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(5) what steps he has taken to ensure the development of an educational dimension to care in the community ;(6) if he has any plans to make additional earmarked funds available to local authorities to enable them to develop community-based educational provision for priority groups.
Mr. Lang : The provision of community education in Scotland, including adult education and English as a second language, is primarily the responsibility of education authorities. They determine the extent and means of provision in the light of local needs and with regard to their own priorities and the total resources available to them, including those resources provided by central Government. In 1990-91 revenue support grant of £2,479 million has been made available by central Government, representing an increase of 10.5 per cent. over the level of £2,244 million in 1989-90 and 23.5 per cent. over rate support grant of £2,007 million in 1988-89. There are no plans to make additional funds available in 1990-91 to local authorities specifically for community education purposes. No central record is held of the volume of community- based adult education in Scotland. Her Majesty's inspectors of schools make inspections of providers of adult education, report on the quality of provision and make recommendations.
Detailed advice on service planning in the field of community care was issued in April 1985 to health boards and regional and district councils in respect of social work, education and health functions.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any plans to provide funding for the professional training and accreditation of adult basic education practitioners in Scotland along the lines of the local education authority training grants scheme in England and Wales.
Mr. Lang : Professional training and accreditation for adult basic education practitioners in Scotland is being developed by the Scottish adult basic education forum together with the community education validation and endorsement (Scotland) group, both of which were set up by the Scottish Community Education Council. I would expect such new developments to qualify for support under the current scheme for in-service training of teachers and community education workers.
Open Learning Centres
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any plans to increase the funding provided by his Department for local open learning centres.
Mr. Lang : We would be prepared to consider funding additional adult learning provision run by the voluntary sector, provided it is of an innovative nature.
Industrial Oil and Chemicals
Sir David Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will immediately implement section 31A of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 as substituted by schedule 23 to the Water Act 1989 so as to regulate industrial oil and chemical storage on industrial sites.
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Mr. Rifkind : I am considering, with the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Wales, the preparation of regulations to control the storage of industrial oil and chemicals.
Nursery Education
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from Strathclyde region on the need to place nursery school facilities on a statutory basis ; and what response he has made.
Mr. Lang : No such representations have been received.
Lead Contamination
Mr. Andrew Welsh : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide details of the reported cases of illness, or high levels of lead in the blood, caused by lead in the water supply, lead pipes and lead water tanks, in each of the years between 1979 and 1990 inclusive, for (a) pregnant women, (b) babies, (c) young children and (d) the general population ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : This information is not available. The Government have always recognised the health implications of lead in water and have taken practical and positive steps to tackle them in the light of developing medical evidence and advice.
Forestry Commission
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to privatise the Forestry Commission ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Government have no plans to privatise the Forestry Commission.
Sand-eel Fishing
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he intends to impose a moratorium on sand-eel fishing in Shetland waters.
Mr. Lang : Under arrangements already in place fishing for sand-eels in Shetland waters will close for this year on 15 June.
GPs (Fund Holding)
Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether it is intended to reimburse the preparatory costs of those general practitioner practices preparing to submit formal applications for fund- holding status from April 1991.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Yes. A preparatory allowance of up to £16,000 per practice will be available to practices which have reached agreement with their relevant health board to undertake preparatory work for fund holding. The allowance will be used to reimburse the costs of additional work which practices will need to complete in order to be in a position to take on fund-holding status from 1 April 1991. Parliamentary approval to this new service is being sought in the main estimate for hospital and community health services, family practitioner services (part) and other health services, Scotland--class XV, vote 27. Pending that approval and the enactment of
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the National Health Service and Community Care Bill when formal applications for GP practice fund-holding status can be made, urgent expenditure estimated at £160,000 will be met by repayable advances from the Contingencies Fund.Fish Poisoning
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of (a) Nuvan chemicals and (b) Aquagard chemicals in the poisoning of salmon and sea trout.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 11 June 1990] : Aquagard, formerly known as Nuvan, is a licensed veterinary medicine which is used to treat sea lice infestation in farmed salmon.
