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Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The information reguested is not held centrally but we understand that in most regions 85 per cent. to 95 per cent. of those eligible for the community charge have made some payment, with a figure of 98 per cent. in one area.
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28. Mr. Norman Hogg : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to review the operation of the poll tax.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The operation of the community charge arrangements is kept constantly under review and my right hon. and learned Friend will bring forward changes in these as and when he considers appropriate.
29. Mr. Stern : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of collectable community charge remains unpaid at the latest available date ; and what proportion of collectable rate was unpaid at the last year of the rating system in the equivalent date.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The information requested is not held centrally.
Fishing Industry
18. Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met representatives of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation ; and what matters were discussed.
Mr. Lang : My right hon. and learned Friend met representatives of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation on 7 February to discuss the management of the North sea haddock fishery. My noble Friend the Minister of State participated in that meeting and met
representatives of the federation again on 8 March, to inform them of the Government's decisions on management of this fishery.
33. Mr. Robert Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the current situation in the Scottish fishing industry.
Mr. Lang : The total value of landings into Scotland in January and February this year was slightly higher than that recorded in the corresponding period last year with the reduction in the volume of whitefish being offset by increased prices.
A1 Improvements
20. Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the effect on traffic flows and safety on the A1 in Berwickshire of improvements to the road south of the border.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : As part of our "Routes South of Edinburgh" study, consideration was given to the extent of any traffic increase which might be generated on the A1 in Scotland by road improvements south of the border. The effect on traffic was concluded to be minimal, however, and therefore is likely to have no road safety consequences. However, the whole question of traffic and safety on the route can be addressed by the A1 steering group which we propose to set up and which the hon. Member recently agreed would be an appropriate forum for monitoring such issues.
Regional Development
21. Sir Russell Johnston : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the European Commissioner responsible for regional development ; and if he will make a statement.
41. Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to secure continued funding by the European Community of regional development in the highlands and islands.
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43. Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a further statement on the loss of European Community funds to the highlands and islands.Mr. Lang : I last met Commissioner Millan on 24 November 1989 when I represented the United Kingdom Government at an informal seminar of European Community Ministers responsible for regional planning and development held in Nantes. The Government are seriously concerned by the European Commission's recent proposals for regional fund assistance to the highlands and islands and Dumfries and Galloway. We shall be making every effort to persuade the Commission to reconsider its proposals and recognise the needs of these areas.
Rents into Mortgages Scheme
22. Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to extend the rents into mortgages scheme to more public sector tenants.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Mr. French) on 29 November 1989 at column 282.
Scottish Assembly
23. Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations he has received during the past six months about a Scottish assembly.
Investment
24. Mr. Jack : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what new inward investment projects have been announced in the last two months.
Mr. Lang : In the last two months, three major inward investment projects have been announced for Scotland.
These are (a) British Airways' announcement to establish a major telephone sales centre in Glasgow ; (b) Conner Peripherals' announcement to manufacture Winchester hard disk drives at Irvine ; and (c) Motorola's announcement to set up its European cellular subscriber division in a new plant in West Lothian.
Fish Farming
25. Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has evaluated the marine environment implications of the fish farming industry.
Mr. Lang : A wide range of studies have been carried out, or are currently under way to consider the environmental effects of fish farming in Scotland. These have been undertaken mainly by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland, the Highlands and Islands Development Board and the Nature Conservancy Council. River purification boards in their role as pollution control authorities may carry out relevant monitoring.
The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland's marine laboratory is studying hydrographic, chemical and biological characteristics in order to determine the flushing times and dispersion and dilution characteristics of sea lochs, where most of Scotland's
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salmon farming is carried out. Studies are also being carried out to assess any chemical or biological impact of fish farming operations and to model the physical and biological processes in coastal waters.Speech Therapy
26. Mr. Watson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many speech therapists are employed by Glasgow health board per 100, 000 population ; what is the level recommended by the
Government-commissioned Enderby report on speech therapy ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Based on the 1988 population figure of 939, 000 for the Greater Glasgow health board area, the board currently employs 66.1 whole-time equivalent speech therapists, which equates to approximately seven per 100,000. The Enderby report is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Health.
Nature Conservation
27. Mr. Bellingham : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what further plans he has for improving nature conservation in Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Environmental Protection Bill now before Parliament provides, inter alia, for the establishment of a Nature Conservancy Council for Scotland. We propose to establish, by subsequent legislation, a natural heritage agency which will merge the Nature Conservancy Council for Scotland with the Countryside Commission for Scotland. This will ensure a co-ordinated, integrated and sensitive approach to nature conservation and countryside issues in Scotland.
Scottish Development Agency
30. Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the chairman of the Scottish Development Agency, and what matters were discussed.
Mr. Lang : My right hon. and learned Friend last met the chairman of the Scottish Development Agency on 24 March at a dinner for UK-Japan 2000.
