| Previous Section | Home Page |
Office of Water Services
Mrs. Helen Jackson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with OFWAT as to the cost of water in the next financial year ; and what are the criteria by which he will decide on the level of K' in OFWAT's price fixing.
Mr. Yeo [holding answer 7 June 1993] : My right hon. Friend's predecessors have from time to time had discussions with the Director General of Water Services. Under the Water Industry Act 1991 the Director General has the duty to set limits to the prices companies may charge : my right hon. Friend has no powers to interfere in any way with the exercise of that responsibility.
The 1993-94 price limits have already been settled and are being implemented by the companies. The companies' licences set out the criteria for the scope of variations in price limits between periodic reviews. The Director General has published a number of consultation papers concerning his approach to setting price limits at the first full review in 1994, which will take effect from 1 April 1995. Under section 2 of the Water Industry Act 1991, the Director General must enable companies to obtain the funds to finance their duties while protecting the interests of their customers.
Rural Planning Permissions
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to repeal the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to ensure that more consideration is given to environmental concerns during the consideration of planning permission by rural local authorities ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo [holding answer 7 June 1993] : Town and Country Planning legislation together with the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 ensures that full account is taken of the likely effects that development proposals would have on the environment. Guidance to local authorities and others on how the conservation of our natural heritage is to be reflected in land use planning and development control is set out in circulars 27/87 and 1/92.
Column 274
This will be updated in a planning policy guidance note, to be issued shortly. Nature conservation issues are frequently a material consideration in determining planning applications, especially those in or near sites of special scientific interest.Market Testing
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the cost to date and the expected future cost of his Department's market -testing programme ; how many staff are engaged full time in work relating to market testing ; which firms of consultants have been used in connection with the market-testing programme ; and how they were selected.
Mr. Gummer [holding answer 7 June 1993] : The total cost of the programme to date has amounted to approximately £1,329,000. It is not possible to estimate the future cost of my Department's programme. There are 11 staff in my Department directly assigned to the market-testing programme.
My Department has used the following consultancy services to assist in the development of the market testing process since November 1991.
Dr. Alan Kemp
Shreeveport
Simon Thorpe Consultancy
Hoskyns Group plc
Prime Strategy Consultants
Symonds
Capita Management Consultancy
Coopers and Lybrand
Smith and Williamson
Mr. P. Dworkin
Touche Ross
Peter Burholt Consultancy Ltd.
Lane Whittlesey Business Consultants
Mouncy and Partners
The consultants were selected using the normal departmental competitive tendering procedures, with the exception of Dr. Kemp, who was at the time already employed as a special adviser to the then Secretary of State.
National Rivers Authority
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce the merging of the National Rivers Authority with Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution.
Mr. Yeo [holding answer 8 June 1993] : The 1992 Conservative manifesto committed the Government to bringing together the key regulatory functions of the National Rivers Authority and Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution, and waste regulation functions of local authorities, in a new Environment Agency. The required legislation will be introduced as soon as the necessary parliamentary time can be found.
EC Environment Council
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he plans to put forward at the EC Environment Council meeting in Aarhus on 14 to 16 May.
Mr. Yeo : The meeting in Aarhus, at which my hon. Friend the then Minister for the Environment and Countryside represented the United Kingdom, was an
Column 275
informal Council. Ministers discussed three topics proposed by the Danish Presidency : transport and the environment, the review of the structural funds regulations, and employment and the environment. No formal conclusions were adopted nor decisions taken.SCOTLAND
River Tay (Floods)
13. Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received about the flood problems of the River Tay ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Hector Monro : More than 40 representations about flooding in Tayside have been received since the flooding in January. Most advocated that some form of flood management should be developed. I am pleased to say that Tayside regional council has commissioned a comprehensive study of the Tay catchment which will enable flood management, warning and defence strategies to be assessed against criteria of cost and effectiveness.
