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TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Arms Exports
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many licences were (a) applied for and (b) granted under the export control system of the Department of Trade and Industry for arms exports in each year since 1980.
Mr. Sainsbury : Separate statistics are not maintained for the export of arms. Export licence applications received and granted for all military equipment for the years 1987 to 1990 and for the first quarter of 1991 were as follows :
Year |Applications|Licences
|Received |Granted
----------------------------------------------------
1987 |17,590 |16,745
1988 |15,697 |<2>16,005
1989 |14,601 |13,584
1990 |14,996 |14,603
<3>1991 |3,313 |2,993
<1> Figures include applications for temporary
export.
<2> Carry-over of applications from 1987.
<3> First quarter.
Statistics were not maintained in this form before 1987 and could only be compiled at disproportionate cost.
About one third of the above totals represents licences for firearms for personal, Government and police use.
Iraqi Currency
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will now allow companies in the United Kingdom to tender for the production of Iraqi currency ; and when he last refused permission for companies to produce Iraqi currency.
Mr. Sainsbury : It is up to companies to decide whether they wish to tender for this business. However, it is not our present policy to grant licences in such cases. One company has recently sought advice about the possibility of obtaining a licence.
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Optical Manufacturing Market
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the estimated size of the optical manufacturing market in the years ended (a) 31 March 1989 and (b) 31 March 1990.
Mr. Leigh : The latest available figures are for the year to December 1989. Estimates for that year and for 1988 as shown as follows :
United Kingdom market<1>
£ million
Industry<2> |1988 |1989
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Spectacles and unmounted lenses |230 |272
Optical precision instruments |212 |185
Photographic and cinematographic
equipment |661 |683
|------- |-------
|1,103 |1,140
Source:
Business monitors PAS 3731, PAS 3732 and PAS 3733.
<1>United Kingdom figures devised by manufacturers' sales less
exports plus imports.
<2>Activity headings 3731, 3732 and 3733 respectively of the
standard industrial classification.
Car Trade
Mrs. Currie : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the changes in volume of car exports and of car imports over the past year ; and what has been the effect on the balance of payments.
Mr. Sainsbury : Information in the volume of car and taxi exports and imports is regularly published in the monthly statistical review of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, available in the House of Commons Library. The balance of trade in cars and taxis narrowed from minus £5,008 million in 1989, to minus £4,175 million in 1990, a reduction of £833 million.
SIM's Law
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations have been made (a) to him and (b) him about Italy's SIM's law.
Mr. Redwood : The International Stock Exchange wrote to me on 21 January drawing my attention to the law, and it has kept in touch with my Department. The ISE, the Securities and Investments Board and my Department have all made strong representations to the Italian authorities about the effects of the law on United Kingdom firms wishing to do investment business in Italy. The law may be in breach of the treaty of Rome and the Government are considering asking the Commission to take this up with the Italian authorities.
Newspapers
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will ask the Office of Fair Trading to review restrictive practices affecting the distribution and sale of daily and Sunday newpapers ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood : The Director General of Fair Trading is currently conducting a review of a number of issues
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concerning the distribution of newspapers. The Director General will decide in the light of this review whether further action under the competition legislation for which he is responsible is required. It would not be appropriate for me to comment in advance of the completion of the Director General's review.GATT
Mrs. Peacock : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how negotiations on the future of the multi-fibre arrangement and GATT round are progressing ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : The future of the multi-fibre arrangement pending the conclusion of the Uruguay round is to be addressed by a meeting of the textiles committee in Geneva scheduled for 16 May. The Community has recently begun to discuss the details of the mandate which will guide the Commission in that negotiation. All member states have agreed that a 17- month extension of the MFA should be sought. In the wider GATT negotiations, we hope that the good progress which was made towards a satisfactory textiles agreement at Brussels last December can be maintained now that the talks have resumed.
Football Premier League
Miss Hoey : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will refer the proposed football premier league to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.
Mr. Redwood : No. Any agreement between organisations and clubs may, however, constitute a registrable agreement under the Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1976. This would be a matter for the Director General of Fair Trading.
The Gulf (Arms Sales)
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was his Department's allocation, in each of the last five years, to that part of the British Overseas Trade Board charged with encouraging arms sales to countries in the Gulf.
