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Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give for (a) 1979-80, (b) 1983-84,
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(c) 1987-88 and (d) 1991-92 the average number of claimants in receipt of (i) benefits paid to disabled people and (ii) benefits paid to retired people.Mr. Scott : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Maidstone (Miss Widdecombe), on 9 March 1992 at columns 422-23.
Income Support
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the cost of raising the income support personal allowance to the level of the personal allowance for those aged 25 years and over for people aged (a) 18, (b) 19, (c) 20, (d) 21, (e) 22, (f) 23 and (g) 24 years.
Miss Widdecombe : The estimated disaggregated costs are shown in the table.
Benefit (£ million)
Age |IS |CCB |HB |Total
------------------------------------
18 |55 |5 |- |60
19 |60 |5 |5 |65
20 |50 |- |- |50
21 |40 |- |5 |50
22 |35 |- |5 |40
23 |35 |- |5 |40
24 |30 |- |5 |35
|--- |--- |--- |---
Total |305 |15 |25 |340
Source: Data shown from the 1987-89
family expenditure surveys and
the 1990 annual statistical inquiry,
modelled at 1992-93 prices and
benefit levels.
Notes:
1. Figures have been rounded to the
nearest £5 million. Because of
this individual columns or lines do
not necessarily sum.
2. - Indicates a cost of less than
£2.5 million.
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many recipients of income support who have a child included in their assessment of entitlement are aged (a) 18 to 19, (b) 20, (c) 21, (d) 22, (e) 23 and (f) 24 years.
Miss Widdecombe : The information requested is shown in the table.
Income support recipients who
have children
Age group |Number of
|claimants
|(000's)
------------------------------
18 to 19 |42
20 |33
21 |39
22 |40
23 |51
24 |53
Note: All figures are rounded
to the nearest thousand.
Source: Annual statistical
inquiry May 1990.
Housing Benefit
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many recipients of housing benefit who are also receiving income support are aged (a) 16-17, (b) 18-19, (c) 20, (d) 21, (e) 22, (f) 23 and (g) 24 years ;
(2) how many recipients of housing benefit are aged (a) 16-17, (b) 18-19, (c) 20, (d) 21, (e) 22, (f) 23 and (g) 24 years.
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Miss Widdecombe : The available estimates are in the table :
Number of housing benefit recipients in Great
Britain-May 1990
Age of |With |Without |All cases
recipient |income |income
|support |support
--------------------------------------------------
16-17 |5,100 |2,900 |8,000
18-19 |37,600 |25,400 |63,000
20 |32,200 |32,000 |64,200
21 |38,800 |36,900 |75,700
22 |43,000 |30,000 |73,000
23 |52,500 |19,100 |71,600
24 |50,800 |14,800 |65,600
|------- |------- |-------
Total |260,100 |161,100 |421,200
Source: The Housing Benefit and Community Charge
Benefit
Management Information System annual 1 per cent.
sample.
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the extent to which local authorities have complied with the requirements of regulation 66 of Housing Benefits (General) Regulations 1987 ; what is the effect of non-compliance on voted expenditure for subsidies in respect of authorities' benefit expenditure ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Newton : I am aware that in the years 1989-90, 1990-91 and 1991- 92 some local authorities in Great Britain have not complied with the requirements of the regulations and have continued to make awards of benefit without undertaking reviews at the prescribed time. In such cases, the effect of the regulations is that authorities are only entitled to direct subsidy at the rate proper for overpayments resulting from the authorities' error ; 15 per cent. of benefit expenditure in respect of allowances and rebates not paid through the housing revenue accounts and nil in respect of rebates paid through the housing revenues accounts. Subsidy which has been paid in excess of these rates has not therefore been paid in accordance with the full requirements of the regulations.
In the vast majority of cases, however, it is likely that the overrun awards represented the claimants' correct benefit entitlements and would have attracted full subsidy had the awarding authorities complied with the review requirements in the regulations. I therefore propose that authorities should examine all overdue review cases and bring them to account by 5 October 1992. In cases where authorities have awarded more benefit than they would if they had carried out reviews at the prescribed time, they will receive reduced subsidy in the normal way. Where, however there would have been no change in benefit following a review at the prescribed time, I propose to allow full subsidy. From 5 October, I propose to introduce a new subsidy penalty for failure to comply with regulation 66, in addition to those already in place for overpayments. The new penalty will be proportionate to the number of cases outstanding and the length of time they remain unreviewed.
