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Mr. McLoughlin : Since its introduction in 1991 employment action has played a valuable role in providing temporary work to help unemployed people maintain their existing skills. This will continue to be one of the options in the new training for work provision that will be introduced in April 1993.
Correspondence
Mr. Sproat : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average time taken by the Ministers in her Department including herself, to answer letters from hon. Members, in each of the first three quarters of 1992, measuring the time from the receipt of the letter to the dispatch of the substantive reply.
Mr. McLoughlin : The average time taken to reply to hon. Members letters in the first three-quarters of 1992 was as follows : first quarter 9.28 working days ; second quarter 8.57 working days ; third quarter 10.4 working days.
Running Costs
Mr. Sproat : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what progress she has made in achieving the target of a reduction of 1.5 per cent. in her Department's running costs for the present financial year, in the first half of this financial year ; and what specifically has been saved, by what means and in what areas of her responsibility.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The Department's spending plans for 1992-93, including its proposals for achieving at least a 1.5 per cent. reduction in administrative costs through efficiency gains during 1992-93 are summarised in the departmental report (Cm. 1906) published in February 1992. We hope to make efficiency gains in a number of areas including :
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Improved procurement procedures ;Rationalisation of the estate ;
Improved administration procedures ;
Investment in and better control of telecommunications ; Implementation of Internal Audit and Management Services reviews ;
Improvements in staff training ;
Investment in Information Technology.
Savings will be generated over a full 12-month period and the attainment of planned targets is assessed following the end of each financial year. Specific figures on savings to date are unavailable. However, at the end of the first six months of the current financial year there is every indication that the anticipated savings will be realised.
Medical Examinations
Mrs. Helen Jackson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether she will introduce proposals to require that individuals whose application for employment is refused on the basis of a medical examination, are sent the results of such an examination and informed of the medical reason why employment has been refused.
Mr. McLoughlin : No. This is a matter for employers to decide.
Long-term Unemployment
Mr. Turner : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will visit Bradley redundancy action group to discuss the psychological and emotional effects of long-term unemployment.
Mr. McLoughlin : Employment Ministers have no plans to visit this group ; but the employment service regional director will shortly be arranging for contact to be made with the group, as will Wolverhampton training and enterprise council.
Unemployment
Mr. Waterson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans she has to increase the opportunities available to help unemployed people.
Mr. McLoughlin : On 12 November, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, announced a new framework of employment and training measures to help unemployed people back to work. The new arrangements, which will begin in April 1993, offer the widest range of help to unemployed people that we have ever provided. We expect there to be almost half a million more opportunities on our programmes in 1993-94 than in this year.
Acquired Rights Directive
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate she has made of the effects of the acquired rights directive on (a) services her Department contracts out and (b) services she plans to contract out in the future ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : The possible effects of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981, which implement the acquired rights directive in the
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United Kingdom, have always been taken into account in any consideration of the contracting out of my Department's services. The main functions to be market tested to September 1993 were published in the citizens charter White Paper (Cm 2101) on 25 November.SCOTLAND
Glasgow
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will discuss with the Glasgow city liaison group the needs of those who are victims of violence.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My right hon. Friend recognises the needs of victims of violence but has no plans to meet the Glasgow city liaison group. Government funding of some £642,000 is being provided in the current financial year for the Scottish Association of Victim Support Schemes. The association provides general assistance and counselling for all victims of crime through a network of local support schemes. There are a number of such schemes based in Glasgow.
Fact-finding Visits
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 3 November, Official Report, columns 156-57, if he will list for each of his Department's agencies, and by date and venue for the last 12 months, the cost to the Exchequer of the chief executives' fact- finding visits.
Mr. Lang : The hon. Member's earlier question elicited replies from the four agencies for which I am responsible, indicating that only the chief executive of Historic Scotland had made such fact finding visits. I have therefore asked Mr. G. Munro, chief executive of Historic Scotland to reply to the hon. Member directly.
Letter from Graeme N. Munro to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 1 December 1992
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent question about the costs of fact-finding' visits.
My reply of 30 October sought to explain in general terms the types of visit I have undertaken in the last 12 months from which I have gained useful insights into various matters relating to my responsibilities as Director and Chief Executive of Historic Scotland. However, none of these visits was arranged specifically as a fact-finding' visit.
I should be very happy to provide further information on any particular area of our work of interest to you.
Forest Policy
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to develop an integrated forest policy for Britain, ensuring that all aspects of deforestation at home and abroad are taken into account ; and what mechanism exists to ensure that each Government Department adopts a coherent and complementary approach to forestry and deforestation issues.
