17 January, concerning the total export figure for plutonium.
Mr. Michael Spicer : In compiling figures for the earlier answer, officials made a simple clerical error in combining sub-totals. The underlying data were not affected.
DEFENCE
Infantry Soldiers (Ulster)
Mr. Speller : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what additional pay rate or leave entitlement is granted to an infantry soldier serving in Ulster to that granted to one in the British Army of the Rhine.
Mr. Neubert : In the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland, soldiers of the rank of corporal and below are entitled to 30 days leave. (All leave includes weekend days). In order to reflect the special circumstances of service in Northern Ireland soldiers serving in the Province :
(a) Receive Northern Ireland pay at a current rate of £2.75 a day (taxable) to compensate them for the abnormally long and unsocial hours which they are required to work there.
(b) Are exempted from paying food and accommodation charges if living in single accommodation, or receive the equivalent financial compensation if living in married accommodation.
(c) Have an additional leave entitlement of seven four-day long weekends, which must be taken outside Northern Ireland.
(d) Receive a total of seven leave warrants annually, if single or six if married and accompanied ; married and accompanied soldiers are able to use their warrants to enable their families to travel with them to Great Britain three times per year.
A soldiers basic pay does not vary from one theatre to another. In the British Army of the Rhine a soldier is entitled to local overseas allowance (not taxable) to compensate for the higher costs of living in Germany and is entitled to 42 days leave per year. He is entitled to three leave warrants annually. When battalions are sent from BAOR to Northern Ireland on four-month unaccompanied tours, married soldiers are entitled to retain 75 per cent. of their local overseas allowance, and single soldiers to retain 40 per cent. This is to compensate them for continuing commitments which they may have in Germany.
RAF Upper Heyford
Mr. Baldry : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next expects to visit RAF Upper Heyford.
Mr. Neubert : I expect to visit RAF Upper Heyford when the full study into the costs and implications of realigning the runway at the base has been completed.
Low-flying Exercises (Accidents)
Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total number of accidents in the United Kingdom and abroad during low flying exercises in 1987
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and 1988, for each of the three services ; and what is the cost of damage to, or loss of, aircraft of each of those services, at 1989 prices.Mr. Neubert : It would not be possible, without disproportionate cost and effort, to provide this information for all accidents--many of them extremely minor--affecting aircraft of the three services. Since 1980 it has been the practice of this Government to publish in the statement on the Defence Estimates a complete list of all major accidents to aircraft of the three services. The information sought for 1987 was set out in considerable detail by my predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Kettering (Mr. Freeman), in his two letters to the hon. Member dated 23 March and 16 August 1988. The information for 1988 is as follows :
|Number
------------------------------
Royal Navy |1
Army |1
Royal Air Force |4
As for the publication of information on unit costs of equipment, I refer the hon. Member to column 811 of the Official Report for 14 December 1987.
Procurement Executive (Unfilled Posts)
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many posts in the Procurement Executive remained unfilled in each grade at the most recent convenient date ; what steps he is taking to fill vacancies ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : The latest figures available as at 1 September 1988 show that a total of around 1,100 posts for scientists or engineers, and around 400 posts for administrative/clerical staff, were unfilled in the procurement executive, there were negligible numbers of vacant posts in the service grades and industrial grades. These unfilled posts are out of a total of some 35,000 posts, which include the research establishments, quality assurance, project management and procurement executive headquarters.
A wide range of initiatives is in hand to make good these manpower shortfalls such as new pay arrangements and special pay additions to assist with recruitment and retention, national recruitment campaigns, changes in work patterns to introduce more flexibility, job sharing and short service contracts. Looking further ahead, relocation of major parts of the procurement executive away from the south-east is being considered, which should assist in recruitment and retention.
Pilots (Voluntary Retirement)
Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many trained fast-jet pilots took premature voluntary retirement in (a) 1979, (b) 1980, (c) 1981, (d) 1982, (e) 1983, (f) 1984, (g) 1985, (h) 1986 and (i) 1988.