Responsibility for the assessment of the safety, quality and efficacy of veterinary medicines rests with the Veterinary Products Committee, which advises the Government in such matters. The committee considered the safety of Aquagard to both humans and animals, including fish, in its consideration of the application for a product licence under the Medicines Act 1968.
On the advice of the Veterinary Products Committee a one-year product licence for Aquagard was issued in June 1989. A review of the product is currently being undertaken and my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food hopes to make a statement shortly.
Fishing
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what conclusions he has drawn from his study of the deep oceanic intake of waters into Loch Coruisk in the Isle of Skye and the surrounding area in relation to sea trout numbers in north-west Scotland.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 11 June 1990] : Loch Coruisk is a freshwater loch. Sea water cannot enter the loch, but its outflow is directly into the sea. The long-term sea trout catch records for the lochs on the Strathaird estate, including Coruisk, show a sustained decline. Fishing effort over the same period has remained stable and there has been no change in land use in the catchment area. It could be inferred that the cause of the decline lies in the sea, but there is no evidence to confirm this.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what study he has made of the impact on fishing in Scottish rivers of summer tourists ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 11 June 1990] : No special studies have been made on the effect of summer tourists, as opposed to fishermen generally, on fishing in Scottish rivers. It has been alleged that angling for immature sea trout by summer tourists may have contributed to the recent sharp decline in sea trout catches. But it is not possible to say how much, if any, of this increased mortality results from the activities of tourist anglers.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what financial provision he makes for the extra cost of working at night to carry out fishery research.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 11 June 1990] : This information is not available in the form requested. Total expenditure on overtime and allowances at the
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Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland marine and freshwater fisheries laboratories in 1989-90 was around £375,000.Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his co-operation in fisheries research with experts in the west of the Republic of Ireland.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 11 June 1990] : Scientists of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland keep in close touch with scientists and fishery managers from the Salmon Research Trust of Ireland at Burrishoole and the Department of Marine in Dublin about their respective research programmes. There is also frequent contact with counterparts from the Republic of Ireland in various working groups of the International Council for Exploration of the Sea or meetings of other international organisations.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what study he is making of habitat erosion and fish spawning.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 11 June 1990] : Some of the effects of habitat erosion on fish spawning are well understood. For example, bankside erosion is known to cause loss of cover for parr and adults, loss of terrestial food organisms from bankside vegetation and silting up of spawning gravel downstream.
These effects may result from over-graving, intensive bankside activity by anglers and changes in flow regime. The latter can have several causes including land use changes or exceptional rainfall in catchments or changes in drainage, planting or clear-felling in forestry. Research has shown that such changes can be minimised by adopting good management practices.
A study of the effects on salmonid fishes of changes in drainage patterns following afforestation is currently being undertaken by scientists from the freshwater fisheries laboratory at Pitlochry in co-operation with the Forestry Commission, the Institute of Freshwater Ecology and the Atlantic Salmon Trust. A study of the effects of clear-felling on salmonid fishes is also in progress with Forestry Commission help.
Extensive surveys of the distribution of juvenile salmonid fishes have recently been undertaken by freshwater fisheries laboratory staff. These surveys give an important indication of the success of salmon spawning in different areas of Scotland.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps are taken to ensure adequate enforcement of legislation providing that if a trawler catches more than 10 per cent. of its catch in the form of protected species, the skipper loses his licence.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 11 June 1990] : The by-catch restrictions vary according to the target species and are all vigorously enforced by the fisheries department. The penalty provided for by legislation for exceeding by-catch limits is a fine not exceeding £5,000 plus a fine not exceeding the value of the fish in respect of which the offence was committed or actual forfeiture of the fish. In addition, any person guilty of such an offence is liable to forfeiture of the net or other fishing gear used in committing the offence. This penalty applies rather than licence revocation.
