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Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what resources he has to monitor performance levels and standards of care in regional social work departments.
Mr. Lang : I have the services of 21 professional staff in the Scottish Office's social work services group for such advice on aspects of regional social work departments' performance as is required.
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what powers he has to intervene in the operations of a regional social work department.
Mr. Lang : My right hon. and learned Friend has powers in the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to make regulations governing the performance of local authorities' functions under that Act and for certain other purposes. In terms of section 5 of that Act local authorities are required to operate under his general guidance, and, finally, he has default powers under section 211 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 where a local authority fails to carry out its statutory functions.
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Training
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of Tuesday 8 May, what considerations lead him to regard information about the number of placements with particular placement providers as commercially confidential.
Mr. Lang : Details of YTS and employment training placements are the subject of commercial contracts between the firms or organisations offering placements and managing agents or training managers. My right hon. and learned Friend is not a party to such contracts and he is therefore not at liberty to divulge the contents of these contracts without the consent of the contracting parties.
Social Work Services Group
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the Social Work Services Group's inspection role ; how it fulfils that role ; and what publicly available reports it has produced.
Mr. Lang : Regular inspections of social work services are confined to those services directly registered with the Secretary of State (adoption agencies and secure accommodation for children). Reports on these services are confidential to the Secretary of State.
Explosives (Clyde)
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, further to his statement on the dumping of explosives in the Clyde, Official Report, 8 May, columns 28-32, when and how the cleaning up of the dumped explosives will take place ; whom he expects to pay for the clear-up ; what consideration he has given to arrangements for compensation to fishermen for loss of income due to abandoned catches ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : A DAFS research vessel has begun a survey of the Birch Point site, and its surrounding area. Any further action required will be determined in the light of the results of that survey.
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the discovery of quantities of explosive devices and materials in areas of the Firth of Clyde not designated for dumping.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 10 May 1990] : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement I made on 8 May in response to a private notice question from the hon. Member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (Mr. Foulkes).
A DAFS research vessel will begin a survey of the Birch Point dump site, and the surrounding area, on 14 May. Any further action required will be determined in the light of the results of that survey.
Dumping of explosive material at Birch Point, under licence issued by my right hon. and learned Friend, ceased in 1989. No further licences will be issued.
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Lord Advocate will institute inquiries into the disposal of explosive devices and materials in areas of the Firth of Clyde not designated for dumping.
Mr. Lang : [holding answer 10 May 1990] : Evidence of dumping of explosive or other material in contravention of
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the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 should be referred to the appropriate procurator fiscal, but I am not aware of any such evidence.A DAFS research vessel will begin a survey of the Birch Point dump site and its surrounding area on 14 May. Any further action required will be determined once that survey and other investigations are completed.
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has about the location and containment of explosive material dumped by ICI in the Firth of Clyde ; if he will institute an inquiry into the circumstances of the dumping ; if he will ensure that action is taken to remove the danger and that those responsible bear the cost of the clearing up ; if he will now reconsider the arrangements for dumping of explosive material in the Clyde estuary ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 10 May 1990] : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement I made in response to his private notice question on 8 May.
A DAFS research vessel will begin a survey of the Birch Point dump site, and the surrounding area, on 14 May. Any further action required will be determined in the light of the results of that survey.
Dumping of explosive material at Birch Point, under licence issued by my right hon. and learned Friend, ceased in 1989. No further licences will be issued.
Scottish Council of Crafts
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will consider the creation of a Scottish Council of Crafts ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : My officials are currently reviewing the question of future support for the crafts industry in Scotland in consultation with the Scottish Development Agency and the Highlands and Islands Development Board. The possibility of creating a Scottish Council of Crafts is one of a number of options under consideration.
Departmental Savings
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what value for money savings have been achieved by his Department in the last year ; and how much of this was as a result of advice from the Central Unit on Purchasing.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 11 May 1990] : The Scottish Office pursues value for money in all its activities. So far as the costs of the Scottish Office itself are concerned, these were calculated on the basis that 1.5 per cent. efficiency gains would be delivered in 1989-90. These gains represent initiatives at every level to improve output and reduce costs.
The Central Unit on Purchasing provides general advice and guidance and monitors progress. It also co-ordinates the Government purchasing initiative. While, in general, it is not possible to attribute particular value for money savings to specific advice from the unit, value for money improvements in purchasing are published each year in a report from the Central Unit on Purchasing to the Prime Minister. In the 1989 report, the Scottish Office showed improvements in value for money in 1988-89 (the latest year for which figures are available) amounting to £12.96 million or 6.6 per cent. of its total expenditure on procurement of £196.3 million.
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Local Government Finance
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the additional funding for poll tax staff made in Lothian region ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 10 May 1990] : The Government have taken full account in successive revenue support grant settlements of the costs incurred by local authorities in administering the community charge. Thereafter, it is the responsibility of local authorities to determine how the overall resources available to them should be deployed to carry out their statutory functions.
