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SCOTLAND
Borders Structure Plan
16. Sir David Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to be able to make a statement following his consultations on the draft borders structure plan.
Mr. Stewart : My right hon. Friend will announce his conclusions on the borders structure plan as soon as he has fully considered all the objections to his draft modifications.
Public Expenditure
17. Dr. Liam Fox : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the level of public expenditure per head in Scotland in the current year.
Mr. Stewart : Latest available figures for public expenditure per head in Scotland relate to 1991-92. In that year the level of identifiable general government expenditure per head in Scotland was £3,506. Identifiable general government expenditure comprises expenditure identified as being of direct benefit to Scottish inhabitants. Other expenditure, principally on defence, is of equal benefit to all the inhabitants of the United Kingdom. That amounted to £716 per head across the United Kingdom in 1991-92.
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Water Investment
18. Mr. Chisholm : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much additional borrowing is planned to be required for water investment over the next three years under existing financing arrangements.
Sir Hector Monro : Control of local authority capital investment is exercised over expenditure rather than borrowing. Expenditure provision for water and sewerage is £237 million in 1993-94, £243 million in 1994-95, and £248 million in 1995-96, a total of £728 million.
Local Enterprise Companies
19. Mr. Ernie Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the chairs of local enterprise companies to discuss their business plans.
Mr. Stewart : The contractual relationship to which business plans are relevant is between local enterprise companies and Scottish Enterprise or Highlands and Islands Enterprise. Consequently, although my right hon. Friend and I meet chairmen of local enterprise companies from time to time to discuss a range of economic development and training issues, our discussions are not specifically related to their business plans.
Farmed Salmon
20. Sir Russell Johnston : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for regulating the production of farmed salmon in Scotland.
Sir Hector Monro : I have welcomed the salmon farming industry's proposals to establish producer organisations. These will help create a more stable and better informed market. However, I do not accept the industry's case for giving such organisations compulsory powers to determine stock levels and minimum prices both for members and non-members.
Reservoirs (Public Access)
21. Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on public access to reservoirs for recreational purposes.
Sir Hector Monro : Public access to reservoirs for recreational purposes is a matter for regional and islands councils as water authorities. The Scottish Office Environment Department will shortly be publishing a voluntary code of practice on conservation, access and recreation to guide the work of water authorities and river purification boards, prepared with their full co-operation.
Hospital Treatments
22. Mr. Knox : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) in-patients and (b) out-patients were treated in national health service hospitals in Scotland in the most recent year for which figures are available ; and what the figures were in 1979.
Mr. Stewart : A total of 933,624 patients were treated as in- patients in national health service hospitals in Scotland in the year ending 30 September 1992 compared with 735,583 in 1979--a 27 per cent. increase. Out-patients rose to 6,013,929 in 1992 from 5,202,863 in 1979. The most
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significant increase occurred in the numbers of patients treated as day cases--up to 229,222 in 1992 a 180 per cent. increase on the 81, 577 recorded in 1979.Hospitals (Glasgow)
23. Mr. Michael J. Martin : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with Greater Glasgow health board regarding the future of Glasgow hospitals, particularly Stobhill hospital.
Mr. Stewart : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no recent discussions with Greater Glasgow health board regarding their comprehensive review of acute and maternity services. He looks forward to receiving the board's detailed proposals in due course.
Dutch Elm Disease
24. Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he is taking to prevent the spread of Dutch elm disease.
Sir Hector Monro : Dutch elm disease has already spread throughout Britain, apart from some parts of north Scotland. Legislation has been in place for many years giving local authorities powers to order the felling of diseased trees in certain areas where this would help to contain the disease. The Forestry Commission is continuing to investigate possible control methods, including a virus that attacks the fungus which causes the disease. It is also working on the development of disease resistant strains of English elm.
Water Privatisation
25. Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the corresponding provisions in Northern Ireland when considering whether to privatise Scottish Water.
