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Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many civil servants from his Department have been required to travel to London in connection with the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Bill during each week since 16 January ; and if he will give the number from each grade, the number of days and the costs of (a) travel and (b) subsistence.
Mr. Stewart : Details of the civil servants travelling to London in connection with the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Bill since 16 January are given in the table :
Civil Servants travelling to London in connection with the Local
Government etc. (Scotland) Bill
|Number of officials |Number of "man" days|Total number of
|of each grade |(Number of |overnight stays<1>
|officials X number
|of days)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17 January 1994
Grade 5 |1
Grade 7 |2
Administrative trainee (Europe) |1 |4 |4
24 January 1994
None |0 |0
31 January 1994
Grade 5 |1
Grade 6 |1
Grade 7 |1
Administration trainee (Europe) |1 | |
Executive officer |1
Personal secretary |1
Administration assistant |1 |32 |26
7 February 1994
Grade 5 |1
Grade 7 |3
Administration trainee (Europe) |1
Executive Office |1 | |
Personal Secretary |1
Administrative Assistant |1 |32 |24
14 February 1994
Grade 5 |2
Grade 6 |1
Grade 7 |3
Administrative trainee (Europe) |1
Executive officer |1
Personal secretary |1
Administrative assistant |1 |34 |26
21 February 1994
Grade 5 |1
Grade 6 |1
Grade 7 |2
Higher executive officer |1
Administrative trainee (Europe) |1
Executive officer |2
Personal secretary |1
Administrative officer |2 |34 |25
28 February 1994
Grade 3 |1
Grade 5 |4
Grade 6 |1
Grade 7 |4
Higher Executive Officer |2
Admin Trainee (Europe) |1
Executive Officer |1
Personal Secretary |1
Admin Officer |1 |54 |44
7 March 1994
Grade 4 |1
Grade 5 |3
Grade 7 |6
Higher Executive Officer |2
Admin Trainee (Europe) |1
Executive Officer |1
Personal Secretary |1
Admin Officer |1 |54 |41
14 March 1994
Grade 5 |4
Grade 7 |6
Senior Professional and Technical Officer |1
Higher Executive Officer (Development) |1
Higher Executive Officer |2
Admin Trainee (Europe) |1
Executive Officer |1
Personal Secretary |1
Admin Assistant |1 |51 |39
21 March 1994
Grade 5 |3
Grade 6 |1
Grade 7 |5
Higher Executive Officer |1
Admin Trainee (Europe) |1
Personal Secretary |2
Admin Officer |1
Admin Assistant |1
Typist |1 |45 |40
28 March 1994
Grade 5 |1
Grade 6 |1
Grade 7 |1
Higher Executive Officer |1
Personal Secretary |1
Admin Officer |1
Admin Assistant |1
Typist |1 |23 |22
11 April 1994
Grade 5 |2
Grade 6 |1
Grade 7 |4
Higher Executive Officer |1
Personal Secretary |1
Admin Officer |1
Admin Assistant |1
Typist |1 |39 |31
18 April 1994
Grade 5 |5
Grade 6 |4
Grade 7 |10
Higher Executive Officer |3
Admin Trainee (Europe) |1
Executive Officer |1
Personal Secretary |1
Admin Assistant |1 |63 |51
|------- |------- |-------
Totals 152 official journeys |465 |373
<1> Overnight stays include only those spent in London and not nights spent away from home whilst travelling between London
and Edinburgh on the sleeper service.
It is possible to produce only broad estimates of travel and subsistence costs, as follows :
(a) Travel
A return air journey costs approximately £220.
A return train journey including travel by sleeper and overnight travel allowance costs approximately £180.
Assuming, therefore, an average cost of £200 for each official travelling the total travel cost is approximately £30,400. (b) Subsistence
Subsistence is paid at the rate of £65.15 to every official required to spend a night in London.
Using the total number of overnight stays required in London, the approximate subsistence cost is £24,300.
Shaping the New Councils"
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library copies of the submissions in response to the consultative document on local governments, "Shaping the New Councils", from Dumbarton district which did not request confidentiality.
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Mr. Stewart : Arrangements have been made for copies of those responses on the consultation document "Shaping the New Councils" relating to Dumbarton district to be placed in the Library of the House.
Respite Care
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of children with disabilities have access to respite care.
Mr. Stewart : This information is not held centrally.
Cigarettes Sales
Mr. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has on the numbers of reported cases of illegal selling of cigarettes to children and the number of prosecutions following such sales in the past year.
