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Mr. Needham [holding answer 3 July 1990] : The information requested is held by the Registrar of Friendly Societies at 64 Chichester street, Belfast, and the registrar is required to make it available to the public, during office hours, on payment of a fee.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Parliamentary Questions
Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy that replies to written parliamentary questions will continue to be published in full in the Official Report following the move towards agency status of parts of his Department.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's reply to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 6 June at col. 615.
Pensioners' Christmas Bonus
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he has any plans to increase the Christmas bonus for pensioners in December.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : We have no plans to do so.
Families (Benefits)
Mr. Clay : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate how many families with children in low-paid work have (a) gained, (b) lost and (c) experienced no change of income from the implementation of the Social Security Act 1986, including both the changes to family credit and housing benefit.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Illustrative information is set out in the publication "Impact of the reformed structure of Income Related Benefits" (October 1987), copies of which are available in the Library.
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Mr. Clay : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportions of (a) lone parents and (b) couples with children are reliant on income support.Mrs. Gillian Shephard : It is estimated that income support contributes to the household incomes of around two in three lone parents and just under one in 10 families with dependants.
The term "dependants" has been used as not all dependants fall within the strict definition of children, i.e. that they are aged under 16.
Retirement Pension
Mr. Clay : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much retirement pension would be for (a) a single person and (b) a couple if it had been uprated by earnings or inflation, whichever was the higher, since 1980.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : At April 1990 the retirement pension would have been £58.65 for a single person and £94.05 for a couple, had the retirement pension been raised by the higher of the movement in earnings or prices since 1980.
It should be noted that any such cost would attract consequent increase in the national insurance contribution. It is estimated that the necessary increase in contribution rate to support the additional cost in 1990 would be 1.25 per cent. and 1.45 per cent. on the basic rate of employees' and employers' contributions respectively, increasing them to 10.25 per cent. and 11.9 per cent. respectively. This would have meant, for example, a contribution increase for an employee on average earnings of £3.18 per week, together with an additional contribution of £4.35 per week for his employer.
SCOTLAND
Flue Gas Desulphurisation
15. Mr. Eadie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information his Department has on the progress of installation of flue gas desulphurisation equipment in Scotland, and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : I understand there are no plans at present to install flue gas desulphurisation equipment in combustion plants in Scotland.
The level of emissions from power stations in Scotland is already very low in comparison with the major base-load coal-fired stations in England and Wales.
Youth Training
16. Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the percentage change in both actual and real terms between the sum spent on the YTS in Orkney and Shetland in 1989-90 and the proposed sum to be spent on youth training in the two islands areas in 1990-91.
Mr. Lang : Reflecting changing need, funding of youth training in Orkney has been reduced by 15.5 per cent. in cash terms and 20.7 per cent. in real terms, and in Shetland by 23 per cent. in cash terms and 27.5 per cent. in real terms.
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Acute Services, Lanarkshire
17. Mr. Ingram : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has received the acute services strategy submission from Lanarkshire health board ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The board is preparing an approval in principle submission for its preferred option. I shall consider this carefully once it is submitted to me.
Labour Statistics
18. Mr. Allan Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his latest estimate of the number of self-employed in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : Self-employment in Scotland is at its highest ever recorded level. The number, estimated to be 242,000 in December 1989, has grown by more than 50 per cent. in the last decade. This is an excellent reflection of the spirit of enterprise in Scotland.
Roads, Borders Region
19. Sir David Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will indicate a timetable for future road developments in the Borders region following his appointment of consultants.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The A68 Dalkeith bypass is being progressed as the most important immediate improvement to serve the Borders and it is hoped that this scheme will commence late next year. Consultants are also to be appointed to confirm that an environmentally acceptable dualling of the A7 in the longer term from Edinburgh to the Borders can be defined. In the short term, work will commence on the package of accident remedial measures on the A1, A7, A68 and A702 and on the programme of smaller improvement schemes on the A1 and A7 south of Hawick.
Steel Industry
20. Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when was the last time he met the chief executive of the Scottish Council (Development and Industry) to discuss the steel industry.
Mr. Lang : I met the chief executive two days ago, when we discussed a number of matters, including the steel industry.
23. Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the effect of the closure of Ravenscraig on the local economy.
Mr. Lang : British Steel has confirmed that its undertaking to continue steel-making at Ravenscraig until at least 1994 still stands. In the light, however, of its proposals for the hot strip mill my right hon. and learned Friend has asked his officials and the Scottish Development Agency to consider, on a contingency basis, what could be done to encourage new employment and investment in Lanarkshire in the event of closure of the hot strip mill.
46. Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next expects to meet the chairman of British Steel to discuss the future of the steel industry in Scotland.
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Dr. Bray : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his efforts to procure information from British Steel on its reasons for the closure of the Ravenscraig strip mill.
Mr. Lang : I refer the hon. Members to the reply my right hon. and learned Friend gave to the hon. Member for Motherwell, North (Dr. Reid) earlier today.
