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Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what assurances were given when she met the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisation in discussing future accession to the Barents sea ;
(2) what rights of access for fishing are being purchased from Russia for (a) Spain and (b) the United Kingdom as a result of Norwegian access negotiations ; and how these will be paid for ; (3) what priority will be given to the United Kingdom against other countries when future opportunities arrive for the United Kingdom distant water fleet in the Barents sea.
Mr. Jack : The agreement reached between the EU and Norway on the terms for Norwegian accession to the Union provided for fishing opportunities for 8,000 tonnes of arctic cod or equivalent to be secured for the cohesion countries--Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Greece--from third countries. As is normal in such arrangements, the cost will be a charge to the Community budget.
I have made clear to the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations that I will press for a United Kingdom quota share under any EU-Russia fisheries agreement which may be negotiated.
Dr. Marek : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer of 13 April, what financial contribution is to be provided for the initiative being undertaken for Mauritius by the royal botanic gardens, Kew.
Mr. Jack : Two ex-horticulture diploma students from Kew are currently working on a voluntary basis with the Mauritian Wild Life Appeal Fund, supported partly by donations from several Kew-based scholarship funds. Work at Kew on propagation of a number of Mauritian endangered species for eventual reintroduction to their original habitats is supported from Ministry grant-in-aid. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, has yet to decide on future collaborative activity and levels of funding.
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer of 23 March, Official Report, columns 318-19, if she will list the firms of consultants employed by her Department and the number of contracts they have undertaken since 1990-91.
Mr. Jack : Details of consultants employed by the
Department--excluding agencies--since 1990-91 are set out in the table. These exclude information relating to contracts with information technology consultants, details of which were provided to the hon. Member for Truro (Mr. Taylor) on 18 April at columns 407-11.
|Number ---------------------------------------------------------------- Coopers and Lybrand |12 PA Consultants |2 Price Waterhouse |11 Touche Ross |3 National Remote Sensing Centre |1 Wye College |2 Worthy Associates |1 KPMG Management Consultancies/KPMG Peat Marwick |2 Ernst and Young |14 Clarke Whitehill |1 Ronald McIntosh |2 Mouncey and Partners |5 Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants Ltd. |2 Oracle |4 Vauntberry Plc |1 Robertson Gould |1 Institute of Terrential Ecology |1 Fletcher King |1 University of Hull |1 Mr. Peter Goodall |1 SRU Ltd. |1 BNSS |3 CCTA |2 Johnstone and Wright Consultants |2 DIS Industrial Consultants |1 EM Consultants |2 Shreeveport Management Consultancy |2 Ferriby Marine |2 Asbourne Biosciences |2 Duhig Berry Ltd. |1 Triad Special Systems Ltd. |2 Sequent Computer Systems |3 Brandt Computers |1 Theodore Goddall |2 Hoskyns Group PLc |2 Cambridge Ergonomics |2 Stoy Hayward |1 Quanta Learning Systems |2 Korda and Co. Ltd. |2 Lawrence Hewitt Partnership |1 Currie and Brown |1 Insight |1 Halcrow and Partners |1 LG Mouchel and Partners |2 Posford Duvivier |2 Personnel Health and Safety Ltd. |4 Mott Macdonald |1 ARC International Plc |1 Forward Catering Consultancy |1 Royal National Institute for the Blind |2 Risks and Policy Analysis |1 SEMA Group |1 BMT Reliability Consultants Ltd. |1 Miro Communication Ltd. |1 P- E International Plc |1 Siemens Nixdorf |1 McNeil Robertson |10 Pentana Ltd. |2 Civil Service College |10 Dr. Hoodless |1 Building Energy Solution |3 DEGW |1 PSA Monitoring and Targeting Service |3 TM Energy Consultants |1 NIFES Consulting Group |1 MJN Facilities Management |1 Energy Auditing Agency Ltd. |1
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what evidence she has of infringements of directive 74/577 in other EC states.
Mr. Soames : My right hon. Friend's attention has been drawn to several alleged infringements of Directive 74/577 purporting to have taken place in other member states during 1993.
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Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations she has made to the Spanish Agriculture Minister regarding the slaughter of sheep in Spanish abattoirs ; and what was the outcome.
Mr. Soames : My right hon. Friend raised the subject with the Spanish Agriculture Minister in the margins of the November 1993 Agriculture Council in the light of allegations about sheep being slaughtered in some Spanish abattoirs in a way contrary to EC welfare legislation. Written assurances were received that these allegations were being investigated, and that action would be taken where appropriate. My right hon. Friend wrote on 24 January seeking confirmation of the results of the investigations and measures adopted. A reply is awaited.
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many (a) pigs, (b) sheep, (c) calves and (d) adult cattle were exported from the United Kingdom for each of the last 10 years.
