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Investment
24. Mr. Cran : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how has the level of total investment within the United Kingdom economy changed since 1980.
Mr. Norman Lamont : Total investment in the United Kingdom at constant prices grew by over 47 per cent. between 1980 and 1990.
Productivity
26. Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when in the last 30 years was whole economy productivity at a lower level than it is now.
Mr. Mellor : In every year but 1988 whole economy productivity was lower than in 1990.
Energy Efficiency
28. Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to implement the recommendations of the Energy Committee's third report of this Session on energy efficiency in respect of taxation policies.
Mr. Maude : The Government will be giving their response to the Select Committee's report in the normal way.
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Aggregate Dredging, Solent
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much aggregate was dredged in the Solent in 1990 ; and what were the comparable figures for each of the last 10 years.
Mr. Norman Lamont : The information is as follows :
Year |Quantity Dredged --------------------------------------------------- 1980 |891,747 1981 |581,164 1982 |542,756 1983 |502,854 1984 |540,123 1985 |410,416 1986 |438,557 1987 |411,233 1988 |336,011 1989 |268,345 1990 |324,345
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Crown estate earned from aggregate dredging in the Solent in 1990.
Mr. Norman Lamont : The Crown estate earned £117,358 from marine aggregate dredging licences for the Solent in 1990.
Direct Taxation
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any plans further to reduce direct taxation ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maude : It remains our objective to reduce the basic rate of income tax to 20p in the pound.
Value Added Tax
Sir Geoffrey Finsberg : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what powers he possesses to veto proposals from the Customs and Excise authorities should they wish to change a valued added tax band in which any item is placed, and where the consent of the European Commission is not required.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Any proposal to alter the provisions of the VAT Act would be a matter for Parliament. Care and management of the tax is, however, specifically laid by statute to the commissioners of Customs and Excise and this includes interpretation of the existing provisions of the Act. The proper convention is that Ministers do not intervene in such matters. Disputes about interpretation of the provisions of the Act are subject to reviews by independent VAT tribunals.
Profit-sharing Share Schemes
Mr. Gregory : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many companies currently operate a profit-sharing share scheme ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Of 1,943 all-employee share schemes approved by the Inland Revenue up to 30 April 1991, 966 were profit-sharing schemes. Any such scheme
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may relate to one or more companies, and I regret that information about the total number of companies covered is not readily available and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.In the year to 31 March 1990, shares worth £380 million were appropriated under approved profit sharing schemes to 850,000 employees.
Rating Valuation
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the results of the work undertaken by the Valuation Office due for completion on 10 May under rating circular No. 58 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maples [holding answer 13 May 1991] : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary on 2 May, Official Report, column 299.
Platform Yards
Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total cost to Her Majesty's Exchequer for the building of (a) the platform yard at Hunterston, Ayrshire, and (b) other platform yards in Scotland in the periods 1975 to 1978 and 1978 to date.
Mr. Moynihan : I have been asked to reply.
Under the Offshore Petroleum Development (Scotland) Act 1975 expenditure was incurred on Portavadie and Hunterston. The trading account for the year ended 31 March 1986 indicated expenditure of £29.2 million, of which £22.8 million was incurred between 1975 and 1978. A breakdown between the two yards is not readily available. Any financial support for other platform yards in Scotland is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Scotland.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Milk Quotas
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish in the Official Report the national milk quotas for all EC countries ; and what information he has on the degree to which member states have succeeded in enforcing them.
Mr. Curry : Details of the milk quotas available to each member state of the EC are set out in the table. The Commission's proposal for quota reductions of about 2 per cent. have not been taken into account. It is for the EC Commission to ensure that the quota regulations are enforced by member states and expenditure from the European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund may be disallowed if infringements are discovered. In 1988, the latest year for which accounts have been cleared, disallowances were made in respect of expenditure by Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands ; the Commission has reserved its position in relation to Ireland, where court action is outstanding.
