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Agricultural Education
27. Mr. Robert Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the Williams report on the future of agricultural education in Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement made by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland on 15 December 1989.
Self-employment
28. Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current level of self-employment in Scotland.
Mr. Lang : It is estimated that there were 224,000 self-employed in Scotland in June 1989, the latest date for which a figure is available.
Housing Policy
29. Mr. Andrew Welsh : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will undertake a review of housing policy priorities with special reference to meeting the needs of the homeless and those in damp housing.
38. Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will undertake a review of housing policy priorities with specific reference to meeting the needs of the homeless and those in damp housing.
44. Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will undertake a review of housing policy priorities with specific reference to meeting the needs of the homeless and those in damp housing.
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47. Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will undertake a review of housing policy priorities with specific reference to meeting the needs of the homeless and those in damp housing.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Government policy priorities for housing in Scotland already take full account of the needs of the homeless and of those in damp housing.
British Steel
30. Dr. Bray : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what is the latest communication he has had from the chairman of British Steel ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : My right hon. and learned Friend received a private letter from Sir Robert Scholey on 11 December. The letter, inter alia, confirmed that the statement which Sir Robert made on 3 December 1987 concerning the Scottish steel plants still stands.
Whisky Industry
31. Mr. Gerald Howarth : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the current state of the Scotch whisky industry.
Mr. Lang : The industry is enjoying a period of growth in both volume and value terms, and looks set for further growth.
56. Mr. Michael Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the numbers employed and the export performance of the Scottish whisky industry.
Mr. Lang : The total number of employees engaged in spirit distilling and compounding in Scotland in 1987 was 15,300, according to the census of employment conducted in September that year. The table gives an indication of the industry's recent export performance.
Exports of Scotch Whisky
|Percentage
|change
|1987 |1988 |1987-88
--------------------------------------------------------------
Volume (mlpa) |240,174 |245,973 |+2.4
Value (£ million) |1,135,514 |1,288,771 |+13.5
Note: mlpa = million litres of pure alcohol.
Source: Scotch Whisky Association.
In the year to September 1989 it is estimated that the value of whisky exports was 15 per cent. higher than in the year to September 1988.
Export prospects should be further improved by the tax reforms, presently under way in Japan and North Korea, which will ease the discrimination against Scotch whisky.
43. Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people are estimated to be working in the whisky trade in Scotland ; what was the comparable figure 10 years ago ; what are the capacities in which they are employed ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : The latest available information on employment in the industry in Scotland comes from the
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1987 census of employment. The table shows the total number of employees in employment in the industry in September 1987 and September 1981, the nearest year to 1979 for which comparable estimates exist.Spirit distilling and compounding-Employees in employment September ------------------------------ 1981 |21,300 1987 |15,300 Source:1981 Census of Employment. 1987 Census of Employment.
Although no official statistics exist, a recent survey undertaken by the Scotch Whisky Association found that in September 1988 around one quarter of the total work force was engaged in the primary production of Scotch whisky, a further 40 per cent. worked directly in the blending and bottling plants, and the remaining third in administration and other support work.
Local Government Finance
32. Mr. Andrew Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of those liable to pay domestic rates had not paid their rates by December 1988 ; and what percentage of those eligible to pay the community charge have not now done so.
52. Mr. Andrew MacKay : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of those liable to pay domestic rates had not paid their rates by December 1988 ; and what percentage of those eligible to pay the community charge have not now done so.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Comparison between the collection of the community charge and domestic rates cannot be precise because of significant differences in the administration of the two systems. The general flow of income from community charges does not appear very different from the flow from domestic rates, when allowance is made for these differences, including the much larger number of people liable for the community charge.
Mr. Douglas : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the cost to local authorities and central Government of the collection of (a) domestic rates and (b) the poll tax for 1987-88, 1988-89 and 1989- 90.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The costs to local authorities of the collection of rates in 1987-88 was £12.1 million and in 1988-89, £17.3 million. No separate figures are held centrally on the collection costs for domestic rates only. The cost to local authorities of collecting the community charge in 1989-90 is estimated by authorities at £31.8 million. This figure includes the cost of registration work, but excludes the costs of operating the rebate scheme. For 1987-88 and 1988-89 no separately identified figures are available for any preparatory costs authorities may have incurred in respect of the collection of the community charge. There are no direct costs falling on central Government for the collection of either domestic rates or the community charge, although provision was made for such costs falling on authorities in the RSG settlements for the years concerned.
74. Mr. Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance has been issued on the collection of the community charge debts through arrestment orders.
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Mr. Rifkind : None. It is for local authorities to decide the most effective means of collecting arrears. Authorities will be familiar with the debt collection procedures available to them since they are broadly the same as were available under domestic rates.
59. Mr. Douglas : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place a copy of the speech on the poll tax which he made in Glasgow on 4 December in the Library.