Mr. Soames : The information requested for 1992 can be found in the Central Statistical Office publication, "Business Monitor, Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom MA 20 1992", and for each earlier year the data can be found in the previous editions of this publication and its forerunners. The House of Commons Library holds a copy of these publications back to 1965.
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many livestock haulage vehicles were checked on each motorway ; how many were found to comply with regulations ; and how many were found to be defective in each of the last five years.
Mr. Soames : Provisions relating to the welfare of animals during transport are enforced by local authorities. Statistics from local authority sources indicate that, during the year 1992-93, 190,100 vehicle inspections were made at roadside checks, in markets and at other places ; 182 prosecutions were taken under the legislation relating to welfare of animals in transport, and 61 formal cautions issued. In a further 2,725 cases advice or warnings were given. Additional information is not recorded centrally.
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer of 2 March, Official Report, column 743, by what date she intends to place in the Library summaries of market research relating to her Department's campaigns.
Mr. Jack : Copies of market research relating to Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food campaigns have been placed in the Library.
Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which English counties are grouped together for the purposes of compiling the annual farm business survey ; and which universities and colleges are commissioned to carry out the survey for each group.
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Mrs. Shephard : Appendix 4 of "Farm Incomes in the United Kingdom" provides a list of the centres engaged in the collection of data for the Farm Business Survey. The table shows the counties and districts allocated to each centre.
Province |County ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Northern |Cumbria Newcastle |Durham |Tyne and Wear MC |Northumberland North Eastern |Cleveland Askham Bryan |South Yorkshire MC |North Yorkshire |West Yorkshire |Humberside (excluding South Humberside) North Western |Cheshire Manchester |Lancashire |Merseyside MC |Greater Manchester MC |Shropshire |Staffordshire East Midland |Derbyshire Nottingham |Leicestershire |Lincolnshire (excluding Holland) |Northamptonshire |Nottinghamshire (South Humberside only) Eastern |Bedfordshire Cambridge |Cambridgeshire |Essex |Hertfordshire |Holland (Lincolnshire) |Norfolk |Suffolk |Greater London (East) South Eastern |Kent Wye |Surrey |East Sussex |West Sussex Southern |Berkshire Reading |Buckinghamshire |Hampshire |Isle of Wight |Oxfordshire |Greater London (West) |Gloucester |Hereford and Worcester |Avon |Warwickshire |Wiltshire |West Midlands MC South Western |Cornwall Exeter |Devon |Dorset |Somerset |Scilly Isles
Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many producers were entitled to hill livestock compensatory allowances for each farm business survey county group in each year since 1992 and in 1994.
Mrs. Shephard : The table provides information on the number of claims paid in 1992 and 1993 corresponding to the areas covered by each of the FBS provinces. Information for 1994 is not available.
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Number of HLCA claims paid |1992 |1993 FBS Province |Number |Number ----------------------------------------------------- Northern |4,529 |4,434 North Eastern |3,034 |3,006 North Western |2,899 |2,896 East Midland |938 |938 Southern |425 |427 South Western |2,701 |2,608 |--- |--- England |14,526 |14,309
Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the average net farm income of farmers and their spouses for (a) each English county and (b) each farm business survey county group, of all (i) SDA, (ii) DA, and (iii) less-favoured area farms and for (1) SDA, (2) DA farms and (3) less-favoured area farms larger than eight ESUs.
Mrs. Shephard : Information on farm incomes is available from the Farm Business Survey which collects data from a sample of farms classified as full time--that is with eight ESU or more. The sample for the Farm Business Survey is intended to provide estimates for three regions of England. The results for individual FBS provinces are liable to larger margins of error than for these regions and results are not available for individual counties. For those provinces for which there is a large enough sample for some average results to be provided, the following table provides weighted estimates of the net farm income for farms classified as cattle and sheep, less-favoured area, for the 1992-93 accounting year. Comparable information for farms with less than eight ESU is not available.
Cattle and Sheep LFA farms by FBS province Net farm income for farms of 8 ESU and over 1992-93 accounting year FBS Province and |Estimated net farm type |farm income |(£'000 per farm) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Northern Newcastle Specialist Sheep (SDA) |20.1 Specialist Beef (SDA) |<1>n/a Mixed Cattle and Sheep (SDA) |18.9 All Cattle and Sheep (SDA) |18.8 Cattle and Sheep (DA) |n/a Cattle and Sheep (LFA) |17.7 North Eastern Askham Bryan Specialist Sheep (SDA) |n/a Specialist Beef (SDA) |n/a Mixed Cattle and Sheep (SDA) |n/a All Cattle and Sheep (SDA) |20.1 Cattle and Sheep (DA) |n/a Cattle and Sheep (LFA) |20.1 North Western Manchester Specialist Sheep (SDA) |n/a Specialist Beef (SDA) |n/a Mixed Cattle and Sheep (SDA) |18.1 All Cattle and Sheep (SDA) |15.7 Cattle and Sheep (DA) |n/a Cattle and Sheep (LFA) |10.8 South Western Exeter Specialist Sheep (SDA) |n/a Specialist Beef (SDA) |n/a Mixed Cattle and Sheep (SDA) |11.9 All Cattle and Sheep (SDA) |9.9 Cattle and Sheep (DA) |4.8 Cattle and Sheep (LFA) |7.3 <1> n/a not available, sample size too small to provide results for individual farm type and province.
Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total value of less-favoured area farming to the economy of (a) each English county and (b) each farm business survey county group.
Mrs. Shephard : I regret that the information requested is not available.
Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total value in actual and real terms of all livestock subsidies to (a) all less-favoured area farms and (b) less-favoured area farms larger than eight ESUs, for (i) each English county and (ii) each farm business survey county group in (1) 1992, (2) 1993 and (3) 1994.
Mrs. Shephard : I regret that detailed information on the subsidies paid to less-favoured area farms is not separately available.
Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total value in actual terms and real terms of HLCA payments to (a) all less-favoured area farms and (b) less-favoured area farm area farms larger than eight ESUs for (i) each English county and (ii) each farm business survey county group in (1) 1992, (2) 1993 and (3) 1994.
Mrs. Shephard : The table shows the total HLCA payments on all farms in each county and Farm Business Survey province for 1992 and 1994. Information on payments is not separately available for farms larger than eight ESU and information for 1994 is not yet complete.
HLCA payments in 1992 and 1993 |1992 |1993 |1993 FBS province and |Actual |Actual |<1>Real county |1992 prices |£ |£ |£ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- East Midland Derbyshire |1,492,600 |1,335,369 |1,314,489 |------- |------- |1,492,6001, |1,335,3691, |1,314,489 North Eastern Cleveland |63,938 |61,192 |60,236 Yorkshire |7,149,782 |6,098,286 |6,002,933 |------- |------- |------- |7,213,720 |6,159,479 |6,063,168 North Western Lancashire |2,057,098 |1,776,157 |1,748,385 Cheshire |286,871 |235,269 |231,590 Shropshire |1,695,346 |1,579,925 |1,555,221 Staffordshire |530,327 |496,802 |489,034 Greater Manchester |237,922 |270,279 |266,053 |------- |------- |------- |4,807,564 |4,358,433 |4,290,284 Northern Cumbria |9,280,801 |7,745,413 |7,624,304 Tyne and Wear |5,181 |9,780 |9,627 Northumberland |6,026,492 |5,143,321 |5,062,899 Durham |2,413,715 |2,184,100 |2,149,949 |------- |------- |------- |17,726,189 |15,082,613 |14,846,780 South Western Somerset |1,283,182 |1,049,116 |1,032,711 Cornwall |1,161,666 |1,101,137 |1,083,920 Devon |3,824,839 |3,567,201 |3,511,424 Scilly Isles |1,899 |1,646 |1,620 |------- |------- |------- |6,271,586 |5,719,099 |5,629,675 Southern Hereford and Worcester |861,934 |758,535 |746,674 |------- |------- |861,934 |758,535 |746,674 |------- |------- |------- England |38,373,593 |33,413,528 |32,891,070 <1>Deflated by the retail prices index, all items.
Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what financial value in actual and real terms has been removed from the value of HLCA payments to (a) all less-favoured area farms and (b) less- favoured area farms larger than eight ESUs for (i) each English county and (ii) each farm business survey county group following the cuts in HLCAs in (1) 1993 and (2) 1994.
Mrs. Shephard : The total change in the value of HLCA payments to farmers in the less favoured areas of England between 1992 and 1993 was £4,960,065 divided among the counties and FBS provinces with LFA land as shown in the table. Information in respect of businesses larger than eight ESU is not available and information for 1994 is not yet complete.
Change in HLCA payments between 1992 and 1993 FBS Province and Change in County payments between 1992 and 1993 |Actual |Real 1992 |prices<1> |£ |£ -------------------------------------------------------- East Midland Derbyshire |-157,231 |-178,111 |------- |------- |-157,231 |-178,111 North Eastern Cleveland |-2,746 |-3,702 Yorkshire |-1,051,495|-1,146,849 |------- |------- |-1,054,241|-1,150,551 North Western Lancashire |-280,940 |-308,712 Cheshire |-51,603 |-55,281 Shropshire |-115,421 |-140,125 Staffordshire |-33,525 |-41,293 Greater Manchester |32,357 |28,131 |------- |------- |-449,131 |-517,280 Northern Cumbria |-1,535,389|-1,656,497 Tyne and Wear |4,599 |4,446 Northumberland |-883,171 |-963,592 Durham |-229,616 |-263,766 |------- |------- |-2,643,576|-2,879,409 South Western Somerset |-234,067 |-250,471 Cornwall |-60,529 |-77,746 Devon |-257,638 |-313,415 Scilly Isles |-253 |-279 |------- |------- |-552,487 |-641,911 Southern Hereford and Worcester |-103,399 |-115,260 |------- |------- |-103,399 |-115,260 |------- |------- England |-4,960,065|-5,482,523 <1> Deflated by the RPI all items.