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All figures in tonnes
(A) (B) (C) (A)-(B)+(C)
Member states Wholesale Quota Community reserve quota Total available Direct sales
|quota before |suspended by |wholesale quota|quota
|suspension |regulation
|1991-92 |775/87 |(a) |(b) |(c)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Belgium |3,089,751 |144,495 |- |5,511 |32,110 |2,982,877 |380,809
Denmark |4,686,720 |219,690 |- |8,064 |48,820 |4,523,914 |970
Germany total (of |29,118,960 |1,360,215 |- |135,000 |234,230 |28,127,975 |153,100
which former GDR)(6,599,880) |(306,180) |- |- |- |- |(60,000)
Greece |555,520 |24,165 |- |- |5,370 |536,725 |4,620
Spain |4,664,000 |209,250 |50,000 |- |46,500 |4,551,250 |527,500
Portugal |1,779,000 |- |- |- |- |1,779,000 |121,000
France |24,708,640 |1,153,530 |- |53,672 |256,340 |23,865,122 |747,780
Ireland |5,068,800 |237,600 |303,000 |98,881 |52,800 |5,285,881 |15,520
Italy |8,796,080 |395,910 |- |- |87,980 |8,488,150 |732,520
Luxembourg |254,400 |11,925 |25,000 |674 |2,650 |270,799 |970
Netherlands |11,499,840 |539,055 |- |40,141 |119,790 |11,120,716 |92,150
United Kingdom |14,716,391 |689,831 |65,000 |160,290 |153,296 |14,405,146 |383,563
European Community 12 108,938,102 4,985,666 443,000 502,233 1,039,886 105,937,555 3,160,502
Footnotes:
(a) Determined in accordance with Article 5c(4) of Council Regulation 804/68.
(b) "SLOM" quota issued under Council Regulation (EEC) No. 764/89.
(c) Additional quota allocated for 1989/90 and subsequent years under Council Regulation (EEC) No. 3880/89.
Fishing Fleet
Dr. Godman : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the extent of the required reduction of the United Kingdom's fishing fleet in percentage terms in relation to gross registered tonnes and engine power, under the European Community's multi-annual guidance programme in 1991 and 1992 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Curry : The United Kingdom's current multi-annual guidance programme is being amended to reflect the number of registered, as opposed to active, fishing vessels, and the final 1991 target is not available. The 1992-96 MAGP has not yet been promulgated.
Dumping at Sea
Mr. Steen : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether permission has been granted to a private firm to dump 2,000 cu. m. of spoil off Bolt head ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Curry : An application for a licence to dump dredged material off Bolt head has been received and is under consideration.
Mr. Steen : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he is taking to protect the coastal waters off South Devon from spoil dumping at sea.
Mr. Curry : Under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 no disposal of dredged material is permitted without a licence. In determining whether to issue a licence for any site in England and Wales, the Ministry must have regard to the need to protect the marine environment, the living resources which it supports and human health, to the need to prevent interference with legitimate uses of the sea and to the practical availability of any alternative methods of dealing with the material.
Regulations
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether it is normal practice for his Ministry to circulate relevant regulations to local authorities.
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Mr. Gummer : Legislation relevant to local authorities is publicised in a number of ways, including direct contact with local authority associations and their co-ordinating bodies. Printed copies are available from HMSO, but are not normally circulated by my Department.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Border Roads
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many border roads have been closed by order of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland during the past five years ; and if he will state the roads which have been closed.
Dr. Mawhinney : The information is not readily available in the format requested and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. There are, however, 291 recognised border crossing points, 98 of which are subject to closure orders. Seventy-five of these crossings are currently closed.
Conservation
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the enhancement strategies in respect of the conservation areas in Killough, Strangford, Ardglass, Saintfield, Killyleagh and Rostrevor will be published ; and what action will be taken in respect of this matter.
Mr. Needham : The information is as follows :
(a) Killough : A draft enhancement strategy was forwarded by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland to the village committee for comment in September 1990 and the Department is awaiting a reply.
(b) Strangford : The Department intends to finalise the draft enhancement strategy for June 1991 and the document will then be presented to the village committee for their comments.
(c) Killyleagh : Has not yet been designated as a conservation area but is included in the designation programme for 1991-92 and an architectural consultant has been appointed to prepare design guidance for the conservation area.
