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Sir Hector Monro : As announced in Cm 2214, "The Government's Expenditure Plans 1993-94 to 1995-96 for the Departments of the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Forestry Commission" (table 13.10), the Commission plans to sell 15,000 hectares of forest land in the current financial year and in each of the next two years. The sales programme for 1996-97 is under consideration.
Agencies
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those bodies with executive agency status which are responsible to him ; what plans he has to give executive agency status to any other Department or public body responsible to him ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : I have responsibility for the following executive agencies :
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Agency |Launch Date |Chief Executive
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Registers of Scotland |1 April 1990 |Mr. James Barron
Historic Scotland |1 April 1991 |Mr. Graeme Munro
Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency |1 April 1991 |Mr. Andrew MacLeod
Scottish Agricultural Science Agency |1 April 1992 |Dr. Robert Hay
Scottish Prison Service |1 April 1993 |Mr. Edward Frizzell
Scottish Record Office |1 April 1993 |Mr. Patrick Cadell
Scottish Office Pensions Agency |1 April 1993 |Mr. Norman MacLeod
Chief executives respond, on my behalf, to letters and written parliamentary questions from hon. Members on operational issues within their sphere of responsiblity as set out in the agency's framework document. A copy of each framework document is available in the House Libraries.
I announced on 18 November 1992, c. 271 , that the fisheries research service of the Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department is under consideration for executive agency status. Other candidates may be announced later this year. It is the Government's intention that all executive agency candidates will have been identified by the end of 1993 and to have launched them by mid-1995--end 1994 and mid-1996 in Northern Ireland.
Energy Conservation
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he plans to take following the recent study by Scottish Enterprise on energy conservation in the domestic sector.
Mr. Stewart : Scottish Enterprise was co-sponsor of a study of the use of energy in Scotland. This study has not yet been published.
Rape and Sexual Assault
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to introduce legislation to alter the range of sentences open to the courts in cases of rape and sexual assault.
ot laid down in statute but determined only by the maximum sentencing power of the court in which a case is heard. Where a case is heard on indictment, a sheriff sitting with a jury may impose a sentence of up to three years' imprisonment or remit the case to the High Court for a higher sentence if he believes this to be appropriate. A judge in the High Court may impose a sentence of up to life imprisonment. We believe, therefore, that there are already appropriate penalties available to deal with even the most serious cases.
Wild Plants
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the common and botanical names of wild plants which are currently categorised in Scotland as
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(a) protected and (b) endangered species ; what measures he has in place to protect such species ; and if he will make a statement.Sir Hector Monro : The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 provides protection for all wild plants. The subset of endangered or rare species is identified in schedule 8 to the Act, as varied by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (Variation of Schedules) Order 1988 (S.I. 1988 No. 288) and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (Variation of Schedules 5 and 8) Order 1992 (S.I. 1992 No. 2350). It is an offence under section 13 of the Act for any unauthorised person to uproot intentionally any wild plant. In the case of the plants listed in schedule 8, it is an offence for any person intentionally to pick, uproot or destroy any example.
Abattoirs
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number of abattoirs in Scotland and their combined average throughput in (a) 1970, (b) 1980, (c) 1990, (d) 1991 and (e) 1992 ; and what are the most recent figures available.
Sir Hector Monro : The information requested is as follows :
Year |Number of |Average throughput
|abattoirs<1> |per abattoir
|(LUs)<2>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1970 |n/a |n/a
1980 |66 |17,693
1990 |51 |24,600
1991 |50 |26,477
1992 |48 |27,195
In 1993, 44 abattoirs in Scotland were licensed under the Fresh Meat (Hygien
<1> This excludes the small remote island abattoirs which generally operate
for a short season each year and have a very low throughput when open.
<2> One LU (livestock unit)-one adult cattle/calf or seven sheep or three
pigs.
Islands Shipping Services
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to increase subsidies for shipping services to Orkney and Shetland ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : I announced on 17 December 1992, at column 466, subsidy provision for shipping services
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totalling £15,129 million in 1993-94, of which provision for services to and from Orkney and Shetland amounted to £6.679 million. I now intend to make available a further £1.934 million in the current year to increase the amount of subsidy available for services to Orkney and Shetland in 1993-94 to £8.613 million. The additional assistance will be provided to P and O Scottish Ferries Ltd. to enable it to maintain the present level of roll-on/roll-off services in respect of passengers and cars. The assistance will enable P and O to increase their commercial tariffs for passengers and cars, while keeping net tariffs, after tariff rebate subsidy, to users of the service unchanged. The increases in commercial tariffs are necessary to enable continued provision of the present level of services. No change is being made in subsidies to freight services.Mr. Raymond S. Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he intends to make regarding shipping services to the Scottish islands ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : I have decided to review the present arrangements under which I provide financial assistance to maintain lifeline shipping services to Orkney, Shetland, the Inner and Outer Hebrides and in the Clyde estuary. I also propose to review options for the future organisation and structure of Caledonian MacBrayne including the possible scope for introducing private sector participation in the provision of Caledonian MacBrayne's services.
