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Mr. Rifkind : A Crown Office official, together with an official from the Scottish Courts Administration, attended upon the Lord President of the Court of Session at lunchtime on 20 December 1989.
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer, Official Report, 22 January, column 547, on what date since 1 November 1989 his meeting with the Lord President of the Court of Session took place ; and whether, within the range of matters discussed was the question of an impending vacancy at the Court of Session.
Mr. Rifkind : On 22 December 1989.
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 22 January, Official Report,
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column 548. if he will list the dates in November and December 1989, and January 1990 when he met judges of the Court of Session ; and if he will name the judges he met.Mr. Rifkind : The Secretary of State does not keep a record of all the occasions on which he meets judges of the Court of Session.
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 22 January, Official Report, column 548, if he will list the dates in November and December 1989, and January 1990, when the Lord Advocate met judges of the Court of Session ; and if he will name the judges.
Mr. Rifkind : The Lord Advocate does not keep a record of all the occasions on which he meet judges of the Court of Session.
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Govan, 22 January, Official Report, column 548, if he will place in the Library the information made available to the Lord President of the Court of Session by officials of the Lord Advocate since 1 January.
Mr. Rifkind : It is not the practice to make known such information.
Passenger Ferries
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is in a position to estimate the number of orders for new passenger ferry vessels for Caledonian MacBrayne which are likely to be placed with United Kingdom shipyards over the next five years.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 29 January 1990] : Caledonian MacBrayne estimates that it will replace up to four major passenger ferry vessels and four minor passenger ferry vessels over the next five years.
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the current passenger ferry fleet owned by Caledonian MacBrayne in terms of type, gross registered tonnage and age.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 29 January 1990] : The current passenger fleet of Caledonian MacBrayne is as follows :
|GRT (gross|Age
|registered|(years)
|tonnage)
-------------------------------------------------------
Major vehicle ferries
MV Iona |1,324 |20
MV Jupiter |849 |16
MV Pioneer |1,071 |16
MV Suilven |1,908 |16
MV Juno |854 |16
MV Saturn |851 |12
MV Claymore |1,631 |12
MV Isle of Arran |3,296 |6
MV Hebridean Isles |3,040 |5
MV Isle of Mull |4,719 |2
MV Lord of the Isles |3,504 |1
Small vehicle ferries
MV Kyleakin |225 |20
MV Lochalsh |225 |19
MV Kilbrannan |64 |18
MV Morvern |64 |17
MV Bruernish |69 |17
MV Rhum |69 |17
MV Coll |69 |16
MV Eigg |69 |15
MV Canna |69 |15
MV Raasay |69 |14
MV Isle of Cumbrae |201 |13
MV Loch Striven |206 |4
MV Loch Linnhe |206 |4
MV Loch Riddon |206 |4
MV Loch Ranza |206 |3
Passenger ships
MV Keppel |214 |30
MV Lochmor |189 |11
Salmon
Mr. Trotter : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the annual tonnage of salmon caught in Scotland in each of the last 10 years (a) by anglers and (b) by commercial fishermen.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 29 January 1990] : Details of reported catches of Scottish salmon and sea trout by salmon fishery statistical district and by method of catch (rod-and-line, net and coble, and fixed engine) are given for the years 1982-88 in annual statistical bulletins and for previous years in "Scottish salmon catch statistics 1952- 1981". Copies of these publications by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland are available in the Library.
Mr. Trotter : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will publish figures on the level of salmon stocks in the principal Scottish rivers in recent years.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 29 January 1990] : Information on the size of the salmon stocks on each river in Scotland is not available. An electronic fish counter has been operated on the river North Esk by the freshwater fisheries laboratory of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland for some years. The numbers of adult salmon passing upstream past that counter are as follows :
|Numbers
|of adult
Year |salmon
---------------------------
1985 |9,912
1986 |6,987
1987 |7,132
1988 |11,243
DAFS scientists are also making a widespread survey of juvenile stocks of salmon in Scottish rivers.
Planning (Neighbour Notification)
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made in revising the neighbour notification procedure in planning applications ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 29 January 1990] : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Eastwood (Mr.
