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Local Government Finance
22. Sir David Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for sorting out the financial difficulties of local authorities which have arisen as a result of the poll tax.
Mr. Lang : On the basis of their own estimates of community charge collection levels, local authorities will receive around 99 per cent. of their total budgeted income in relation to both 1989-90 and the current year. We therefore must avoid making too much of their difficulties, especially as aggregate external finance for next year is being increased by 10.4 per cent.
30. Mr. Riddick : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland by how much local government spending has increased or decreased in Scotland since the introduction of the community charge.
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Mr. Allan Stewart : On the basis of local authorities' 1990-91 budget estimates, expenditure has increased by 8.94 per cent. since the introduction of the community charge in Scotland in 1 April 1989.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report for each local authority area in Scotland (a) the number of individuals who are liable to pay the personal community charge, (b) the number of people who are paying the personal community charge and (c) the number of people who are exempt from paying the personal community charge, separately distinguishing the numbers by exemption category.
Mr. Allan Stewart : Information on the number of people who are paying the personal community charge is not held centrally. The following table gives the figures requested which are available and relates to 1 July 1990. Information held by community charges registration officers on people who are exempt from the personal community charge is not comprehensive, and the figures given are estimates provided by the local authorities.
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Numbers on the community charge register: July 1990
Known exemptions from community charge
|Number liable |18+in |Prisoners |Foreign |Dependents |Severely |Other |Total
|to personal |receipt child |armed |of foreign |mentally
|community |benefit |forces |armed |handicapped
|charge (includ- |forces
|ing students)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Borders |78,285 |85 |8 |0 |0 |300 |19 |412
Central |202,412 |237 |301 |0 |0 |663 |2,880 |4,081
Dumfries and Galloway |111,434 |159 |64 |0 |0 |457 |124 |804
Fife |259,961 |449 |131 |22 |0 |825 |334 |1,761
Grampian |373,581 |400 |114 |687 |0 |1,159 |1,039 |3,399
Highland |148,270 |169 |85 |129 |0 |346 |47 |776
Lothian |578,982 |875 |339 |113 |0 |2,388 |688 |4,403
Strathclyde |1,737,284 |4,750 |5,306 |1,737 |247 |7,609 |15,458 |35,107
Tayside |291,682 |578 |67 |450 |0 |843 |118 |2,056
Orkney |14,372 |40 |2 |0 |0 |41 |237 |320
Shetland |15,982 |18 |3 |0 |0 |51 |190 |262
Western Isles |22,165 |16 |5 |0 |0 |112 |5 |138
All Scotland total |3,834,410 |7,776 |6,425 |3,318 |247 |14,794 |21,139 |53,519
Notes:
1. The Lothian figure for foreign armed forces includes their dependents.
2. "Other" includes patients in residential homes, nursing homes or hospitals, members of religious communities, residents in Crown property, persons of no fixed
abode, etc.
Scottish Parliament
23. Mr. McKelvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans for a directly elected Scottish parliament.
24. Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to review or repeal the poll tax in Scotland.
27. Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to review or repeal the poll tax.
32. Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he proposes to take to review the community charge legislation in Scotland.
Mr. Allan Stewart : My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has announced the Government's intention to
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conduct a careful and fundamental review of the community charge arrangements in Scotland, England and Wales.Freight
25. Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to improve the movement of freight within, and to and from, Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The provision made by my right hon. Friend for expenditure on roads and transport is aimed at serving the needs of all types of transport users, including freight hauliers, and at ensuring that Scotland has transport infrastructure and systems which are safe and efficient.
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Roads
26. Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps are currently being taken by his office to assess the implications of the single market for road communications in Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Improved communications and transport links are particularly important for the continued success and development of the Scottish economy in relation to the single market. The Government has made clear the role of the M6, M1, M25 widening and the A74 upgrading to Scotland.
To assist future decisions on road investment in Scotland a major trunk and key principal road network review is currently in progress and is due to report early next year.
This will take into account a large number of factors affecting traffic growth in different regions of Scotland including economic development.
Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will set out (a) total expenditure, in real terms, on motorways and trunk roads in Scotland for each of the years from 1980-81 to 1989-90, (b) estimated total expenditure on motorways and trunk roads in 1990-91 and (c) planned provision for motorways and trunk roads in each of the years 1991- 92, 1992-93 and 1993-94.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The information requested is set out in the table :
£ million
Financial |Actual |Constant
year |expenditure|1990-91
|prices
------------------------------------------------
1980-81 |91 |164
1981-82 |104 |171
1982-83 |110 |168
1983-84 |106 |155
1984-85 |115 |160
1985-86 |119 |157
1986-87 |115 |147
1987-88 |125 |152
1988-89 |131 |149
1989-90 |163 |174
<1>1990-91 |201 |201
<1>1991-92 |198 |189
<1>1992-93 |211 |195
<1>1993-94 |215 |193
<1> Figures have been revalued using GDP
deflators.
Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the reasons for the £9 million reduction planned in expenditure on motorways and trunk roads for 1991-92.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The trunk road programme in Scotland has benefited from a substantial increase in resources in recent, successive expenditure settlements. This has enabled very significant progress to be made in upgrading Scotland's trunk road
infrastructure.
For 1991-92 it was necessary to balance the expenditure required to sustain a realistic trunk road programme against the many other important and competing demands on resources within the Scottish block. The small reduction in overall provision for roads for 1991-92 will still allow significant progress to be made on our planned programme of improvements to Scotland's key strategic routes, including the upgrading of the A74 to motorway.
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Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will detail the areas in which the £9 million reduction in expenditure on motorways and trunk roads will be made and the specific road schemes which are likely to be affected.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The programme of new construction and improvements will be the only area affected by the small reduction in trunk road expenditure announced for 1991-92. Some revision of planned start dates for future schemes may be necessary as a result. Final decisions on which schemes might be affected will not be taken until March with the announcement of scheme starts for the year ahead. This enables full account to be taken of the latest information available on the resources required to meet existing ongoing commitments, the consequent balance of funds remaining and the state of readiness and relative priority of schemes within the national programme.
Homelessness
Mr. Watson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now take steps to make the code of guidance to the homeless persons legislation mandatory on local authorities.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : I do not think that it would be appropriate to take away the discretion of local authorities to take into account the needs and circumstances of particular cases. A mandatory code could not cover the wide range of matters dealt with in the present draft without severely fettering that discretion and reducing authorities' effectiveness.
Fishing
29. Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met representatives of the Scottish fishing industry to discuss the industry's prospects for 1991.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : My noble Friend the Minister responsible for agriculture and fisheries met the Scottish Fishermen's Federation on Thursday 13 December. A number of issues were discussed in relation to the industry's prospects for 1991.
38. Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had recently with representatives of the west coast fishing industry on the state of west coast fishing stocks.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : My noble Friend the Minister responsible for Agriculture and Fisheries met the Scottish Fishermen's Federation which represents many west coast fishermen on Thursday 13 December. A number of issues, including the state of west coast fish stocks, were discussed.
Housing Policies
31. Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will visit Corkerhill, Tencharhill, and Moorpark housing areas of Govan constituency to discuss Government housing policies with tenants.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so.
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Industrial Policy
33. Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the Scottish Trades Union Congress to design industrial policy ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Allan Stewart : Scottish Office Ministers have met representatives of the Scottish Trades Union Congress on several occasions in recent months. My right hon. Friend and I hope to maintain a continuing dialogue with the STUC on matters affecting the Scottish economy and industry.
Regional Selective Assistance
34. Mr. Hind : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whom he consults before making regional selective assistance available to applicants ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Allan Stewart : The Scottish Industrial Development Advisory Board is consulted before making any substantial offer of regional selective assistance. Furthermore, and in line with practices agreed between the Scottish Office, Welsh Office and the Department of Trade and Industry, market advice is sought from the Government Department with the lead interest in the particular sector involved. Other consultations may be undertaken depending on the particular circumstances involved.
Highland Region Schools
35. Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to undertake a tour of schools premises within Highland region ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : My right hon. Friend has no plans at present to visit Highland region.
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Health Board Funding
36. Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will reconsider his allocation to Scottish health boards for 1991-92.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : As no decision has been taken or announced on allocations to health boards for 1991-92, it would be difficult for me to meet the hon. Gentleman's request.
Steel Industry
37. Dr. Bray : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the future of steel plants in Scotland.
Mr. Allan Stewart : British Steel has confirmed that, subject to market conditions, it expects there to be a continuing commercial requirement for steelmaking at Ravenscraig and plate-rolling at Dalzell at least until the end of 1994. I welcome British Steel's expressed willingness to co-operate with the Scottish Development Agency's study on the prospects for the steel industry in Scotland and to give careful consideration to any commercial opportunities which the study might identify.