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Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many people including farmers, spouses and workers are employed full time in (a) all farming and (b) less-favoured area farming for (i) each English county and (ii) each farm business survey county group ; and how employment related to less favoured area farming ranks in terms of other classes of industrial employment for (1) each English county and (2) each farm business survey county group.
Mrs. Shephard : The table provides estimates of the number of full- time workers, including all spouses, on all agricultural holdings and on those holdings which are wholly or mainly in the less favoured areas as recorded in the agricultural census at June 1992. Also supplied are estimates of the total employment as recorded in the Department of Employment's Labour Force Survey.
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Estimated number of workers in 1992 Number of Total work force in full-time workers on agricultural employment<2> holdings<1> English county |On all agricultural|On agricultural |holdings |holdings wholly or |mainly in the LFA --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Avon |2,986 |0 |460,000 Bedfordshire |2,291 |0 |263,000 Berkshire |1,440 |0 |373,000 Buckinghamshire |2,744 |0 |317,000 Cleveland |742 |207 |223,000 Cambridgeshire |6,718 |0 |320,000 Cheshire |7,522 |257 |451,000 Cornwall (including Isles of Scilly) |9,668 |1,729 |199,000 Cumbria |10,321 |4,285 |233,000 Derbyshire |5,560 |1,930 |426,000 Devon |15,827 |3,489 |466,000 Dorset |5,328 |0 |289,000 Durham |3,394 |1,762 |254,000 Essex |7,034 |0 |721,000 Gloucestershire |5,017 |0 |257,000 Hampshire |6,232 |0 |760,000 Humberside |7,896 |0 |371,000 Hereford and Worcester |10,420 |484 |338,000 Hertfordshire |2,416 |0 |494,000 Isle of Wight |870 |0 |55,000 Kent |8,442 |0 |718,000 Lancashire |9,706 |2,528 |641,000 Leicestershire |4,620 |0 |425,000 Lincolnshire |13,871 |0 |287,000 Merseyside |936 |0 |554,000 Greater London |837 |0 |2,946,000 Greater Manchester |2,090 |460 |1,102,000 Norfolk |11,359 |0 |354,000 Northamptonshire |3,268 |0 |299,000 Northumberland (including Tyne and Wear MC) |4,956 |2,652 |574,000 Nottinghamshire |3,745 |0 |458,000 Oxfordshire |3,905 |0 |287,000 Shropshire |8,218 |1,094 |196,000 Somerset |8,764 |539 |212,000 Staffordshire |6,792 |1,248 |495,000 Suffolk |7,943 |0 |303,000 Surrey |3,099 |0 |495,000 East Sussex |2,989 |0 |301,000 West Sussex |4,963 |0 |334,000 Warwickshire |3,930 |0 |234,000 Wiltshire |5,455 |0 |278,000 West Midlands |682 |0 |1,055,000 South Yorkshire |2,315 |401 |546,000 North Yorkshire |15,549 |3,799 |362,000 West Yorkshire |4,267 |1,485 |944,000 FBS province Eastern |43,079 |0 |<3>2,455,000 East Midland |27,773 |1,930 |<4>1,895,000 Northern |18,671 |8,699 |1,061,000 North Eastern |29,110 |5,892 |<5>2,446,000 North Western |35,264 |5,587 |3,439,000 Southern |44,150 |484 |<6>7,360,000 South Eastern |19,493 |0 |1,848,000 South Western |39,587 |5,757 |1,166,000 England |257,127 |28,349 |21,670,000 <1> Includes whole time farmers, partners and directors, all spouses, salaried managers and regular whole time hired and family workers, excludes minor holdings. <2> The estimates of the total work force (full and part time) in employment from Department of Employment Labour Force Survey, June-August 1992. <3> Excluding Holland (Lincs) and Greater London (E). <4> Excluding South Humberside and including all of Lincolnshire. <5> Including all of Humberside. <6> Including all of Greater London.
Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the average age of less-favoured area farmers in (a) each English county and (b) each farm business survey county group.
Mrs. Shephard : The Farm Structure Survey 1990 contains information on the age of the holder of the farm by age band for a sample of about 40,000 holdings in England. The table provides estimates of the average age of holder based on analysis of this age band data for farms which are wholly or mainly in the less favoured area. The Farm Business Survey also collects data on the age of the holder from a smaller sample of holdings. The average age of holder in England in 1992-93 on holdings wholly and mainly in the less favoured areas, based on this source, was 51.