Column 404
Mr. Neubert : The numbers of trained fast-jet pilots who took premature voluntary release are recorded within financial years ; since 1979-80 the numbers are as follows :
|Number
-------------------------
1979-80 |20
1980-81 |21
1981-82 |21
1982-83 |15
1983-84 |12
1984-85 |28
1985-86 |32
1986-87 |24
1987-88 |33
<1>1988-89 |31
<1> To January 1989.
Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many trained fast-jet pilots requested premature voluntary retirement in (a) 1979, (b) 1980, (c) 1981, (d) 1982, (e) 1983, (f) 1984, (g) 1985, (h) 1986 and (i) 1988.
Mr. Neubert : The information requested was not separately maintained prior to 1 April 1985. Since that date the number of trained fast-jet pilots who have requested premature voluntary release have been recorded within financial years, as follows.
|Number
-------------------------
1985-86 |56
1987-87 |51
1987-88 |39
<1>1988-89 |33
<1> To 1 January 1989.
Airmen (Engineering)
Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many Royal Air Force airmen currently serve in each of the following categories (a) armament engineering, (b) mechanical engineering, (c) electrical engineering and (d) electronic engineering ; (2) how many Royal Air Force airmen became qualified in 1988 to serve in the following branches (a) armament engineering, (b) mechanical engineering, (c) electrical engineering and (d) electronic engineering ;
(3) how many Royal Air Force airmen left the Royal Air Force in 1988 in each of the following categories (a) armament engineering, (b) mechanical engineering, (c) electrical engineering and (d) electronic engineering ; and how many of these failed to complete their engagement.
Mr. Neubert : The numbers of ground airmen (including airwomen) in each category in each of the specified groupings of trades are as follows :
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Groupings of Trades
|Armaments |Mechanical|Electrical|Electronic
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1988
Total trained outflow |170 |1,005 |310 |808
Numbers who failed to complete
engagement |107 |517 |164 |436
Numbers who entered trained
strength in year |275 |572 |246 |381
Total trained numbers serving at 1
January 1989 |3,390 |15,447 |4,372 |11,127
Radioactivity (Holy Loch)
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (Mr. Foulkes), Official Report, 23 January, column 407, he will set out the methods used to monitor the Holy Loch for radioactivity since 1960 ; on how many occasions annually such monitoring has been done ; and where the results have been published.
Mr. Neubert : The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food had carried out monitoring of radio-activity in environmental materials and gamma dose rates in air at Holy Loch since 1961. The results have been published annually since 1975 in aquatic environment monitoring reports, which also explain the frequency and methods used. Copies of these reports are available in the Library of the House.
The Ministry of Defence has carried out its own monitoring of Holy Loch since 1965, which has comprised gamma dose rate measurements and analysis of sediment and biological samples. The frequency of monitoring has varied : at present, dose rate measurements are taken monthly and combined with quarterly sample analyses.
The results of the MOD's own monitoring are not published ; they are, however, consistent with those produced by MAFF.
Contour Mapping Programme
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department has access to data from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration sea beam seafloor contour mapping programme.
Mr. Neubert : I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the hydrographic surveying and charting of the United States exclusive economic zone which the NOAA is currently conducting. My Department has not had reason to seek to acquire data from this exercise.
Royal Naval Shipyards (Radioactivity)
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the cost, in each year at 1989 prices, since the commencement of the Military Atomic Energy programme began, of cleaning up radioactive contami- nation from accidents, leaks or routine operation at (a) AWE Aldermaston, (b) AERE Harwell, (c) AWE Burghfield, (d) AWE Caerwent, (e) Royal Naval shipyard, Chatham, (f) Royal Naval shipyard Rosyth, (g) Royal Naval shipyard Coulport, (h) Royal Naval shipyard Devonport, and (i) Royal Naval shipyard Portsmouth ; and if he will make a statement on present progress in the environmental clean-up programme.
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