Mr. Sainsbury : None. The British Overseas Trade Board has no remit specifically to promote defence sales and there is no part of the board charged with encouraging arms sales.
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the budget allocated by the British Overseas Trade Board for exporters of military equipment taking part in past arms fairs in Baghdad, Iraq for (a) travel, (b) accommodation, (c) exhibition stands, (d) shipping costs and (e) in total ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : My Department has never provided financial support for companies attending the Baghdad arms fair.
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the budget allocated by the British Overseas Trade Board for exporters of military equipment taking part in (i) Dubai '91, (ii) Arabian security and technology exhibition, Riyadh, September 1991, (iii)
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International Defence Equipment and Aviation, Ankara, 13 November 1991 and (iv) Middle East defence exhibition, Bahrain 1992 (a) for travel, (b) for hotel or accommodation, (c) for exhibition stands, (d) for shipping costs and (e) in total ; and if he will make a statement as to the entitlement of exhibitors to apply for a share of that money.Mr. Sainsbury : There is no separate budget for exporters of military equipment.
Support provided by my Department for companies participating in British groups at certain overseas trade fairs takes the form of the provision of stands at subsidised rates and contribution to the travel costs of up to two company representatives attending the fair. No provision is made for hotel or accommodation or for shipping costs.
Car Prices
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to equalise British car retail prices with those charged elsewhere in the EC ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Leigh : The Monopolies and Mergers Commission is currently investigating the United Kingdom car market, including car prices in the United Kingdom. When the Commission's report is available, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will need to consider whether there is scope for any action in the light of it.
Iraq and Libya (Arms Supplies)
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will obtain a copy of the special report commissioned by the Simon Wiesenthal Centre on western suppliers of unconventional weapons and technologies to Iraq and Libya, for his Department's library ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 24 April 1991] : My Department obtained a copy of the report last year. The report consists of information obtained from various press sources. Her Majesty's Government were aware of the information contained in the report on British companies.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Convention on the Rights of the Child
Mr. Lawrence : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 21 March, Official Report, column 192-93, to the hon. Member for Chislehurst (Mr. Sims), if he will detail the reasons why the United Kingdom has not yet ratified the United Nations convention on the rights of the child ; and if he is now able to state when it is Her Majesty's Government's intention to do so.
Mr. Hogg : In the reply of 21 March given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to my hon. Friend the Member for Chislehurst (Mr. Sims) we announced the United Kingdom mainland position in respect of the convention. We are considering with the United Kingdom islands and dependent territories their positions and when these have been established we will ratify the convention.
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Polish Resettlement Act 1946
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to reach a decision on implementing some assistance under the Polish Resettlement Act 1947.
Mr. Forth : I have been asked to reply.
The Polish Resettlement Act 1947 was passed to enable the Government of the day to look after the welfare of members of the Polish armed forces and their dependents, in recognition of their gallant service alongside their British allies in the second world war, and Polish civilian refugees.
It enabled several Government Ministries to provide help for those Poles who elected to remain in this country and seek employment, or with arrangements and financial assistance for those who wanted to return to Poland or to emigrate to a third country.
There are no proposals to re-introduce assistance.
Press and Public Relations Staff
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give for each year from 1979-80, including 1991-92, the number of staff actually employed on 1 April and the full complement of staff, including vacant posts in the press and public relations office of his Department.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The full complement of staff including posts in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office diplomatic wing news department and the aid wing press office for each year from 1979-80 is as follows :
Year |Complement --------------------------------- 1979-80 |29.0 1980-81 |28.0 1981-82 |27.0 1982-83 |26.0 1983-84 |26.0 1984-85 |26.0 1985-86 |26.5 1986-87 |25.5 1987-88 |19.0 1988-89 |18.0 1989-90 |18.0 1990-91 |18.0 1991-92 |18.0
The number of staff actually employed on 1 April 1990 and 1991 was 18. Figures for staff actually employed on 1 April in the preceding years 1979- 80 to 1989-90 are not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Iraq (Refugees)
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the latest position of insurgents and refugees in the south of Iraq and on the Iran-Iraq border ; and what aid Her Majesty's Government has sent and is proposing to send specifically for this area.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 25 April to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn).
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, once the safe havens have
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been duly established in Iraq and have been in working order for a while, he will arrange for a delegation of hon. Members to visit these sites.Mr. Douglas Hogg : We shall certainly ensure that hon. Members are kept fully informed of progress on the establishment of safe havens for Iraqi refugees and shall consider how this can best be done, if appropriate by including visits to the sites.