For our part, the Government have agreed to meet 50 per cent. of eligible fees and associated expenses for the study up to a maximum contribution of £110,000.
Local Government
1. Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how he intends to announce the future of local councils in Scotland.
Mr. Lang : I intend to announce my decisions on the new structure of local government in Scotland in a White Paper to be published before the summer recess.
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his plans for the role of community councils in the structure of local government in Scotland.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 7 June 1993] : Community councils can play a very effective representational role on behalf of their local communities. The second consultation paper "Shaping the New Councils" invited comments on the role of community councils. We are still considering the views expressed and any proposals to change the existing role of community councils will be announced later.
Construction Industry
16. Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people are currently employed in the construction industry in Scotland.
Mr. Stewart : The latest provisional estimates indicate that 114, 500 people were employed in the Scottish construction industry in December 1992.
Training
17. Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the chairmen of the enterprise companies in Scotland to discuss the funding of training programmes.
Column 276
Mr. Stewart : My right hon. Friend and I frequently meet chairmen of local enterprise companies to discuss a range of economic development and training issues.
18. Mr. Ernie Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the chairman of Scottish Enterprise to discuss training.
Mr. Stewart : My right hon. Friend and I met the chairman of Scottish Enterprise on 26 April 1993 to discuss a range of issues including training.
36. Mr. McKelvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the employment training programme in Kilmarnock and Loudoun and Ayrshire.
Mr. Stewart : This is a matter for Scottish Enterprise, which has a statutory duty to keep under continuous review the suitability and adequacy of such training where its provision is delegated to oth : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total number of people he appoints to quangos and the total remuneration given to them.
Mr. Lang : As at 1 September last year, I made just under 4,000 public appointments. The majority of them are not paid. For those where a salary is paid, the total amount of remuneration, at the same date, was £2.1million. This figure does not include a number of appointments which are fee paid and where, of course, the amount of fee depends on the days of attendance.
Graduates' Employment
20. Dr. Bray : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of graduates in Scotland gained a permanent home employment by 31 December after graduation in 1988-89 and in 1990-91.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Fifty-seven per cent. of those graduating in 1988-89 were in or had firm offers of employment by 31 December 1989. Of those graduating in 1990-91, 46 per cent. were in or had offers of such employment by 31 December 1991.
Gross Domestic Product
21. Mr. Peter Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the gross domestic product per head in Scotland between the years 1981 and 1990.
Mr. Stewart : In current prices, GDP per head in Scotland in 1981 was £3,542. In 1990, it was £7,747. After allowing for inflation, this represents a real increase of 30 per cent.
Ferry Services
22. Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on ferry services to the Scottish islands.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my right hon. Friend earlier today to the hon. Member for Renfrew, West and Inverclyde (Mr. Graham).
Column 277
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements have been made to engage consultants to look at the privatisation of Caledonian MacBrayne ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 7 June 1993] : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my right hon. Friend on 26 May, Official Report, column 589, to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, South (Mr. Robertson).
Mr. Chisholm : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy on the development of a roll-on roll-off ferry service between Scotland and northern Europe.
Mr. Stewart : The development of any service, and the choice of location of the relevant ferry port, must be a matter for the commercial judgment of the potential operator. As the hon. Member is aware from my letter to him of 8 January this year, Scottish Enterprise has commissioned consultants to estimate the financial, economic and environmental impacts of developing new east coast port facilities, in response to potential market interest. The final report of the consultants is, I understand, still awaited by Scottish Enterprise.
Defence Procurement
23. Mr. Oppenheim : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the effect of defence procurement on Scottish industry.
Mr. Stewart : The Ministry of Defence's expenditure in Scotland on equipment in 1990-91 totalled £600 million, which was 8 per cent. of the MOD's total expenditure on equipment within the United Kingdom. It is estimated that MOD's equipment procurement accounted for 1.4 per cent. of Scottish GDP in 1990.