Electricity Exports
31. Mr. Eadie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much electricity, in coal equivalent, has been exported from Scotland since 1 January to date and what is the estimated total for a full year.
Mr. Lang : This is a commercial matter for the Scottish electricity boards.
Scottish Police Federation
32. Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the chairman of the Scottish Police Federation ; and what matters were discussed.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My right hon. and learned Friend and I met the chairman and general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation on 8 February to hear their representations on the proposed changes to police rent allowance.
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Community Care
34. Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what extra money he will make available for community care in Scotland in 1990- 91.
Mr. Lang : I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow (Dr. Godman).
Family Conciliation Services
35. Mr. Buchanan-Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements he is making for the Scottish Association of Family Conciliation Services and regional family conciliation services in Scotland to secure a level of funding which will meet the needs of all sheriff courts and the Court of Session, in light of the forthcoming rules of court which will empower sheriffs and judges to remit parties to the conciliation services ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Rifkind : The Scottish Association of Family Conciliation Services has been offered grant for 1990-91 under section 10 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, amounting to £45,500 in respect of revenue and £6,250 in respect of capital expenditure. The local services are not funded by central Government except where local authority expenditure attracts urban programme grant.
It has always been open to judges to refer parties to conciliation. The new court procedures will make this explicit.
I am considering the question of funding for conciliation services.
Takare plc
36. Mr. McAvoy : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if there are any proposals to award further contracts to Takare plc for the provision of services to National Health Service elderly patients.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : This is a matter for health boards in the first instance.
Self-employment
37. Mr. Allan Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his latest estimate of the number of self-employed persons in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : There were an estimated 239,000 self-employed in Scotland in September 1989, the highest ever recorded total. In the past two years the number of self-employed in Scotland has increased by over a fifth, a faster rate of increase than in the whole of Great Britain.
39. Mr. Ian Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people in Scotland were self-employed in 1979 and at the latest date for which figures are available.
Mr. Lang : The Department of Employment estimates that there were 159,000 self-employed in Scotland in September 1979. By September 1989, the latest date for which figures are available, the number had increased by over 50 per cent. to 239,000.
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River Tay Flood Barriers
38. Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to delegate responsibility for the supervision of flood barriers on the banks of the River Tay and for the issuing of flood warnings.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : There are no plans to change the present arrangements which work satisfactorily. Responsibility for floodbanks lies primarily with the riparian owners. Regional and islands councils have discretionary powers to carry out flood prevention works to protect non-agricultural land under the Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961. River purification authorities have discretionary powers to instal and operate flood warning systems.
Sheriff Officers
Mr. Douglas : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of commissions issued by sheriffs principal authorising individuals to act as sheriff officers since 1 January.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : In the period from 1 January to 20 March 1990 the sheriffs principal granted seven applications for commissions. Individual sheriff officers can hold commissions for more than one sheriffdom.
CBI Scotland
42. Mr. Oppenheim : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met CBI Scotland ; and what matters were discussed.
Mr. Lang : I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to him on 20 December 1989.
British Steel
44. Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next expects to meet the chairman or chief executive of British Steel.
Mr. Lang : I refer the hon. Member to my reply of today to the hon. Member for Motherwell, North (Dr. Reid).
Students
Mr. Watson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number of students at universities in Scotland in the current academic year who are domiciled (a) in Scotland, (b) in England and Wales and (c) overseas ; and if he will also list the same information in respect of Scottish central institutions.
Mr. Lang : The number of students by domicile in full-time higher education in universities and central institutions in Scotland in 1988-89 (the latest year available) is as follows :
|Universities
|Institutions
------------------------------------------------------------
Scotland |31,888 |25,558
Other United Kingdom |11,494 |1,693
Overseas |6,397 |826
|------- |-------
Total |49,779 |28,077
Consultancies
Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total amount spent by the Scottish Development Agency in 1989 on management and computer consultancy contracts, excluding hardware and software purchases ; if he will list each management or computer consultancy contract awarded by the Scottish Development Agency in 1989, giving in each case the name of the consultancy firm and the subject of the assignment ; and what is the total amount that the Scottish Development Agency has budgeted to spend in the current year.
Mr. Lang : Expenditure by the Scottish Development Agency on management and computer consultancy contracts for the period 1 April 1989 to 23 March 1990 amounted to £7,961,000. The budgeted figure for the financial year 1990-91 is £10,722,000. Both these figures include fees for research and development, advisory services, appraisal and administration, such as tax and accounting advice, pension and legal consultancies.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Refrigerator Thermometers
Mr. Gill : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice he has given the manufacturers of domestic refrigerators regarding the fitting of internal thermometers.
Mr. Maclean : I have not formally given any advice to manufacturers of domestic refrigerators but officials of my Department and of the Department of Health have met with them to discuss the feasibility and benefits of fitting integral thermometers.
Liquid Egg
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has made an assessment of the level of bacteria, expressed as numbers of bacteria per gram, expected to be found in bulk liquid eggs immediately prior to pasteurisation.