Nuclear Suppliers Group
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the purpose of the meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group in the Hague on 5 to 7 March ; who represented the United Kingdom ; when the previous Nuclear Suppliers Group meeting was held ; what plans were made for the next Nuclear Suppliers Group meeting ; and if he will make a statement on the role of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The meeting of states adhering to the Nuclear Suppliers Group guidelines focused on the strengthening of existing nuclear -related export controls and possible expansion of the group. Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Energy and the Department of Trade and Industry represented the United Kingdom. The last meeting of the full group had been in 1978. The participants in the recent meeting agreed to meet again in the future, but no firm date was set. The role of the group is to draw up and administer guidelines for the control of nuclear-related exports.
Hong Kong
Mr. Anthony Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the annual report on Hong Kong will be laid before Parliament.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The report is being published and laid before Parliament today. Copies will be placed in the Library of the House.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Doncaster Benefits Office
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what has been the overall cost to date of the computerisation of the payment system of benefits to claimants at his Department's offices in the Doncaster area ; and what will be the final cost on completion of the system.
Miss Widdecombe : The computerisation of the social security payment system, otherwise known as the operational strategy, is being undertaken on a nationwide basis and it is therefore impracticable to apportion development costs to any one location.
Widowed Parent Allowance
Mr. Hayward : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what would be the annual cost of extending widowed mothers' allowance to widowed fathers where at least one of the children is under five years ;
(2) what would be the annual cost of extending widowed mothers' allowance to widowed fathers where at least one of the children is under 11 years.
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Miss Widdecombe : It is not possible to estimate accurately the cost of extending the widowed mothers' allowance to widowed fathers for those with children in the specified age groups.Appeals
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what information he has concerning the delays in weeks between the notification of appeals against the decisions taken by adjudication officers on (a) claims for benefit relating to vibration white finger disability and other manual-occupation inflicted disability and (b) claims for the payment of arrears of reduced earnings allowance, in local DSS offices in Stranraer, Greenock and Port Glasgow, and the hearing of such appeals by social security appeals tribunals and medical appeals tribunals ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Scott : The question of delay between appeal and hearing involves not only the Department of Social Security but also the office of the president of social security appeal tribunal, which is independent of the Department and falls within the responsibility of the Lord Chancellor. Information as to the time taken to prepare appeals for hearing of specific benefits, by specific local offices is not kept and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Family Credit
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 15 April, Official Report, column 91, how many family credit entitlements of less than 50p a week were decided in 1990 ; and what would be the cost of (a) paying family credit of less than 50p a week and (b) entitling families with such awards to social fund payments and remission of NHS charges.
Mr. Jack : Information is not readily available for the whole of 1990 as retrieval from records could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Information for the period from August 1990 to date indicates there are about 4,800 claims for family credit a year where the entitlement is less than 50p a week and therefore is not payable.
The cost of paying the assessed entitlement in those cases would be around £30,000 a year. There would also be additional administration costs.
Non-entitlement to family credit does not prevent some further help being given to families. For example, help with NHS charges is also available to anyone on a low income through the NHS low income scheme. People can also apply for crisis loans from the social fund whether or not they are in receipt of family credit, and if they are in receipt of housing benefit or community charge benefit, they can also receive funeral payments. The additional cost of entitling families with family credit awards of less than 50p to maternity and funeral payments from the social fund and to automatic full remission of NHS charges would depend on the extent to which they were already entitled to such benefits and to the extent to which they needed to make use of them. From information available about social fund maternity and funeral payments to existing family credit recipients the extra cost is estimated at around £20,000 a year at 1990-91 levels. Information is not available to enable estimates to be made on the same basis in respect of remission of NHS charges.
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Severe Hardship Provision
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list, for the latest available date, the numbers of 16 and 17-year- olds for whom a direction was made enabling income support to be awarded under the severe hardship provision who were (a) living independently and (b) in lodgings.
Mr. Jack : The latest information available, for the four weeks commencing 25 March 1991, shows that 2,240 directions enabling income support to be awarded to young people living independently were made under the severe hardship provision. Of those, 308 were made to those in board and lodging accommodation and 223 to those in hostels, including night shelters.