Fish Farms (Disease)
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the incidence of infectious haematopoietic necrosis within the salmon fish farming industry.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 11 May 1990] : Infectious haematopoietic necrosis (IHN) has never been identified in the United Kingdom in either our farmed or wild salmonid fish stocks, despite extensive testing over many years. Moreover, IHN is a notifiable disease in the United Kingdom and its presence or any suspected outbreak would have to be reported to the appropriate fisheries department.
DEFENCE
Explosives (Dumping)
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will seek a meeting with the chairman of ICI Ltd. to discuss the dumping of surplus high explosives off the Isle of Arran in the Firth of Clyde and the migration of explosives and detonators from this site.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will evaluate the current safety of surplus conventional explosives disposed of near Alderney in the Hurd deep channel.
Mr. Neubert : All military explosives material disposed of at sea is deposited in a manner which ensures that it sinks to the bottom and stays there. The depth of water and the fact that the dumping site is shown on published navigational charts ensure that the material constitutes no hazard to vessels.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what evaluation he has made of the accident potential posed by the migration of surplus high explosives dumped off the Isle of Arran in the Firth of Clyde into sub-surface access channels for United Kingdom and United States nuclear submarines using the Coulport and Holy Loch facilities on the Clyde.
Mr. Neubert : The location of this and other commercial dumping grounds is well known, as is the possibility of occasional migration of small quantities of explosives. Instructions given to submarines which transit these areas are such that the risk of an accident is extremely low.
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Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to investigate the disposal programme for surplus high explosives from his Department's stocks.
Mr. Neubert : The Ministry of Defence's policy on the disposal of high explosives is kept under constant review. The Department disposes of surplus high explosives by destruction in prescribed areas, dumping in carefully selected deep sea locations or through the use of contractors specialising in the non-explosive breakdown of these substances. There is no reason to believe that any of these methods poses a risk to the general public.
Defence Research
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to set up a defence research organisation along the lines of the United States Defence Research Projects Agency.
Devonshire Dock, Barrow
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what screening arrangements exist for the security clearance of persons employed at the Devonshire dock, Barrow in Furness ; (2) how many persons subject to security clearance are employed at the Devonshire dock, Barrow in Furness.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : It is not the policy of this or previous Administrations to release information on security clearance procedures.
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if work relating to the Trident project is carried out at the Devonshire dock, in Barrow in Furness.
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement about security at the Devonshire dock, Barrow in Furness.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Security at Devonshire dock is the responsibility of Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Limited and is maintained at a level appropriate to the nature of the work undertaken and the perceived threat.
Dumping (Firth of Clyde)
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will identify by category of materials the areas of the Firth of Clyde which are, or have been, used by his Department for dumping ; and if he will identify the most recent dates in each instance on which dumping has occurred.
Mr. Neubert : There are no sites in the Firth of Clyde used by the Ministry of Defence for dumping.
Military Bands
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will publish a table listing all military bands in Her Majesty's forces.
Mr. Archie Hamilton [holding answer 11 May 1990] : The information requested is as follows :
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Royal Marine BandsThe Royal Marines School of Music Band
The Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command Band
Her Majesty's Royal Marine Commandos Band
The Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland Band
The Commander-in-Chief Fleet Band
The Britannia Royal Naval College Band
The Flag Officer Plymouth Band
Army Bands
Major Staff Bands
Grenadier Guards
Coldstream Guards
Scots Guards
Irish Guards
Welsh Guards
Life Guards
Blues and Royals
Royal Artillery
Royal Engineers
Royal Signals
Gurkhas
Minor Staff Bands
Royal Artillery (Alanbrooke)
Royal Corp of Transport
Royal Army Ordnance Corp
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
Women's Royal Army Corp
Large Infantry Bands
Albuhera (Queens Regiment)
Quebec (Queens Regiment)
St. George's (Royal Regiment of Fusiliers)
Duke of Kent's (Royal Regiment of Fusiliers)
Corunna (Light Infantry)
Salamanca (Light Infantry)
Normandy (Royal Green Jackets)
Peninsula (Royal Green Jackets)
Pegasus (Parachute Regiment)
Falklands (Parachute Regiment)
Small Royal Armoured Car/Infantry Bands
Queens Dragoon Guards
Scots Dragoon Guards
4/7 Dragoon Guards
5 Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
Queens Own Hussars
Queens Royal Irish Hussars
9/12 Lancers
Royal Hussars
13/18 Hussars
14/20 Hussars
15/19 Hussars
16/5 Lancers
17/21 Lancers
1 Royal Tank Regiment
2 Royal Tank Regiment
3 Royal Tank Regiment
Royal Scots
Royal Highland Fusiliers
King's Own Scottish Borderers
Black Watch
Queens Own Highlanders
Gordon Highlanders
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
1 Royal Anglian
2 Royal Anglian
3 Royal Anglian
Kings Own Royal Border Regiment
Kings Regiment
Prince of Wales Own
Green Howards
1 Royal Irish
2 Royal Irish
Queens Lancashire Regiment
Duke of Wellington's Regiment
Devon and Dorset Regiment
Cheshire Regiment
Royal Welch Fusiliers
Royal Regiment of Wales
Gloucestershire Regiment
Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment
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