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Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 8 December 1993] : I saw the responsible Commissioner on 30 November about the Government's proposals for objective 2.
On RECHAR, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Barnsley, West and Penistone (Mr. Clapham) on 2 December, Official Report , column 736 .
Accounts Services Agency
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to privatise the Accounts Services Agency; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 8 December 1993] : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend
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the Member for Hertfordshire North (Mr. Heald) on 29 October, Official Report, column 805. The review of the Accounts Services Agency has yet to be concluded. In due course, a decision will be taken and an announcement made.SCOTLAND
Information Security
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the operation of his Department's sensitive documents unit ; how many staff are employed in its operation ; and approximately how many documents per annum come within its purview.
Mr. Lang : My Department does not have such a unit. Documents are regularly reviewed by branches in accordance with centrally agreed procedures.
Crime Victims
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration is being given to measures to reduce the stressfulness for victims of crime of attendance at court ; and if he will a make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The stress of appearing as a witness is partly caused by a fear of the unknown. The new measures being taken to provide information to victims and to make them familiar with the court and its procedures can help to allay such fears. The physical surroundings are also important and steps are taken, where possible, to separate Crown witnesses from accused persons and defence witnesses. Court staff make regular visits to witness rooms to provide progress reports, and will take appropriate action if a victim complains about intimidation or other pressure.
Where children are the victims of crime, a number of courts have facilities to take evidence by live television link, so that, if the court so orders, they do not have to confront the accused face to face. The use of screens to provide a barrier between a victim and an accused is also currently being evaluated.
Although there are certain rules of evidence designed to protect witnesses from particular types of questioning, going to court is inevitably stressful for many victims of crime. Two recently published reports, on the review of criminal evidence and on court programming, contain a number of recommendations which, if implemented, are likely to lead to a reduction in that stress and in the number of times victims have to attend court. Any new procedures must also, however, be fair to accused persons and so any proposals require careful consideration.
Volunteers from the Scottish Association of Victim Support Schemes aim to accompany as many victims to court as possible. The association provides some training to volunteers to assist them in helping victims through the court process. In 1993-94 SAVSS will receive a grant of £764,000 from the Scottish Office, of which £546, 351 goes to fund local victim support schemes.
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration is being given to improving the availability to victims of crime of information on the operation of the courts and the prosecution system ; and if he will make a statement.
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Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : A number of initiatives are being made in the spirit of the justice charter for Scotland. Procurators fiscal are making efforts to provide more information, and improved leaflets are now sent to all witnesses before coming to court. More information about the progress of cases is being given to witnesses waiting at court to give their evidence, and special arrangements, including pre-trial visits to the courtroom, exist for giving information to vulnerable witnesses. The very successful illustrated leaflet for children is also being updated. In one particular initiative the procurator fiscal provides information through local victim support schemes, and receives in return information about any special difficulties which victims may have. The Scottish Association of Victim Support Schemes has made an approach seeking funding support to produce a new information leaflet for victims of sexual offences. This is intended to provide relevant information and to inform them about aspects of the prosecution system and operation of the courts.
Football Stadia
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will bring forward legislation to ensure that all Scottish stadia are all-seater by August 1994.
Sir Hector Monro : I have no immediate plans to do so. We are satisfied from our regular contacts with the football authorities, through the Scottish Stadia Committee, that the voluntary undertaking given to Ministers in 1990 by the authorities remains at present the most appropriate basis for Government to secure acceptable safety standards at football grounds. That position is, however, kept closely under review.
Hospital Closures
Mr. Donohoe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the closure of facilities in Ayrshire Central and Ravenspark hospitals by the Community Health Care NHS trust since its establishment in April ; and what changes in service provision have been made.
Mr. Stewart : The trust has closed three pavilions at Ravenspark hospital since patient referrals have diminished following the contract with Ayrshire and Arran health board. In addition, the trust has transferred the geriatric assessment facility from Ravenspark to Ayrshire Central. The contracts which Ayrshire and Arran health board has with the trust do not require the trust to provide the same number of beds as previously existed.
Mr. Donohoe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the closure of facilities in Crosshouse hospital by the North Ayrshire and Arran NHS trust since its establishment in April ; and what reasons have been given for reductions in services.