Estimated average age of the holder of farms wholly or mainly in the less-favoured areas in 1990<1> FBS province and |Estimated county<2> |average age of |holder --------------------------------------------------------- East Midland Derbyshire |52 |--- |52 Northern Cumbria |51 Durham |54 Northumberland |51 |--- |52 North Eastern Cleveland |54 North Yorkshire |52 South Yorkshire |49 West Yorkshire |52 |--- |52 North Western Cheshire |52 Greater Manchester |53 Lancashire |52 Shropshire |53 Staffordshire |53 |--- |53 Southern Hereford and Worcester |54 |--- |54 South Western Cornwall |53 Devon |54 Isles of Scilly |47 Somerset |53 |--- |54 England |52 |--- |52 Farm Structure Survey 1990 <1> The holder of the farm is the person legally or economically responsible for the holding. <2> Only those counties which contain holdings which are wholly or mainly in the less-favoured area are shown.
Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the average level of indebtedness of all (a) SDA, (b) DA and (c) less-favoured area farms and for (i) SDA, (ii) DA and (iii) less-favoured area farms larger than eight ESUs for (1) each English county and (2) each farm business survey county group.
Mrs. Shephard : Information on farm indebtedness is available from the Farm Business Survey which collects data from a sample of farms classified as full time--that is, with eight ESU or more. The sample for the Farm Business Survey is intended to provide estimates for three regions of England. The results for individual FBS provinces are liable to larger margins of error than for these regions and results are not available for individual counties. For those provinces for which there is a large enough sample for average results to be provided, the table provides weighted estimates of the total external liabilities and total external liabilities as a percentage of total assets for farms classified
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as cattle and sheep LFA for the 1992-93 accounting year. Comparable information for farms with less than eight ESU is not available.Cattle and sheep (LFA) farms by FBS province Total liabilities and net worth for farms of eight ESU and over 1992-93 accounting year FBS province and |Estimated |Estimated farm type |total external |total external |liabilities |liabilities as a |(£'000 per |percentage of |farm) |total assets -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Northern Newcastle Specialist sheep (SDA) |20.1 |9.0 Specialist beef (SDA) |<1>n.a. |n.a. Mixed cattle and sheep (SDA) |41.8 |12.0 All cattle and sheep (SDA) |34.0 |11.0 Cattle and sheep (DA) |n.a. |n.a. Cattle and sheep (LFA) |32.7 |11.0 North Eastern Askham Bryan Specialist sheep (SDA) |n.a. |n.a. Specialist beef (SDA) |n.a. |n.a. Mixed cattle and sheep (SDA) |n.a. |n.a. All cattle and sheep (SDA) |42.6 |14.0 Cattle and sheep (DA) |n.a. |n.a. Cattle and sheep (LFA) |42.6 |14.0 North Western Manchester Specialist sheep (SDA) |n.a. |n.a. Specialist beef (SDA) |n.a. |n.a. Mixed cattle and sheep (SDA) |27.1 |8.0 All cattle and sheep (SDA) |25.4 |8.0 Cattle and sheep (DA) |n.a. |n.a. Cattle and sheep (LFA) |21.5 |7.0 South Western Exeter Specialist sheep (SDA) |n.a. |n.a. Specialist beef (SDA) |n.a. |n.a. Mixed cattle and sheep (SDA) |53.5 |17.0 All cattle and sheep (SDA) |42.3 |14.0 Cattle and sheep (DA) |35.9 |11.0 Cattle and sheep (LFA) |39.1 |12.0 <1> n.a.-not available. Sample size too small to provide results for individual farm type and province. All data based on closing valuations.
Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer of 9 February, Official Report, column 277 , what was the minimum level of agricultural activity equivalent 30, 21 and 15 years ago.
Mrs. Shephard : The details of the system of farm classification has changed several times over the period from 1964. In 1964, 1973 and 1979 size was measured by standard man days. In 1979 size was also measured in terms of European size units for the purposes of analysing the Farm Business Survey.
The SMD coefficients for each hectare of crops or head of livestock changed in 1963, 1968 and 1976 and the threshold for defining full time also changed. The table shows the changes for the years requested.
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Year 1964 1973 1979 Basis for |1963 |1968 |1976 |1972-1974 measurement of size |SMD |SMD |SMD |ESU ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Threshold for "full-time" farm |275 SMD |275 SMD |250 SMD |<1>4 ESU Minimum number of either: beef cows |<2>61 |<2>66 |<2>62 |37 or ewes |<3>219 |<3>314 |<3>395 |<4>400 <1>Four ESU was used as the lower size unit in conjunction with a requirement that farms must also have at least one annual labour unit. <2>Assuming 0.5 hectares of permanent grass and 1.25 hectares of rough grazing per beef cow. <3>Assuming 0.05 hectares of permanent grass and 0.125 hectares of rough grazing per ewe. <4>Assuming one lamb per ewe.