Mr. Maclean : Several factors including the quality of raw materials and the hygienic conditions of the breaking-out plant affect the level of bacteria in bulk liquid egg. No general assessment may therefore be made.
Salmonella
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will specify the evidence available to him indicating that salmonella can multiply in intact grade A eggs kept at room temperatures for a period not longer than five days.
Mr. Maclean : Published research undertaken by the public health laboratory service showed that salmonella inoculated into whole shell eggs multiplied at room temperature. This implies that any salmonella present in intact shell eggs might also be able to multiply but research continues to investigate the factors which govern the multiplication of salmonella in shell eggs.
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food under what basis the compensation for birds compulsorily slaughtered under the Zoonoses Order 1989 and the Animal Health Act 1981 is calculated.
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Mr. Maclean : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to her on 5 March ( Official Report, column 498 ) and, in addition, to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Daventry (Mr. Boswell) on 26 March ( Official Report, columns 54-55 ), which explain changes to the arrangements for the disposal of birds from salmonella-infected laying and breeding flocks.
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment was made of the levels of employment in meat processing plants in the formulation of his policy on compulsory slaughter of salmonella-affected chickens.
Mr. Maclean : No specific assessment of this kind has been made. As announced in the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Daventry (Mr. Boswell) on 26 March ( Official Report, columns 54-55 ), birds from salmonella-infected laying and breeding flocks are to be sent for processing subject to strict safeguards.
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what level of salmonella contamination in bulk liquid eggs, expressed in numbers of bacteria per gram, is likely to cause a liquid egg pasteurisation process to fail.
Mr. Maclean : The Liquid Egg (Pasteurisation) Regulations 1963 require pasteurised egg to pass the alpha-amylase test specified in the regulations. This test is not affected by the presence of salmonella.
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the level of contamination by salmonella of grade A eggs produced by farms which are subject to infected place notices under the Zoonoses Order 1989 is such as would overwhelm a pasteurisation process.
Mr. Maclean : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave on 12 March 1990, Official Report, column 78 . The pasteurisation process is never totally effective at destroying all salmonella and the risk remains that some salmonella may survive the process.
Consultancies
Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total amount spent by his Department in 1989 on management and computer consultancy contracts, excluding hardware and software purchases ; if he will list each management or computer consultancy contract awarded by his Department in 1989, giving in each case the name of the consultancy firm and the subject of the assignment ; and what is the total amount that his Department has budgeted to spend in the current year.
Mr. Curry : We estimate that our expenditure on management and computer consultancy contracts, excluding hardware and software purchases, will be £2,963,175 in the financial year 1989-90. Our provision for the financial year 1990-91 is set at £4,403,198. A list of contracts awarded in 1989-90 is given in the table :
MANAGEMENT CONSULTANCY CONTRACTS AWARDED IN 1989-90
Company and Contract
Deloitte Haskins and Sells --Review of veterinary manpower
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Deloitte Haskins and Sells --Relocation of work : preliminary studiesMr. R. S. Crespi --Intellectual property rights and exploitation Professor Righelato, Ashbourne Biosciences --Link pro- gramme on agro food quality
IT Computer Consultancy Contracts awarded in 1989-90
Company and contract
Software AG of UK --Technical support on 4th Generation Environment
PA Consulting Services Ltd. --IT Sub-Strategy for Veterinary Medicines Directorate
PA Consulting Services Ltd. --Integration of MAFF IT strategies Grafton Database (Consultants) Ltd. --Mainframe perfor- mance tuning
Logica UK Ltd. --Scoping study on knowledge-based systems Asterisk Computer Systems Ltd. --Time recording system for Legal Department
The Instruction Set Ltd. --Development of strategy for IT standards
PA Consulting Services Ltd. --IT Sub-Strategy for Establishments Group
Admiral Management Services Ltd. --Quality management
PA Consulting Services Ltd. --Feasibility study on sea fisheries management
Triad Special Systems Ltd. --IT Sub-Strategy for Data Evaluation Unit
Peat, Marwick McLintock --Support to development of financial systems
BDO Binder Hamlyn Ltd. --Support to development of financial systems
CHISQ --Support to full study of Farm Survey System
Prime Computer (UK) Ltd. --Minicomputer performance tuning Kermon Associates Ltd. --Office systems full study
Touche Ross Management Consultants --Office systems full study Mouncey and Partners Ltd --Development of Set-Aside system Corporate Computers Plc -- Development of bird mortality system BIS Systems Ltd --Review of IT security
BGS Systems Ltd --Mainframe technical support
Mouncey and Partners (2)--Grants and subsidies system
Edwin E Tozer Ltd --Data management study
Computercenter Ltd --Technical support on PC issues
Forvus Computer Services --Initial study of National Food Survey system
Aims System Ltd --Design of a grochemicals database
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