Subject to consultation with the local authority associations and the local authorities about these proposals, the necessary provisions will be brought forward in the relevant subsidy order and determinations.
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Land Purchase (Blackpool)
Sir Peter Blaker : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects to be able to announce the result of the negotiations between the Information Technology Services Agency and Blackpool borough council regarding the purchase of land at Peel Corner.
Mr. Jack : We are pleased to say that Blackpool borough council has agreed in principle to the sale of land at junction 4 (Peel Hill), Blackpool to the Information Technology Services Agency. Negotiations are continuing and if finalised they should ensure the retention in the area of some 2,500 jobs and the further prospect of some 250 new jobs, over the next few years. We understand that it is hoped that contracts will be exchanged in the next few weeks.
Pension Funds
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what investigations his Department is under-taking into the pension funds managed by members of the family of Jacob and Jeremiah Harouni ; and if he will make a statement.
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Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 5 March 1992] : The Department does not undertake investigations into the management of pension funds. The Occupational Pensions Board monitors the ability of contracted- out schemes to meet their guaranteed minimum pension liabilities. From the limited information available the board is unable to trace a contracted-out scheme in which either Jacob or Jeremiah Harouni is involved.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Institute of Chartered Accountants
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the inspectors' reports which have been passed to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, with the date on which each report was passed to the institute.
Mr. Redwood : The information requested is as follows, updating the reply I gave to the hon. Member on 3 July 1991, Official Report, column 160 :
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Name of company |Report sent |Decision notified ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Milbury plc |26 October 1988 |17 February 1992 Westminster Property Group Ltd. 2 Minet Holdings plc |13 August 1990 WMD Underwriting Agencies Ltd. 3 Alexander Howden Holdings plc |13 August 1990 4 The Greenbank Trust plc |19 June 1990 |11 June 1991 5 Aldermanbury Trust plc |31 January 1991 6 Sound Diffusion plc |15 March 1991 7 The Animal Defence Society Ltd. |14 March 1991 |22 July 1991 8 Rotaprint plc |5 July 1991 9 The Milford Docks Company |16 January 1992 10 BOM Holdings plc |26 February 1992
British and Commonwealth
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the cost so far of his Department's investigation into the collapse of British and Commonwealth.
Mr. Redwood : Inspectors were appointed on 15 June 1990 under section 432 of the Companies Act 1985 to investigate and report on the affairs of Atlantic Computers plc and Atlantic Computer Systems plc, companies in the British and Commonwealth group. The cost, so far, of the Atlantic investigation is £3.89 million.
Inspectors Reports
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 25 November, Official Report, column 397, what was the cost of each of the reports listed ; what auditing firms were criticised in the reports ; and to what interested parties he has supplied the unpublished reports.
Mr. Redwood : The cost of the inspections listed in the reply I gave on 25 November is set out below, where available.
The inspections into Dunlop Holdings Ltd., Euroflame Holdings plc and Hartley Baird plc were carried out by departmental staff and cost information is not available.
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The inspections into British Anzani and Graylaw Holdings Ltd. were linked and cost information is only available for the combined investigation.
Company name |Cost (£)
-------------------------------------------------------
Bryanston Finance Ltd. |760,301
(now Ramor Investments Ltd.)
British Anzani plc
Graylaw Holdings Ltd. |474,045
Blue Arrow plc |3,569,800
The Bestwood plc |2,709,446
BOM Holdings plc |1,185,343
Each of these reports is unpublished and it would be inappropriate for me to discuss details of them. Such reports are disclosed, where appropriate, under the Companies Act 1948, as amended, under part XIV of the Companies Act 1985, as amended, and under the Financial Services Act 1986.
Mr. Austiin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many of his Department's inspectors' reports published since 1979 contain evidence of audit failures.
