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Military Establishments

Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the estimated total value to the economy of Scotland of the presence of military establishments of United Kingdom armed forces in various locations in Scotland.

Mr. Lang : It is not possible to provide comprehensive estimates. But details of the deployment of defence manpower in Scotland and estimates of defence equipment expenditure in Scotland are given in the table. There are no separate estimates of defence manpower expenditure in Scotland, although total United Kingdom defence expenditure on personnel in 1987-88 was £7,212 million.


                                 |Scotland            |Total United Kingdom                     
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Defence manpower July 1988<1>    |31,500              |<2>461,100                               
                                                                                                
Defence equipment expenditure<3>                                                                
   (£ million)                   |400                 |6,600                                    
Source: Statement on the Defence Estimates 1989, Volume 2.                                      
<1> Includes civilian and military manpower.                                                    
<2> Includes 97,800 personnel stationed overseas.                                               
<3> This estimate is based on the location of the main supplier for each contract and does not  
take account of the location of sub-contractors.                                                

Tourism

Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total value of tourism in Scotland in each of the years from May 1979 to April 1989.

Mr. Lang : Figures for 1988 and 1989 are not yet available.


Domestic/Overseas Tourism Expenditure                             
                      |£ million Cash prices                      
------------------------------------------------------------------
1979                  |590                                        
1980                  |659                                        
1981                  |718                                        
1982                  |760                                        
1983                  |897                                        
1984                  |1,423                                      
1985                  |1,421                                      
1986                  |1,576                                      
1987                  |1,894                                      
Source: Domestic: British Tourism Survey up to 1983, National     
Survey of Tourism in Scotland from 1983, Overseas: International  
Passenger Survey.                                                 
Table file CW890509.034 not available

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Harbours

Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many harbour projects in Scotland have been carried out in the period from May 1979 to April 1989 ; where are the locations ; how much money was granted to these projects ; and what were the sources of the funds.

Mr. Michael Forsyth : From May 1979 to April 1989, the harbours listed in the table received grant from DAFS under section 2 of the Fisheries Act 1955, amounting to a total of £8,146,558

Fife

Anstruther

Crail

Pittenweem

Grampian

Aberdeen

Buckie

Burghead

Fraserburgh

Gourdon

Lossiemouth

Macduff

Peterhead

Stonehaven

Whitehills

Highland

Keiss

Kinlochbervie

Lochinver

Lybster

Mallaig

Ullapool

Wick

Lothians

Port Seton

Orkney

Trumland

Westray

Shetland

Blackness (Scalloway)

Cullivoe

Lerwick

Symbister

Strathclyde

Ayr

Campbeltown

Gairloch

Girvan

Oban

Port Ellen

Tarbert

Central

Arbroath

Western Isles

Stornoway

Uig

During the same period, these harbours were also awarded grant from the European Regional Development Fund amounting to a total of £7,596,291.

The following harbours received grant only from the European regional development fund :

Kylesku

John o' Groats

Carradale

Gravir


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Highlands and Islands Development Board

Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total budget for the Highlands and Islands Development Board for the years May 1979 to April 1989 ; how much central Government gave towards the budget ; and how much was obtained from other sources.

Mr. Lang : The table sets out grant-in-aid from central Government to the Highlands and Islands Development Board, receipts from other sources and gross expenditure for the financial years 1979-80 to 1988-89.


Highlands and Islands development board                                                   
Expenditure 1979-80 to 1988-89 (£ million at outturn prices)                              
Year              |Grant-in-aid     |Receipts         |Gross Expenditure                  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979-80           |17.4             |3.9              |21.3                               
1980-81           |20.0             |3.7              |23.7                               
1981-82           |22.9             |4.4              |27.3                               
1982-83           |27.5             |5.2              |32.7                               
1983-84           |31.3             |6.8              |38.1                               
1984-85           |34.6             |7.5              |42.1                               
1985-86           |30.4             |9.2              |39.6                               
1986-87           |26.4             |9.1              |35.5                               
1987-88           |26.2             |11.7             |37.9                               
1988-89           |31.6             |10.4             |42.0                               

Agricultural Development Programmes

Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many ADPs are operating in Scotland ; where are the locations ; what is the total value of grants made to farmers under these schemes ; and what is the source of these funds.

Mr. Michael Forsyth : There is one agricultural development programme (ADP) operating in Scotland covering the islands off the north and west coasts but excluding the Western Isles which have recently benefited from an integrated development programme. The programme provides for expenditure by the United Kingdom Government of £38 million (of which £27 million has already been committed) over a five-year period with reimbursement at the rate of 40 per cent. from the guidance section of the European agricultural guarantee and guidance fund.

Fishing (Aid)

Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much financial aid has been given to the fishing industry under the European agriculture guidance and guarantee fund scheme since May 1979 to date.

Mr. Michael Forsyth : A total of £25,800,605 has been awarded to the Scottish fishing industry for the construction and modernisation of fishing vessels.

Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many grants have been given to members of the Scottish fishing industry under the European agriculture guidance and guarantee fund scheme since May 1979 to May 1989 ; and how many new vessels were built with those grants.

Mr. Michael Forsyth : A total of 561, of which 196 were for the construction of new vessels.


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Doctors and Dentists (Retirement)

Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has made for introducing a retirement age for general medical and dental practitioners and for abolishing 24-hour retirement without abatement of pension ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Michael Forsyth : As we made clear in "General Practice in the NHS : A New Contract", issued to all Scottish GPs on 12 April, compulsory retirement for general medical practitioners aged 70 or over will be introduced from April 1991.

