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Mr. Lang : My right hon. and learned Friend is considering a visit to Berwickshire when these matters might be discussed.
Alcohol Abuse
16. Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to amend the Scottish Licensing Act to alleviate the problem of alcohol abuse among young persons under the age of 18 years ; and if he will make a statement.
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Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My right hon. and learned Friend intends to introduce appropriate provisions amending the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976 at the next suitable legislative opportunity.
Housing Priorities
17. Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to discuss central and local government co-operation in tackling Scottish housing priorities.
32. Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to discuss central and local government co-operation in tackling Scottish housing priorities.
54. Mr. Andrew Welsh : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to discuss central and local government co-operation in tackling Scottish housing priorities.
57. Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to discuss central and local government co-operation in tackling Scottish housing priorities.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : I met representatives of the convention on 22 September. Various housing issues were discussed.
Local Authorities (Administrative Costs)
18. Mr. Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current average annual administrative cost per head of (a) regional councils, (b) district councils, and (c) island councils, in Scotland ; and if he will publish in the Official Report the costs of running each individual council in Scotland.
Mr. Rifkind : The average figures per head are :
|£
------------------------------
Regional Councils |859
District Councils |389
Island Councils |2,106
Total figures for each authority are as follows :
Administrative costs 1987-88
|£'000
------------------------------------------
Borders |61,381
Central |166,905
Dumfries and Galloway |93,158
Fife |229,340
Grampian |319,790
Highland |148,645
Lothian |470,412
Strathclyde |1,563,204
Tayside |255,846
|---
Total regions |3,308,681
Orkney |34,072
Shetland |44,095
Western Isles |35,515
|---
Total islands |113,683
|£'000
--------------------------------------------
Berwickshire |3,029
Ettrick and Lauderdale |5,975
Roxburgh |8,295
Tweeddale |2,126
Clackmannan |14,917
Falkirk |36,940
Stirling |23,931
Annandale and Eskdale |6,213
Nithsdale |11,134
Stewartry |3,725
Wigtown |7,119
Dunfermline |28,459
Kirkcaldy |40,235
North East Fife |14,318
Aberdeen City |64,822
Banff and Buchan |15,922
Gordon |9,303
Kincardine and Deeside |5,675
Moray |17,413
Badenoch and Strathspey |1,729
Caithness |4,392
Inverness |12,209
Lochaber |4,328
Nairn |1,546
Ross and Cromarty |10,489
Skye and Lochalsh |1,824
Sutherland |2,562
East Lothian |20,393
Edinburgh City |139,436
Midlothian |16,470
West Lothian |36,791
Argyll and Bute |19,817
Bearsden and Milngavie |5,126
Clydebank |18,043
Clydesdale |12,766
Cumbernauld and
Kilsyth |8,336
Cumnock and Doon
Valley |13,200
Cunninghame |34,172
Dumbarton |21,627
East Kilbride |10,356
Eastwood |6,181
Glasgow City |386,262
Hamilton |31,321
Inverclyde |34,927
Kilmarnock and
Loudoun |24,204
Kyle and Carrick |28,673
Monklands |36,724
Motherwell |53,079
Renfrew |58,784
Strathkelvin |16,824
Angus |20,222
Dundee City |59,653
Perth and Kinross |24,519
|-----
Total districts |1,496,536
|-----
Scotland |4,918,900
Scottish Development Agency
21. Mr. Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next expects to meet the chairman of the Scottish Development Agency to discuss its programme.
Mr. Lang : My right hon. and learned Friend has no immediate plans for such a meeting, though he is in regular contact with the agency over its programmes.
65. Mr. Ernie Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the chief executive of the Scottish Development Agency ; and which subjects were discussed.
Mr. Lang : My right hon. and learned Friend met the agency board, including the chief executive, on 22 May and discussed a range of issues of mutual interest.