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The Department of Environment's intention, subject to availability of resources, is to complete designation and enhancement strategies for Ardglass, Saintfield and the extension to the Rostrevor conservation area boundary within the next five years.Employment Statistics
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the numbers employed in each district council area on a monthly basis from 1 April 1986 to 31 March 1991 according to the information collected by the Government Statistical Service.
Mr. Needham : Comprehensive information on the number of employees in employment by district council area is available only from the census of employment, currently conducted every two years. Information from the census for September 1987 and 1989 is :
District Council |September |September
|1987 |1989
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Derry |28,200 |30,000
Limavady |5,900 |6,500
Coleraine |15,800 |16,900
Ballymoney |5,300 |5,300
Moyle |2,100 |2,400
Larne |7,100 |7,400
Ballymena |19,200 |20,100
Magherafelt |8,600 |9,700
Cookstown |5,600 |5,900
Strabane |6,900 |7,400
Omagh |12,100 |12,500
Fermanagh |12,400 |14,300
Dungannon |11,000 |12,400
Craigavon |27,100 |28,000
Armagh |12,900 |12,600
Newry and Mourne |18,400 |19,500
Banbridge |7,100 |7,100
Down |13,000 |13,500
Lisburn |25,400 |26,700
Antrim |11,800 |12,000
Newtownabbey |20,900 |23,200
Carrickfergus |5,700 |5,800
North Down |14,200 |15,200
Ards |14,300 |16,200
Castlereagh |17,800 |18,800
Belfast |159,900 |159,700
Northern Ireland |488,700 |509,100
(1) Figures relate to employees in employment and exclude
Agriculture.
(2) Employment figures are rounded to the nearest 100 and may
not add due to rounding.
(3) Source: NI Census of Employment.
(4) 1989 figures are provisional and may be subject to revision.
Electricity Privatisation
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consideration of public policy underlay his decision not to offer the people in Northern Ireland and elsewhere the opportunity to apply for share ownership in the privatised electricity generating industry in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Needham : The Government, having considered with their advisers all possible methods of sale, decided that sale of the power stations by private treaty was more appropriate than a public flotation. The main reason for this is the size of the individual generation businesses which makes them unsuitable for sale by flotation.
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Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will suspend the privatisation of Northern Ireland Electricity until the European Community directive to reduce emissions from power stations to meet EC regulations is met.
Mr. Needham : No. Legislation which will give effect to the large combustion plant directive in Northern Ireland is already in preparation and will be operative before the completion of arrangements for the privatisation of NIE. Accordingly, I see no reason why progress on the privatisation should be delayed on that account.
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make it his policy, in the light of the impending privatisation of Northern Ireland Electricity, to answer questions on the day-to-day running of that company during the two years immediately prior to flotation and sale.
Mr. Needham : The existing arrangements for answering hon. Members' questions on aspects of Northern Ireland Electricity's operations will remain unchanged while that organisation is in the public sector.
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when refurbishment of Northern Ireland Electricity headquarters in Belfast is expected to be completed.
Mr. Needham : NIE advises that the work is expected to be completed by the end of May 1991.
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the projected budget for advertising and marketing the privatisation of Northern Ireland Electricity.
Mr. Needham : The details of the marketing and advertising campaign have not yet been drawn up and therefore there is no budget.
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations were received from the trade unions in Northern Ireland Electricity regarding the proposals to privatise Northern Ireland Electricity.
Mr. Needham : Since the publication of the Government's proposals, representations have been received from the trade unions in which they have sought assurances about the future rights of members of the NIE pension scheme and asked that the unions be consulted on this and other matters affecting their members' interests. Representations have also been received to the effect that work on the privatisation should be suspended pending the outcome of the current political talks.
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether ministerial approval was sought by Northern Ireland Electricity for expenditure on refurbishment of its headquarters.
Mr. Needham : Northern Ireland Electricity is required to seek approval for major capital items and approval for expenditure on the refurbishment of NIE headquarters was sought and given.
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether copies of all consultants' reports commissioned by Northern Ireland Electricity have been
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made available to the Department of Economic Development (NI) ; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each report commissioned related to NIE in the last two years.Mr. Needham : NIE has made available to the Department of Economic Development copies of those reports commissioned by NIE which are considered to be significant. These are commercially confidential and a decision to publish would lie with NIE.