Sir Hector Monro : My right hon. Friend and I maintain contact as appropriate with our colleagues in the Northern Ireland Office.
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations he has had from Conservative councillors on water privatisation.
Sir Hector Monro : My right hon. Friend has received 14 representations from Conservative councillors on the future structure of water and sewerage services in Scotland since 17 November last year.
Structural Funds
26. Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has held with EC counterparts on structural funds' allocation (a) in general and (b) on objective 5(b) status for areas within Grampian regional council boundaries.
Mr. Stewart : Draft regulations have been published by the Commission and are under discussion in the structural actions working group of the Council of Ministers. Until the negotiations on criteria for the selection of objective 5(b) areas are further advanced it would be premature to discuss possible financial allocations to areas bidding for inclusion.
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Crash Barriers
28. Mr. Bellingham : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many miles of motorway and dual carriageway in Scotland do not have crash barriers installed.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : There are 19 miles of motorway and 106 miles of trunk road dual carriageway in Scotland without central reserve safety fencing. This represents approximately 10 per cent. of motorways and 33 per cent. of trunk road dual carriageways. A rolling programme is underway to install central reserve safety fencing on these remaining sections of the network by the end of the 1994-95 financial year.
Records are not kept centrally for non-trunk road dual carriageways, for which regional councils are responsible.
Rail Transport (Fife)
29. Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the future of rail transport in Fife.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Responsibility for the railways throughout Great Britain is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport. The provision of rail services in Fife is at present a matter for British Rail. Under the Government's proposals for the railways we believe that the direct involvement of the private sector will result in a better, more responsive service for the travelling public throughout Scotland including Fife.
Local Government Reform
27. Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the Government's proposed time scale for introducing local government reform.
Mr. Stewart : We intend to announce our decisions on the future structure of local government in Scotland in a White Paper before the summer recess. Thereafter, subject to the necessary legislation being put in place, elections to shadow authorities will take place in spring 1995, with new authorities assuming full control on 1 April 1996.
30. Sir Nicholas Fairbairn : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now make a further statement on the reform of Scottish local government.
Mr. Stewart : More than 3,300 responses to the consultation exercise on local government reform were received from a wide range of organisations and individuals. These are currently being analysed and we intend to announce our decisions on the future structure of local government in Scotland in a White Paper before the summer recess.
38. Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his latest estimate of the cost of local government reorganisation.
Mr. Stewart : A move to a single-tier structure will give rise to transitional costs which should be quickly recovered by annual savings. An indication of the likely financial consequences of reform will be included in a White Paper on our restructuring proposals which we intend to publish before the summer recess.
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Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to hold discussions regarding the cost of the reform of the Scottish local government system prior to the publication of the White Paper on this subject.
Mr. Stewart : My right hon. Friend will be consulting colleagues in the usual way before publishing his proposals for the reform of local government in Scotland.
M reform with existing local authorities.
Mr. Stewart : My officials have already held useful discussions on the costs of reform with local authority representatives on the working party on local government finance. I have no plans at present to hold further discussions on the issue.
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list the names and qualifications of financial and management consultancies he intends to use to help the Scottish Office formulate the financial data required to produce a White Paper on Scottish local government reform ;
(2) what plans he has to invite Touche Ross to tender for further work with the Scottish Office in connection with the reform of the local Government system in Scotland.
Mr. Stewart : The Scottish Office has no plans at present to commission further work from any consultants in connection with local government reform.
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy, before publication of the White Paper on the reform of local Government in Scotland, to have discussions with representatives of industry and commerce in Scotland.
Mr. Stewart : My colleagues and I meet regularly with representatives of industry and commerce in Scotland to discuss a range of current issues, including local government reform. Our consultation paper on local government reform generated about 220 responses from commercial and industrial organisations and these will be taken fully into account before decisions are reached on the new structure.