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Lockerbie Air Crash
23. Sir Hector Monro : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress is being made by the police with the murder inquiry following the Lockerbie air disaster ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Rifkind : My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate, to whom Dumfries and Galloway constabulary report, is satisfied that encouraging progress has been made with the Lockerbie inquiry. This has been achieved by painstaking and meticulous detective work, remarkable forensic scientific examination and unprecedented international co-operation. While no sufficient evidence is at present available to justify the commencement of criminal proceedings in Scotland against any particular person or persons, my noble and learned Friend remains confident that further progress will be made towards the goal of bringing the perpetrators of this atrocity to justice.
Kelvin Central plc
24. Mr. Ingram : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his plans for Kelvin Central plc.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State will shortly be publishing a disposal programme which will set out the basis on which the subsidiaries of the Scottish Bus Group will be sold. The first companies are expected to be advertised for sale around the end of this year. It is not, however, possible at this stage to say when Kelvin Central Buses will be offered for sale.
NHS Statistics
26. Sir Nicholas Fairbairn : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what improvements in nurse numbers, doctors' numbers and operations completed have been made in the National Health Service in Scotland since 1979.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Since this Government came to office the whole -time equivalent number of qualified nurses in the NHS in Scotland has increased by 7,000, from 26,930 to 33,932. The whole-time equivalent number of doctors has increased by 826, from 8, 863 to 9,689, over the same period. The number of operations performed has increased by 177,400, from 315,500 to 492,900, an increase of 56 per cent.
Local Government Finance
27. Mr. Patrick Thompson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from Angus district council on the implementation of the community charge.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My right hon. and learned Friend has received no such representations from Angus district council.
Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department intends to recalculate poll tax rebates, in the light of entitlement to relief under the transitional poll tax scheme.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 14 November 1989] : Relief will be calculated on the basis of
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peoples' liabilities before any reduction by community charge rebate. The administrative implications of this are under discussion with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.55. Mr Canavan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his latest estimate of the number of people in Scotland who are in arrears with their poll tax payments.
60. Mr. Hind : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how current payment levels under the community charge compare to payment levels under the old domestic rating system at a similar point in the last financial year.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Local authorities have reported good progress in the collection of the community charge with up to 96 per cent. of payers having paid in some areas. This is encouraging given that the community charge is a new tax and the number of people liable to pay is much larger than for domestic rates. It is of course difficult to draw precise comparisons with the collection of domestic rates, but it does appear that the pace at which community charge income is coming through to local authorities is broadly similar to the pace at which domestic rate income came through last year.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
29. Mr. Allen Adams : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make moneys available to the appropriate authorities to research into the causes of the recent outbreak of mad cow disease.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Government are currently funding extensive programmes of research into bovine spongiform encephalopathy, including studies into the epidemiology of the disease ; transmission to offspring of affected animals and to other species ; molecular biological and genetic aspects ;
clinico-pathology and embryo transfer.
The cost of the programme this year, which is being met by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, is estimated to be over £2 million and some of this work is being carried out at the neuropathogenesis unit in Edinburgh in collaboration with the Ministry's central veterinary laboratory. There is no requirement for additional moneys to be provided by Scottish Office Departments.
Electricity Boards
30. Mr. Doran : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the chairmen of the Scottish electricity boards ; and what was discussed.
70. Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met with representatives from the South of Scotland electricity board and the North of Scotland Hydro-Electricity Board ; and what was discussed.
Mr. Lang : My right hon. and learned Friend last met the chairmen of the Scottish electricity boards on 8 November when a number of issues relating to privatisation of the industry were discussed, including the matters referred to in his statement to the House the following day.
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Rents to Mortgages Scheme
31. Mr. Leigh : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people will be eligible for the new rents to mortgages scheme.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Eligibility to purchase under the new rents to mortgages scheme is dependent upon a number of factors, specific to the individual concerned, details of which are not held centrally. However, from the information which is available, I estimate presently that up to 50,000 people could be eligible.