Mr. Redwood : I refer the hon. Member to replies I gave on 19 December 1989 Official Report, column 138 and 139 ,
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21 February 1990 Official Report, column 789 and 26October 1990 Official Report, column 328. Four inspectors' reports have since been published which contain criticism of auditing firms :
Name of company |Date of |Name of accountants
|publication
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aldermanbury Trust |20 March 1991 |Levy Gee
plc
South Diffusion plc |1 May 1991 |Spicer and Peglar,
| Gibraltar
Rotaprint plc |24 July 1991 |Arthur Young Ernst
| and Whinney
The Milford Docks |16 January 1992 |Coopers and Lybrand
Company
Corporate Reports
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has opposing the environmental disclosures in annual corporate reports.
Mr. Redwood : The Confederation of British Industry and the Association of British Insurers made representations expressing reservations on the practicability of a recent private Member's Bill, the Corporate Safety and Environmental Information Bill, which, among other things, would have required publication of certain environmental impact information in the directors' report.
Reporting Accountants
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the firms which have acted as reporting accountants on any of the companies privatised by his Department.
Mr. Redwood : This information is not held centrally.
Cadbury Committee on Corporate Governance
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations his Department has made to the Cadbury Committee on Corporate Governance.
Mr. Redwood : I have made no written representations on matters of substance, but a representative of the Department participates in the committee as an observer.
Staff Training
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will require companies to publish the amount spent on staff training.
Mr. Redwood : The Government, through the Secretary of State for Employment's support for the investors in people initiative and by other means, encourage companies to publish their expenditure on training where this is appropriate to the objectives of companies' business.
Inspectors' Fees
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how the fees of his Department's inspectors are agreed.
Mr. Redwood : Fee rates are agreed by negotiation between my officials and prospective inspectors.
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Auditing
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has plans to propose legislation under which auditing firms would be prevented from designing tax avoidance schemes for their clients and then auditing the same.
Mr. Redwood : No. The provision by auditors of other services to their clients is a matter that is best dealt with by professional rules of conduct.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will propose regulations to impose an obligation on the supervisory bodies listed by him in his answer of 22 November, Official Report, column 346, to allow the public to have access to the minutes of those bodies.
(2) if he will propose regulations to impose an obligation on the supervisory bodies listed by him in his answer of 22 November, Official Report, column 346, to give the public a right of admission to their council meetings.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will introduce legislation to define the expression "true and fair" in audit reports.
Ernst and Young
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish a list showing the inspectors appointed by him who were partners of Ernst and Young.
Mr. Redwood : Mr. J. M. Barney and Mr. D. J. Macleod were appointed as inspectors under section 177 of the Financial Services Act 1986. Mr. Macleod was also appointed an inspector on 10 February 1987 under section 442 of the Companies Act 1985 to investigate the membership of Bremner plc. No other partners in the firms which combined to form Ernst and Young, or in that firm itself, have been appointed inspectors since 1979.
Polly Peck
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received about the Polly Peck administrators.
Mr. Redwood : None, apart from those received from the hon. Member.
Maxwell Companies
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will initiate an inquiry into the conduct of the Maxwell auditors.
Mr. Redwood : The Serious Fraud Office--SFO--is investigating events leading up to the collapse of the Maxwell group. Whether the role of the auditors may be relevant to those enquiries is a matter for the SFO. If any matters arise which could more appropriately be investigated using my right hon. Friend's powers, we will not hesitate to use them provided this would not impede
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the SFO's work. The Government's response to the report of the Social Security Committee on pension funds, which refers to the conduct of auditors, will be made in due course.Intellectual Property Rights
Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what intellectual property rights protection is available for companies applying for his Department's funding for research programmes.
Mr. Leigh : Applicants for assistance under Department of Trade and Industry programmes are expected to take appropriate steps to protect intellectual property rights arising from the assisted work. The costs of such protection are not normally supported because they form part of the commercial exploitation phase which follows the Government-assisted research phase. However, the particular difficulties facing small independent firms are recognised by allowing necessary patent costs to be assisted.
Research Funding
Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the total of his Department's funded research each year since 1979 in cash terms, real terms on 1979, and as a percentage decrease or increase on the previous year.
Mr. Leigh : Figures are available from 1981-82 to 1989-90 only, as shown below. They are subject to qualification. Their composition has been altered by changes in the structure of government and transfer to the private sector of public corporations for which my Department was formerly responsible, and from 1987 expenditure of up to £50 million per annum was re-classified to other budgets. Real terms figures are readily available only to a 1989-90 base.