Options to be studied will include continued public sector ownership of Caledonian MacBrayne as well as privatisation options ; in the latter I will wish to explore the scope for greater employee involvement. I believe that the time is ripe for a further study of Caledonian MacBrayne following the transfer of the company's ownership to me in 1990.
The Government remain committed to providing continued financial support for lifeline shipping services to ensure that services can be provided at a cost to users which is consistent with the need to maintain and improve economic and social conditions in the islands. The primary objective of these reviews is to explore the scope for improving the cost-effectiveness of the present arrangements in ways which are consistent with safeguarding the interests of the users of the services. I see greater efficiency and effectiveness in subsidy and service provision as leading to better services for the consumer, and wish to make it clear that our overall aim is to ensure that services are maintained and improved, and not in any way downgraded. The Scottish Office Industry Department will shortly be inviting tenders for the necessary studies which will inform these reviews from suitable firms of economic and financial consultants.
Cockburnspath Bypass (Wind Levels)
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) when he expects to receive the study to be conducted by Strathclyde university on the monitoring of wind levels at the newly constructed Cockburnspath bypass ; and if he will publish the results of the study in full ;
(2) what detailed proposals he has to divert vehicles prone to high wind levels off the newly constructed
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Cockburnspath bypass during abnormal wind conditions, indicating what vehicles would be affected and what the alternative route would be.Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 17 May 1993] : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 13 May 1993, col 487-88.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what evidence he has on the relative hazards of wind levels at the newly constructed Cockburnspath bypass compared with other parts of the A1.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 17 May 1993] : The Scottish Office received a record of all accidents on the trunk road network which have been reported to the police. Abnormal wind strength was a contributory factor in the three recorded accidents which occurred on the Cockburnspath bypass on 21 January this year. Over the previous three years there has been only one other recorded accident on the A1 between Edinburgh and Newcastle where wind strength was a contributory factor. This occurred at Skateraw, just north of Torness power station, in February 1990. None of these accidents involved personal injury.
Select Committee Recommendations
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many Select Committee recommendations have been made about his Department since April 1989 ; and how many have been accepted.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 24 May 1993] :
The Select Committee on Scottish Affairs has published one report since April 1989 on which the Government have yet to respond. Other Select Committees have made 21 recommendations specifically affecting my Department. Of these 20 have been accepted, in whole or part, by the Government or have been noted where no further action was sought.
Compulsory Competitive Tendering
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has held with COSLA concerning the consequences for regional, island and district councils of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 and the acquired rights directive ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 24 May 1993] : None.
Policing
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for public consultation concerning those parts of the forthcoming report of the Sheehy inquiry into policing in the United Kingdom which relate specifically to Scotland's police forces ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 24 May 1993] : The report of the inquiry into police responsibilities and rewards will be circulated to all interested bodies, including those covering Scottish interests, as soon as it is published. My right hon. Friend will welcome comment from those in Scotland on any aspect of the report.
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Prisons
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the budgeted annual cost per prisoner place at (a) HM prison Greenock and (b) other prisons.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 24 May 1993] : The budgeted annual cost per prisoner place, including capital expenditure, at HM prison, Greenock, for 1993-94, is £30,665. This compares with a budgeted Scottish prison service average figure of £28,314 for the same year.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
Global Environmental Facility
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representation his Department will have at the global environmental facility's participants' meeting in Beijing from 26 to 28 May ; what discussions he has had with the World bank in regard to the global environmental facility meeting ; and if he will make a statement on the way in which the global environmental facility is accountable to supporter states.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The United Kingdom delegation will be led by the deputy secretary of the Overseas Development Administration, supported by officials from the Department of the Environment and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The chairman of the Global Environment Facility has consulted United Kingdom officials on issues which will be discussed in Beijing. The GEF is accountable to participating states at the meetings of GEF's governing body, the participants assembly.