Associated employment in Scotland within contractors supplying MOD direct in 1990-91 was 13,000, 10 per cent. of the United Kingdom total and approximately 0.5 per cent. of the Scottish work force.
Gipsies, Cambuslang
24. Mrs. Ann Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action was taken by his Department in connection with the representations made by the hon. Member for Congleton on Monday 10 May relating to gipsy encampments at the Cambuslang industrial estate.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Scottish Office contacted the Crown Office, which confirmed that the police and the relevant local authority were aware of the situation. I understand that the level of activity on the industrial estate was not sufficient to warrant further action at that time.
Local Services
25. Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met representatives of public bodies to discuss the provision of local services.
Mr. Stewart : My right hon. Friend last met the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on 18 January 1993.
Column 278
Forestry Commission
26. Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has held on the future of the Forestry Commission.
Sir Hector Monro : My right hon. Friend regularly meets individuals and organisations with interests in forestry to hear their views and discuss matters of mutual concern. In these discussions, issues such as the future of the Forestry Commission naturally arise.
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether primary legislation is required if a decision is made to privatise the Forestry Commission in whole or part.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 26 May 1993] : Ministers have come to no decisions about the effectiveness of the current incentives for forestry investment or the ownership and management of Forestry Commission woodlands, which are the subject of review. Only once they have done so would they consider any consequent requirements for primary legislation.
National Environmental Agency
27. Mr. Connarty : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what changes in responsibility or statutory duties he envisages for local authorities following the setting up of a national environmental agency in Scotland.
Sir Hector Monro : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Kincardine and Deeside (Mr. Kynoch) by my right hon. Friend on 25 February, Official Report, column 722. We plan to transfer to the proposed Scottish environment protection agency the existing district and islands councils' responsibilities in Scotland for waste regulation and local authority air pollution control under part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the islands councils' responsibilities as river purification authorities.
Southern General Hospital, Edinburgh
28. Mr. Eric Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the expected starting date and completion date of the new Southern general hospital in Edinburgh.
Mr. Stewart : Policy on the provision of a new teaching hospital in Edinburgh is a matter primarily for Lothian health board, subject to public consultation and the approval of my right hon. and noble Friend. I understand that Lothian health board plans to issue proposals for public consultation in due course.
Road Haulage
29. Mrs. Adams : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what safety restrictions he has laid down for movements of very large loads and convoys by road in Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Secretary of State for Scotland lays down no safety restrictions for the movement of very large loads and convoys. In the United Kingdom, the Secretary of State for Transport is responsible for authorising abnormal indivisible load movements.
Column 279
Water
30. Mr. Canavan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he now expects to make a statement on his policy on the future of the water industry in Scotland.
Sir Hector Monro : A decision on the future structure of water and sewerage services will be made when responses to the consultation have been fully considered. My right hon. Friend will make a statement in due course.
32. Mr. Welsh : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many of the submissions he has received to his consultation document on water and sewerage have been from the 10 regional water companies in England and Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Hector Monro : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 22 March, Official Report, column 474.
Damp Housing
31. Mr. Davidson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he intends to take to measure and reduce the health risk to children living in damp public sector housing.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : In preparing their next housing plans and housing capital programmes, due by the end of August, all local housing authorities have been asked to set out strategies and targets for tackling housing in their areas subject to condensation and dampness.
Voluntary Organisations (Grants)
33. Mr. Knox : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the value of grants from his Department to voluntary organisations in each of the past three years, at constant prices.
Mr. Stewart : Grants paid to voluntary organisations by the Scottish Office in each of the last three years at 1991-92 prices, were £20.2 million in 1990-91, £20.7 million in 1991-92 and £24.7 million in 1992-93.
Stobhill Hospital, Glasgow
34. Mr. Michael J. Martin : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will next meet the Greater Glasgow health board to discuss the future of Stobhill hospital ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no immediate plans to meet with Greater Glasgow health board to discuss Stobhill or any other hospital that is subject to the board's comprehensive review of acute and maternity services. He looks forward to receiving the board's detailed proposals in due course.