Sir Hector Monro : I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Prime Minister gave the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) on 3 November at column 133.
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Correspondence
Mr. Sproat : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the average time taken by the Ministers in his Department, including himself, to answer letters from hon. Members, in each of the first three quarters of 1992, measuring the time from the receipt of the letter to the dispatch of the substantive reply.
Mr. Lang : The Scottish Office has a target of issuing replies to letters from hon. Members within 17 days of their receipt. My Department's performance in meeting this target during 1992 will be published in the Official Report in due course, and be made available to the House Libraries.
Running Costs
Mr. Sproat : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress he has made in achieving the target of a reduction of 1.5 per cent. in his Department's running costs for the present financial year, in the first half of this financial year ; and what specifically has been saved, by what means and in what areas of his responsibility.
Mr. Lang : The overall level of running costs for my Department is agreed with Treasury each year on the basis that efficiency gains of 1.5 per cent. must be delivered. Departments must then ensure they operate within the overall running cost limit set, and my Departments are on target to do so in 1992-93.
Delivery of specific savings and improvements in efficiency is the responsibility of managers throughout each of my Departments working within designated budgets and performance targets which reflect the need to produce efficiency gains through increased output and reduction in costs. In identifying opportunities for savings, managers can call on support and expert advice from specialists in areas such as organisation of work and purchasing. Internal management plans define prospective savings and check on the delivery of what was planned for the previous year. The specific details requested are not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Higher Education
Dr. Moonie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of the Higher Education Funding Council for Scotland's budget is expected to be spent on supporting research activities in 1992-93 ; and what are the planned totals for 1993-94, 1994-95 and 1995-96.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council will not begin distributing funds to higher education institutions until 1 April 1993. It therefore has no budget to support research activities in
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1992-93. Decisions on the level of support for research in future years will be made after my right hon. Friend has announced in the near future his decisons on expenditure on higher education from 1993-94 onwards and in the light of the council's assessment of the needs of the higher education sector in Scotland.Forestry Commission Land
Mr. Bayley : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list (a) the name, location and Ordnance Survey map reference and (b) the area in hectares of each piece of Forestry Commission land in North Yorkshire ; and which of these are currently for sale.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 16 November 1992] : On 31 March 1992, the Forestry Commission managed 23,200 hectares of land in north Yorkshire, of which 20,300 hectares were woodland. The detailed information about each piece of land is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The woodlands which are currently for sale on the open market are listed ; the sales of a further seven woodlands are currently being negotiated.
Name of property |Area (ha) |Grid reference ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- East Bank, Chop Gate |27.0 |NZ 575 001 Gateforth (East), Selby |28.0 |SE 568 283 Gateforth (Main/West), Selby |46.5 |SE 548 283 Kelfield, York |14.0 |SE 586 395 Longrush, York |12.5 |SE 592 418 Low Paradise Wood and Grazings, Boltby |10.1 |SE 504 883 Raisdale Estate, Stokesley |180.0 |NZ 529 027 Stillingfleet, York |10.5 |SE 585 410
Mr. Bayley : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list (a) the name, location and Ordnance Survey map reference, (b) the area in hectares, (c) the price obtained, (d) the name and address of the purchaser and (e) the date of sale for each piece of Forestry Commission land sold in the county of North Yorkshire since 1 January 1988.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 16 November 1992] : The areas of forest land sold between 1 January 1988 and 30 September 1992 are listed ; details of sales of land other than forest land, and the grid references of forest land, are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The Forestry Commission sought the purchaser's permission in each case to disclose the price paid and the name (but not the address) of the purchaser. Where such permission was given, the information is provided.