UN Development Programme
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he received a copy of the "1993 Human Development" reports of the United Nations Development Programme ; and what action he intends to take in regard to its recommendations.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The 1993 human development report is being published by the United Nations development programme this week. We welcome the report as a useful contribution to the development debate. We are studying the report and its proposals with great interest, and shall take appropriate account of them.
St. Helena
Mr. Cummings : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much aid has been given to St. Helena in each year since 1979.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The figures for St. Helena are :
|Number
----------------------
1979 |3,935
1980 |3,795
1981 |4,062
1982 |5,834
1983 |6,533
1984 |7,471
1985 |9,354
1986 |9,202
1987 |12,241
1987-88 |11,057
1988-89 |20,524
1989-90 |24,239
1990-91 |11,759
1991-92 |9,147
Note: The method of
recording aid
expenditure was
changed from a
calendar year to a
financial year basis
in 1987-88.
Indonesia
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how Her Majesty's Government evaluates the Government of Indonesia in relation to his policy relating aid to good Government.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We review regularly the performance of all aid recipients, including Indonesia, against the criteria of our good government policy.
In the case of Indonesia, although there are human rights concerns which we regularly discuss with the Indonesian authorities, British aid, which concentrates on tropical forestry, education, energy efficiency, economic infrastructure and public administration is, in our view, used to good effect. Indonesia has a good track record of sound economic management and has done much to reduce absolute poverty over the last two decades.
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the Government's position on the World bank's policy in relation to the development of a nuclear power industry in Indonesia.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The World bank is not involved in the development of a nuclear power industry in Indonesia.
Family Planning
Mr. Watson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries are designated as priority areas for family planning and population assistance ; what criteria are used to choose these countries ; and what plans there are to involve more countries.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda are designated as priority countries for United Kingdom family planning and population assistance. The selection criteria used to choose these countries were : the unmet demand for reproductive health and family planning services ; their gross national product per capita ; and the potential effectiveness of United Kingdom aid for population programmes.
The list of priority countries is kept under regular review. We also currently provide population assistance to Ghana, Namibia, South Africa, (via an NGO), Zambia, Zimbabwe and Nepal.
Mr. Watson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and which non-governmental organisations received support for family planning and related projects through the joint funding scheme in 1991 and 1992 ; what were the projects ; and in which countries they took place.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : In the financial years 1990-91 and 1991-92 a total of seven non-governmental organisations
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received support through the joint funding scheme for projects which were primarily for family planning and related activities. The details are set out in the tables.Column 591
Agency |Country |Project name |£
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1990-91
Africa Now |Kenya |Chogoria Family Planning Programme |9,350
AID |India |Family Planning Project |46,468
Marie Stopes International |Bangladesh |Family Planning, Preventative Health Care |43,808
Marie Stopes International |Ethiopia |Maternal and Reproductive Health Clinic |57,237
Marie Stopes International |India |Contraceptive Social Marketing |69,992
Marie Stopes International |India |Workplace Family Planning and Preventative Health Care-Employees and Dependents|43,258
Marie Stopes International |India |Soap Drama-Family Life/Responsible Sexual Behaviour |13,250
Marie Stopes International |India |Brass Tacks Family Planning Programme |31,434
Marie Stopes International |Kenya |National Youth Service |47,278
Marie Stopes International |Lesotho |Creating a Corps of Village-Based Family Planning Education/Motivators |33,498
Marie Stopes International |Malawi |Health Programme for Poor Women and Families |49,507
Marie Stopes International |Nicaragua |Workplace Preventative Maternal Health and Family Planning |40,699
Marie Stopes International |Pakistan |Lahore Based Reproductive Health Extension Services |24,777
Marie Stopes International |Sierra Leone |Work Based Maternal and Child Health and Family Planning |34,744