Museums
31. Mr. Trimble : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on policy concerning museums.
Sir Hector Monro : Policy on museums in Scotland is developed and reviewed in consultation with interested organisations. In particular with the Museums and Galleries Commission, the Scottish Museums Council, and representatives of local authorities.
Ministry of Defence Spending
32. Mr. Davidson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the success of Scottish Enterprise in ensuring that Ministry of Defence spending is attracted to Scotland, Glasgow and Govan.
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Mr. Stewart : Scottish Enterprise's success in helping Scottish companies to respond to opportunities to secure contracts and in attracting new employment to Scotland is assessed in the round rather than in relation to any specific organisation. Scottish Enterprise's specific initiative to deal with the effects on the Scottish economy and labour market of changes in the defence sector also goes wider than seeking to maximise Ministry of Defence spending in Scotland ; and assessment of that initiative is framed in appropriately broad terms to reflect its objectives.
Unemployment
33. Mr. Robert Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current level of unemployment in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart : In March 1993, the level of unemployment in Scotland, seasonally adjusted, was 244,400 or 9.6 per cent. of the work force. It is very encouraging that unemployment in Scotland has fallen for two successive months.
Hospital Building
34. Mr. Eric Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much capital expenditure has been allocated for the current year and 1994 for new hospital building projects in Scotland.
Mr. Stewart : A total of £180.484 million was allocated for capital expenditure to health boards, trusts and the state hospital for 1993-94. This figure excludes moneys for information technology but includes amounts allocated for equipment and for the improvement of the existing estate. The allocations for financial year 1994-95 will only be decided at the end of the calendar year.
Student Grants
35. Mr. Donohoe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Scottish Education Department will reconsider funding for courses affected by the change of status from college to university of certain institutions in Scotland in cases where students have been deprived of grants.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : In Scotland, responsiblity for the provision of student support is determined by the nature, level, and validation of the course concerned ; not by the status of the institution offering it.
My right hon. Friend has no plans to change that arrangement.
Sunday Trading
36. Mr. Fabricant : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what conclusions he has drawn from experience of the practice of Sunday trading in Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Over the years Sunday trading practices in Scotland have evolved in line with the wishes of the local communities. Sunday trading in Scotland occurs mainly in urban areas. It fulfils a need for some members of the public without seriously disadvantaging others. The present arrangements appear to work well and to the satisfaction of the great majority of the Scottish public.
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New Towns
37. Mr. Ingram : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the chairmen of the Scottish new towns to discuss the future of the new towns ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart : My right hon. Friend and I met the chairmen and deputy chairmen of all the new town development corporations on 5 October 1992. I again met the chairmen collectively on 21 December 1992 and will meet the chairmen and board members of individual corporations during the summer months.
West Coast Main Line
39. Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the chairman of British Rail concerning new investment on the west coast main line ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My right hon. Friend meets the chairman of British Rail from time to time. Such contacts cover a wide range of topics relating to rail services in Scotland.
Local Enterprise Companies
Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the 1993-94 budget for each local enterprise company in Scotland.
Mr. Stewart : The allocation of resources to the local enterprise companies is an operational matter for Scottish
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Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. I have asked the chairmen of these bodies to write to the hon. Member.Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise Ltd.
Mr. Chisholm : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money was given to Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise Ltd. for training in (a) 1992-93 and (b) 1993-94.
Mr. Stewart : The allocation of resources to the local enterprise companies is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I have asked the chairman of Scottish Enterprise to write to the hon. Member.
Opencast Coal
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will issue new interim guidance on opencast coal production, following the Bridgecastle case, to update circulars 4/1984 and 23/1987 ;
(2) at what stage he proposes to issue interim guidance on opencast coal production to supersede circulars 4/1984 and 23/1987.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 4 May 1993] : We do not propose to issue specific interim guidance on opencast coal production. We do, however, propose to issue a new National Planning Policy Guideline "Land for Mineral Working" later this year. This will embrace opencast coal mining, take account of the Coal Review White Paper, and supersede circulars 4/1984 and 23/1987.
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