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Year Sold |Name and Location of |Area (ha) |Name of Purchaser |Sale Price
|Property
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1988 |Grinkle Park (part), Whitby |134.5 |Bass North Ltd |£40,000
1988 |Grinkle Park (part), Whitby |35.8 |Cleveland Potash Ltd |£20,000
1988 |Skipster Hagg Wood, Pickering |10.0
1989 |Arden, Hawnby and Bilsdale, Helmsley |225.0
1989 |Back Plantation, Skipton |13.4 |H. S. Davidson
1989 |Birk Bank Wood, Helmsley |14.9
1989 |Black Beck Wood, Scarborough |8.7
1989 |Bullen Wood, Tadcaster |17.1 |Mr. and Mrs. Richmond-Watson |£21,501
1989 |Camblesforth Woodlands, Selby |43.8
1989 |Constable Burton, Northallerton |74.3 |M. C. A. Wyvill |£130,000
1989 |Elleron Lodge, Flamborough |13.6
1989 |Hollin Head and Piney Moor, Ripon |29.9
1989 |Pits Wood, Scarborough |9.0
1989 |Plumpton Wood, Helmsley |7.7
1990 |[No sales recorded]
1991 |Burnt Gill Plantation, Helmsley |11.4
1991 |Darncombe Shelter Belt, Scarborough |0.2
1991 |Grimston Woods Lot 1, York |5.0 |Landmatch PLC |£26,527
1991 |Grimston Woods Lot 2, York |24.6
1991 |Grove Wood, Terrington |5.9
1991 |Hambleton Hough, Selby |1.0
1991 |Hornby Freehold, Bedale |56.1
1991 |Naburn Wood, York |18.0
1991 |Osmotherley Catchment, Northallerton |93.4
1991 |Staker Wood, Selby |4.0
1992 |High Plumps, York |8.3
1992 |Miry Sike Wood and Paddock, Darncombe |5.0 |Mr. A. Harford |£18,000
1992 |Fish Pond, Wet Carr and Hebdon Woods, Sawley|27.6
Community Care
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to meet representatives of local authority social work authorities to discuss the implementation of care in the community legislation in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 27 November 1992] : The secretary of State has no plans but Lord Fraser of Carmyllie met representatives of the COSLA social work committee on 2 October and the Association of Directors
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of Social Work on 20 November for discussions on community care matters. Further meetings will be arranged as the need arises.Land and Buildings
Mr. Welsh : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the present capital values of land and buildings at (a) Stracather hospital, (b) Arbroath infirmary and (c) Tayside health board.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 26 November 1992] : The information requested is shown as at 1 April 1992.
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|Land |Buildings |Non Operational|Total
|Property
|£000 |£000 |£000 |£000
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stracathro Hospital |210 |9,629 |- |9,839
Arbroath Infirmary |225 |3,175 |- |3,400
All other Tayside Health
Board Property |18,077 |255,321 |2,548 |275,946
|---- |---- |---- |----
Tayside Health Board Total |18,512 |268,125 |2,548 |289,185
|---- |---- |---- |----
Recycling
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to encourage the newspaper and textile industries to promote and participate in recycling schemes ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 27 November 1992] : The Government encourage recycling wherever it makes commercial and environmental sense, and have set the target of recycling 50 per cent. of the recyclable fraction of domestic waste by the year 2000. Paper accounts for approximately 33 per cent. of the domestic waste stream and textiles for around 5 per cent ; high recycling rates for both materials will make a significant contribution towards achieving the target. In 1991, following discussions with the Government, the Newspaper
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Publishers Association agreed to aim to increase the proportion of waste paper used in newsprint consumed in the United Kingdom to at least 40 per cent. by 2000. I am also aware that the textile reclamation industry has been actively pursuing with local authorities the means of increasing existing re-use and recycling rates.Children's Hospice
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to encourage or assist the development of a Scottish children's hospice ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 27 November 1992.] At the request of my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State, the Scottish Office Home and Health Department has been actively encouraging the various voluntary sector groups seeking to establish a children's hospice in Scotland
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to combine their efforts. We hope that, as a result, agreement can be reached on a co-ordinated and united approach which provides a national facility conveniently located and fully integrated with local networks of care. We believe that this initiative is primarily for the voluntary sector, but the Government will continue to monitor developments. Until more definite proposals emerge any consideration of further Government assistance would be premature.Column 188
Hospital Beds
Mr. Welsh : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the current numbers of staffed beds for (a) orthopaedic surgery, (b) general surgery and (c) general medicine for (i) each Scottish health board, (ii) in total for Scotland and (iii) for each hospital.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 26 November 1992] : The information requested is shown in the table.