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Stewart) on 25 July ( Official Report, column 649 ). The revision of the neighbour notification procedure is being undertaken by the Scottish Development Department as part of a wider review of the general development order and a consultation paper on the revised provisions of the general development order will be issued in due course.Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, in consequence of entries for domestic property on the valuation roll no longer being updated, he will accept notification on the occupant for the purpose of neighbour notification in planning applications.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 29 January 1990] : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Eastwood on 25 July ( Official Report, column 649 ).
Private Education
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list by name all the private educational establishments in Scotland stating the amount of public assistance, financial or otherwise, which each receives.
Mr. Lang : A list of registered independent schools in Scotland has been placed in the Library. Details of private educational establishments in receipt of public funding in respect of their educational activities are set out in the table :
Establishment |Amount of
|public funding<4>
|in 1988-89
|£
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Corseford School, Renfrew<1> |549,246
Craigerne School, Peebles<1> |266,128
Donaldsons School for the Deaf, Edinburgh<1> |381,173
East Park School, Glasgow<1> |868,105
Harmeny School, Balerno<1> |269,184
Jordanhill School, Glasgow<1> |1,624,500
Queen Victoria School, Dunblane<2> |3,388,000
Royal Blind School, Edinburgh<1> |780,630
Scoraig Secondary School, Ross-shire<3> |8,000
Stanmore School, Lanark<1> |689,921
Thorntoun Manor, Kilmarnock<1> |300,741
Newbattle Abbey College<5> |322,271
<1> Grant-aided schools in receipt of central Government funding.
<2> Maintained by the Ministry of Defence.
<3> In receipt of funding from Highland Regional Council.
<4> Includes funding in respect of capital and recurrent expenditure.
<5> Government funding was withdrawn on 30 September 1989; with the exception of
grant for redundancy and premature retirement compensation.
Crofters (Grants and Loans)
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage increases are required to adjust the levels of grant and loan available under the crofters building grants and loan scheme in line with inflation.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : On the basis of building costs and building materials indices and of the costs of new crofter housing an increase of nearly 30 per cent. would now be required.
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Deprived Area Supplements
Mr. Allan Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will indicate the basis on which deprived area supplements to basic practice allowance for Scottish general medical practitioners will be paid when the new contract comes into force on 1 April.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : These payments will be made on the basis of an index devised by Professor Brian Jarman. Professor Jarman has recently revised his index to take account of the most up-to-date Scottish information available. The payments will be made at three levels : the lowest for index scores of 30-39, the next for 40-49 and the highest for scores of over 50. A total of 11.4 per cent. of the Scottish population live in postcode sectors with index scores of over 30. I am setting up a committee drawn from various interests to monitor the implementation of these payments.
Marine Fish Farmers
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money was paid to the Crown Estate Commissioners by marine fish farmers in each of the past five years ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 25 January 1990] : I understand from the Crown Estate Commission that in the last five financial years the Crown Estate has received the following gross rental income from marine fish farming :
|£
---------------------------
1984-85 |<1>7,000
1985-86 |<1>8,200
1986-87 |<1>8,800
1987-88 |340,000
1988-89 |485,000
<1> Approximate.
The commission explains that the figures represent gross income and that no account has been taken of management costs and reinvestment in research and training, which the commission states will amount to £450,000 in the current year.
Prison Population
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the prison population in each of the past 10 years ; what are his estimates for the prison population for the next five years ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 25 January 1990] : Information for the past 10 years is set out in the table :
Population in
Scottish penal
establishments 1980
to 1989
|Number
----------------------
1980 |4,860
1981 |4,518
1982 |4,891
1983 |5,052
1984 |4,753
1985 |5,273
1986 |5,588
1987 |5,446
1988 |5,229
1989<1> |4,985
<1> Provisional.
My latest projection is for an average population of 5,100 prisoners in each of the next five years. This projection, which was prepared some months ago for planning purposes, takes account of demographic trends.
I welcome the fact that, since the peak in 1986, the average prison population has fallen steadily, to the point where we are now projecting that the number of places in Scottish prisons will be adequate to meet needs for the foreseeable future. Such an improvement can only contribute to better conditions for prisoners and staff alike.
Lothian Health Board
Mr. Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy on the closure of hospitals or wards ; and if he has received any notification of the possibility of such closures by Lothian health board.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 26 January 1990] : My right hon. and learned Friend will consider any hospital closure or withdrawal of a specialty within a hospital on its own merits and after the relevant health board has consulted all local bodies with a valid interest. I am not aware of any such public consultations being undertaken by Lothian health board at present.
