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Sheep Meat Quotas
Mr. Michael Spicer : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans she has to compensate those sheepmeat farmers who have had to lease quotas but who at a future date receive quotas from an increased national reserve.
Mr. Jack : The Government have already put in place special measures to help sheep farmers who have chosen to acquire quota by release. Such producers will not have quota withdrawn if they underuse their leased quota. Nor will the leased quota reduce their entitlement to quota from the national reserve. The Government have no plans to reimburse the costs involved in commercial decisions to acquire quota by lease.
New Forest
Sir Patrick McNair-Wilson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if she will give details of fees payable to any outside consultants together with details of those projects on which consultants have been employed by the New Forest Committee and details of the duration of any projects ;
(2) if she will publish details of the current level of funding received by the New Forest Committee, indicating
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the source of such funding together with details of the projects on which this money has been expended since the committee s inception.Mr. Jack : Consultants were employed on the following projects : 1. Definition of boundary of New Forest heritage area, January to June 1991, £20,000--land use consultants.
2. Advice on proposed West Wellow bypass, September to October 1991 and June to July 1993, £4,500--land use consultants.
3. New Forest heritage area boundary : representation at New Forest local plans inquiry, January to July 1992, £2,625--land use consultants.
4. Research into recreational use of horses in the New Forest heritage area, January to September 1994, £17,000--Royal agricultural college-- 75 per cent. of cost to be met by the Department of the Environment.
The New Forest Committee's 1993-94 budget of £110,800 is funded by the following bodies :
|£
--------------------------------------------
Department of the Environment |20,000
Forestry Commission |18,160
Countryside Commission |18,160
English Nature |18,160
Hampshire County Council |18,160
New Forest District Council |18,160
In 1993-94, in addition to the projects carried out by consultants which are listed above, the committee granted £2,500 to establish the New Forest common housing trust, £550 towards management work on common land adjacent to the forest, £1,350 towards the publication of an outdoor education providers leaflet and £150 towards the publication of a student factfile.
Sir Patrick McNair-Wilson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will give details of the current and projected administrative budget of the New Forest Committee, inclusive of staffing levels.
Mr. Jack : The New Forest Committee's administrative budget is currently £93,400 and will be £95,100 in 1994-95. The budgets include provision for a New Forest officer, an assistant New Forest officer and a New Forest clerk.
Sir Patrick McNair-Wilson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will publish a list of the statutory bodies currently responsible for environmental protection, forestry, animal welfare, administration and planning within the New Forest.
Mr. Jack : The primary statutory bodies are the Forestry Commission, English Nature, New Forest verderers, MAFF, Hampshire county council and New Forest district council.
Sir Patrick McNair-Wilson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will give details of the proposed projects and their estimated costs which are under consideration by the New Forest Committee.
Mr. Jack : The information is given :
1. A contribution of about £14,000 over three years to the Countryside Commission's all parks survey.
2. £3,500 in 1993-94 for the preparation of a public transport timetable.
3. A contingency sum of £4,800 in 1994-95 for consultancy work associated with major road schemes and other major infrastructure schemes which may affect the forest.
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4. £4,600 in 1994-95 for the publication of a consultation paper, arising from the proposed management strategy.Bovine Immunodeficiency Virus
Mr. Alton : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cows in Cheshire herds recently tested proved bovine immunodeficiency virus positive ; what effects have been observed in the cows ; what precautions have been taken to protect consumers ; whether their milk is still being sold ; whether the infected cows are to be destroyed ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Soames : Limited serological evidence of bovine immunodefiency virus has recently been found in one herd in Cheshire where two animals gave positive results to two or more of three different serological tests for BIV. Investigations into the herd continue. We understand that, at present, the milk from this herd is not being taken by the Milk Marketing Board. I refer the hon. Member to my answers to the hon. Member for Clwyd, South-West (Mr. Jones), on 18 February, Official Report, columns 1057-58, and the hon. Member for North Cornwall (Mr. Tyler), on 10 February, Official Report, column 430. One animal is being purchased for detailed investigation but we have no plans for compulsory slaughter of the cattle.