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|c|National health service|c|
|c|Average available staffed beds by selected specialty|c|
|c|By health board area and hospital|c|
|c|Quarter ending 30 June 1992|c|
Health board |General surgery |Orthopaedic surgery|General medicine<1>
area/hospital
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scotland |3,241 |2,302 |4,641
Argyll and Clyde |304 |141 |399
Oban County Hospital |- |- |41
Dunoon and District General Hospital |6 |3 |-
Victoria Hospital |6 |- |-
West Highland Hospital |32 |1 |-
Vale of Leven District General Hospital |48 |3 |74
Inverclyde Royal Hospital |100 |61 |119
Royal Alexandra Hospital |112 |75 |166
Ayrshire and Arran |238 |200 |302
Ayrshire Central and Maternity Hospital |- |- |1
Crosshouse Hospital |118 |107 |167
Ballochmyle Hospital |45 |45 |43
Ayr Hospital |74 |48 |92
Borders |68 |46 |82
Bordes General Hospital |68 |46 |82
Dumfries and Galloway |107 |64 |93
Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary |86 |64 |93
Garrick Hospital |21 |- |-
Fife |168 |130 |170
Cameron Hospital |8 |17 |-
Victoria Hospital |76 |59 |90
Hunter Hospital |14 |- |-
Adamson Hospital |- |1 |-
St. Andrews Memorial Hospital |1 |1 |-
Randolph Wemyss Memorial Hospital |2 |- |5
Dunfermline and West Fife Hospital |57 |43 |-
Milesmark Hospital |9 |10 |75
Forth Valley |138 |106 |181
Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary |64 |55 |88
Stirling Royal Infirmary |74 |51 |93
Grampian |266 |228 |475
Aberdeen Royal Infirmary |191 |78 |341
Woodend General Hospital |- |132 |40
City Hospital |- |- |31
Hyperbaric Centre |- |- |1
Royal Aberdeen Childrens Hospital |- |9 |-
Tor-na-dee Hospital |15 |8 |21
Jubilee Hospital |- |- |-
Chalmers Hospital |- |- |-
Dr. Grays Hospital |60 |- |17
Leanchoil Hospital |- |- |24
Greater Glasgow |664 |449 |1,181
Glasgow Royal Infirmary |154 |92 |296
Ruchill Hospital |- |- |16
Stobhill Hospital |98 |36 |162
Philipshill Hospital |- |69 |-
Royal Samaritan Hospital |35 |- |54
Victoria Infirmary |120 |9 |135
Southern General Hospital |84 |79 |174
Gartnavel General Hospital |95 |99 |144
Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital |- |- |20
Royal Hospital for Sick Children |- |25 |34
Glasgow Western Infirmary |77 |40 |145
Highland |197 |99 |200
Caithness General Hospital |24 |- |24
Lawson Memorial Hospital |7 |- |-
Raigmore Hospital |119 |99 |122
Town and County Hospital Nairn |- |- |10
Belford Hospital |29 |- |17
Mackinnon Memorial Hospital |18 |- |2
Ross Memorial Hospital |- |- |10
Nicolson Mackenzie Hospital |- |- |15
Lanarkshire |341 |249 |412
Monklands District General Hospital |83 |72 |91
Law Hospital |119 |99 |164
Hairmyres Hospital |97 |45 |93
Stonehouse Hospital |43 |33 |63
Lothian |371 |333 |711
Eastern General Hospital |52 |- |95
Edenhall Hospital |- |- |15
Roodlands General Hospital |8 |- |14
Western General Hospital |89 |- |166
Astley Ainslie Hospital |- |24 |-
Liberton Hospital |8 |- |-
Princess Margaret Rose Hospital |- |184 |-
Royal Infirmary |151 |88 |345
St. Johns Hospital at Howden |63 |36 |75
Orkney |39 |- |-
Balfour Hospital |39 |- |-
Shetland |26 |- |20
Gilbert Bain Hospital |26 |- |20
Tayside |272 |258 |379
Ninewells Hospital |144 |- |194
Dundee Royal Infirmary |- |113 |-
Royal Victoria Hospital |2 |2 |3
Dundee Limb Fitting Centre |- |17 |-
Bridge of Earn Hospital |- |74 |-
Perth Royal Infirmary |77 |6 |86
Arbroath Infirmary |- |- |26
Forfar Infirmary |14 |- |-
Stracathro Hospital |34 |47 |71
Western Isles |42 |- |35
Lewis Hospital |35 |- |27
Daliburgh Hospital |7 |- |8
<1> Includes the following sub-specialties: Cardiology, Metabolic diseases, Gastroenterology, Poisons, Nephrology,
Rheumatology, Genito-urinary medicine, Medical oncology, Haematology, Homeopathy.
Foreign Landowners
Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the proportion of the land area of Scotland, by region, owned by foreign nationals.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 27 November 1992] : None. Information on land transactions is however available from the registers of Scotland Executive Agency.
Disability
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures he has in place to liaise regularly with representatives of disability interests ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 27 November 1992] : Officials have frequent contact, in meetings and more
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informally, with many of the voluntary sector organisations representing people with disabilities. In particular, officials sit as assessors on the executive committee of Disability Scotland and on the council of the Scottish Society for Mental Health. They also sit as observers on Disability Scotland's Access and Mobility Committee and on the Disabled Person's Transport Advisory Committee.Police
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to meet representatives of serving (a) chief police officers and (b) the Scottish Police Federation to discuss community policing and combating crime ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 27 November 1992] : My right hon. Friend meets chief police officers and representatives of the Scottish Police Federation from time to time but has at present no plans for meetings on the lines proposed.