Mr. Stewart : There has been no reduction in services. More patients have been treated in the first six months of the trust's existence compared with the same period last year and the trust is to be congratulated on its achievements. This increased activity has been achieved by changes in service delivery patterns which make better use of the facilities. Some wards are no longer required and have been closed but without any reduction in the service.
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Mr. Donohoe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the refurbishment of the foyer of Crosshouse hospital by the North Ayrshire and Arran NHS trust ; how much the refurbishment is costing ; from where the funding for this refurbishment is being made available ; and what similar work was carried out in Crosshouse hospital prior to the North Ayrshire and Arran trust being established this year.
Mr. Stewart : The main entrance of Crosshouse hospital has been refurbished with the creation of enhanced shop and tea bar facilities and the provision of new facilities for admissions, the patient welcoming service, a mother and baby room and toilets for disabled persons. The total cost is £150,000 of which £75,000 has been provided by the trust and the balance donated by the WRVS. The entrance has not been upgraded since the hospital opened in 1982.
Timber
Mr. Bayley : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of the United Kingdom's timber requirement is grown in the United Kingdom.
Sir Hector Monro : About 14 per cent.
Sheep Quota
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to make a statement on the arrangements for allocation of sheep quota from the national reserve.
Sir Hector Monro : The arrangements of applying to the national reserve of sheep quota were announced by the Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department on Tuesday 7 December. Application forms are now available from the Department's area offices for producers in the first two categories of those eligible for an allocation from the reserve. This will not affect the position of producers in the other categories, arrangements for whom will be announced later.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he proposes to take to expedite the administrative procedures for allocation of sheep quota from the national reserve when the necessary orders are laid.
Sir Hector Monro : The Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department has invited producers falling within the first two categories of the seven categories of eligible producer to submit their applications now. This will enable the Department to speed up the processing of applications and permit allocations to be made as quickly as possible without affecting the position of producersncial problems they face as a result of the delayed allocation of quota.
Sir Hector Monro : I advise them that the legislation relating to the national reserve has been laid and certain producers can therefore now apply for an allocation of quota from the reserve ; that payment of the advance of
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sheep annual premium to these producers will be made as soon as possible after quota has been allocated from the reserve ; and that this is expected to take place in about two months' time.Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will set up a tribunal with powers to award sheep quota allocations to hear cases of genuine hardship for sheep producers denied allocation of quota from the national reserve.
Sir Hector Monro : The legislation governing the allocation of quota from the national reserve sets out precisely the definition of the categories of producer eligible to apply to the reserve. There is no scope for making discretionary allocations to producers falling outwith those categories. I therefore have no plans to set up a tribunal.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many recorded phone messages his Department has received from sheep producers seeking information about allocation of quota from the national reserve.
Sir Hector Monro : The Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department has received several hundred telephone calls from producers on a variety of subjects relating to sheep quotas. It is not possible to identify separately the number concerned specifically with allocations from the national reserve or recorded messages from other telephone calls.
Court Service
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the future of the Scottish court service.
Mr. Lang : After consultation with the senior judiciary, I have decided that the Scottish court service, part of the Scottish courts administration, should be considered as a candidate for executive agency status, under the next steps initiative.
Castlehill Primary School
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he received an application for the opting out of Castlehill primary school in Ayr ; from whom the application was received ; what representations he has received for and against such a proposal ; what is his estimate of the costs involved if the school is allowed to proceed with opting out ; what consideration he has given to the request ; and when he expects to make an announcement on his decision in this matter.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 8 December 1993] : The application for self-governing status for Castlehill primary school was submitted by the school board in June 1993. Three representations were received in support of the application and one representation was received opposing the application. As regards costs, it is premature to make any estimate. The results of the consideration currently being given to the application by my right hon. Friend will be announced shortly.
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Ethnic Monitoring
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what ethnic monitoring he carries out of the Scottish Office work force ; how many black and ethnic minority personnel are employed ; and at what levels.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 3 December 1993] : Following earlier surveys of the ethnic origins of staff, all new entrants are invited to complete a questionnaire. We have achieved a 92 per cent. response rate. As at 1 October 1993, 34 staff have described themselves as belonging to an ethnic minority. These staff are employed in grades ranging from messenger to grade 6.
Child Patients
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the percentage of children in hospital admitted to adult wards.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 1 December 1993] : It is estimated that 2.5 per cent. of children in hospital in Scotland are admitted to adult wards, where there is no separate accommodation for children.