Mr. Rifkind : I made no speech in Glasgow on 4 December. In my speech to the Edinburgh city business club on 4 December I referred to a number of aspects of the community charge as well as to a number of other matters. There is no copy of that speech. I will, however, send the hon. Member a copy of the press release which reported my main comments on the community charge.
57. Mr. Knapman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many hon. Members have made representations to him regarding non-payment of the community charge.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My right hon. and learned Friend has received a number of such representations.
54. Mr. Canavan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his latest estimate of the number of people who are in arrears with their poll tax payments.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Information about the number of people in arrears is not available for Scotland as a whole. Figures for the number of people who have made some community charge payments vary from region to region but are typically in the range of 85 per cent. to 95 per cent. of chargepayers, with a figure of 98 per cent. in one area.
39. Mr. Neil Hamilton : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many summary warrants were granted in respect of rate arrears for the financial year 1988-89 ; and how may summary warrants have been granted in respect of community charge arrears.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The number of summary warrants granted for rate arrears in calendar year 1988 was 468. A warrant may apply to a number of debtors. The figures for calendar year 1989 for rates and community charge arrears will be available in 1990.
35. Mr. Baldry : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what effect non-payment of the community charge will have on the level of the community charge for the next financial year.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Local authorities made allowances, in setting their community charges for 1989-90, for non-payment by a small percentage of persons liable to the charge. I do not have any reason to suppose that these allowances will be exceeded and, therefore, no reason to suppose that there will be any effect on community charges for 1990-91.
General Practitioners
33. Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from general practitioners in Tayside about general practitioner budgets and from hospitals about self-governing status.
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Mr. Michael Forsyth : Three GP practices in Tayside are interested in becoming budget holders and establishing a self- governing hospital.36. Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has made to the doctors and dentists review body with regard to the remuneration of general practitioners in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The DDRB has been told that a special fund will protect the income of rural GPs who fulfil all their obligations under the new contract.
Nuclear Power
37. Mr. Jack : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what reports he has received on the economic and environmental benefits to Scotland of nuclear power.
Violence
41. Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the numbers of convictions recorded last year for violent crime in Scotland where alcohol was directly or indirectly involved ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : This information is not available in that form, but alcohol has been generally known to be a factor in many cases involving crimes of violence.
Housing Stock (Sales)
42. Mr. Dover : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of Scottish Homes stock has been sold ; and what proportion of local authority housing stock has been sold.
73. Mr. Brandon-Bravo : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of Scottish Homes stock has been sold ; and what proportion of local authority housing stock has been sold.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : In the period 1 April 1979 to 30 September 1989, the proportion of houses sold by Scottish Homes and its predecessor the Scottish Special Housing Association was 32.6 per cent. the comparable figure for Scottish local authorities was 14.7 per cent.
Scottish Homes alone has sold 6.7 per cent. of the stock it inherited from the SSHA on 1 April 1989.
69. Mr. Gow : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many houses and flats owned previously by local authorities in Scotland have been sold to their former tenants ; and what further proposals he has to encourage the spread of home ownership in Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Since April 1979, over 124,000 houses and flats have been sold by Scottish local authorities to sitting tenants.
The position on home ownership is reviewed constantly. A number of detailed changes to the right-to-buy legislation will be brought into force by the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.
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Roads
45. Mr. Hayward : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many miles of new motorway, dual-carriageway and other trunk roads have been completed in Scotland since 1979 ; at what cost ; and if he will give details of other road projects in the pipeline.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : One hundred and two schemes, each costing over £1 million, have been completed since May 1979. These have provided 282 miles of new trunk road, comprising 24 miles of new motorway, 108 miles of dual carriageway and 150 miles of single carriageway. So far as details of future road projects are concerned I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Tayside, North (Mr. Walker) on 15 May 1989, c. 31-37.
75. Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what further expenditure is planned on primary roads in south east Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Future spending on trunk primary roads in south-east scotland will depend on the decisions to be taken following the recent consultation on the routes south of Edinburgh study. The position within the trunk road programme of any scheme proposals that result from these decisions will then have to be considered in the light of the resources likely to be available and the competing priorities of projects already in the programme. Priorities for expenditure on non-trunk primary roads are a matter for the relevant local roads authorities in the context of their tansport policies and programmes and available capital allocations.
Job Announcements
46. Mr. Mans : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many major job announcements have been made in the past 12 months.
Mr. Lang : Through my Department's monitoring of press reports, I am aware of some 33 announcements, involving over 10,500 jobs to be created or relocated in Scotland.
65. Mr. Jacques Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many major job announcements have been made in the past three months.
Mr. Lang : Through my Department's monitoring of press reports, I am aware of some four announcements, involving nearly 1,200 jobs to be created or relocated in Scotland.
