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Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what knowledge he has of the countries to which substantial numbers of the population of Kuwait have fled since the end of the war.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Many of those who were resident in Kuwait at the time of the Iraqi invasion have not yet returned. We have no information about residents who have left Kuwait since 28 February. The ICRC, International Committee of the Red Cross, which has a delegation in Kuwait, is in touch with the Kuwaiti Government about the position of foreign communities, including those who may wish to leave the country.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what knowledge he has of the build-up of hydrocarbons in the food chain in Kuwait.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Environmental damage to drinking water supplies and the build-up of hydro-carbons in the food chain in Kuwait are elements proposed as part of the comprehensive environmental assessment now being carried out by the United Nations Environment Programme together with other UN agencies.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence he has of the effects of oil pollution on the lungs of sheep in Kuwait.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about the diaspora of Palestinians from Kuwait since 1 March.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We do not hold details of departures by Palestinian residents of Kuwait. We have repeatedly expressed our concern to Kuwaiti Ministers about reports of ill-treatment of Palestinians. ICRC representatives in Kuwait are now in touch with the Kuwaiti Government about their position.
Kuwait
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about the ill-treatment and torture of Palestinians in Kuwait.
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Mr. Douglas Hogg : We continue to express our concern to the Kuwaiti authorities that Palestinians should be treated fairly and in accordance with the law. Our latest reports suggest that the situation is improving. The ICRC, which has been given access to Palestinian detainees, confirms that their conditions have greatly improved. We shall continue to monitor the situation and raise it with the Government of Kuwait whenever necessary.Dried Milk (Embargo)
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he has taken since 8 March concerning the embargo on dried milk for Iraq being applied to Jordan.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : United Nations sanctions against Iraq do not apply to Jordan. We have no evidence that shipments of dried milk to Jordan have been affected.
NATO
Sir Eldon Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals are currently under discussion for the reconfiguration of NATO.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The NATO summit, held in London in July 1990, agreed on the adaptation of the alliance to the changes taking place in Europe. This review process, which is likely to be completed later this year, involves changes in NATO's strategy and force structures, including the development of smaller, more mobile and flexible active forces, increasing reliance on multinational formations, reduced readiness and training requirements and greater reliance on the ability to build up larger forces if and when they might be needed. In the nuclear field, the alliance will maintain for the foreseeable future an appropriate mix of nuclear and conventional forces, based in Europe, and kept up to date where necessary. But the size and tasks of NATO's nuclear deterrent forces will change. NATO's political role is also changing to reflect the changed political situation in Europe. The alliance has extended the hand of friendship to the Soviet Union and the eastern European countries. Contacts between these countries and NATO are increasing in frequency and scope.
Council of Ministers
Mr. Nicholls : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the Official Report a statement of forthcoming business in the European Community Council of Ministers.
Mr. Garel-Jones : The Special European Council met on 8 April. Ministers discussed the political, security and economic aspects of the post-war situation in the Gulf. At British request, they considered the plight of the refugees in and from Iraq and agreed to provide 150 mecu in emergency aid. Ministers condemned the Iraqi Government's repression of its civilian population particularly the Kurds and called for the maintenance of sanctions while current Iraqi policies persist. Ministers also considered the conditions for peace and stability in the region and the role of the Community in the peace process. I also refer my hon. Friend to the statement on the
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situation in Iraq made in the House by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs this afternoon.The Economic and Finance Council met on 8 April and discussed tax issues relating to road transport ; the financial implications of the Commission's 1991-92 common agricultural policy price-fixing proposals ; the Commission's proposals for a loan to Romania ; articles 4 and 8 of the takeovers directive ; and the regulated markets provision of the investment services directive. New proposals to remove withholding taxes on cross- border interest and royalty payments within groups of companies and to provide tax relief for the losses of companies' overseas permanent establishments and subsidiaries were formally presented to the Council, although without discussion. The Ministerial meeting of the intergovernmental conference on economic and monetary union on 8 April discussed progress made by Ministers' personal representatives over the last month, in particular focusing on capital liberalisation and transition to stage 2.