DTI expenditure on R&D £ million Year |cash terms |real terms<1> -------------------------------------------------------- 1981-82 |284.9 |440.6 1982-83 |284.0 |410.1 1983-84 |313.1 |432.1 1984-85 |346.7 |455.3 1985-86 |374.4 |466.4 1986-87 |362.9 |436.9 1987-88 |324.4 |370.8 1988-89 |314.4 |334.4 1989-90 |310.0 |310.0 <1> base year 1989-90 Source: Cabinet Office Annual Review of Government Funded R&D 1991, published by HMSO.
British Telecom
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will hold talks with the director general of OFTEL about the replacement of rural telephone exchanges.
Mr. Redwood : British Telecom has invested more than £17 billion since its privatisation in 1984, with the result that more than 75 per cent. of customers' lines are now served by digital or modern analogue exchanges. Ninety-five per cent. of BT's exchanges will have been
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digitalised by the end of 1995. I meet the director general of OFTEL from time to time to discuss a wide range of telecommunications issues. He fully shares the Government's view that all customers, including those in rural areas, should benefit from the modernisation and expansion of telecommunications networks and services in the United Kingdom.Maxwell Communications
Mr. Mills : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what communications he has received concerning actions that could be taken on behalf of constituents involved in pension funds managed by the Maxwell Communications pension fund ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood : I have received a number of letters from hon. Members on behalf of their constituents.
Forced Labour Products
Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what controls exist on the import of products produced by forced labour ; if these are being applied to imports from the People's Republic of China ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : There are severe practical difficulties in identifying goods allegedly produced using forced labour given the varied and complex channels of production and distribution which exist in international trade. More generally, it is highly doubtful whether the social conditions that give rise to forced labour can be improved by restricting trade : indeed, opening up trade is more likely to contribute to economic growth in the developing world, which is a prime objective of the current GATT Uruguay round negotiations.
The Government do, however, urge all states which have ratified international instruments covering slavery, servitude, forced labour and similar practices to meet their obligations under those instruments, and also urges those states which have not done so to ratify at the earliest opportunity.
Trade in goods produced specifically with prison labour is governed by the Foreign Prison Made Goods Act 1897, as amended in 1988. For enforcement of the Act, the Government have to rely in the main on the private sector or others to supply sufficient evidence to HM Customs and Excise.
English Wine
Mr. Steen : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will make it his policy to serve exclusively English wine at all official receptions and events sponsored by Her Majesty's Government taking place in the British pavilion at Expo 92 in Seville, and in particular on British national day whether in the pavilion or elsewhere in Seville ;
(2) if he will make it his policy to display wines from England in the British pavilion at Expo 92 in Seville without requiring a sponsorship fee from the English wine industry.
Mr. Sainsbury : English wines will be included in the British pavilion restaurant wine lists throughout the
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duration of Expo 92. They will also be offered at official Government receptions in the pavilion, including on British national day.Regional Selective Assistance
Mr. Burt : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the effect of regional selective assistance in the Bury/Bolton travel-to-work area.
Mr. Leigh : Since 1982-83, 82 projects with total project costs of £48.4 million have been supported by regional selective assistance in the Bury-Bolton travel-to-work area. The amount of grant accepted was £6.1 million and at the time the offer was accepted the projects were expected to create a total of 1,520 new jobs and safeguard a further 1,364.
Fireworks
Mr. Lawrence : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish the figures of injuries caused by fireworks in 1991.