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give for the latest year for which the individual figures are available for the Scottish blood transfusion service the total number of units of (a) red cell concentrate, (b) platelet (1) single donor and (2) random, (c) fresh frozen plasma, (d)
cryoprecipitate and (e) other
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plasma derived products which are dispensed (i) within the national health service in Scotland, (ii) within the United Kingdom, excluding Scotland, within the national health service, (iii) to non-national health service establishments within Scotland, (iv) to non- national health service establishments within the United Kingdom, excluding Scotland and (v) to non-national health service establishments outwith the United Kingdom ; and what was the total income to the Scottish blood transfusion service from each of these transactions.Mr. Stewart : The information is as follows :
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Issued within the Issued to non-NHS NHS establishments |In Scotland |In the |In Scotland |Within the |Outwith the |Total |United Kingdom, |United Kingdom |United Kingdom |excluding Scotland |excluding Scotland ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fresh products issued from regional transfusion centres in 1992-93 Red cell concentrate (units) |244,683 |<1>10,546 |2,928 |Nil |Nil |258,157 Platelet concentrate 1: random donor (units) |68,429 |Nil |124 |Nil |Nil |68,553 2: single donor (pheresis) (units) |2,283 |Nil |Nil |Nil |Nil |2,283 Fresh frozen plasma (units) |20,880 |Nil |120 |Nil |Nil |21,000 Cryoprecipitate (units) |10,089 |Nil |72 |Nil |Nil |10,161 Total units issued |346,364 |10,546 |3,244 |Nil |Nil |360,154 Plasma-derived products issued from Protein Fractionation Centre, 1992-93 Albumin and SPPS (bottles) |71,901 |<2>14,454 |10 |Nil |<3>Nil |86,365 Factor VIII (million international units) |11.43 |<2>2.07 |Nil |Nil |<3>Nil |13.50 Factor IX (million international units) |2.05 |<2>0.15 |Nil |Nil |<3>Nil |2.20 Anti-rhesus (D) (vials) |13,342 |<2>4,068 |30 |Nil |<3>Nil |17,440 Anti-hepatitis B (vials) |968 |<2>270 |1 |Nil |<3>Nil |1,239 Anti-zoster (vials) |810 |<2>162 |Nil |Nil |<3>Nil |972 Anti-tetanus (vials) |2,077 |<2>1,004 |Nil |Nil |<3>Nil |3,081 Anti-GL (vials) |Nil |<2>387 |Nil |Nil |<3>Nil |387 Intravenous immunoglobulin (vials) |20,453 |<2>4,834 |Nil |Nil |<3>Nil |25,287 Intramuscular immunoglobulin (vials) |27,485 |<2>4,829 |18 |Nil |<3>Nil |32,332 Recovery of handling costs (£)<4> |Nil |<4>808,594 |<4>70,265 |Nil |Nil |<4>878,859 <1> This includes NHS supplies to the Army blood supply depot at Aldershot. <2> This figure is almost entirely made up of products sent to the NHS in Northern Ireland. These products are all derived from plasma contributed by Northern Ireland donors which is processed by the PFC and returned to the NHS in Northern Ireland. <3> Some very small amounts are sent overseas as humanitarian aid on rare occasions but no figures are available. <4> This represents the administration and handling charge. There is no charge for the blood or blood products.
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give for each health board for each year since 1991, the additional costs of teaching and research, allocated at constant 1991 prices ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Stewart : Allocations for the additional costs of teaching and research were made to the four teaching health boards as follows :
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£ million (at constant 1991-92 prices) Health Board |1991-92 |1992-93 |1993-94 |1994-95 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grampian |15.186 |16.061 |15.700 |15.311 Greater Glasgow |32.821 |32.691 |29.692 |29.329 Lothian |26.112 |27.714 |25.916 |25.226 Tayside |15.628 |16.305 |14.534 |14.323 Notes: 1. Allocations for 1991-92 were based on actual student numbers from two years before, ie 1989-90. From 1992-93 onwards, allocations have been based on estimated student numbers for the year of allocation. 2. From 1993-94 onwards no additional costs of teaching and research have been made for dental students but the running costs of dental hospitals continue to be met.
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will commission an inquiry into the first year of operation of the Royal Alexandra Health Trust, with particular reference to budgets, waiting lists, staff morale and the effectiveness of patient care ; (2) what were the planned (a) revenue and (b) capital budgets for the Royal Alexandra Hospital Trust at the levels set on 1 April 1993 for the 1993-94 financial year ; what out-turn figures were achieved on these figures as at 31 March ; what is the reason for any variance ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart : No. The trust is required to publish an annual report on its operations and this has to be presented to a public meeting by 30 September.