The Foreign Affairs Council will meet on 15 April and may discuss the follow-up to the informal European Council meeting of 8 April. It will review progress in the EC-EFTA negotiations on a European economic area and consider the next steps in the negotiations. The Commission might report on the negotiations taking place for association agreements with Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia. In EPC discussions, Ministers may discuss, inter alia, the latest developments in Iraq, Yugoslavia and Albania. Ministers will discuss EC-Japan relations including a draft declaration, which the presidency and Commission intend to agree with Japan in May and also the Commission's draft document on the energy charter. A ministerial meeting of the intergovernmental conference on political union will be held on 17 April and will discuss a full range of issues including an overview of progress in negotiations.
The Fisheries Council will meet on 18 April and will discuss the 10th and 11th amendments to the conservation regulation, the Commission communications on the common fisheries policy and data on the landing of fisheries products in member states.
The Agriculture Council will meet on 22-23 April and will discuss the 1991 price-fixing proposals and the agriculture aspects of the GATT Uruguay round.
The Research Council will meet on 24 April and may discuss relations with the European Parliament in the light of its request for the Commission to withdraw the five proposals for research programmes under the third framework programme on which the Council has agreed common positions. The Council will discuss the position of foreign-owned companies in Community research programmes. It is possible that common positions will be agreed on the information technologies, biomedical and health, non-nuclear energy, industrial and materials, and agro-industrial research programmes of the third framework programme.
The Industry Council will meet on 29 April and may discuss the Commission's communications on small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), biotechnology and the future of the ECSC Treaty. Ministers may also discuss industrial policy, the consumer electronics and semi-conductors industries and the state of work concerning the textiles industry (annual report).
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Palestinians
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, further to his answer of 22 March, Official Report, column 259, whom he classifies as representative Palestinians ; and what information he has on calls for elections in the occupied territories by Palestinians living there.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : It is not for us to say who should form a Palestinian delegation, but if a negotiation with Israel is to achieve results it is essential for this delegation to be able to speak on behalf of the majority of Palestinians. There is a continuing debate in the occupied territories on the desirability of elections there and the form these might take : no consensus has yet emerged.
Turkey
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what visits to the Diyarbakir region of Turkey have been made by Her Majesty's Government's staff from the embassy in that country ; whether they visited the Iraqi Kurdish refugee camps ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : On 10 April a first secretary from our embassy in Ankara, together with a senior Overseas Development Administration official, travelled to south-east Turkey for a four-day visit to view at first hand the refugee camps and the effectiveness of the relief effort. Also, our air attache in Ankara has been in Incirlik from the outset of the relief operation, and flew with the first RAF relief sortie.
Antarctica
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he consulted (a) the United States of America and (b) Japan on the recent review of Government policy towards Antarctica.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We did not consult the USA or Japan during the recent review of United Kingdom policy on Antarctica. However, once the review was complete we put the United Kingdom proposals to all Antarctic treaty consultative parties, including the USA and Japan, for their consideration in advance of the special consultative meeting in Madrid later this month.
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are to be the objectives of the Government at the forthcoming meeting of Antarctic treaty parties in Madrid in April with regard to (a) a prohibition on mining, (b) the time limit on any prohibition and (c) the mechanisms necessary to extend the prohibition.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : My hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, wrote to all Members of Parliament on 25 March setting out the United Kingdom's proposals for a moratorium on mining in Antarctica which we believe may hold the key to a return to consensus.
We have not proposed a specific length for the moratorium or a mechanism for its termination or extension. We have, however, made clear our requirement that a legal vacuum at the end of the moratorium should be avoided. These issues will be taken forward at the meeting in Madrid.
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Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which European Community partners he consulted on the recent review of Antarctica policy.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We did not consult our EC partners while conducting the review of United Kingdom policy on Antarctica. However, once the review was complete, we put our proposals to all Antarctic treaty consultative parties including France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Germany, for their consideration in advance of the special consultative meeting that will be held in Madrid later this month.
Japanese Prisoners of War
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy towards claims by British ex-prisoners of war for compensation against the Japanese Government for injury suffered during the 1939-1945 war.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The question of compensation for the sufferings of former British prisoners of war of Japan was settled in the 1951 treaty of peace with Japan. We received a total of £4,816,473 from the Japanese Government, which was paid to claimants in instalments between 1952 and 1956. The level of compensation was less than we would have wished, but it was agreed by the allied powers that the Japanese Government had fully discharged their obligations.