Mr. Leigh : According to reports from accident and emergency units in hospitals in England, Wales and Scotland, 723 people required treatment for injuries caused by fireworks during the three weeks leading up to November 5 1991 and the few days after, a decrease of just over 10 per cent. Serious injuries fell by 23 per cent. There was a decrease in injuries to all age groups, but particularly to 16 to 20-year-olds, where the fall was 31 per cent. There were also significant reductions in injuries to those under 16 years of age. There was a decrease of 36 per cent. in injuries from rockets and of 8 per cent. for bangers, but an increase of 9 per cent. from sparklers. Injuries from incidents in the street were down 21 per cent., from large public displays 18 per cent., from small public dislays 3 per cent. and from family firework parties 2 per cent. There were over 110 million fireworks let off in 1990, but we estimate that there were 2 to 5 per cent. less in 1991. The detailed breakdown for 1991 and the preceding four years is as follows :
Firework injuries in Great Britain
(4 week period in October-November)
Year
|1991|1990|1989|1988|1987
-----------------------------------------------------
Total |723 |805 |800 |877 |960
Place of accident
1.Family or private
party |263 |269 |280 |300 |260
2.Semi-public display
(eg scouts, cricket
club) |57 |59 |71 |69 |88
3.Large public
display |111 |135 |135 |123 |155
4.Casual incident in
street etc. |209 |264 |247 |298 |364
5.Other place |68 |64 |46 |65 |73
6.Indoors |15 |14 |21 |22 |20
Type of firework
1. Banger |146 |158 |136 |162 |163
2. Rocket |92 |144 |131 |164 |174
3. Roman candle,
coloured fire etc. |68 |66 |89 |83 |96
4. Home-made or
extracted powder |16 |7 |18 |17 |24
5. Other proprietary
fireworks |68 |73 |125 |86 |109
6. Sparklers |101 |93 |83 |102 |95
7. Unspecified type |232 |264 |218 |263 |299
Severity of injury
1. Fatal injury |- |- |- |- |-
2. Detained for more
than one night |26 |38 |46 |69 |60
3. Sufficient to cause
absence from work
or equivalent |109 |138 |142 |167 |158
4. Minor injury |583 |590 |551 |587 |661
5. Unspecified injury |5 |39 |61 |54 |81
Eye injuries
(included in 2-5) |247 |269 |275 |269 |312
Age group of injured persons
1. Over 20 |263 |269 |251 |280 |252
2. 16 to 20 |98 |142 |135 |151 |168
3. 13 to 15 |122 |134 |152 |266 |220
4. Under 13 |240 |260 |262 |280 |320
Inner Cities Task Forces
Mr. Gould : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what was the budget of the urban task forces covering London councils in 1991-92 and 1992-93.
Mr. Leigh [holding answer 12 March 1992] : The budget of the Government's inner cities task forces covering London boroughs in 1991-92 was £5,396,000. This was divided among Deptford £1.2 million, north Peckham £1.5 million, west London £1.25 million, Spitalfields £1.3 million and Hackney--which opened in November 1991 £146,000. The budgets for 1992-93 have not yet been set.
Containerised Cargo Handling
Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what is his policy on maintaining competition in containerised cargo handling facilities on the River Thames, east of Tower bridge.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 10 March 1992] : In this as in other commercial activities, the Government's policy is to maintain and promote competition vigorously.
SCOTLAND
Gaelic Language Examination
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table to show the number of students who passed in Gaelic language at (a) GCSE and O-level and (b) A-level in 1989, 1990 and 1991.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The tables show for the years in question the numbers of awards in bands 1 to 3 for the Scottish certificate of education examinations at ordinary grade and standard grade, and in bands A to C at higher grade.
|Ordinary |Standard grade |Higher
|grade |(introduced 1990)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gaidhlig (Native Speakers)
1989 |68 |- |18
1990 |56 |13 |30
1991 |13 |65 |31
Gaelic Learners
1989 |232 |- |106
1990 |184 |38 |106
1991 |94 |164 |99
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Schools Expenditure
Mr. Maxton : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the level of capital expenditure on schools in (a) each regional authority in Scotland and (b) Scotland in total in each year since 1978-79 in constant prices.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The information given in the table has been compiled from local authority financial returns. The fall in expenditure in real terms during the period reflects a substantial and progressive decline in school pupil numbers which has reduced the requirement for new school building.