Banned Beef and Dairy Products
Mr. Morley : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will list the countries that currently ban imports of British (a) bovines, (b) beef and (c) dairy products.
Mr. Soames : The countries for which we are aware such import bans exist are as follows :
(a) Bovines
Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Cuba, Finland, Hungary, Iran, Israel, Japan, Malaya--Sarawak only--Mexico, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Syria, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, United States of America and the former USSR ;
(b) Beef
Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, China, Egypt, Iran, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Libya, Mexico, Paraguay, Poland Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Taiwan, UAE and former Yugoslavia ;
(c) Dairy Products
Argentina, China, Jordan, Libya, Syria.
Stolen Equipment
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will publish a list of the equipment stolen from her Department in the last three years for which information is available ; and what was the approximate value of each item.
Mr. Jack [holding answer 16 February 1994] : The following table covering the years 1990-1993 are extracted from the departmental losses register which records theft, fraud and arson as a single category.
Details of equipment stolen |Approximate
|value
|£
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1990-91
Office Equipment |3,009
Photographic Equipment |2,913
Agricultural Equipment |76
Depot Equipment |4,568
Vehicles and Accessories |4,550
General Equipment under £1,000 |450
|------
1990-91 Total MAFF |15,566
1991-92
Office Equipment |13,882
Agricultural Equipment |2,133
Depot Euipment |376
Laboratory Equipment |91
Vehicles and Accessories |13,500
General Equipment under £1,000 |1,142
|------
1991-92 Total MAFF |31,124
1992-93
Office Equipment |58,770
Photographic Equipment |8,003
Agricultural Equipment |2,040
Depot Equipment |7,144
Laboratory Equipment |6,306
Vehicles and Accessories |15,755
General Equipment under £1,000 |2,205
|------
1992-93 Total MAFF |100,223
SCOTLAND
Wick River Piers
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what technical appraisal his officials have made of the condition of the north and south piers of the Wick river basin ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Hector Monro : The condition of the north and south piers at the Wick river basin is a matter for Wick harbour trust. I understand that the trust's consultants appraised the piers in question and that their report is being considered by the trust.
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to assist Wick harbour trust to protect riparian property owners on the Wick river from structural damage due to the threatened collapse of two piers ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Hector Monro : Any remedial work to prevent the collapse of the piers is a matter for Wick harbour trust. Central Government assistance for the harbour at Wick is confined to the fishery interest. Protection of property is the owner's responsibility.
A7
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now publish the route action plan carrying the A7 trunk road south of Hawick.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : A public information leaflet is presently being prepared setting out the route action plan for the A7 trunk road south of Hawick. It is my intention to publish this shortly. A copy of the A7 route action plan summary report will also be placed in the Library of the House of Commons.
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Compulsory Competitive Tendering
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made towards the extension of compulsory competitive tendering ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart : Since we announced in November 1992 our intention further to extend CCT and to set up an internal accounting framework for corporate services, we have been in discussion with local authority associations and the Accounts Commission. We are now in a position to consult more widely and are today issuing two separate consultation documents : one on construction and property services and the other on the statement of support service costs, which is the proposed name for the internal accounting framework.
The consultation document on construction and property services includes a definition of those services, indicates how much of this work authorities will be required to subject to CCT and gives details of modifications which we intend to make to the statutory framework for competitive tendering. We propose that local authorities be required to subject to competition65 per cent., by value, of all construction and property work. In addition, the Government propose that authorities will be allowed to retain £450,000 -worth of work in-house without going out to tender. This recognises that certain construction and property work should be retained in-house both to enable an authority to fulfil its democratic responsibilities and to act as an intelligent client for bought-in services.
The consultation document on the statement of support service costs, SSSC, includes worked examples to show how the SSSC will work in practice. Under those proposals, local authorities will be required to show how their support costs are allocated to front-line services. This will enable internal customers to have more information about the costs they are incurring and will ensure greater transparency of financial information.