Health Service (Tendering)
48. Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made within the Scottish Health Service in respect of putting contracts out to competitive tendering.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Health boards continue to make significant progress. By the end of November, 155 contracts had been awarded and these are expected to release savings of more than £60 million over the periods of the contracts. These savings are available to boards for
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reinvestment in direct patient care. Of the 155 contracts awarded, 119 (over 75 per cent.) have been won by in-house teams. The total savings released could buy over 5,500 renal dialysis machines or pay for over 20,000 hip replacement operations or around 9,500 heart bypass operations.Mr. Allan Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what evidence he has on the effect on the standards of cleaning and catering in hospitals in Scotland of competitive tendering.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : An independent company has recently carried out a snapshot survey of cleaning and catering contracts both in-house and private in Scotland. The report of the survey indicates that with respect to domestic services, cleaning standards overall were good. In 14 out of 24 hospitals visited, the standard of cleanliness was rated as very good, nine hospitals were rated as adequate, and only one (a geriatric hospital with problems related to incontinence) was rated poor/not clean. With regard to catering, 29 hospital contracts were assessed, of which 25 were reported as producing food which was good or very good and served at an acceptable temperature. Four were rated either as adequate or poor, with in four cases less than acceptable temperature (not hot) being the main complaint. Where shortcomings have been found, these are being drawn to the attention of the board general manager. In light of this survey I am satisfied that standards are at the very least being maintained and that steps will be taken to put right such shortcomings as were found.
60. Mr. McAvoy : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will instruct health boards to make public the details of all contracts with private companies for the provision of services to health board patients.
Mr. Forsyth No such instruction is required : health boards normally issue news releases giving information on important contracts awarded. Additionally, boards have in the past given detailed information in response to requests from hon. Members.
CBI Scotland
49. Mr. Oppenheim : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the Confederation of British Industry, Scotland, and what matters were discussed.
Mr. Lang : My right hon. and learned Friend met the chairman and director-designate of the Confederation of British Industry, Scotland informally on 24 November. Matters of mutual interest were discussed.
STUC
50. Mr. Ron Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the Scottish Trade Union Congress ; what was was discussed ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : My right hon. and learned Friend met the general council of the Scottish Trade Union Congress on 10 November to discuss a range of matters affecting the Scottish economy and industry. He drew attention to the sustained improvement in the Scottish economy over the past year as reflected in falling unemployment ; record levels of employment and output ; and continuing strong performance in manufacturing productivity and exports.
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Fishing Industry
51. Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent representations he has received on the Scottish fishing industry.
Mr. Lang : A number of representations have been received. My noble Friend the Minister of State has had several meetings with the industry recently to discuss the approach to be taken in negotiations on EC fisheries arrangements with third countries, and the level of total allowable catches and quotas for 1990. He also met the hon. Member for Western Isles (Mr. Macdonald), along with industry representatives, on 14 December. In addition, fisheries departments are in regular contact with the industry.
Federal Express
53. Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the chairman of Federal Express about consideration of Prestwick as a base for their European operations.
Mr. Lang : The Secretary of State has had a number of discussions with representatives of Federal Express, the details of which cannot be disclosed as such discussions are held on a commercial in confidence basis.
Scottish National Farmers Union
61. Mr. Andy Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the Scottish National Farmers Union ; and what was discussed.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My right hon. and learned Friend and my noble Friend the Minister of State have regular meetings with the union. My noble Friend last met representatives on 25 October when issues concerning farming in the hills and uplands were discussed.
Law Centres
62. Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to establish more law centres in Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : No.
Universities
63. Sir Russell Johnston : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the principals of Scottish universities ; and what matters were discussed.
Mr. Lang : My right hon. and learned Friend last met the principals in May 1989 to discuss various matters of mutual interest privately.
British Rail
64. Mr. Doran : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the chairman of British Rail ; and what matters were discussed.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My right hon. and learned Friend discussed various topics relating to rail transport when he met the chairman of British Rail, Sir Robert Reid, on 31 October 1989.
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Self-governing Hospitals
66. Dr. Hampson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has received any representations from the British Medical Association on the evaluation of self-governing hospitals.
77. Mr. Harris : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has received any representations from the British Medical Association on the evaluation of self-governing hospitals.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I refer my hon. Friends to the answer given today to my hon. Friend the Member for Pembroke (Mr. Bennett).
Warrant Sales
68. Mr. Norman Hogg : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to bring forward legislation to abolish warrant sales in Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Shettleston (Mr. Marshall) today.
Water Industry
70. Mr. Hind : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has received any representations from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities in favour of the privatisation of the water industry.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : No.
Bed and Breakfast
71. Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the number of people who live in bed and breakfast accommodation for more than six months per year ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The information available on the numbers of households placed in bed and breakfast accommodation by local authorities under the homelessness provisions of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 does not enable estimates to be made in the form requested.
The code of guidance issued to local authorities on the exercise of their homelessness functions makes it clear that bed and breakfast accommodation should be used only as a last resort and then only for as short a period as possible.
Electricity Industry
72. Mr. Eadie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next proposes to meet the heads of the electricity supply industry in Scotland.
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