Libya
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his German counterpart about the involvement of German companies in the development of Libya's chemical weapons plant at Sebha ; and if he will raise the matter at the next European Foreign Affairs Council.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We have been, and remain, in close touch at all levels with the German authorities about this issue.
Kurds
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 13 March, Official Report, column 550, to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Govan (Mr. Sillars), what recent meetings Her Majesty's Government's representatives have had with representatives of Kurdish movements in Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister met Iraqi Kurdish representatives on 9 April. I met Jalal Talabani, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, in Damascus on 12 March. Contacts between officials and Kurdish representatives continue.
Mr. Abdul Malik
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a decision is to be taken on the application made by Abdul Malik (Ref : IMM/99947) to the post in Islamabad to join his wife in the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Lennox-Boyd : In accordance with the guidelines on the handling of representations by Members of Parliament in immigration cases, issued to Members on 14 December 1988, I have referred the question to the correspondence unit of the migration and visa department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The hon. Member will receive a reply from the unit as soon as possible.Mr. Rashad Mahmood
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a decision is to be made on the application made by Rashad Mahmood (Ref : IMM/82219) to the post in Islamabad to join his wife in the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : In accordance with the guidelines on the handling of representations by Members of Parliament in immigration cases, issued to Members on 14 December 1988, I have referred the question to the correspondence unit of the migration and visa department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The hon. Member will receive a reply from the unit as soon as possible.
Solomon Smolyar
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Soviet Government about their failure to grant an exit visa to Solomon Smolyar of Leningrad who has been offered treatment at the Rambam medical centre in Haifa.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Mr. Smolyar's case is among those on which we regularly press the Soviet authorities, and has been raised again recently. We shall keep up the pressure until there is a satisfactory outcome.
European Parliament
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate has been made of the cost of not having a single seat for the European Parliament.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We are not aware of any single official estimate.
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Council of Ministers last discussed the seat of the European Parliament.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The Council of Ministers has not held a formal discussion of the European Parliament seat for some years. But the subject has been discussed informally at various times. Heads of Government briefly considered the European Parliament seat at the Dublin European Council last June.
Hong Kong and China
Mr. Thorne : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his visit to Hong Kong and China from 1 to 10 April.
Mr. Hurd : I paid an official visit to China from 3-8 April at the invitation of the Chinese Foreign Minister, and visited Hong Kong for a day at each end of that visit. This was the first visit by a Foreign Secretary to China since 1986.
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In Peking I had two full sessions of talks with the Foreign Minister and met the Party General Secretary, the Premier, the chairman of the National People's Congress and the director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office. With the Foreign Minister, I covered major international issues of common concern, including the middle east, arms proliferation and Cambodia. We also discussed a number of bilateral matters, including commercial relations. I raised our concerns about human rights, including in Tibet, both with the Foreign Minister and with the General Secretary.A central element in my discussions was Hong Kong. I told the Chinese that we wanted to intensify work on the practical issues which need to be resolved in order to ensure a smooth transition in 1997. In achieving this we need to respect two key principles. On the one hand, Britain, China and Hong Kong need to co-operate on the implementation of the joint declaration. On the other, the Hong Kong Government need to be able to fulfil their duty to govern effectively. Seeking the views of China on certain important matters, and paying close attention to those views where possible, is compatible with those principles, but the task of taking decisions rests with the Hong Kong Government.
The Chinese reaffirmed their support for the joint declaration and agreed that we should strengthen the work of the joint liaison group. We were unable to achieve a breakthrough on the question of Chinese support for the new airport in Hong Kong. It is an economic fact that private investment in such a project is unlikely to appear unless investors are confident that it has Chinese support.
Hong Kong
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what shark products in what quantities have been imported into Hong Kong in each of the last three years.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd [holding answer 25 March 1991] : The only shark product of significant quantity imported into Hong Kong is shark fin. The following quantities have been imported over the past three years :
|Tonnes
---------------------
1988 |3,738
1989 |3,556
1990 |3,838
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the Hong Kong authorities to make the next assessment of the total commercial ivory stock held within the colony.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd [holding answer 25 March 1991] : It is likely that the Hong Kong authorities will initiate the next assessment of the total commercial ivory stock held in Hong Kong towards the end of this year.