We propose to extend CCT to new services in three tranches between October 1997 and April 1998. The proposed implementation date for the SSSC is 1 April 1997.
Copies of both consultation documents will be placed in the House Library.
Damp Housing
Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will release dedicated funding to enable Scottish local authorities to eradicate dampness in their housing stock ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Substantial resources totalling some £405 million were made available to local authorities for capital investment in public sector housing in 1993-94. These allocations are generally not earmarked for specific purposes and it is for local authorities themselves to determine their own policies and priorities for meeting local housing needs including projects to deal with dampness. However, as part of the new housing plan system all local housing authorities have been asked to develop a strategy for tackling damp housing in their areas.
I will announce the allocations for 1994-95 shortly.
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Sheltered Housing
Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many senior citizens are currently living in local authority sheltered housing complexes in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Figures are held centrally only on the number of sheltered dwellings in Scotland and this was 32,202 at 31 March 1992. This figure is included in the publication "Housing Trends in Scotland : Quarter ended 30 June 1992--Table 19, HSG/1992/8" which is available in the Library.
Care in the Community
Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will grant additional dedicated funding to Scottish local authorities to enable them to adapt more local authority houses to suit the needs of persons released into community care ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Substantial resources totalling some £405 million have been made available to local authorities for capital investment in public sector housing in 1993-94. These allocations are generally not earmarked for specific purposes and it is for local authorities themselves to determine their own policies and priorities for meeting local housing needs.
I will announce the overall allocations for 1994-95 shortly. These will include additional resources to enable local housing authorities to increase their contribution to the implementation of the community care policy.
Public Bodies
Mr. Kilfoyle : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland who are the members currently appointed to the Scottish Community Education Council.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The following current members of the Scottish Community Education Council were appointed by the Secretary of State :
Mrs. Barbara Vaughan, Chairman
Mr. Robert Copleton
Mrs. Astrid Ritchie
Mr. Garth Morrison, CBE
Mrs. Maureen Reid
Mr. Fraser Patrick
Mr. Derek McGinn
Mr. Alan Blackie
Mr. Ian Graham
Councillor Mrs. Valerie MacIver
Mr. Kilfoyle : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland who are the members currently appointed to the Highlands and Islands Enterprise Board.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The members of the board of Highlands and Islands Enterprise are set out in the table :
Chairman
A. F. Morrison, CBE
Members
J. Goodlad
J. A. D. Harrison, OBE
Dr. J. Hunter
A. S. Macdonald, CBE
Ms V. MacIver
J. A. Mackay
N. A. McAndrew
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J. D. M. Robertson, CBEJ. Shaw-Stewart
P. Timms, MBE
Chief Executive (ex-officio member)
I. A. Robertson
Mr. Kilfoyle : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland who are the members currently appointed to the board of the Irvine development corporation.
Mr. Lang : From 1 January 1994 members of Irvine development corporation board are as follows :
Maurice Crichton, CBE (Chairman)
Mrs. Jeanette Mason (Deputy Chairman)
Councillor Jack Carson
David Jerdan
Alan Jones
Archibald Walker
William B. Miller, OBE
Councillor Thomas H. Colyer
Charles Maclean
Mr. Kilfoyle : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) who are the members currently appointed to the Lands Tribunal for Scotland ;
(2) who are the members currently appointed to the Pensions Appeal Tribunal for Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Appointments to the Lands Tribunal for Scotland and the Pensions Appeal Tribunal for Scotland are matters for the Lord President of the Court of Session.
Mr. Kilfoyle : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland who are the members currently appointed to the Scottish tourist board.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The current members of the Scottish tourist board are :
Ian D. Grant, CBE (Chairman)
Mrs. Philippa Grant
Scott Grier, OBE
Mrs. Barbara Kelly, CBE
John F. Loughray
Ian Milton
Iain A. Robertson
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