We intend to reduce the retirement age to 65 in due course, as proposed in the White Paper "Working for Patients". The arguments for doing so in terms of standards of services to patients are strong. However we are proceeding on a longer timetable for that proposal and our first objective is to introduce a compulsory retirement age of 70 for GPs.

"Promoting Better Health" made clear that similar provisions should apply to general dental practitioners. We will, therefore, introduce a retirement age of 65 on April 1997. This age will be introduced in stages. That is, dental practitioners aged 72 or over on 1 April 1990 will have to retire on that date. The age of retirement will be reduced thereafter year by year after 1990 until it reaches 65 in 1997. We have negotiated with the general dental services committee compensation payments for those dentists who retire in the first three years of the scheme for loss in respect of the sale of goodwill of their practices.

Regulations on the compulsory retirement of GPs and dentists will be published in the next few months.

Turning to 24-hour retirement, we will end from April 1990 the provision whereby a general medical or ophthalmic medical practitioner, or dental practitioner, may on reaching 65 retire, draw his or her pension and return to practice after 24 hours without abatement of pension. This provision is wholly exceptional in the public sector. It was introduced to encourage elderly practitioners to remain in practice at a time when there was a shortage of young doctors and dentists. Now that there are adequate numbers of younger doctors and dentists the arrangement is no longer justified. The position of those practitioners who currently benefit under this provision will be protected.

DEFENCE

Nuclear Tests

Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence is he has any further information about the dangers of radiation from nuclear tests.

Mr. Sainsbury : It is the function of the Government's independent advisors on radiological protection matters, the National Radiological Protection Board, to review all new information, including that on the test veterans, and advise the Government accordingly.

Submarines

Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received concerning incidents involving submarines and fishing vessels.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : As I told the hon. Member on 11 April 1989 at column 515, letters continue to be received


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from fishermen's organisations and from other interested groups about a number of incidents in which submarines are alleged to have been involved. The hon. Member himself raised this subject with the Royal Navy and the US Navy in Scotland yesterday during an all- party visit to Faslane and Holy Loch.

Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the latest position regarding discussions between his Department, the port of Tilbury and Thurrock borough council regarding the use of the port of Tilbury by nuclear-powered Royal Navy submarines ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : As I said in my answer to the hon. Member for Clwyd, South-West (Mr. Jones) on 9 March at column 677, my officials have had preliminary discussions with port and local authorities about visits to Tilbury by Royal Navy ships, including nuclear powered submarines. This remains the position. It would be premature to anticipate the outcome of these discussions at this stage.

44. Dr. Moonie : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to update the Royal Navy's plans for evacuation and safety in the event of an accident to a nuclear submarine which involves an escape of radiation.

45. Mr. Doran : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to update the Royal Navy's plans for evacuation and safety in the event of an accident to a nuclear submarine which involves an escape of radiation.

49. Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to update the Royal Navy's plans for evacuation and safety in the event of an accident to a nuclear submarine which involves an escape of radiation.

104. Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to update the Royal Navy's plans for evacuation and safety in the event of an accident to a nuclear submarine which involves an escape of radiation.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : All aspects of planning for accidents in Royal navy nuclear-powered submarines are kept under constant review.

109. Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many incidents have there been during the past 10 years in which allegations have been made of submarines fouling fishing nets in the Irish sea ; and in how many of these alleged incidents it has been substantiated that United Kingdom submarines have been involved.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : Since 1982, the date from which information is held, we are able to trace 35 cases in which Royal Navy submarines are alleged to have been in collision with fishing vessels or their gear in the Irish sea, Clyde approaches and north Channel. Six of these allegations were substantiated following investigation.

Ms. Gordon : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the nature and circumstances of navigational problems encountered by Royal Navy nuclear-powered submarines at the port of Hull.


Column 409

Mr. Archie Hamilton : Entry by submarines into the port of Hull was complicated by the tides there. In 1983, a nuclear-powered submarine had to turn back at the point of entering Hull as a safe entry could not be guaranteed in the bad weather conditions at the time. In 1985, another nuclear-powered submarine was exposed to the risk of slight external damage while it was being guided into the port. In the light of these incidents, and the emphasis we place on the safety of nuclear-powered vessels, we reluctantly decided that the navigational risks of nuclear-powered submarines visiting Hull under these circumstances outweighed the benefits of such visits, even though Hull was popular with submarine crews and previous visits had been a great success.

RAF Upper Heyford

17. Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations and representations he has received about future uses of RAF Upper Heyford.

21. Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations and representations he has received about future uses of RAF Upper Heyford.

34. Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultation and representations he has received about future use of RAF Upper Heyford.

35. Mr. Wall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultation and representations he has received about future use of RAF Upper Heyford.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : NATO has not yet taken decisions on restructuring its forces following the INF treaty ; no are decisions imminent. In the meantime, the British Government have not agreed to any changes to the role of aircraft of the 20th tactical fighter wing based at RAF Upper Heyford, which forms an important part of NATO'S longer-range intermediate-range strike capability. My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations about the future use of the base from hon. Members and members of the public.

Nuclear Weapons

18. Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about Her Majesty's Government's current proposals to modernise short-range nuclear forces.

24. Mr. Patchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about Her Majesty's Government's current proposals to modernise short-range nuclear forces.

63. Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about Her Majesty's Government's current proposals to modernise short-range nuclear forces.


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