Maternity Services
33. Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what future provision is planned for maternity services for people living in the east end of Glasgow for the 1990s ; which hospital it is proposed that they attend ; where the expert medical advisers recommended ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Greater Glasgow health board has issued a consultation document following a review of its maternity services strategy. The review involved a range of professional staff and the board stated its preferred option for the future, taking account of a range of factors, including the views of the staff, as the provision of two new units at Yorkhill and Stobhill. The board will take a final decision following the consultation period and then submit its proposals to the Secretary of State for approval. In reaching a decision as to the best provision of maternity services for the women of Glasgow my right hon. and learned Friend will carefully consider all views, including medical ones.
New Motherwell Hospital
34. Dr. Bray : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has received from the Lanarkshire health board for a new district general hospital in the Motherwell district.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : On 3 November Lanarkshire health board issued a consultative document on its acute services strategy. The options include establishing a new district general hospital in the Motherwell district. The board will not finally decide before the end of the consultation period on its preferred option, which will then be submitted to my right hon. and learned Friend for consideration.
Local Enterprise Companies
35. Mr. Allan Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has on plans to form local enterprise companies ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : Groups of business people are coming forward in all parts of Scotland with the support of their local communities, and I am very encouraged by their enthusiasm. Six applications for funding to meet the costs of developing local enterprise companies have now been received, and more are in preparation.
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Scottish Assembly
36. Mr. Irvine : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from the business community about the effects of a tax-raising Scottish assembly on Scottish industry.
52. Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from the business community about the effects of a tax-raising assembly on Scottish industry.
Mr. Rifkind : No such representations have been received recently. I am aware, however, of the concern expressed by top companies in Scotland that the introduction of a Scottish Assembly would inevitably result in higher taxes, which would not be to Scotland's benefit.
Economic Growth
37. Mr. Oppenheim : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the rate of economic growth for Scotland for the latest year for which figures are available.
Mr. Lang : The latest output--based estimates of Scotland's gross domestic product show that in 1987 the Scottish economy grew by 2.4 per cent.
Labour Statistics
38. Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those constituences in Scotland where unemployment is above the British national average.
Mr. Lang : The information requested is not available since unemployment rates are not calculated for parliamentary constituencies.
Fishing and Agriculture (Employment)
39. Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide projections for employment prospects in the fishing and agriculture sectors of the Scottish economy from the present time until 1999.
Mr. Lang : Projections are not made for either the agriculture or fishing sectors. Continuing the contraction which has persisted throughout the post-war period, the number of workers, excluding occupiers and spouses, employed on agricultural holdings as recorded in the main June agricultural census has fallen by about 3 per cent. per year over the past 10 years to 28,000 in 1989. Employment in sea fishing has remained broadly steady at about 8,000 over the period.
Laboratory Services
40. Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy on health boards that seek to privatise laboratory services.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I am not aware of any proposals to privatise laboratory services, but health boards are encouraged to strive to ensure the highest quality of services in the interests of patient care.
Health Councils
41. Dr. Moonie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for the future of health councils.
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Mr. Michael Forsyth : I am currently considering this carefully and hope to make an announcement once I have had an opportunity to discuss the matter with health board chairmen.
NHS Competitive Tendering
42. Dr. Reid : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement concerning competitive tendering in the National Health Service in Scotland.
56. Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the progress of his plans for competitive tendering in the Health Service in Scotland.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Health boards have made significant progress. By the end of October 140 contracts, largely for domestic and catering services, had been awarded and these are expected to release savings of more than £53 million over the periods of the contracts for reinvestment in direct patient care. Of the 140 contracts awarded, 110 (nearly 80 per cent.) have been won by the in-house teams. These account for more than £36 million (nearly 68 per cent.) of the savings released. The total savings released could buy over 8,400 kidney dialysis machines or pay for 18,000 hip replacement operations or about 4,750 heart by-pass operations.
61. Mr. David Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what extra resources will be available as a result of competitive tendering in the Scottish Health Service over the next three to four years.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The contracts awarded before the end of October are expected to release savings of more than £53 million over the periods of the contracts for reinvestment in direct patient care. These savings could buy over 8,400 kidney dialysis machines or pay for 18,000 hip replacement operations or about 4,750 heart by-pass operations.