Electricity Generation
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the daily average percentage of Northern Ireland's electricity generated at Ballylumford power station, Kilroot power station, Belfast West power station and Coolkeeragh power station.
Mr. Needham : The daily average percentage of electricity generated by each of Northern Ireland Electricity's power stations fluctuates widely depending on the price of fuel at the time and maintenance and other routine requirements. During the year ended 31 March 1991, the percentage of electricity generated by Northern Ireland Electricity's four power stations was as follows :
|Number
---------------------------
Ballylumford |51
Kilroot |32
Belfast West |10
Coolkeeragh |7
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what media and other channels of communication will be used in the marketing of the four Northern Ireland power stations.
Mr. Needham : The details of the marketing arrangements for the four power stations have not yet been finalised and this has not yet been decided.
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether any refurbishment or redecoration of offices at (a) Kilroot power station, (b) Belfast West power station, (c) Coolkeeragh power station and (d) Ballylumford power station is planned before privatisation of electricity generation in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Needham : NIE advises that no further office refurbishment at Kilroot and Coolkeeragh power stations is planned beyond the routine work recently completed. The present work at Belfast West will complete a general update of the station and no further work is planned before privatisation. No refurbishment of the offices at Ballylumford is planned before privatisation.
Schools and Colleges (Rates)
Mr. Stott : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total rates bill for grant-aided secondary schools and further education colleges in each of the five education and library boards in the 1991-92 financial year.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 14 May 1991] : The information is as follows :
Estimated expenditure on rates by education and library boards-1991-92
|Belfast |North |South |Southern|Western
|Eastern |Eastern
|£ 000s |£ 000s |£ 000s |£ 000s |£ 000s
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Secondary Schools |2,610 |3,192 |2,161 |2,600 |2,025
Further Education |626 |683 |456 |593 |400
SCOTLAND
Dampness
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessments he has made of the efficiency of erecting false walls as a remedy for dampness in local authority housing.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : It is for local authorities themselves to draw up programmes for tackling dampness and condensation in their housing stock and to take account of the relevance and effectiveness of particular repair methods adopted. The Scottish Office has in recent years undertaken or commissioned research, and published the findings, relating to condensation in public authority housing and the assessment of available thermal upgrading or other remedial measures. In addition, a considerable amount of guidance on these issues has been published by other bodies including the Building Research Establishment.
Foxes
Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total amount of grant paid to fox destruction clubs in each of the past five years.
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Mr. Michael Forsyth : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 1 November 1990, Official Report, column 723.
Manufacturing Job Losses
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total net job loss in manufacturing in (a) Scotland, (b) Strathclyde and (c) the Paisley travel-to-work area since 1979 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Allan Stewart : Between 1979 and 1989, the net job losses in manufacturing in Scotland, Strathclyde region and Paisley totalled 209,500, 138,800 and 14,600 respectively. As Paisley is part of the Glasgow travel- to-work-area, the figures given relate to plants with a Paisley postcode.
The table shows components of change in manufacturing employment between 1979 and 1989 in Scotland, Strathclyde region and Paisley. It takes account of job gains due to new openings and the expansion of existing plants ; and job losses due to closures and contractions. These figures should be regarded as provisional, as they may change when more data become available.
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x
Components of change in manufacturing employment between 1979 and 1989
thousands
Stock in Gains Losses Stock in Net change Percentage
|19179 |1989 |Net change
|Opening |Expansion |Closure |Contraction
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scotland |563.2 |59.7 |42.7 |188.0 |123.9 |353.7 |-209.5 |-37
Strathclyde |307.4 |31.4 |17.8 |111.8 |76.2 |168.6 |-138.8 |-45
Paisley |19.1 |0.3 |0.4 |11.9 |3.4 |4.5 |-14.6 |-76
Source: The Scottish Office Industry Department Regional Data System.
Disabled People
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the percentages of disabled staff employed in the Scottish Office in each year since 1981 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : The information is as follows :
Year |Per cent. ------------------------------ 1981 |1.63 1982 |1.65 1983 |1.32 1984 |1.20 1985 |1.50 1986 |1.70 1987 |1.70 1988 |1.40 1989 |1.40 1990 |1.20 1991 |1.40
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.