Appeals
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many appeals were heard by social security appeal tribunals in each month since January 1990 ; in how many cases no presenting officer appeared ; and what information he has regarding the outcome of these appeals compared with those where a presenting officer was present.
Miss Widdecombe : The information is not available in the form requested.
Statistics relating to social security appeal tribunal hearings are collated on a quarterly basis. The latest figures available are for the quarter ending 31 March 1990, when there were 17,851 hearings. No figures are available on the number of cases at which a presenting officer was not present, although it would be exceptional for a presenting officer not to be in attendance.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Salmon Catches
Mr. Onslow : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the latest provisional figures available to his Department for salmon catches by all methods in United Kingdom waters, and what were the comparable figures for previous years.
Mr. Curry : The provisional catch data for salmon in the United Kingdom during 1990 has recently been estimated at 943.5 tonnes. The components of the catch are calculated as follows :
|Tonnes
--------------------------------
England and Wales |297
Scotland |542.5
Northern Ireland |104
All data are provisional since not all catch returns have been received.
Responsibility for the publication of salmon catch data for England and Wales now rests with the National Rivers Authority, which is expected to publish detailed figures for 1989 shortly. Figures for 1989 in Scotland and Northern Ireland are already available. Data for earlier years in respect of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, have been published by the fisheries departments, and are available in the Library of the House.
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Spray Irrigation
Mr. Onslow : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent discussions his officials have had with the National Farmers Union and Country Landowners Association about the need to ban spray irrigation in certain areas during the coming summer months.
Mr. Curry : Officials have had numerous discussions recently with the National Farmers Union and the Country Landowners Association and with the National Rivers Authority and other interested organisations. The objective has been to encourage responsible water use in order to avoid, if at all possible, the complete ban on abstraction for spray irrigation which was imposed in some areas in 1990.
Press and Public Relations Staff
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give for each year from 1979-80, including 1991-92, the number of staff actually employed on 1 April and the full complement of staff, including vacant posts in the press and public relations office of his Department.
Mr. Curry : The information requested for the press office in my Department is as follows :
|Staff-in-post|Complement
--------------------------------------------------------
1979-80 |<1>- |22
1980-81 |<1>- |22
1981-82 |<1>- |20
1982-83 |<1>- |20
1983-84 |<1>- |24
1984-85 |<1>- |24
1985-86 |<1>- |24
1986-87 |<1>- |24
1987-88 |<1>- |27
1988-89 |<1>- |27
1989-90 |24 |26
1990-91 |23 |24
1991-92 |22 |22
<1> Staff-in-post records prior to 1989-90 do not
distinguish between
staff dealing with press and public relations matters
and other
information division staff.
In addition, approximately five staff years are devoted to press and public relations activities within the regional organisation.
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Foxes
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will institute a review of the nuisance experienced by farmers from predation by foxes, and of the means of fox control needed by farmers so as to limit that nuisance ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : No reviews of the nuisance experienced by farmers from predation by foxes or of the methods of fox control are planned.
Montgomeryshire
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food further to his statement in the debate of 18 April, Official Report, column 602, when he last paid an official visit to Montgomeryshire.
Mr. Gummer : I visited Montgomeryshire on 21 March 1987 and 27 April 1988, as Minister of State in this Department.
Net Limitation Orders
Mr. Onslow : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what net limitation orders are currently in force in the Northumbria sea fisheries area ; and when these are due for renewal.
Mr. Curry : There is one such order to limit netting for salmon and migratory trout, made under section 26 of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975. This is the Northumbrian Water Authority (Limitation of Net Licences) Order 1981. This order expires in February 1992.
SCOTLAND
Health Service
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many doctors, nurses and ancillary workers were employed in hospitals in East Lothian during the first three months of 1981 and 1991, respectively.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Information on staffing levels is not available centrally on a monthly or quarterly basis.