I am, however, aware of speculation in the media about hospital closures in Lothian and the board has stated that it has no plans for "crisis closures".
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Farm Animals
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many representations he has received concerning the ill-treatment of farm animals.
Mr. Maclean : I receive many representations on all aspects of farm animal welfare.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to introduce legislation to improve the treatment of farm animals.
Mr. Maclean : The Government plan to introduce orders on the welfare of farm livestock and horses at markets and an amendment of the transport legislation in respect of unfit animals. We are also planning new regulations on the protection of livestock on farms and at the point of slaughter. Proposed Community controls will also require implementing legislation in due course.
Sheep
Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the reason for the change of colour coding of sheep infected by the aftermath of Chernobyl.
Mr. Maclean : This enables groups of sheep which have been out of the restricted area for a minimum period of time to be identified, subject to appropriate checks, as candidates for block release. The "mark and release" arrangements for sheep leaving the post-Chernobyl restricted areas are described in full in my Department's evidence to the Agriculture Committee's inquiry, "Chernobyl : The Government's Response", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
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Scrapie
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether his Department is conducting any research into genetic predisposition of sheep to scrapie.
Mr. Gummer : Research into the genetic predisposition of sheep to scrapie is being undertaken by the AFRC at the neuropathogenesis unit. The scrapie resistant flock at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Redesdale experimental husbandry farm is being used in this work.
Council of Ministers
Mr. Robertson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food who will represent the Ministry at the EC Council of Ministers meetings ; and what will be on the agenda on (a) Agriculture : 22 and 23 January, 12 and 13 February, 4 to 6 March, 26 and 27 March, 23 and 24 April, 21 and 22 May, 11 and 12 June, 18 and 19 June, and (b) Fisheries : 18 January and 27 June.
Mr. Curry : The Council of Ministers' meeting on 18 January was cancelled. For the meeting on 22 and 23 January I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for South Hams (Mr. Steen) on 24 January, Official Report , column 768 . Agendas for future Councils will be decided nearer the time, as will the question of representation. However, I expect the Councils of 12 and 13 February, 5 and 6 March, and 26 and 27 March to concentrate on the Commission's proposals for 1990 farm prices and that my right hon. Friend the Minister, and I will represent the United Kingdom at these meetings.
Bull Fights
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will invite the EEC Commission, at the next meeting of the Agricultural Council, to produce measures on animal welfare with particular regard to the banning of bull fights ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : The Commission has already produced measures on animal welfare and is preparing others. The EEC treaty contains no legal basis for justifying Community intervention on bull-fighting.
Live Horses (Exports)
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the proposals by the European Economic Community Commission on the transportation of animals within the EEC ; and if they will permit the United Kingdom to maintain its restrictions on the export of live ponies and horses.
Mr. Maclean : The Government intend to negotiate the highest possible welfare standards during forthcoming discussions in Brussels. We shall press strongly to retain controls designed to prevent horses and ponies being exported for slaughter ; the Commission's proposals do not provide for our existing restrictions to continue.
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Bovine (Brain Removal)
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a further statement on the implications for contamination from the practice of splitting bovine cranium with band-saws for the purpose of brain removal.
Mr. Maclean : I refer the hon. Member to my previous replies and have nothing further to add.
Common Agriculture Policy
Sir Trevor Skeet : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has of the proportion, by value, of United Kingdom agricultural products which are covered by the common agriculture policy regime.
Mr. Curry : The European Commission estimates that 90 per cent. of final agricultural production in the United Kingdom in 1987 was subject to market regimes under the common agricultural policy. Source : The Agricultural Situation in the Community 1988 Report EC Commission.
Intervention Butter
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food under what conditions intervention butter is sold or given to the National Health Service ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : Intervention butter was available to non-profit-making organisations, including the National Health Service, at subsidised prices until July 1988 when the relevant Community regulation was suspended. The NHS continues, however, to make use of supplies of subsidised butter from the open market under EC rules which allow for a subsidy of £1,065/tonne (compared to the current market price of around £2,000/tonne).
Pesticides
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has any plans to commission outside bodies to carry out his pesticide reviews ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : I wish to make rapid progress with the review of older pesticides. All ways of achieving this are currently being evaluated.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Foreign Language Teaching
13. Sir Michael McNair-Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he plans any fresh approaches to foreign language tuition among those at primary schools or earlier.