Rents
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will publish a table showing the average weekly rental charge for houses owned by (a) Renfrew district council and (b) Scottish Homes or its predecessor in each year since 1975 ;
(2) if he will publish a table showing the average rise in weekly rental charges for houses owned by (a) Renfrew district council and (b) Scottish Homes or its predecessor in each year since 1975.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The average standard rent per dwelling per week set by Renfrew district council and by the Scottish Special Housing Association and Scottish Homes and the annual increase in average standard rent per dwelling per week set by these authorities for the years requested are shown in the table :
Renfrew District CSSHA/Scottish Homes
Year |rent |rent |rent |rent
|increase |increase
|£ |£ |£ |£
------------------------------------------------------
1975-76 |- |- |3.11 |0.50
1976-77 |- |- |3.70 |0.59
1977-78 |- |- |4.31 |0.61
1978-79 |3.93 |- |4.84 |0.53
1979-80 |4.43 |0.50 |5.43 |0.59
1980-81 |5.34 |0.91 |7.21 |1.78
1981-82 |7.19 |1.85 |9.15 |1.94
1982-83 |8.10 |0.91 |11.26 |2.11
1983-84 |8.33 |0.23 |11.96 |0.70
1984-85 |8.81 |0.48 |13.06 |1.10
1985-86 |9.81 |0.10 |14.23 |1.17
1986-87 |11.50 |1.69 |15.79 |1.56
1987-88 |12.99 |1.49 |17.28 |1.49
1988-89 |13.92 |0.93 |19.02 |1.74
1989-90 |15.97 |1.95 |20.65 |1.63
1990-91 |18.42 |2.55 |23.35 |2.70
1991-92 |21.10 |2.68 |26.51 |3.16
Notes: (1) Average rents for Renfrew District Council
are based
on the estimated position as at 30 September in each
year.
Comparable data are not available for the years
before 1978-79. The
data for 1991-92 are provisional.
(2) Average rents for the SSHA are based on the
position as at 30
September for the years 1975-76 to 1981-82, as at 30
June for 1982-83,
and as at 1 April for subsequent years. Average rents
for Scottish
Homes are based on the position as at 1 April for
both 1990-91 and
1991-92.
Economic Development (Renfrew)
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what specific plans he has to promote economic development within Renfrew district ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Allan Stewart : The Government are promoting locally based economic development in Renfrew district through substantial assistance to Scottish Enterprise and Renfrewshire Enterprise Company, and through public support for Paisley and Renfrew Enterprise Trust. The Government will continue to invest in the public sector contribution to infrastructure necessary to support further economic development. The district has also benefited from substantial inward investment projects assisted by the Government through Locate in Scotland. Other general measures to help increase industrial efficiency and competitiveness will bring benefit to Renfrew.
Press Office
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the guidelines used to govern the activities of his press office ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : My press office operates under the same rules as govern the activities of other civil servants, namely, the civil service pay and conditions of service code and the December 1987 Armstrong note on the duties and responsibilities of civil servants in relation to Ministers. Information officers are involved, as a proper part of their duties, in the processes of presentation of Government policies and decisions.
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Interior Soft Landscaping
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total expenditure on interior soft landscaping in each unit under Scottish Office control for the last 10 years ; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Lang : The amount spent on plants as part of internal furnishing in office buildings occupied by the Scottish Office in the last two years was as follows :
|£
----------------------
1989-90 |12,124
1990-91 |1,994
Information on earlier years is not readily available.
Textiles
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to promote the manufacture in Paisley of articles in the paisley pattern ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Allan Stewart : My right hon. Friend has no specific plans to promote the manufacture of articles in the paisley pattern. However, there are various forms of assistance and advice available to manufacturing companies in the Paisley area from the Scottish Office industry department, Scottish Enterprise and Renfrewshire Enterprise.
Pensioners' Homes
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the proportion of pensioners' homes in Scotland lacking basic draughtproofing or insulation ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Information on which to base such an estimate is not held centrally.
Employment Prospects, Renfrew
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has taken to improve the employment prospects of young people in Renfrew district ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Allan Stewart : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 13 May at column 51 .
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