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Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to meet the Chief Constable of Strathclyde police to discuss community policing and initiatives to combat crime ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 27 November 1992] : My right hon. Friend meets the chief constable of Strathclyde police from time to time, but has at present no plans for a meeting on the lines proposed.
Court Refurbishment
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) when Aberdeen sheriff court will be equipped with closed circuit television and video recording equipment for use in trials ; (2) how many sheriff courts in Scotland have (a) closed circuit television and (b) video recording equipment for use in trials.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 27 November 1992] : I refer to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow (Dr. Godman) on 17 November at column 377 about closed circuit television links for child witnesses. Video playback equipment is provided by the party which wishes to use video material in evidence.
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what has been the total cost of court refurbishment work in Scotland since 1990 ;
(2)what was the final cost for the refurbishment of Aberdeen sheriff court.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 27 November 1992] : I refer to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow (Dr. Godman) on 17 November at column 377 .
Licensing Laws
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has available on any correlation between crime and licensing laws ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 27 November 1992] : Liquor licensing statistics for 1991 were published in August this year (Scottish Office Statistical Bulletin CRJ/1992/5) following the enactment of stricter statutory controls in the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1990. Since 1 January 1991, licensing boards have been required to take account of tighter criteria for the grant of extensions of permitted hours and of any observations made on an application by the chief constable. There are indications that some boards have already reduced the numbers and/or length of regular extensions awarded in their areas. Any trends may become clearer when 1992 figures are available.
Manufacturing Output, Paisley
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the percentage change in the output of the manufacturing sector in the Paisley postcode area for each of the past 15 years.
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Mr. Stewart [holding answer 27 November 1992] : Gross output data for the manufacturing sector are available for the Paisley postcode area from 1984 onwards. These are set out in the table.
|Gross output<1> |Per cent. change
|£m
--------------------------------------------------------------------
1984 |372.2 |-
1985 |368.8 |-0.9
1986 |356.3 |-3.4
1987 |432.1 |21.3
1988 |501.1 |16.0
1989 |513.0 |2.4
<1> Only available in current prices.
Source: Annual Census of Production 1984-1989.
Poll Tax
Mr. Kirkwood:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish, for the last three years for which information is available, a breakdown by poll tax collecting authority showing the number of warrants taken out against poll tax payers in arrears, the total cost involved in pursuing these warrants, the number and amount involved in warrants abandoned and subsequently written off, the number and value of warrants withdrawn due to error on the part of the local authority and the number and value w
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton[holding answer 27 November 1992]: This information is not available centrally.
Carpet Industry
Mr. McMaster:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the state of the carpet manufacturing industry in Scotland.
Mr. Stewart[holding answer 27 November 1992]: Six carpet manufacturing plants currently operate in Scotland-four of which are owned by Stoddart Sekers International plc. Scotland also has several yarn spinning and dyeing companies which supply the carpet industry. Employment in the industry in Scotland is approximately 1,600. Community Care
Mr. McMaster:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to ring-fence or earmark resources allocated under the care in the community legislation; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Stewart[holding answer 30 November 1992]: The sums announced by my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State on 2 October for implementation of our community care reforms will not be formally ring fenced but will be clearly identified in the distribution of grant-aided expenditure as resources which have been made available for local authorities to spend on community care. We expect local authorities in Scotland to spend all these resources on community care and will be monitoring the use of th
Industrial Policy
Mr. McLeish:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the initiatives taken on industrial policy and the governance of Scotland by him during the United Kingdom's presidency of the EC; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart[holding answer 30 November 1992]: On 12 November following the Chancellor's autumn statement, my right hon. Friend announced initiatives totalling some £340 million to boost the construction industry, to increase resources for housing and to reduce the rate burden on Scottish business.
In the course of his stock taking on constitutional issues, the Prime Minister heard a useful range of views when he visited Scotland in September. He will be announcing his conclusions in due course. As the hon. Member will be aware, the Select Committee on Scottish Affairs has been re- established.
Forestry Commission Land
Mr. Nigel Griffiths:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the lands in Scotland proposed for sale by the Forestry Commission, access to which is over private land and for which agreements for continuation of access will not be concluded. Sir Hector Monro[holding answer 25 November 1992]: The information is not available at present in the detail requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. I shall write to the hon. Member with the information within the next two months.
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