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of the ivory exported from Hong Kong since 17 July 1990 in accordance with the CITES requirements.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd [holding answer 25 March 1991] : No commercial exports of ivory covered by CITES have been authorised since midnight on 17 July 1990 except for one pre-convention specimen, consisting of one antique piece weighing 0.1 kg.
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Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 18 February, Official Report, column 55, if he will state the disposal arrangements for the ivory name seals and blocks seized in Japan.Mr. Lennox-Boyd [holding answer 25 March 1991] : The disposal of the ivory name seals and blocks seized in Japan is a matter for the Japanese authorities. The seized items have not been returned to Hong Kong.
Iraq
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information is known to his Department about destruction by (a) coalition forces and (b) Iraqi forces of holy places at Samarra ; and what he has done since his letter of 28 January to the hon. Member for Linlithgow to avoid damage.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I have been asked to reply.
We have no information about damage to holy places at Samarra. Throughout the air campaign, coalition pilots attacked only military targets or facilities supporting Iraq's occupation of Kuwait. These attacks were carefully planned, and took account of the locations of Islamic holy places and sites of historical importance.
SCOTLAND
Primary School Testing
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the total cost to date of introducing national testing in primary schools, including all costs for advertising, leafleting, training and additional materials in schools.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Moray (Mrs. Ewing) on 6 February 1991. Expenditure on leaflets and advertising has amounted to £250,000.
Crofting
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many crofting tenants there now are.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : According to the records held by the Crofters Commission, there were 13,444 crofting tenants at 31 December 1990. This figure includes crofters who are tenants only of a share or shares in common grazings.
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many crofts in each crofting area have transferred from tenure to owner- occupancy under the terms of the Crofting Reform Act 1976.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The information requested is as follows :
Former county |Number of whole
|croft purchases<1> inti-
|mated to the
|Crofters Commission
|since enactment of
|the Crofting Reform
|Act 1976
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Argyll |313
Caithness |317
Inverness (including Skye, Harris and Uists) |591
Orkney |191
Ross and Cromarty (including Lewis) |282
Sutherland |208
Shetland |322
|---
Total |2,224
<1> In addition to the figures for whole croft purchases, 447
part-crofts have been purchased and 1,597 croft house sites.
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many crofting tenants, by estate, of the Secretary of State have exercised their right to buy (a) the house site and (b) the croft, under the Crofting Reform Act 1976.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The information requested is set out in the tables.
Crofting County/Estate |A |B |C
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Argyll
Ardachy |2 |2 |-
Balmeanach |2 |- |-
Bonnavoulin |- |- |1
Calgarry |3 |- |-
Killeonan |10 |1 |3
Kinlochlaich |2 |1 |-
Knockvologan |2 |- |1
Moy |2 |- |1
Pottie |2 |- |-
Sunart |23 |1 |4
Tomaig |3 |- |-
White Hart Parks |7 |- |-
|------- |------- |-------
Total |58 |5 |10
Caithness
Dunn and Scarmclate |20 |- |1
Forss |1 |- |-
Hallum |1 |- |-
Hoy and Braal |1 |- |-
Lochend |6 |- |1
Lybster |2 |- |-
Skaill |5 |1 |-
Stempster |3 |1 |-
Upper Dounreay |7 |1 |-
West Murkle |4 |- |-
West Watten |11 |- |-
|------- |------- |-------
Total |61 |3 |2
Inverness-shire
Balranald |1 |1 |4
Barra |- |2 |9
Benbecula |9 |8 |14
Beolary |- |1 |3
Borve |- |1 |2
Bracadale |11 |21 |66
Claigan |- |2 |2
Eoligarry |1 |2 |8
Inshes |10 |- |1
Kilbride |- |2 |5
Kilmuir |22 |56 |83
Kingsburgh |4 |5 |11
Luskentyre |- |1 |4