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Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what study he is making of the impact of seals round the mouths of fishing rivers in dry summers on sea trout entering the rivers to spawn.Mr. Lang [holding answer 11 June 1990] : There has been no specific study of the impact of seals at the mouths of fishing rivers although some work has been done on the diet of seals in the Moray Firth. A series of papers has been produced as a result of this and other research on seals commissioned by DAFS and the results will be published over the course of the next 18 months.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what study he is making on Loch Eriboll of the inter-breeding between wild and farmed salmon ; and if he will make a statement on the results.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 11 June 1990] : In February 1989, a large number of growing salmon escaped from fish farm sea cages into Loch Eriboll in northern Scotland as the result of a single accident. By August it had become clear that escaped farmed fish were entering the nearby River Polla with the native run of wild fish. Scientists from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland supported by the Atlantic Salmon Trust, the university of Stirling and the Scottish Salmon Growers Association, studied the spawning of wild and farmed fish in the river.
The movements of radiotagged fish were monitored and it was established that wild fish and farmed escapees could be distinguished by appearance and by pigment analysis of samples of muscle taken from fish of both types. All the fish entering the river were sexually mature and farmed fish of both sexes were observed to spawn. All the females captured towards the end of the year had become spent. Farmed and wild fish were observed to cross. Wild fish were distributed throughout the river's length at spawning but the distribution of farmed fish was more restricted. Farmed fish of both sexes tended to spawn especially in the lower reaches of the river. This tendency was particularly marked in the case of females. The difference in the distributions of farmed and wild fish at spawning was confirmed, in the case of females, by pigment analysis of eggs sampled from redds located throughout the river's length. Farmed females tended to spawn later than wild ones. Farmed females cut redds on areas of spawning gravel on which redds had previously been constructed by wild fish. The results of ths study were presented at an international symposium in Norway in April 1990 to consider "Interactions between Cultured and Wild Atlantic Salmon". Full details of the study have been submitted for publication in the scientific literature. Study of the River Polla will be continued this year to determine whether farmed salmon enter the River Polla again and, if they do so, whether last year's findings may be generalised between years at the same site. Further studies are being performed to establish whether escaped farmed females spawned in the Rivers Hope--Strathmore--and Dionard which flank the River Polla to the east and west, respectively. Pigment analyses will be performed on eggs and alevins sampled recently from both rivers. In addition, with the Queen's university of Belfast, it is intended to test whether observations of the crossing of farmed and wild fish can be confirmed using genetic "fingerprinting" techniques to establish the parentage of juveniles.
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Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give his salmon advisory committee a remit to concern itself with sea trout.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 11 June 1990] : We have no plans to do so. The salmon advisory committee already has a very substantial programme of work to complete on Atlantic salmon.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what study he is making of fish-bearing pathogens.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 11 June 1990] : Scientists at the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland's marine laboratory investigate the causes of pathological conditions in wild and farmed fish in Scotland and carry out research on the detection of pathogens and the diagnosis and prevention of infectious diseases in fish.
This research provides the basis for advice to my right hon. and learned Friend on the use of his powers under the diseases of fish legislation and to district salmon fishery boards, fish farmers and fishermen to help them prevent or minimise the effects of diseases in farmed fish.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research is being undertaken on the marine phase of sea trout life cycles.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 11 June 1990] : Research has been undertaken by the Scottish Marine Biological Association on the movements and feeding behaviour of sea trout in sea lochs in Argyll. This will be followed up by a coastal sampling programme in north-west Scotland to obtain additional information on seasonal diets, insights into the distribution of the sea trout and material for parasitological and microbiological examination.
The work will be undertaken by scientists from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland's marine and freshwater fisheries laboratories, in co-operation with local fishermen.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research is being undertaken on the relationship between marine temperatures and the growth of sea lice on fish.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 11 June 1990] : The Fisheries Departments have commissioned a study on the biology of sea lice at the Institute of Aquaculture, university of Stirling. This study, which is still in progress, has shown that the life cycle of the louse-- lepeophtheirus salmonis--is temperature dependent. The following information has been gained from the project so far.