Marie Stopes International |Swaziland |Male Oriented Family Planning |21,647
Marie Stopes International |Zimbabwe |Training Programme Zimbabwe Association Women's Clubs |41,180
OXFAM |Senegal |Family Planning and Literacy |764
Population Concern |Bangladesh |Family Planning Services for the Rakhaine Tribes |11,340
Population Concern |Bangladesh |Integrated Family Planning Health and Education |45,214
Population Concern |Caribbean |Three Workshops Family Planning Fieldworkers |25,512
Population Concern |Caribbean |Towards Accreditation Sex Education in Caribbean Schools |72,370
Population Concern |Ethiopia |Family Planning Training for Rural Women Development Agents |41,675
Population Concern |Ethiopia |Training of Health Assistants |43,140
Population Concern |Ethiopia |Development of a Manual-Rural Women Development Workers |14,120
Population Concern |Nepal |Nawalparasi Women's Development |18,425
Population Concern |Pakistan |Family Planning Through Community Institutions |32,195
Population Concern |Pakistan |Training for Women Development Workers |31,715
UKFSP |Fiji |Family Planning |12,318
-------
Total |956,915
-------
1991-92
Africa Now |Gambia |Tanji Community Family Planning |11,645
Marie Stopes International |Ethiopia |Condom Social Marketing Family Planning/AIDS Programme Urban Couples |37,249
Marie Stopes International |India |Family Life Education (Brass Tacks) Extension for Delhi and Lucknow |40,679
Marie Stopes International |India |Contraceptive Social Marketing |70,627
Marie Stopes International |India |Workplace Family Planning and Preventative Health Care-Employees and Dependents|62,371
Marie Stopes International |Malawi |Man to Man-Male Orientated Child Spacing/Education |70,487
Marie Stopes International |Malawi |Community Mother and Child and Family Planning-Blantyre, Lilongwe and Zomba |136,874
Marie Stopes International |Mexico |Factory Based Health Care and Family Planning Programme |49,501
Marie Stopes International |Nicaragua |Workplace Preventative Maternal Health and Family Planning |72,403
Population Concern |Ethiopia |Training of Health Assistants |22,965
Population Concern |Ethiopia |Jimma-Contraceptive Distribution by Community Health Agents and TBAs |19,760
Population Concern |Ethiopia |Yirgalem-Family Planning Education and Outreach Services |25,970
Population Concern |Gambia |Youth to Youth IEC on Adolescent Reproductive Health Management |19,865
Population Concern |India |Women's Development (Kulasekaram and Dindigul) |30,690
Population Concern |Nepal |Nawalparasi Women's Development |14,895
Population Concern |Pakistan |Family Planning Through Community Institutions |23,835
Urban Aid |Ghana |Family Planning Project |20,193
OXFAM |Pakistan |Family Planning Project |11,491
-------
Total |741,500
Narmada Dam
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assurances he has received from the Indian Government on public access to environmental and hydrological studies regarding the proposed Narmada dam.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We are consulting the Indian authorities and the World bank about their plans to make environmental and hydrological studies relating to the Sardar Sarovar dam project publicly available.
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Mr. Don Foster : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any of the local cost aid provided by the Government to India for the Narmada dam scheme has been used to buy any British military equipment.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The British Government have not provided any local costs assistance to the Narmada dam scheme.
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AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Animals (Notifiable Diseases)
Mr. Morley : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the notifiable diseases of animals.
Mr. Soames : The following diseases of animals are notifiable in Great Britain :
AFRICAN HORSE SICKNESS
AFRICAN SWINE FEVER
ANTHRAX
AUJESZKY'S DISEASE
BLUE TONGUE
BOVINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY
BRUCELLA MELITENSIS
BRUCELLOSIS
CATTLE PLAGUE in Ruminants and Swine
CLASSICAL SWINE FEVER
CONTAGIOUS AGALACTIA
CONTAGIOUS EPIDIDYMITIS
CONTAGIOUS EQUINE METRITIS
DOURINE in Horses, Asses, Mules and Zebras
ENZOOTIC BOVINE LEUKOSIS
EPIZOOTIC HAEMORRHAGIC VIRUS DISEASE
EPIZOOTIC LYMPHANGITIS in Horse, Asses and Mules
EQUINE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS
EQUINE INFECTIOUS ANAEMIA
FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE in Ruminants and Swine
FOWL PEST (FOWL PLAGUE, NEWCASTLE DISEASE AND PARAMYXOVIRUS) in Poultry of all kinds
GLANDERS AND FARCY in Horses, Asses and Mules
GOAT POX
LUMPY SKIN DISEASE
PARAMYXOVIRUS in Pigeons
PESTE DES PETITS RUMINANT
PLEURO-PNEUMONIA in Cattle
RABIES
RIFT VALLEY FEVER
SCRAPIE
SHEEP POX
SHEEP SCAB
SWINE VESICULAR DISEASE (SVD)
TESCHEN DISEASE of Pigs
TUBERCULOSIS in Cattle
TUBERCULOSIS in Deer
VESICULAR STOMATITIS
VIRAL HAEMORRHAGIC DISEASE of Rabbits
WARBLE FLY
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