Local Government Finance
21. Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his latest estimate of the total amount of poll tax unpaid in Scotland for 1989-90 ; and if he will express this as a percentage of the total amount of poll tax payable for that year.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : I understand that around 87 per cent. of budgeted revenue has been collected by local authorities to date.
57. Mr. Canavan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will make a statement about his consideration of proposed changes in the poll tax legislation.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My right hon. and learned Friend and I and colleagues are looking at a number of aspects of the existing community charge arrangements. We have made it clear that we are prepared to make changes if they are required.
A1
22. Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration he has given to the implications for road safety of the proposal that a new dual carriageway section of the A1 should end at the border.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : An A1 steering group has been formed to monitor traffic growth and to develop an appropriate programme of route improvements and accident remedial schemes between Newcastle and Edinburgh. Following the inaugural meeting of the group on 21 June, the Scottish Development Department and Department of Transport agreed to look at the possibility of further improvement to the existing road immediately north of the Marshall Meadows dualling scheme, for which a public inquiry is likely to be held later this year.
Eye Tests
24. Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many national health service sight tests were conducted between (a) April 1988-89 and (b) April 1989-90.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The figures are 1,168,610 and 475,479 respectively.
36. Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the total number of people taking sight tests in 1987, 1988, and 1989 and 1990 to date.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Information about the total number of people taking sight tests in Scotland is not available centrally.
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Housing Associations
25. Mr. Michael J. Martin : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will next meet the chairman of Scottish Homes to discuss housing associations ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My right hon. and learned Friend and I meet Sir James Mellon, chairman of Scottish Homes, and his board members as required. No meeting is presently scheduled to discuss housing associations.
Road and Rail Services
26. Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received in the current year about investment in road and rail infrastructure in the north-east of Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My right hon. and learned Friend has received representations in 1990 from a number of organisations and individuals, including Members of Parliament, on the electrification of the east coast main line between Edinburgh and Aberdeen, capital allocations for local roads and transport, improvements to the A96, road links to the channel tunnel and road safety.
Self-governing Hospitals
27. Dr. Moonie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has had from consultants concerning self-governing hospitals.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Representations have been made on behalf of consultants on a number of aspects relating to self-governing hospitals. Four expressions of interest are currently being pursued.
54. Mr. Buchan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the precise method and scope for consultation before a hospital can become self-governing.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Applications must be routed through health boards which, before conveying their views to the Secretary of State, are required to consult all interested parties, including potential customers, staff interests and local health councils.
Small Businesses
28. Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of Britain's small businesses is located in Scotland.
Mr. Lang : The statistical coverage of small businesses in Scotland is less comprehensive than that of the United Kingdom as a whole. Nevertheless, the Department of Employment has estimated that of the 1,574,000 United Kingdom businesses registered for VAT at the end of 1988, some 6.9 per cent. were in Scotland. The overwhelming majority of these will be relatively small businesses.
Disabled People
29. Mr. Ron Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the legal quota for the employment of registered disabled people in his Department ; what is the current figure employed ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Rifkind : My Department, in common with other Government Departments, accepts the same responsibilities for employment of the disabled as other employers of 20 or more staff. We work to a target of 3 per cent. of total staff for the total of registered disabled people. Currently the Scottish Office and associated Departments employ 82 registered disabled staff--1.4 per cent. of the total work force.Channel Tunnel (Rail Link)
30. Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what studies his Department has commissioned into the effect on the Scottish economy of a fast link from the channel tunnel to London.
Mr. Lang : My Department has not commissioned any such studies. However, a study on the impact of the channel tunnel on the Scottish economy was commissioned by the Scottish Development Agency from Planning, Industrial and Economic Development Advisers and was completed in 1988.
Community Care
31. Mr. Robert Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the chairmen of regional health boards in Scotland and with COSLA on proposals for community care.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I hold regular meetings with Scottish health board chairmen and my hon. Friend the Minister of State met COSLA on 15 May 1990 to discuss the Government's community care proposals.
50. Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress he is making in implementing the Government's plans for the reform of community care.
Mr. Lang : Three consultation papers have already been issued, in regard to my right hon. and learned Friend's proposals, for the inspection of residential care homes, community care plans and the payment of a specific grant to local authorities with social work responsibilities for mental illness projects. Responses to these papers are currently under consideration with a view to the preparation of formal guidance for local authorities. There will be consultations on further matters including the assessment of community care needs, co-operation between housing authorities and local authorities and arrangements for purchase by local authorities of services from private and voluntary sector agencies.
58. Mr. Norman Hogg : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with regional and island authorities regarding community care ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : I have had two meetings on this subject with representatives of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities social work committee--one on 8 September and the other on 15 May 1990. Both these discussions were useful and constructive. The more recent one served in particular to confirm that local authorities share fully in the positive response to the proposals in the White Paper "Caring for People".
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Crafts Industry
32. Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he anticipates announcing his proposals for future support of the crafts industry in Scotland.
Mr. Lang : I expect to take decisions shortly.
European Regional Development Fund
33. Mr. Knox : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total value of grants that Scotland has received from the European regional development fund since its inception.
Mr. Lang : Awards totalled £869 million between 1975 and 1989.