Sea temperature |Time to com-
|plete cycle
|(weeks)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6-9øC (Scottish west coast winter temperature) |8-9
10-12øC |7-8
13.5-14øC (Scottish west coast summer
temperature) |7
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what conveniently available figures he has for the costs of ship time in all weathers for the study of rare migratory fish, such as sea trout.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 11 June 1990] : The daily cost of operating inshore launches to conduct research is
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between £200-£250. In the open sea the daily cost of the departmental research vessels is £2,450 for the smaller Clupea and £8,150 for the Scotia. These figures do not include the salaries and related costs of scientists on board ship.Government Buildings (Security)
Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he proposes to award any further contracts to private security companies to provide security services in respect of Government buildings in Edinburgh in the years 1990 to 1993.
Mr. Rifkind [holding answer 11 June 1990] : The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland will shortly invite tenders for security services at one of its scientific establishments. I have no other proposals under consideration, but I shall review the position when the existing contract for services at four offices expires in 1992.
Disabled People
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what will be the nature of the contractual obligations placed upon local enterprise companies which will ensure that training is made available to people who have disabilities ;
(2) what safeguard over funding will be made to ensure that local enterprise companies are able to provide training opportunities for people who have disabilities ;
(3) what plans he has to ensure that training for employment for people who have disabilities will continue under Scottish Enterprise at the same or enhanced level.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 11 June 1990] : Local enterprise companies will be provided with appropriate levels of resources and obliged by the terms of their contract to meet performance targets relating specifically to provision for trainees with special needs. In the unlikely event of an individual local enterprise company failing to meet its contractual obligations in this or any other respect, Scottish Enterprise will take immediate remedial action, which can ultimately, if the issue is sufficiently serious, take the form of cancellation of the contract and direct delivery of services by Scottish Enterprise itself until an alternative local enterprise company is established.
The Government are determined that the creation of Scottish Enterprise and local enterprise companies should not result in a diminution of support for trainees with special needs of one sort or another.
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what initiatives have been taken to ensure that adequate training for employment is available to meet the needs of people who have disabilities in Scotland.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 11 June 1990] : Youth training will ensure that adequate training is available to meet the needs of young people aged 16 to 18 years who have disabilities, by a strengthened guarantee of training to all young people under 18 offering a training opportunity suitable to the needs of every young person. Funding arrangements are set to ensure that available resources are concentrated on the most vulnerable groups of young people. Employment training will provide training for people with disabilities by special measures which include an
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extension of the training period to up to two years for people with special training needs, communication services for the deaf, adaptation to premises and equipment, special aids to employment, such as tools and equipment, and a personal reader service for the blind. In addition, for people with disabilities, there is no numerical ceiling on entry applied, the normal eligibility criteria are waived and people with disabilities can enter employment training immediately provided they are unemployed.Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to improve the level and quality of training for people who have disabilities in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 11 June 1990] : I am satisfied that the new flexibilities introduced for youth training and employment training will make a significant contribution to improving the level and quality of training for people and unemployed people including those who have disabilities.
Sheltered Employment
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people whose principal handicap is a result of mental illness are employed under the sheltered placement scheme in Scotland.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 11 June 1990] : Of the 668 disabled people who were employed under the sheltered placement scheme in Scotland at 31 March 1990, a total of 32 had a mental illness as their principal disability.
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the sheltered employment services which are available to people who have mental health problems in Scotland, other than the sheltered placement scheme.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 11 June 1990] : In addition to the sheltered placement scheme, sheltered employment opportunities for people with mental health problems are provided in Scotland in Remploy factories and sheltered workshops run by local authorities and voluntary organisations.
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many additional sheltered placement scheme places will be made available to sponsors in the coming year in Scotland.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 11 June 1990] : There will be no additional sheltered placement scheme places made available in Scotland this year. At current placement turnover rates, approximately 70 places will become available during the year.