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions in 1991-92 a children's intensive care unit has refused admission to a critically ill child ; and for what reasons.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 1 December 1993] : This information is not held centrally.
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what number and percentage of children receiving intensive care were cared for in (a) children's wards, (b) adult intensive care units and (c) children's intensive care units.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 1 December 1993] : The number of children receiving intensive care in children's wards is not available centrally.
The number of children aged zero to 14 years receiving care in adult intensive care units in general hospitals in 1992 was 138 or 21.5 per cent. of all children in the age group receiving care in an intensive care unit.
Intensive care units provided specially for children are not identifiable centrally except in children's hospitals. The number of children receiving care in intensive care units in children's hospitals in 1992 was 503, or 78.5 per cent. of all children in the age group receiving care in an intensive care unit.
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the shortfall of paediatric intensive care unit beds. Mr. Stewart [holding answer 1 December 1993] : Intensive care units provided specially for children are not identifiable centrally, except where they are provided in designated children's hospitals.
Forestry
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he proposes to take to ensure no loss of public access following disposal of any land owned by the Forestry Commission.
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Sir Hector Monro : Arrangements were introduced in October 1991 for securing continued public access to woodlands sold by the Forestry Commission by means of prior agreements entered into between the commission and local authorities. These arrangements are currently being reviewed to see if any changes are needed.
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what statutory conservation measures apply to private forestry land previously belonging to the Forestry Commission.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 8 December 1993] : There are several statutory conservation measures which apply to privately owned forestry land, whether or not it previously belonged to the Forestry Commission. These include the designation of woodlands as sites of special scientific interest and special protection areas. Private woodlands are also protected by the felling licensing regulations.
DEFENCE
British Nuclear Fuels
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the value of contracts placed by his Department with British Nuclear Fuels in each year since 1989.
Mr. Aitken : For security reasons it is not our practice to disclose the value of contracts placed with British Nuclear Fuels.
Atomic Energy (US-UK Agreement)
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what variation has been made to article 2 of the amendment of 5 December 1979-- Cmd 7976--to the United States-United Kingdom agreement on the uses of atomic energy for mutual defence purposes of 1958--Cmd 4119.
Overseas Visits
Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the Ministers in his Department who since June 1987 have visited (a) Saudi Arabia, (b) Malaysia, (c) Singapore and (d) South Africa on official business; and which such visits included party political activities in addition to official duties.
Mr. Aitken : Official visits by Ministers to the countries listed have been as follows :
Saudi Arabia
Secretary of State--1988, 1990--three times--1991, 1992--twice Minister (Armed Forces)--1990
Minister (Defence Procurement)--1988, 1993--twice
Malaysia
Secretary of State--1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993
Minister (Armed Forces)--1988, 1990--twice
Minister (Defence Procurement)--1991
Under-Secretary of State--1992, 1993
Under-Secretary of State (Armed Forces)--1991
Singapore
Secretary of State--1987, 1991, 1993
Minister (Armed Forces)--1988
Under-Secretary of State (Defence Procurement)--1987, 1989, 1990 South Africa
None.
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All of these visits were for official purposes. My Department is unaware of any party political activities on these visits.Toxic Chemicals
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations have been made to his Department by SubSea Offshore Ltd. and AEA Technology Ltd. concerning the location, identification, monitoring and recovery of toxic chemicals.
Mr. Aitken : SubSea Offshore Ltd. and AEA Technology Ltd. have had exploratory discussions with the chemical and biological defence establishment, Porton Down.
Greenham Common
Mr. Rendel : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the deregulation of Greenham Common in order to offer it for sale to the private market.
Mr. Hanley : Newbury district council has recently published a draft planning brief in respect of Greenham Common that provides inter alia for public open space on the "green areas" including the runway.
The district council has stated in the draft that it would not object to an application by MOD to remove the former Greenham Common from the county register and officials have been instructed to proceed with the application for deregistration so that the land can be made available for public open space.
Mr. Rendel : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much income his Department received from the letting of Greenham Common for each month between January and November 1993.
Mr. Hanley : The income generated by short-term lettings at Greenham Common is a matter between the MOD and the parties concerned and as such must be treated as commercial in confidence.
Mr. Rendel : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department paid for the maintenance and security at Greenham Common for each month between January and November 1993.