Scottish Development Agency
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the total amounts paid to projects in (a) Greenock and Port Glasgow and (b) Strathclyde by the Scottish Development Agency in the years from 1985-86 to 1989-90 years in (i) cash terms and (ii) as a percentage of total budget.
Mr. Allan Stewart : The information requested is set out in the following table :
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£ thousands
District |1985-86 |1986-87 |1987-88 |1988-89 |1989-90
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Greenock and Port Glasgow
(i) Total expenditure |3,327 |2,318 |2,554 |4,282 |7,245
(ii) Percentage of total budget |3.1 |2.1 |2.3 |3.6 |5.3
(b) Strathclyde
(i) Total expenditure |53,570 |62,669 |67,392 |67,652 |71,252
(ii) Percentage of total budget |49.7 |57.0 |59.6 |56.9 |51.8
Note: The percentage of total budget is based on total expenditure excluding marketing,
promotion and running costs. Area expenditure figures also exclude such costs.
Mr. McKelvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the total amounts paid to projects in (a) Kilmarnock and Loudoun, (b) Dundee, (c) Motherwell and (d) Hamilton districts by the Scottish Development Agency for the years 1986-87 to 1989-90 (i) in cash terms and (ii) as a percentage of total budget.
Mr. Allan Stewart [holding answer 17 December 1990] : The information is set out in the table below.
|1986-87 |1987-88 |1988-89 |1989-90
District |£'000 |£'000 |£'000 |£'000
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Kilmarnock and
Loudoun
(i) Total
expenditure |767 |1,075 |259 |550
(ii) Percentage of
total budget |0.7 |1.0 |0.2 |0.4
(b) Dundee city
(i) Total
expenditure |5,397 |5,782 |3,733 |6,357
(ii) Percentage of
total budget |4.9 |5.1 |3.1 |4.6
(c) Motherwell
(i) Total
expenditure |5,470 |3,422 |4,675 |5,436
(ii) Percentage of
total budget |5.0 |3.0 |3.9 |4.0
(d) Hamilton
(i) Total
expenditure |1,086 |2,491 |1,958 |918
(ii) Percentage of
total budget |1.0 |2.2 |1.6 |0.7
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Training
Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number of training places in (i) employment training and (ii) youth training contracted with the Training Agency in each month from January in (a) Renfrew, Dumbarton and Argyll, (b) Lothian and Borders, (c) Lanarkshire, (d) Highlands and Islands, (e) Grampian and Tayside, (f) Glasgow City, (g) Central and Fife and (h) Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway.
Mr. Allan Stewart : The information requested about the number of training places in employment training is not available. The available information about the number of youth training places is set out in the table.
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Youth training agreed places
|January 1990 |February 1990|March 1990
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Renfrew, Dumbarton and Argyll |8,237 |8,237 |8,243
Lothian and Borders |7,379 |7,347 |7,367
Lanarkshire |6,426 |6,427 |6,427
Highlands and Islands |3,583 |3,586 |3,591
Grampian and Tayside |9,118 |9,081 |9,001
Glasgow city |10,030 |10,378 |10,352
Central and Fife |9,194 |9,012 |9,163
Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway |6,839 |6,845 |6,845
|--- |--- |---
Scotland |60,806 |60,913 |60,989
Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number of action plans for employment training completed in each month since September 1989 in each of the Training Agency areas covering (a) Renfrew, Dumbarton and Argyll, (b) Lothian and Borders, (c)
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Lanarkshire, (d) Highlands and Islands, (e) Grampian and Tayside, (f) Glasgow City, (g) Central and Fife and (h) Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway.Mr. Allan Stewart : The information requested is set out in the table.
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˜
|September 1989|October 1989 |November 1989 |December 1989 |January 1990 |February 1990 |March 1990
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Renfrew, Dumbarton and Argyll |997 |984 |1,170 |633 |767 |1,081 |1,210
Lothian and Borders |792 |731 |848 |708 |572 |557 |1,296
Lanarkshire |781 |780 |651 |486 |513 |620 |746
Highlands and Islands |262 |184 |259 |322 |226 |260 |599
Grampian and Tayside |1,091 |847 |896 |673 |684 |1,071 |1,119
Glasgow city |1,697 |1,707 |1,650 |1,031 |1,382 |1,692 |1,984
Central and Fife |887 |647 |681 |559 |585 |521 |717
Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway |1,122 |986 |925 |714 |809 |920 |1,158
Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of contracted training places in employment training is contracted to voluntary sector training managers in each of the Training Agency areas covering (a) Renfrew, Dumbarton and Argyll, (b) Lothian and Borders, (c) Lanarkshire, (d) Highlands and Islands, (e) Grampian and Tayside, (f) Glasgow City, (g) Central and Fife and (h) Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway.