Mr. Alan Howarth : My right hon. Friend has no such plans at present.
37. Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the extent to which modern foreign languages will be taught in primary schools.
Mrs. Rumbold : The national curriculum includes a modern foreign language as a foundation subject at
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secondary level only. Individual local education authorities and primary schools are free to provide foreign language teaching to their pupils outside the national curriculum, if they have the necessary staffing and other resources to do so.Scottish Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals
14. Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to meet the Scottish Committee of Vice- Chancellors and Principals.
39. Mr. Andrew Welsh : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to meet the Scottish Committee of Vice -Chancellors and Principals.
Mr. Jackson : I believe that the hon. Members are referring to the executive committee of the Standing Conference of Scottish Universities. My right hon. Friend has seen a number of Scottish Vice-Chancellors and he plans to visit some Scottish universities in May.
Capital Allocations
15. Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received regarding the 1990-91 capital allocations announced in December.
61. Mr. Franks : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received concerning the capital allocations for the schools building programme.
81. Mr. Barry Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received concerning the school building programme capital allocations.
Mr. Alan Howarth : My right hon. Friend has received a number of letters and requests for meetings from hon. Members, LEAs and others about the annual capital guidelines which he announced on 20 December.
101. Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on capital allocation grants to voluntary-aided and special schools.
42. Mr. Cran : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the capital allocation for schools in England for 1990-91.
Mr. Alan Howarth : I refer the hon. Members to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Banbury (Mr. Baldry) on 20 December 1989 at columns 254-58.
Open University
16. Mr. Mans : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many Open university students have graduated since the university was founded ; and what proportion of British university graduates are now produced by the Open university each year.
Mr. Jackson : The Open university has awarded 101,900 ordinary BA degrees, and 18,094 honours degress since it
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admitted its first students in 1971. In 1988 it produced 9.9 per cent. of United Kingdom university graduates, and 5.3 per cent. of all United Kingdom graduates.Parent Governors
17. Mr. Colin Shepherd : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of parent representation on the boards of governors of schools in the maintained sector.
67. Mr. David Martin : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the new arrangements for parent governors are working satisfactorily.
Mrs. Rumbold : A survey last year showed that new governing bodies, with a much larger number of parents, are already getting to grips with important educational issues. The most effective governing bodies are those where all members work as a team, in which parents have an important part to play.
Computers
18. Mr. Andrew Mackay : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many computers are now in schools in the maintained sector.
Mr. Alan Howarth : There is an average of three microcomputers per maintained primary school and 30 per maintained secondary school.
Local Financial Management
19. Mr. Jacques Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on progress on the introduction of local financial management in schools.
Mrs. Rumbold : Eighty-four authorities have either received formal approval for their schemes or are being consulted on modifications prior to approval. We have indicated to five authorities that their schemes cannot be approved in their present form and that formal implementation will therefore be deferred until April 1991.
Teacher Numbers
20. Mr. Patrick Thompson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the current supply of teachers and on the position at this time in 1989.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The Department collects data on vacant posts from local education authorities each January. I hope that local authorities will submit their returns for January 1990 quickly. We shall publish the results as soon as they are available. Data for 1989 were shown in the reply my right hon. Friend gave on 21 December 1989 to the hon. Member for Blackburn (Mr. Straw) at columns 353-55.
Disabled Students Allowance
21. Ms. Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to announce the result of his review of the disabled students allowance.
41. Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to review the disabled students allowance.
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48. Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects the review of disabled students allowance to be completed.95. Mr. Boyes : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he will be announcing the result of his review of the disabled students allowance.
98. Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to make a statement on the level of the disabled students allowance.
Mr. Jackson : I refer the hon. Members to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Bridgend (Mr. Griffiths) on 15 January at column 8.
Teacher Shortages
22. Miss Hoey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has had in the last month from inner London boroughs with regard to teacher shortage.
Mrs. Rumbold : My right hon. Friend on 8 January received a letter from the Association of London Authorities on the subject of teacher recruitment and retention in inner London. He will reply shortly. My right hon. Friend is well aware of the difficulties relating to teacher supply in some parts of London. He recently announced grant of £4 million over two years to assist local authorities with teacher recruitment schemes. A substantial amount of this will go to the inner London authorities. Discussion of further measures is taking place at official level.
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