Mr. Hanley : It is not possible to provide the information in the form requested but the total cost of maintenance and security from 1 January to 30 November 1993 was of the order of £1,000,000, the large majority of which is accounted for by the salaries and deployment costs of the Ministry of Defence Police presence on the site.
Helicopters
Lady Olga Maitland : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many helicopter flying hours are allocated per month in Northern Ireland ; at what stage in the month, on average, this allocated is used up ; and what are the arrangements when demand exceeds the official allocation of helicopter flying hours.
Mr. Hanley : It is not the practice to provide detailed operational information about such matters as the allocation of helicopters flying hours. Allocation of
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helicopter flying hours for all operations, including Northern Ireland, is made centrally by the MOD on an annual basis commensurate with the requirements of individual theatres. Within individual theatres, arrangements are made to match the allocation with operational needs. If demands arise which cannot be met from within allocated hours, additional hours may be requested by the theatre concerned.Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many troop-carrying helicopters were permanently assigned to each helicopter- equipped RAF air transport squadron on (a) 1 January, (b) 1 April and (c) 1 July ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : The numbers of aircraft are as follows :
Squadron |1 January 1993|1 April 1993 |1 July 1993
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
7 Squadron<1> |15 Chinook |15 Chinook |12 Chinook
18 Squadron<1> |5 Chinook |4 Chinook |5 Chinook
|5 Puma |5 Puma |5 Puma
28 Squadron |8 Wessex |8 Wessex |8 Wessex
33 Squadron |12 Puma |12 Puma |12 Puma
60 Squadron |9 Wessex |9 Wessex |9 Wessex
72 Squadron |15 Wessex |15 Wessex |15 Wessex
230 Squadron |15 Puma |15 Puma |15 Puma
The Queen's Flight 2 Wessex 2 Wessex 2 Wessex
<1>The RAF Chinook force has been undergoing a mid-life update and
therefore the numbers vary against 7 and 18 Squadrons.
Mr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many anti-tank helicopters are premanently assigned to each Army air corps regiment.
Mr. Hanley : Lynx helicopters, equipped with TOW missiles, in the anti-tank role are established with the Army Air Corps as follows :
|Number of Aircraft
-----------------------------------------------------------
1 (United Kingdom)
Armoured Division
1 Regiment |18
3 (United Kingdom)
Division
9 Regiment |18
24 Airmobile Brigade
3 Regiment |12
4 Regiment |12
In addition, the Army Corps Centre at Middle Wallop holds 14 helicopters, and 3 Commando Brigade has six helicopters which are operated by the Royal Marines.
Departmental Land
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much land, by acreage, his Department owns in each of the counties of Wales, and in each of the regions of Scotland.
Mr. Hanley : The land owned in areas by the Ministry of Defence in each of the counties of Wales and in each of the regions of Scotland is set out in the table.
|Acres
--------------------------------------
Wales
Clwyd |796
Dyfed |16,596
Gwent |1,646
Gwynedd |1,967
Mid Glamorgan |20
Powys |29,798
South Glamorgan |988
West Glamorgan |2
|-------
Total |51,813
Scotland
Borders |Nil
Central |193
Dumfries and Galloway |11,727
Fife |3,267
Grampian |5,130
Highland |6,884
Lothian |2,854
Strathclyde |13,791
Tayside |3,568
Orkney Isles |10
Shetland Isles |84
Western Isles |3,254
|-------
Total |50,762
Figures are at 1 April 1993--the latest date for which records are available--and relate to freehold landholdings, including foreshore, for which deeds were held. Acquisitions or disposals which may have been completed but where deeds had not been transferred by 1 April 1993 are not included.
Boxing
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what part boxing plays in training and physical education in the armed services.
Mr. Hanley : In the Royal Navy, including Royal Marines, and Royal Air Force, boxing is an entirely voluntary sporting activity, playing no part in training or formal physical education.
In the Army, the initial phase of new entry recruit training includes--for male recruits only--six periods of instruction in basic boxing skills. The regimental physical training instructor class 2 course, held at the Army school of physical training, includes a 22-period Army unit coach award course to qualify instructors to teach the basic skills covered in the six periods of new entry training.
In all three services, boxing is available as a sporting activity on a voluntary basis. Each service has a Boxing Association, which is affiliated to the Amateur Boxing Association Ltd.; all organised boxing sporting activities are conducted in accordance with that national governing body's regulations, including its medical rules.
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