Revenue budgets are related to income and are set by the trust when contract negotiations have been completed with trust income for the year determined. For 1993-94 the total income was forecast as £42.6 million. The capital
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expenditure permissible by the trust in 1993 -94 as part of the external financing limit set by the management executive was £1,036, 000.The out-turn figures for the year ended 31 March 1994 are not yet available. The trust is confident that it will meet the following statutory financial targets :
to break even after interest payments,
to make a 6 per cent. return on relevant net assets and to deliver the agreed EFL.
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he, or any of the Ministers in his Department, last paid an official visit to a public water works, water pumping station or reservoir to assess the needs of the public sanitation industry.
Sir Hector Monro : My hon. Friend the Minister for Education and Housing paid an official visit to Lothian regional council's department of water and drainage on 21 September 1989. He inspected the Seafield sewage treatment works and Levenhall and River Esk pumping
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stations. Water and sewerage matters have also been discussed at the normal ministerial meetings with councils' representatives.Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has consulted the Scotch whisky industry on the economic impact on it of the proposed restructuring and possible future privatisation of water and sewerage services ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Hector Monro : My right hon. Friend has no proposals for privatisation of water and sewerage services in Scotland. We have corresponded with distilling industry interests about the reorganisation of water and sewerage. This industry has also been represented at meetings with Scottish Office officials. The views of the industry have been noted and exchanges will continue to take place in the usual way.
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will introduce legislation to provide Braille ballot papers at polling stations ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so. The issue of electoral forms design is currently being reviewed by a working group set up after the 1992 general election under the aegis of the Secretaries of State for the Home Departments.
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what financial assistance has been provided by Scottish Enterprise or any of its subsidiary bodies to the Duke of Atholl, his estate or any company with which he is financially associated for the refurbishment and restoration of Blair castle, its gardens and estates ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart : This is essentially an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and the local enterprise company for the area, Scottish Enterprise Tayside. However, I understand that Scottish Enterprise Tayside has a training for work contract with Training Craft, a subsidiary of Scottish Conservation Projects, which currently uses the Hercules gardens at Blair castle as a project site to train adults in conservation and horticultural skills. The estate contributes substantially towards the costs of the project including those of all materials and equipment and towards some of the costs of the training supervisor and of transporting trainees to the site.
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to improve safety standards on buses and coaches used to transport children to school ; if he will specify the regulations which govern the transport of children to school ; what proposals he has to amend these regulations ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Matters relating to the safety of school transport including regulations are for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport.
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The Department of Transport is currently considering the full technical and cost implications of fitting seat belts to all seats in minibuses and coaches and matters such as the three for two concession.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland has agreed to a request from Strathclyde regional council for a capping disregard for additional current expenditure in 1994-95 in respect of the additional cost to the council of dropping the three for two rule on dedicated school transport contract vehicles and requiring the fitting of seat belts on all contract minibuses.
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current length of waiting time for physiotherapy services in the Argyll and Clyde health board area ; what plans he has to improve this waiting time ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart : Information on waiting times for physiotherapy services is not collected centrally. Argyll and Clyde health board has received an allocation of £244.7 million for 1994-95 which, together with efficiency savings, represents an increase of 7.1 per cent. over the general allocation in the previous year. It is for the health board to decide on how to use these resources to secure reductions in waiting times for physiotherapy services and other services. I understand that the board has increased the level of funding available for paramedical services, including physiotherapy services, for 1994-95 by £100,000 ; and in addition, a further sum of £105,000 has been allocated for staffing a pilot study of direct access by general practitioners to physiotherapy services in one part of the board's area.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland for what reason he was unable to agree to meet the regional chairman of Strathclyde children's panel as requested in a letter dated 8 March, to discuss the impact on disturbed and vulnerable children of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Bill.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 15 April 1994] : The chairman of Strathclyde children's panel is one of a number of people concerned with the care of children who have made representations about the possible effects of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Bill. We take all such representations seriously. Unfortunately my right hon. Friend's ministerial commitments do not allow him to meet all those concerned with different aspects of the Bill, but the chairman and her fellow office-bearers have been offered a meeting with Scottish Office officials.
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether local enterprise companies and their contractors are required to comply with the codes of practice issued by the Government on access to official information.
Mr. Stewart : The new code of practice on Government information came into force on 4 April 1994. The code applies to central Government Departments, their agencies
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and a number of other public bodies. The local enterprise companies are limited companies and the code does not therefore apply to them or to their contractors.Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for requiring local enterprise companies (a) to implement quality assurance arrangements in fulfilment of their training duties and (b) to fulfil equal opportunities requirements.