Angling
35. Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the significance of the field sport of angling to the economy of Scotland ; and what measures he is taking to encourage the sport.
Sir Hector Monro : I have made no assessment of the significance of the field sport of angling to the economy of Scotland. However, the governing body for angling received grants totalling over £30,000 from the Scottish
Column 280
Sports Council in 1991-92. In common with all other sports, the governing body has full autonomy and the responsibility for increasing participation and improving standards of angling in Scotland.Homelessness
37. Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his plans to deal with the homeless in Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Local authorities have the statutory responsibility for dealing with homelessness. Their capital allocations this year total £513 million and homelessness is one of the three key issues which housing authorities have been asked to address in their housing strategies and output targets. In addition, the Government have made available extra capital allocations of almost £23 million earmarked for homelessness projects over the period 1991 to 1993.
Labour Statistics
38. Mr. Norman Hogg : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of the work force in each of Scotland's new towns is currently unemployed.
Mr. Stewart : Statistics for the area of each new town are not maintained by the Department of Employment. The following percentages have been provided by the development corporation :
|per cent.
----------------------------------
Cumbernauld |9.7
East Kilbride |8.9
Glenrothes |11.7
Irvine |13.3
Livingston |9.0
Education Spending
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much is spent on average per pupil at (a) primary school level and (b) secondary school level ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : In 1991-92, the latest year for which figures are available, net current expenditure per pupil in Scottish primary schools was £1,633. The comparable figure for secondary schools was £2,834. These figures do not include the cost of home to school transport, school meals, education authority central administration and loan charges.
Council Tax
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the average council tax payment due in each district council area in Scotland in the current financial year ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 7 June 1993] : The table gives, for each district and islands council area in Scotland, estimates of the average amount of council tax billed per inhabitable dwelling in 1993-94. The amount billed includes district and region council taxes and excludes council water charges. In calculating the average, no
Column 281
allowance has been made for the effects of council tax transitional relief and council tax benefit in reducing the amounts that have to be paid.
Council tax, amount billed per dwelling, Scotland:
1993-94
Authority |Amount billed £
--------------------------------------------------------
Borders
Berwickshire |361
Ettrick and Lauderdale |385
Roxburgh |362
Tweeddale |433
Central
Clackmannan |457
Falkirk |378
Stirling |556
Dumfries and Galloway
Annandale and Eskdale |422
Nithsdale |423
Stewartry |394
Wigtown |400
Fife
Dunfermline |448
Kirkcaldy |443
North East Fife |542
Grampian
Aberdeen City |456
Banff and Buchan |370
Gordon |459
Kincardine and Deeside |451
Moray |361
Highland
Badenoch and Strathspey |407
Caithness |346
Inverness |422
Lochaber |445
Nairn |458
Ross and Cromarty |440
Skye and Lochalsh |415
Sutherland |366
Lothian
East Lothian |529
Edinburgh City |583
Midlothian |485
West Lothian |409
Strathclyde
Argyll and Bute |440
Bearsden and Milngavie |590
Clydebank |424
Clydesdale |445
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth |396
Cumnock and Doon Valley |370
Cunninghame |393
Dumbarton |493
East Kilbride |463
Eastwood |515
Glasgow City |458
Hamilton |440
Inverclyde |396
Kilmarnock and Loudoun |393
Kyle and Carrick |533
Monklands |415
Motherwell |380
Renfrew |456
Strathkelvin |531
Tayside
Angus |403
Dundee City |459
Perth and Kinross |473
Orkney |301
Shetland |298
Western Isles |319
------- |-------
Scotland |454
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what information he has concerning council tax appeals being made in each local authority area for the latest date for which information is available ;
(2) how many proposals for changes in council tax banding have so far been made to valuation offices in each local authority ; and what proportion of households this represents.
| Next Section
| Home Page |