Mr. Allan Stewart : The information requested is set out in the table.
|Proportion of
|employment training
|places contracted to
|voluntary sector
|Per cent.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Renfrew, Dumbarton and Argyll |33.0
Lothian and Borders |29.0
Lanarkshire |17.4
Highlands and Islands |Nil
Grampian and Tayside
(Grampian)14.1
(Tayside) |33.6
Glasgow city |17.0
Central and Fife
(Central) |8.8
(Fife) |28.0
Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway |16.0
Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the training agents and training managers in employment training which have (i) gone into liquidation, (ii) not had contracts with the Training Agency renewed or (iii) ceased to provide employment training for any other reason in each of the Training Agency areas covering (a) Renfrew, Dumbarton and Argyll, (b) Lothian and Borders, (c) Lanarkshire, (d) Highlands and Islands, (e) Grampian and Tayside, (f) Glasgow City, (g) Central and Fife and (h) Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway.
Mr. Allan Stewart : The information requested is contained in the table :
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Training Agency area |Training agents and managers |Training agents and managers |Training agents and managers
|who have gone into liquidation|who have not had contracts |who have ceased to provide
|with the Training Agency |Employment Training for any
|renewed |other reason
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Renfrew, Dumbarton and |Westwood Training Services |- |Training Services (Inverclyde)
Argyll | Ltd.
|Paisley College of Technology
Lothian and Borders |Community Opportunities, West |- |Midlothian District Council
| Lothian
Lanarkshire |Westwood Training Services |- |Omega Training Services
Highlands and Islands |Westwood Training services |- |-
Grampian and Tayside |- |- |Dundee Survival Group
Glasgow City |Westwood Training Services |- |-
Central and Fife |A & M Projects Ltd. |- |-
Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway |Westwood Training Services |- |-
Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the adult population, the number of people unemployed and the number of people unemployed for more than six months, 12 months, 18 months and 24 months, within each of the Training Agency areas covering (a) Renfrew, Dumbarton and Argyll, (b) Lothian and Borders, (c) Lanarkshire, (d) Highlands and Islands, (e) Grampian and Tayside, (f) Glasgow City, (g) Central and Fife and (h) Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway.
Mr. Allan Stewart : As at mid-1989, the number of people aged 16 years or over in each of the Training Agency area office areas in Scotland was as follows :
|Number
----------------------------------------------------
Renfrew, Dumbarton and Argyll |587,900
Lothian and Borders |688,800
Lanarkshire |392,500
Highlands and Islands |214,700
Grampian and Tayside |718,200
Glasgow city |560,800
Central and Fife |490,700
Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway |415,800
|-------
Scotland |4,069,500
Information on unemployment by duration for the eight Scottish Training Agency area office areas, is available on the NOMIS database in the House of Commons Library. Library staff are ready to assist in accessing the information if necessary.
Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the average unit cost per week to the Training Agency of one (i) employment training place and (ii) youth training place in each of (a) Renfrew, Dumbarton and Argyll, (b) Lothian and Borders, (c) Lanarkshire, (d) Highlands and Islands, (e) Grampian and Tayside, (f) Glasgow City, (g) Central and Fife and (h) Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway.
Mr. Allan Stewart : The information requested is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the training agents in employment training
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who have achieved approved training agent status in each of the Training Agency areas covering (a) Renfrew, Dumbarton and Argyll, (b) Lothian and Borders, (c) Lanarkshire, (d) Highlands and Islands, (e) Grampian and Tayside, (f) Glasgow City, (g) Central and Fife and (h) Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway.Mr. Allan Stewart : The information requested is set out in the table.
Training Agency area and Training Agents with approved training organisation status--
Renfrew, Dunbarton and Argyll :
Intrain
Lothian and Borders :
The Training Agency Ltd.
Greater Edinburgh Training Association
Borders regional council
Lanarkshire :
Lanarkshire Training Agent Ltd.
Highlands and Islands :
Orkney Islands Council
Community Industry
Support Training
Highland Training and Development
Grampian and Tayside
Grampian regional council
Glasgow city :
None
Central and Fife :
None
Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway :
Wigtown District Council
Dumfries and Galloway regional council--education
department
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