Mr. Stewart : My right hon. Friend has no such proposals. The Enterprise and New Towns (Scotland) Act 1990 lays upon Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise the duty, which may not be delegated, of keeping under continuous review the suitability and adequacy of any training provided by the two bodies or by their agents. In respect of equal opportunities, each local enterprise company, as part of its contractual agreement with either of the two bodies, is committed to providing equal opportunities regardless of race, sex or disability in the delivery of all its training programmes.
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment has been made by Scottish Enterprise of the supply of serviced sites of various sizes in Scotland and their adequacy ; and if he will publish the information.
Mr. Stewart : This is essentially an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I understand that Scottish Enterprise receives information about sites in both public and private sector ownership. Much of the information is, however, supplied on a voluntary and confidential basis and Scottish Enterprise does not therefore plan to publish it.
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what staff were employed in all aspects of the health service except in general practice in Ayrshire and Arran as at 1 January 1992, 1993 and 1994 in each of the categories (a) professional administration of the service, with no direct medical or nursing responsibilities, (b) practising medical staff and (c) practising nursing staff ; and what was the cost of salaries and related expenses in each of the three categories in each of the last three years.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 18 April 1994] : The information requested is shown in the tables. The figures in table 1 are as at 30 September while those in table 2 are available only at 31 March.
Table 1 Selected NHS staff in post in Ayrshire and Arran health board area: whole time equivalents at 30 September |1991 |1992 |1993 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- (a) Administrative and Clerical |846.5 |913.3 |956.9 Management Grades<1> |57.0 |89.1 |113.4 Other<2> |789.5 |824.2 |843.5 (b) Medical Staff<3> |301.1 |321.1 |<4>399.1 (c) Nursing Staff<5> |3,567.3 |3,405.7 |3,261.7 Students on '1992' courses and midwifery programmes not included in nursing staff totals (headcount)<6> |- |54 |107 <1>Includes general managers, senior managers, staff on grades 7 and above and staff on protected grades. Protected grades may include some staff on grades less than 7. Excludes nursing management staff and teachers. <2>Includes staff on grades 1 to 6. <3>Includes directors of public health/chief area medical officers and unit medical officers. Excludes general medical practitioners and locum appointments. <4>1993 figures are provisional. <5>Includes nursing management staff and teachers. Excludes agency and bank nurses. <6>Students on 1992' courses and programmes in midwifery are not directly funded by the health board and are therefore excluded from the nursing staff totals.
Table 2 Salaries and Wages (£000) Financial Year |Administration |Medical Staff<2>|Nursing Staff |and Clerical<1> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1991-92 |10,118 |13,395 |50,042 1992-93 |12,212 |15,617 |53,078 <1> No figures are available for "Professional administration of the Service, with no direct medical or nursing responsibilities" as this is not separately identified in health board annual accounts. The figures supplied are the total salaries and wages for administration within the board and include those senior nurses and clinicians who have transferred to general/senior manager pay scales. <2> Includes specialists.
Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of his Department's policy on coastal and flood defence in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Hector Monro : The Scottish Office policy on coastal and flood defence is aimed at reducing the risks to people and the environment from flooding and coastal erosion by encouraging the provision of defence measures which are technically, environmentally and economically sound and sustainable. Delivery of these objectives is for local authorities, who are well able to determine the needs of their areas. Schemes promoted by the councils and approved by the Secretary of State attract grant aid towards the eligible costs.
Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all the leisure and leisure-related projects which Glasgow development agency has contributed, is contributing, and proposes to contribute to since it was set up, and the total amounts contributed to each such project.
Mr. Stewart : The information requested is not held centrally. This is primarily an operational matter best taken up direct with the local enterprise company. The hon. Member may therefore wish to write to the chairman of the Glasgow development agency about the matter.
Mr. Tyler : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many farmers have been approached by his officials to discuss ways of reducing overgrazing in each year since the introduction of the hill livestock compensatory allowance overgrazing clause ; and if he will make a statement ;
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(2) how many hill livestock compensatory allowances he has withheld in 1992, 1993 and 1994 as a direct result of the introduction of the hill livestock compensatory allowance overgrazing clause ; and if he will make a statement ;(3) what procedures are in place to monitor whether overgrazing has reduced following the withholding of hill livestock compensatory allowances as a direct result of the introduction of the hill livestock compensatory allowance clause ;
(4) what procedures are in place to monitor whether meetings between his officials and producers to discuss ways of reducing overgrazing have led to reductions in overgrazing ;
(5) what procedures are in place to reduce environmental damage caused through overgrazing consequent on that damage continuing after hill livestock compensatory allowances are withheld as a result of the introduction of the hill livestock compensatory allowance overgrazing clause ;
(6) how many farmers have had hill livestock compensatory allowances withheld in 1992, 1993 and 1994 as a direct result of the introduction of the hill livestock compensatory allowance overgrazing clause.
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