Strathclyde Police
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the percentage change in the number of crimes in the K division of Strathclyde police for each year since 1980, and for each category of crime.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The information is given in the following table :
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Number of crimes and offences recorded by the police and percentage change for each year since 1980
K division, Strathclyde region police authority
|1980 |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988 |1989 |1990
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Numbers
Total crimes and offences |29,068|28,784|31,390|30,256|33,534|32,758|34,372|36,125|33,301|36,007|37,332
Total crimes |16,224|17,330|19,491|19,113|21,633|21,350|22,031|23,346|21,758|23,555|25,943
Group 1 non-sexual crimes of
violence |337 |419 |443 |499 |575 |584 |595 |820 |714 |630 |749
Group 2 crimes of indecency |173 |178 |148 |128 |163 |162 |130 |150 |117 |138 |134
Group 3 crimes of dishonesty |12,430|13,662|15,500|14,831|16,526|15,998|16,594|17,901|16,738|18,048|19,948
Group 4 fire-raising, vandalism etc. |3,081 |2,817 |3,103 |3,342 |4,007 |4,141 |4,238 |3,857 |3,443 |3,912 |3,967
Group 5 other crimes |203 |254 |297 |313 |362 |465 |474 |618 |746 |827 |1,145
Total offences |12,844|11,454|11,899|11,143|11,901|11,408|12,341|12,779|11,543|12,452|11,389
Group 6 miscelleaneous offences |5,334 |5,291 |5,170 |5,071 |5,305 |5,500 |5,893 |5,844 |5,412 |5,169 |4,594
Group 7 motor vehicle offences |7,510 |6,163 |6,729 |6,072 |6,596 |5,908 |6,448 |6,935 |6,131 |7,283 |6,795
Annual percentage change
Total crimes and offences |- |-1 |9 |-4 |11 |-2 |5 |5 |-8 |8 |4
Total crimes |- |7 |12 |-2 |13 |-1 |3 |6 |-7 |8 |10
Group 1 non-sexual crimes of
violence |- |24 |6 |13 |15 |2 |2 |38 |-13 |-12 |19
Group 2 crimes of indecency |- |3 |-17 |-14 |27 |-1 |-20 |15 |-22 |18 |-3
Group 3 crimes of dishonesty |- |10 |13 |-4 |11 |-3 |4 |8 |-6 |8 |11
Group 4 fire-raising, vandalism etc. |- |-9 |10 |8 |20 |3 |2 |-9 |-11 |14 |1
Group 5 other crimes |- |25 |17 |5 |16 |28 |2 |30 |21 |11 |38
Total offences |- |-11 |4 |-6 |7 |-4 |8 |4 |-10 |8 |-9
Group 6 miscelleaneous offences |- |-1 |-2 |-2 |5 |4 |7 |-1 |-7 |-4 |-11
Group 7 motor vehicle offences |- |-18 |9 |-10 |9 |-10 |9 |8 |-12 |19 |-7
Source: Reports of the chief constable of Strathclyde.
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people have been charged over the last five years for drug-related offences in the K division of Strathclyde police ; and what is the rate of such charges in K division relative to other Strathclyde police divisions.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Information on numbers of persons charged is not held centrally.
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many car thefts were reported in the K division of Strathclyde police in the last five years.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The available information is given in the following table.
Number of thefts of motor
vehicles recorded by the
police K division,
Strathclyde region police
authority
Year |Number
|recorded
---------------------------
1986 |1,573
1987 |1,310
1988 |1,470
1989 |1,978
1990 |2,106
Source: Reports of the
chief constable of
Strathclyde.
Legal System
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons were (a) recruited to the procurator fiscal service in the past year, (b) how many left because of retirement age and (c) how many resigned for other than retirement reasons.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : In the year from 1 April 1990 to 31 March 1991 (a) 94 persons were recruited to the procurator fiscal service, (b) eight retired, and (c) 62 resigned. These figures refer to all staff in the procurator fiscal service.
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the Crown Office policy on plea bargaining.
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Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : "Plea bargaining" is generally understood to involve an agreement whereby an accused will tender pleas in return for an assurance as to the sentence which will then be imposed by the court. No such arrangements can be made in Scotland and accordingly "plea bargaining" is an inappropriate term in Scotland. The prosecution does retain the right in the public interest to abandon proceedings, amend the charges, or accept a partial plea of guilty, at any stage prior to the final determination of proceedings. This may be done by the prosecutor for a variety of reasons. As with the decision to institute proceedings, it is left to the discretion of advocate deputes or procurators fiscal. In specified circumstances individual prosecutors may be required to consult senior members of the procurator fiscal service, Crown counsel or the law officers before taking such a course.
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many criminal trials in the past six months started within 10 days of the legal termination that would have been applied by the 110-day rule.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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