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Mr. Maude : I have been asked to reply.

The authorisation provisions of the Financial Services Act did not come into operation until 29 April 1988. A finance company will only require authorisation only if, in addition to offering credit, it is also carrying on investment business as defined in that Act. It is not possible without incurring disproportionate cost to identify from the records available how many of the persons who have had their authorisation revoked under the Act might be described as "finance companies", which is not a category recognised under the Financial Services Act. Nor is it possible without incurring disproportionate cost to identify from the records available those instances (whether involving finance companies or not) where authorisation was revoked because of misconduct which took place in Scotland.

The predecessor to the Financial Services Act was the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act 1958. A finance company required a licence under that Act only if, in addition to offering credit, it was also carrying on the business of dealing in securities. It is not possible from the records available to say how many licensed dealers who have had their principal's licences revoked under the Act might be described as "finance companies", which was not a category recognised under the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act. Nor is it possible without disproportionate cost to identify from the records available those instances (whether involving finance companies or not) where a principal's licence was revoked because of misconduct which took place in Scotland.

Appointments

Dr. Reid : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the policy of his Department on filling posts in institutions funded by his Department by open competition.

Mr. Rifkind : Practice varies according to the particular circumstances of the institution and the appointment, and any relevant agreement that may have been entered into. A significant number of posts is filled by open competition.

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Food Safety

Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will issue advice to local authorities to monitor potential health hazards in eggs ; and if he will make a statement.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Monitoring potential health hazards in the egg itself is not the most effective way of dealing with the problem. The answer is to introduce a comprehensive package of measures ranging from the testing of feedingstuffs at the manufacturing stage, through the testing of flocks, to the provision of advice on the handling and cooking of eggs and poultrymeat in catering establishments and in the home. This is what we have done.

Community Charge

Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has had from parents of those serving in Her Majesty's forces abroad who have been informed that they will have to pay the poll tax while serving abroad ; and if he will make a statement.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My right hon. and learned Friend has received only a few such representations. The question of whether service personnel serving abroad are liable to pay the personal community charge will depend on whether they are regarded as having their main residence in Scotland. This is a matter for community charges registration officers to decide in the light of the facts and circumstances relating to individual cases.

Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many members of Her Majesty's forces, living and working abroad, have been registered for payment of the community charge in Scotland.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The registration of people for the personal community charge is a matter for community charges registration officers and the information requested is not held centrally.

Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has had from members of Her Majesty's forces serving abroad complaining about the community charge levied on them.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My right hon. and learned Friend has received very few such representations.

Bus Services

Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the names of all employee-owned bus companies in Scotland.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Grampian Regional Transport Ltd. was the subject of a management-employee buy out from Grampian regional council in January this year. Information on whether any other privately owned bus companies in Scotland are owned wholly or partly by employees is not readily available.

Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the names of those organisations providing public bus transport who have made representations to him about the privatisation

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of bus services proposed in the Transport (Scotland) Bill ; and if he will indicate those which (a) favoured and (b) disagreed with the Bill's proposals.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : In the period following the publication of the Transport (Scotland) Bill representations about the Government's proposals to privatise the Scottish Bus Group have been received from the following bodies involved in operating public bus transport services :

Luton and District Transport Ltd.

Stagecoach Holdings Ltd.

In addition, representations have been received from the managing directors of the northern, Strathtay and western Clydeside subsidiaries of the Scottish Bus Group and from the Clydeside employee buy-out committee. A representation was also received from Borders regional council. None of the representations received made specific reference to the provisions of the Bill.

Legal Profession

Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report those individuals and organisations which responded to the recent Green Paper, "The Legal Profession in Scotland".

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Ninety-two individuals and organisations responded to my right hon. and learned Friend's recent Consultation Paper "The Legal Profession in Scotland". These are listed as follows :

1. Aberdeen Bar Association

2. Allianz Legal Protection Insurance Co. Ltd.

3. Mr. H. Angus

4. Association of British Insurers

5. Association of First Division Civil Servants (Procurator Fiscal Branch)

6. Auditor of Court of Session

7. Mr. D. A. Ballingall

8. Bank of Scotland

9. Bird Semple Fyfe Ireland

10. Miss H. Buchan

11. Building Societies Association

12. Campaign for Community Legal Services

13. The Hon. Lord Caplan

14. CBI Scotland

15. Citizens Advice Scotland

16. Clydesdale Bank plc

17. Consumers Association

18. Convention of Scottish Local Authorities

19. Council of Scottish Courts Service Unions

20. Mr. L. R. Cox

21. The Hon. Lord Dervaird

22. Dunfermline Building Society

23. EBS Trustees

24. Edinburgh Solicitors Property Centre

25. Mrs. M. Ewing MP

26. Faculty of Advocates

27. Ferguson & Will

28. Mr. A. Fletcher QC

29. Glasgow Bar Association

30. Glasgow College

31. Halifax Building Society

32. Mr. J. B. D. Henderson

33. Institute of Bankers in Scotland

34. Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland

35. Mr. H. Irvine

36. Joint Standing Committee on Legal Education in Scotland 37. Keeper of the Registers of Scotland

38. Law Society of Scotland

39. Lay Observer for Scotland

40. Legal Defence Union

41. Legal Protection Group Ltd.

42. Miss D. M. Little

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43. Lord President of the Court of Session

44. Mr. J. D. M. Macara

45. Mr. J. G. Macdonald

46. Mr. K. M. Maciver

47. Mr. C. H. MacLean

48. The Hon. Lord McCluskey

49. Mr. P. McCormack

50. Mr. W. H. McCort

51. McGrigor Donald

52. Mr. I. M. Martin

53. Murgitroyd & Company

54. Mr. T. A. M. Myles

55. National Association of Estate Agents, Scottish Working Party

56. Procurators Fiscal Society

57. Regional Sheriff Clerks

58. Dr. R. Rennie

59. Mr. A. Robb

60. Mr. G. M. Robertson

61. Ross Rogers & Co.

62. Royal Bank of Scotland plc

63. Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow

64. Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

65. Scottish Consumer Council

66. Scottish Law Agents Society

67. Scottish Lawyers' European Group

68. Scottish Legal Aid Board

69. Scottish Legal Action Group

70. Scottish Society for the Mentally Handicapped

71. Scottish Solicitors Discipline Tribunal

72. Scottish Vocational Education Council

73. Scottish Young Lawyers Association

74. Sheriffs' Association

75. Sheriffs Principal

76. Society of Conservative Accountants

77. Society of Procurators and Solicitors of Angus

78. Society of Scottish Conservative Lawyers

79. Society of Sheriff Court Auditors

80. Society of Solicitors in the Supreme Courts of Scotland 81. Society of Writers to HM Signet

82. Mr. G. Stephen

83. Strathkelvin Association of Solicitors

84. Mr. R. Tur

85. University of Aberdeen, Faculty of Law

86. University of Edinburgh, Faculty of Law

87. University of Glasgow, Faculty of Law and Financial Studies 88. Mr. M. Upton

89. Professor D. M. Walker CBE QC

90. The Hon. Lord Weir

91. Mr. L. Wheatley

92. Miss J. White

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