Under-fives
43. Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to improve the nursery and general child care facilities for under-fives in Scotland.
Mr. Lang : Since 1979 the numbers of children under five attending local authority nursery schools or classes have increased by 28 per cent. to 41,000 and child care places have increased by 32 per cent. to 63,600.
In addition to providing revenue support grant for local authority nursery education and child care facilities, the Government assist voluntary organisations and local groups concerned with child care through the urban programme and through grants provided under the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968.
Employers are showing increasing interest in providing child care facilities and the Government are strongly encouraging them to make use of available tax reliefs.
GPs' Contracts
44. Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will convene a meeting with health councils in Scotland and the British Medical Association to discuss the reasons which have led his Department to impose a contract on Scottish general practitioners.
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Hospital Developments
45. Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many major hospital developments in Scotland have been completed since 1979.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Since 1979, 63 major hospital developments costing over £1 million each have been completed providing 6,933 new hospital beds and 521 day places.
Education (Parental Views)
46. Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the recent survey carried out by the Scottish Education Department into parental views on schools' education in Scotland.
Mr. Lang : The survey was carried out by the MVA Consultancy and Jordanhill college of education. The main findings of the survey are summarised in the report "Talking about Schools" which was published on 16 October. A copy has been lodged in the House of Commons Library.
The survey was commissioned to support policy-making, policy evaluation and development.
The findings indicate that parents were supportive of schools ; welcomed the opportunity to be involved ; were in favour of testing in key subjects in primary schools ; and that the vast majority of parents thought that it is a good thing to have a choice of school for their children.
The summary report should be of particular interest to school boards.
Investment
47. Mr. Page : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on how much inward investment has been obtained for the years 1978 and 1988, or the latest available figures.
Mr. Lang : Figures prior to the establishment of Locate in Scotland in 1981, are not available.
In the year 1981-82, companies committed to 32 inward investment projects associated with the expected safeguarding or creation of 7, 000 jobs and involving planned capital expenditure of £234 million. During 1988-89, companies committed to 55 projects, associated with the expected creation and safeguarding of 7,089 jobs and involving planned capital expenditure of £437 million.
Council House Sales
48. Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of the total number of properties in Glasgow owned by the local authority or by Scottish Homes have been bought by their tenants.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Between April 1979 and June 1989 approximately 8.5 per cent. of the stock owned by the local authority or by Scottish Homes in Glasgow has been sold.
Tourism
49. Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what is the Scottish Development Agency budget for tourist-associated development for 1990-91.
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Mr. Lang : This information will not be available until after my right hon. and learned Friend has announced the agency's budget for 1990- 91. I shall write to the hon. Member.
Law Centres
50. Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any plans to establish new law centres in Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : No.
Proportional Representation
51. Mr. Mans : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has received any recent representations from the campaign for a Scottish Assembly on proportional representation.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : No.
Ferry Services
53. Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if his officials have held any recent discussions with Mr. Colin Paterson, chief executive of Caledonian MacBrayne, concerning passenger ferry services ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Regular and frequent discussions take place between officials of the Scottish Development Department and the chief executive of Caledonian MacBrayne reflecting the Government's commitment to the provision of the ferry services which are so vital to island communities.
Forth Crossing
58. Mr. Harry Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the proposal made to him by the Forth bridge joint board regarding a second estuarial crossing.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Scottish Development Department has been aware for some time now of the increasing volume of traffic using the existing Forth bridge. Consequently the need for a second estuarial crossing of the River Forth will be addressed in the trunk and key principal road network review study.
The commission for the study will be awarded this month and the final report will be required in 18 months time.
Health Boards (Partnerships)
59. Mr. Michael Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if health boards in Scotland have any plans to build developments in partnership with the private sector of the kind already established in certain English health authorities.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Greater Glasgow health board has submitted proposals to provide health care for the elderly in partnership with the private sector and a number of other health boards are considering this type of partnership development.
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