Fishing Vessels (Decommissioning)
34. Mr. Buchanan-Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals the Commission of the European Economic Community is making to revise the fishing vessels decommissioning scheme ; if his Department is participating in discussions on this ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Rifkind : The Commission has made a number of proposals for amending the existing fleet structure regulations (EEC No. 4028/86). The main proposals involve :
-- extending to smaller fishing vessels the availability of Community financial aid for restructuring and renewal, modernisation and adjustment of capacity ;
-- greater incentives for exploratory fishing and joint ventures through higher grant assistance ;
-- the introduction of redeployment operations : the exploitation of non- Community fishery resources with a view to supplying the Community market ;
-- new rates of grant for decommissioning.
Under the proposals Community reimbursement for decommissioning would be increased to 70 per cent. of eligible expenditure where vessels are scrapped ; and remain at 50 per cent. for withdrawal for purposes other than fishing or for permanent export to third countries. Levels of eligible expenditure would vary depending on age and tonnage of the vessel concerned.
All member states and their respective industries have been invited to comment on the proposals and the Government have submitted a number of points to the Commission. Given the level of overcapacity in the Community fleet generally, we have questioned the extension of grant aid to the construction of smaller fishing vessels, and have taken the view that the additional measures should be accommodated within the existing financial provisions for these activities. As far as the capacity of the United Kingdom fleet is concerned the Government remain of the view that a decommissioning grant scheme does not provide value for money and this view has been reinforced by the proposal to increase rates of grant.
Hospital Services, Forth Valley
35. Mr. Harry Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has yet received from Forth Valley health board its proposals for the future of hospital services arising from option appraisal study.
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Nuclear Waste Dumps
37. Mr. Andrew Welsh : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when was the last time he met the convenor of Highland regional council to discuss the siting of nuclear waste dumps.
38. Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when was the last time he met the convenor of Highland regional council to discuss the siting of nuclear waste dumps.
44. Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when was the last time he met the convenor of Highland regional council to discuss the siting of nuclear waste dumps.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My right hon. and learned Friend has not met the convenor of Highland regional council to discuss this matter.
Unemployment Trends
39. Sir Hector Monro : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last discussed unemployment trends with the Scottish Development Agency ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Rifkind : I have had no recent discussions with the SDA about unemployment trends. However, my hon. Friend will welcome the continued fall in levels of unemployment in Scotland. In the year to May 1990, unemployment rates in both Scotland and the Dumfries travel-to-work area (TTWA) fell by around 16 per cent., faster than in the United Kingdom as a whole. The rate of unemployment is now down to 5 per cent. in the Dumfries TTWA. This is below both the Scottish and United Kingdom averages (unadjusted).
Child Abuse
40. Sir Russell Johnston : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will institute an appeal mechanism in association with the administrative system of compiling the at risk register of children established by his Department in conjunction with the regional authorities and the health boards.
Mr. Lang : Child protection registers are an essential component in the arrangements for protecting children from abuse or from risk of abuse. A child's name is normally entered on the register when a multi- disciplinary case conference concludes after assessing all the available information that an inter-agency plan is required for the care and protection of the child. We see no need to introduce a formal right of appeal against the administrative decision to register a child. Parents have full statutory rights of appeal to the sheriff court, against any decision made subsequently by the children's hearing to impose compulsory measures of care for a child.
Law Reform
41. Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to meet representatives of the Law Society of Scotland to discuss progress on the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Bill ; and if he will make a statement.
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Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My right hon. and learned Friend has at present no plans to do so, although he always values the Law Society's contributions to debates on the issues covered in the Bill.
Police Staffing
42. Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration is being given to increase the complement of new police officers available to the Lothian and Borders police force ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Lothian and Borders police board has submitted an application to the Scottish Home and Health Department for an increase of 50 police constables in the authorised police establishment, together with an increase of 20 in the civilian establishment. In accordance with the usual practice, this application is being considered in consultation with Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary. The Scottish Home and Health Department expects to be in a position to respond to the board in the near future.
Speech Therapy
43. Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what further plans he has to develop the speech therapy service in Scotland.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Quotas on the intake of students have been lifted, refresher courses are being organised and a new manpower planning steering group has been established.
Football Hooligans
45. Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the incidence of football hooliganism at Scottish football grounds.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I am encouraged by a continuing decline in hooliganism at Scottish football grounds. Since the Government took powers under the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980 to ban alcohol at designated sporting events, there has been a 55 per cent. reduction in arrests at Scottish football grounds, despite a 70 per cent. increase in attendances over the same period. Scottish football supporters also continue to behave well abroad and I note that with approximately 20,000 Scottish supporters in Italy for the World Cup there were no incidents and no arrests involving Scottish supporters.
Multi-fibre Arrangement
47. Mr. McKelvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to meet representatives of the knitwear, lace-making and textile industries in Scotland to discuss the effects of the multi-fibre arrangement.
Mr. Lang : I met the hon. Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, and representatives of the knitwear, lace-making and textile industries' interests.
Scottish Government
48. Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to introduce any democratic reforms into the arrangements for governing Scotland.
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