Mains of Ardersier |6 |- |-
Milton of Culloden |4 |- |2
Ness-side |4 |- |-
Newton |3 |1 |12
Raasay |4 |17 |10
Scallasaig |2 |1 |3
Scaristavore |- |1 |3
Scorrybreck |1 |8 |6
Tomich |12 |- |2
Vatersay |- |- |1
Woodside of Culloden |3 |- |2
|------- |------- |-------
Total |97 |130 |253
Orkney
Stove |5 |- |-
Ross and Cromarty
Arabella |3 |1 |3
Balnabean |2 |- |3
Broomhill |4 |- |1
Corntown |7 |- |2
Culcairn |2 |- |1
Dounie |1 |- |2
Geanies |2 |- |4
Kinbeachie |4 |- |-
Kinkell |2 |- |2
Raddery |3 |- |1
Seafield |4 |- |1
|------- |------- |-------
Total |34 |1 |20
|------- |------- |-------
Shetland
Ordale |4 |- |4
Sutherland
Armadale |13 |1 |9
Borgie |2 |- |1
Syre |6 |- |4
|------- |------- |-------
Total |21 |1 |14
|------- |------- |-------
|------- |------- |-------
Grand Total |280 |140 |303
A=Whole croft
B=Part croft
C=Croft house
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the number of persons employed by the Crofters Commission (a) in the Inverness headquarters and (b) elsewhere in the crofting counties, in each of the last five years and in 1979.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The information requested is as follows : (
(a) The numbers of staff employed in the Inverness headquarters of the Crofters Commission on 1 April in each of the years were :
|Permanent|Casual
|staff<1> |staff
----------------------------------------
1979 |52+ |-
1986 |51 |-
1987 |51 |-
1988 |51 |1
1989 |52 |3
1990 |48 |5
<1>These figures do not include
Commissioners.
1979 52 --
1986 51 --
1987 51 --
1988 51 1
1989 52 3
1990 48 5
These figures do not include Commissioners.
(b) No staff are employed by the Commission outwith Inverness. However the Commission is able to call upon the services of professional staff from the Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department area offices throughout the crofting counties in respect of crofting schemes and regulatory matters.
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the total cost to the Exchequer of the Crofters Commission in each of the past five years.
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Mr. Michael Forsyth : The information requested is as follows :Total expenditure of the Crofters Commission Financial |£ '000s year ------------------------------ 1986-87 |<1>154 1987-88 |752 1988-89 |849 1989-90 |936 1990-91 |<2>1,080 <1>Comparable figures are not available for this year as the costs of the permanent staff were until then incorporated in the overall Scottish Office staffing expenditure. <2>Forecast outturn.
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the crofting estates owned by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland with, in each case, the number of tenants, the acreage of inbye land and the acreage of common grazing.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Information relating to crofting estates belonging to the Secretary of State is set out in the table. The Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department does not hold separately information relating to the acreage of inbye land or common grazing. The total hectarage figures given, however, includes both inbye land and common grazing.
The Secretary of State's crofting estates as at 31 December 1990
Area and estate |Crofting lets<1>|Other |Total
|agricultural |hectarage
|lets
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Argyll:
Kinlochlaich |5 |- |1,500
Sunart |38 |1 |2,548
Morven-Bonnavoulin 1 - 29
Isle of Mull
Glenforsa<2> |- |2 |4,789
Isle of Islay
Whitehart Parks |8 |- |264
Mull of Kintyre
Killeonan |1 |- |9
Moy |3 |- |64
|------- |------- |-------
Totals |56 |3 |9,203
Inverness (Mainland):
Mains of Arderseir 1 - 4
Inshes |2 |- |30
Milton of Culloden 1 - 6
Woodside of Culloden 1 1 6
Beolary |6 |- |972
Tomich |8 |1 |120
Scallasaig |10 |- |1,985
|------- |------- |-------
Total |29 |2 |3,123
Ross and Cromarty:
Arabella |2 |- |73
Balnabeen |5 |- |73
Corntown |5 |- |98
Culcairn |1 |- |53
Dounie |2 |- |56
Geanies |2 |- |63
Kinkell |2 |- |58
Raddery |2 |1 |77
Seafield |3 |- |30
|------- |------- |-------
Totals |24 |1 |581
Caithness:
Dunn and Scarmclate 11 - 584
Forss |7 |1 |605
Hoy and Braal |2 |- |100
Lochend |2 |- |223
Lybster |1 |- |132
Stempster |2 |- |67
West Murkle |1 |- |23
West Watten |2 |- |88
|-- |-- |---
Totals |28 |1 |1,822
Sutherland:
Armadale |95 |2 |4,735