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Capital expenditure by local authorities on schools at 1990-91 prices
£ million
|1978 |1979 |1980 |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988 |1989 |1990
|to |to |to |to |to |to |to |to |to |to |to |to |to
|1979 |1980 |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988 |1989 |1990 |1991
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Borders |0.701 |1.202 |1.925 |1.545 |1.007 |1.052 |1.301 |1.437 |1.145 |1.179 |1.224 |1.726 |3.162
Central |8.904 |7.106 |4.997 |4.058 |2.174 |1.599 |1.543 |1.902 |3.106 |3.469 |5.046 |5.416 |4.687
Dumfries
and
Galloway |2.651 |3.285 |2.892 |2.798 |3.198 |3.593 |3.385 |3.328 |2.746 |0.814 |1.917 |1.962 |1.383
Fife |7.853 |4.989 |4.604 |4.145 |3.649 |2.553 |4.105 |5.789 |5.994 |2.575 |5.485 |6.308 |8.639
Grampian |18.198 |14.898 |15.928 |19.801 |13.444 |9.730 |8.271 |11.145 |10.358 |2.804 |3.934 |4.246 |5.808
Highland |7.523 |5.063 |4.828 |5.373 |4.407 |2.469 |1.164 |1.783 |1.469 |3.125 |4.218 |4.233 |3.113
Lothian |22.841 |16.860 |16.045 |11.866 |12.535 |8.830 |8.465 |8.286 |4.874 |10.053 |9.034 |12.549 |9.442
Strathclyde |59.035 |37.643 |34.977 |39.370 |29.781 |29.530 |28.451 |27.123 |22.582 |24.444 |28.731 |28.722 |23.533
Tayside |5.847 |4.850 |3.170 |3.018 |3.137 |2.170 |3.012 |3.718 |2.627 |4.051 |4.160 |3.819 |3.140
Orkney |1.057 |0.337 |0.175 |1.010 |1.898 |1.343 |1.786 |1.636 |1.192 |1.214 |1.185 |1.074 |1.288
Shetland |4.493 |6.326 |5.690 |5.963 |4.245 |3.754 |2.606 |1.425 |0.655 |0.666 |1.072 |0.784 |0.835
Western Isles |1.032 |1.056 |1.152 |2.386 |2.566 |1.372 |1.373 |1.606 |4.237 |4.800 |2.534 |1.718 |2.275
Scotland |140.137|103.615|96.381 |101.333|82.043 |67.994 |65.461 |69.178 |60.986 |59.196 |68.538 |72.559 |67.305
Note: The figures include expenditure on nursery, primary, secondary and special schools.
Outturn figures have been converted to 1990-91 prices using the GDP deflator.
Fur Factory Farms
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many mink factory farms are currently operating under licence in Scotland.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : There are two licensed mink farms currently operating in Scotland.
Whitson-Fairhurst Houses
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will agree to meet members and officials of Roxburgh district council to discuss ways of financing the re-purchase of the Whitson-Fairhurst houses in Hawick which were sold to sitting tenants under the right-to-buy provisions without notification of the structural design defects ;
(2) what action the Government propose to take to safeguard the interests of the purchases of the Whitson-Fairhurst homes in Burnfoot ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The existing law relating to the sale of defective houses safeguards the interests of the purchasers and I have no power to intervene ; any matters concerned with the performance or discharge of the seller's obligations are a matter for the sheriff court. I shall however write to the hon. Member about the sale of Whitson-Fairhurst houses by Roxburgh district council. Supplementary housing capital allocations are made available to local authorities specifically to cover their obligations to owners of defective houses, such as
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Whitson-Fairhursts, where the circumstances meet the statutory requirements of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987. Decisions on repurchasing houses in other cases are a matter for the district council and such repurchases must be funded from the council's general housing capital allocations. In the circumstances, I see no purpose in a meeting with the council during the general election period.Government Expenditure
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will publish a table, analysing the data in appendix 1 of Cm 1915, showing separately for each line for the years 1986-87 to 1994-95 (a) expenditure within the Scottish block and (b) other expenditure ;
(2) if he will publish tables, covering the years 1986-87 to 1994-95 and consistent with Cm 1915, analysing (a) the Scottish block by economic category within spending sector, (b) the Scotland programme by economic category within spending sector and (c) the Scotland programme minus Forestry Commission by economic category within spending sector ;
(3) if he will publish a table, analysing the data in the "summary cash plans" of Cm 1915 (page vii), showing separately for each line within the sub-total, total Scottish Office and Departments, for the years 1986-87 to 1994-95 (a) expenditure within the Scottish block and (b) other expenditure ;
(4) if he will publish tables, analysing for the years 1986-87 to 1994-95, the data in the "summary cash plans" of Cm 1915 (page vii), analysing the component parts of (a) the Scottish block and (b) other expenditure, by
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