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to improve the sheltered employment services available to people who have mental health problems in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 11 June 1990] : Sheltered employment for people with severe disabilities, including those with mental health problems, is among the matters being considered in a review of employment and training for people with disabilities which my right hon. and
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learned Friend the Secretary of State for Employment has been undertaking. It is expected that a consultative document will be published shortly.Women's Refuges
Ms. Richardson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has on the number of refuges for battered women ; and how many places they provide in each local authority in Scotland.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 11 June 1990] : Information is not available centrally on the total number of refuges or the number of places provided.
Fife Social Services Department
Mr. Douglas : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on progress made by Sheriff Kearney in reporting on the Fife regional social work department ; and when he expects to receive the sheriff's report.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 11 June 1990] : I understand that the chairman has sought evidence from the social work department of Fife regional council on matters of concern which he has identified. Once the department has prepared its list of witnesses, he hopes to be able to predict a timetable for completing the inquiry and submitting his report.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Fishing Boats
Mr. John Townend : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give further consideration to introducing a decommissioning scheme for the British fishing industry along the lines operated by other European Economic Community states.
Shellfish
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what compensation he is offering to (a) fishermen and (b) processors affected by the ban on landings of shellfish and crustaceans.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consultations were held with (a) the catching industry, (b) the processing industry and (c) the EC Commission to help prohibition of shellfish and crustaceans of the coast of northern England.
Mr. Curry : The warning to consumers of shellfish from the north- east coast issued by the Department of Health on 26 May was first brought to the attention of representatives of the industry on that day.
The EC Commission was also notified of this action at an early stage in accordance with agreed EC procedures for circulating information about food hazards.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research he has
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available on the effects of red algae bloom on (a) mussels, (b) shellfish and (c) crustaceans ; and what regard the Commission has for imposing his prohibited code.Mr. Curry : Scientists at the directorate of fisheries research routinely monitor molluscan shellfish, principally mussels, for the toxin which they can accumulate from certain algae. Monitoring of crustacea began this year in response to the very high levels of toxins observed in mussels, and associated research is under way to establish more precisely the consequences of algal blooms to crustacea, principally crabs.
The European Commission's proposal for a Council regulation on shellfish hygiene (COM (89) 648 Final) includes a provision that molluscs should not contain more than 80 microgrammes of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxin per hundred grammes of flesh. This is the same criterion as that currently employed in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Churchill : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement in respect of the emergency alert issued on 26 May by the Department of Health warning the public not to eat shellfish caught between the Humber and Montrose, north of Dundee, due to contamination by poisonous algae ; how far he assesses this situation to have been brought about or aggravated by sewage pollution, farming and chemical waste ; and what steps he proposes to deal with this situation.
Mr. Curry [holding answer 8 June 1990] : Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) is a naturally occurring and naturally variable algal problem believed to be dependent mainly on weather and sea conditions. The period of greatest risk is in the months of May and June, when large increases in populations of the algae concerned can occur. Since 1968 this Department has monitored weekly toxin levels in mussels from this area during the period from March to August. Results of toxin assays are passed to local environmental health authorities and the Department of Health.
On 25 May very high toxin levels were recorded and, in addition to the warning which was sent to the environmental health authorities later that day, the Department of Health issued a public warning notice on the morning of 26 May advising against the consumption of any shellfish taken from the east coast between the Humber and Montrose. In the light of the results of further testing of shellfish samples the Department of Health was on 1 June able to lift its warning in respect of crustacean shellfish other than crabs and on 7 June was able to lift the warning in relation to crabs. We are continuing to monitor the situation closely and will lift the warning on molluscan shellfish as soon as it is safe to do so.
There is no correlation between pollution and the occurrence of this algae off our north-east coast. This phenomenon occurs in many other parts of the world where the appropriate natural conditions occur such as in France, Spain, Japan and the east and west coasts of Canada. It should also be noted that, between 1814 and 1968, 40 major outbreaks of this algal bloom were recorded off the north-east coast, resulting in 146 cases of illness and about 14 deaths ; 78 persons were ill as a consequence of the last major outbreak, in 1968.
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