Borgie |9 |- |4,958
Keoldale |43 |- |11,032
Syre |20 |- |4,736
|------- |------- |-------
Totals |167 |2 |25,461
Inverness (Skye and Raasay)
Skye:
Bracadale |166 |8 |19,697
Claigan |4 |- |1,480
Kilbride |10 |- |3,451
Kilmuir |373 |- |19,120
Kingsburgh |27 |- |5,334
Scorrybreck |16 |- |4,003
Raasay:
Raasay |33 |2 |6,731
|------- |------- |-------
Totals |629 |10 |59,816
Inverness (western isles)
Harris:
Scaristavor |10 |1 |1,240
Luskentyre |10 |- |2,397
Borve |32 |- |3,014
North Uist:
Balelone/Balmartin |5
Balranald |49 |6,555
Newton |49 |7
Benbecula:
Benbecula |76 |2 |1,045
Barra:
Barra |56 |1 |1,143
Eoligarry |66 |1 |1,324
Vatersay:
Vatersay |43 |1 |1,362
|------- |------- |-------
Totals |396 |13 |18,080
Northern Isles
Orkney:
Stove |4 |- |247
Shetland:
Cliff |24 |- |312
Fetlar |6 |- |71
Ordale |11 |1 |807
Westafirth |13 |- |971
|------- |------- |-------
Totals |58 |1 |2,408
|------- |------- |-------
Grand Total |1,387 |33 |120,494
<1> The number of "crofting lets" may differ slightly from the
number of "tenants" because of some multiple tenancies.
<2> Leasehold subject.
Column 118
Drinking Water
Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information on the pollution of drinking water in Scotland, including levels of aluminium and other toxic substances, his Department is gathering.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Records are maintained of the quality classification of drinking water supply sources and of those supply zones where water does not currently meet the quality standards set in the EC drinking water directive and the Water Supply (Water Quality) (Scotland) Regulations 1990.
Where a standard is persistently infringed, a water authority may in certain circumstances apply for authorisation of a relaxation, but otherwise must submit an undertaking to make a necessary quality improvement within a specified time. There are separate arrangements for reporting specific pollution incidents or other significant water quality failures. No water supply zones have been notified as failing to meet the standards for any toxic substance. For lead arising from plumbing systems, water authorities are due to report by the end of this year on any zones where there is a risk that tap water will not meet the new lead standard, stricter than that of the EC directive, set in the water quality regulations.
The standard for aluminium, not classed as a toxic substance in the EC directive, may be relaxed if the aluminium is of natural origin. My answer to the hon. Member for Angus, East (Mr. Welsh) on 4 March 1991, column 65- 66, gave details of maximum authorised levels of aluminium in such cases.
Other substances such as nitrates and pesticides are the subject of specific inquiries to water authorities from time to time. Annual reports to be published by water authorities by 30 June 1991 will provide information and data on water quality standards in all supply zones.
Education Spending
Mr. Maxton : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total spending on education in Scotland as a percentage of Scottish gross domestic product in real terms in each year since 1978.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Public expenditure on education includes expenditure both by the Secretary of State directly and by education authorities. Details are as follows :
-------------------------- 1977-78 |2,090|7.06 1978-79 |2,107|7.06 1979-80 |2,071|7.11 1980-81 |2,159|7.67 1981-82 |2,214|7.80 1982-83 |2,366|8.16 1983-84 |2,367|7.93 1984-85 |2,318|7.74 1985-86 |2,293|7.37 1986-87 |2,379|7.24 1987-88 |2,450|7.28 1988-89 |2,475|7.04 1989-90 |2,544|7.12 Note: 1989-90=estimated outturn. Sources: A Commentary on the Scottish Programme The Scottish Office Departmental Report Scottish Economic Bulletin
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total expenditure on (a) nursery, (b) primary and (c) secondary education by local authorities in Scotland in 1989-90.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The information is given in the table, which has been compiled from local authority financial returns.
Net current expenditure on nursery,
primary and secondary schools
1989-90
|£ million
------------------------------------
Nursery |39.658
Primary |605.294
Secondary |751.602
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