Mr. Stewart : Five reports were submitted to procurators fiscal for offences under the Children and Young Persons (Protection from Tobacco) Act 1991 concerning alleged illegal sales of cigarettes to children in the period 1 March 1992 to 31 July 1993. Four of these reports resulted in prosecutions.
A727 and A726
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the routes of the A727 and the A726 ; if he will specify how those roads, and the designation of those roads, has been altered since 1975 ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The A726 is a principal road and runs from Strathaven to Erskine bridge. The A727 which ran from Clarkston to Cathcart is no longer a classified route. In 1980 part of this route was declassified and the remainder was reclassified A730, B766, B768, B762 and B767.
The responsibility for these roads lies with the local roads authority, Strathclyde regional council, and the information regarding alterations to these roads is not held by central Government.
Lambs
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 12 April, Official Report, column 121, if he will place in the Library the published Scottish Office research on viable lambs predated by foxes.
Sir Hector Monro : A copy of "Scavenging and Predation upon Sheep and Lambs in West Scotland" pubished in 1984 has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has as to the average percentage of yearly lamb loss caused by hypothermia.
Sir Hector Monro : No information on this is held centrally.
Fox-hunting
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will introduce legislation to ban fox-hunting in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
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Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Government have no plans for legislation in this area. Over the years, there have been a number of private Members' Bills whose purpose has been to ban or to regulate various forms of hunting, including fox-hunting, but to date none of these Bills has commanded sufficient support in Parliament to become law. The Government have consistently adopted a position of neutrality towards such legislation and regard this issue as very much a matter for individual conscience and decision.
Trust Hospitals
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total cost of redecoration and furnishing of chief executives' and senior managers' offices in each trust hospital to date since it acquired trust status.
Mr. Stewart : The information requested is not held centrally.
Scottish Power
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met representatives of Scottish Power ; what matters were discussed ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart : My right hon. Friend meets representatives of Scottish Power from time to time to discuss a range of issues.
Rats
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what studies he has had made available to him during the past five years on the infestation of sewers by rats ; what plans he has to accelerate the elimination of rats from sewers ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Hector Monro : No studies have been made available to my right hon. Friend in the last five years on the infestation of sewers in Scotland by rats. Any evidence of such infestation would be dealt with by the regional and islands councils' drainage departments and it is for the authorities to determine the appropriate action. Any incidents in recent years have been of a minor nature and dealt with promptly by the authorities.
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Speedwell
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what advice her Department offers farmers and growers on the eradication of Veronica species, commonly known as speedwell ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Hector Monro : Advice to farmers on the control of all weed species is available from the Scottish Agricultural college through its network of local advisory offices.
Sight Tests
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many NHS sight tests took place in each financial year since 1984-85 in Scotland.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 25 April 1994] : The number of national health service sight tests paid for by health boards in each of the financial years from 1984-85 to 1993-94 is shown in the table.
National health service sight tests Year |Number --------------------------------- 1984-85 |884,727 1985-86 |913,901 1986-87 |965,160 1987-88 |1,098,145 1988-89 |1,169,610 1989-90 |<1>475,479 1990-91 |432,885 1991-92 |496,598 1992-93 |538,684 <1> Since 1 April 1989 free national health service sight tests have been available only to children, full-time students under 19, those in receipt of income support or family credit, the registered blind and partially sighted, complex lens users, those who hold an AG2 exemption certificate from the health benefits unit, diagnosed diabetic or glaucoma sufferers and close relatives aged 40 or over of glaucoma sufferers.
Hospital Services
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the average number of (a) beds available and (b) new accident and emergency cases during 1993-94, by regional health board ; and what were the figures per 1,000 population.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 25 April 1994] : Information on average available staffed acute beds and accident and emergency new out- patient attendances for the year ended 31 December 1993--latest available-- is set out in the table :
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Average available Accident and
staffed acute<1> Emergency<3> New
beds Out-Patient
attendances
|Number |Rate per 1,000|Number |Rate per 1,000
|population<2> |population<2>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Argyll and Clyde |1,211 |2.8 |113,313 |261
Ayrshire and Arran |1,111 |2.9 |81,158 |216
Borders |350 |3.3 |15,840 |151
Dumfries and Galloway |407 |2.8 |31,235 |211
Fife |782 |2.2 |64,031 |183
Forth Valley |591 |2.2 |55,907 |205
Grampian |1,899 |3.6 |104,326 |200
Greater Glasgow |3,954 |4.3 |308,450 |336
Highland |736 |3.6 |40,121 |195
Lanarkshire |1,603 |2.9 |110,817 |197
Lothian |2,486 |3.3 |142,429 |190
Orkney |91 |4.6 |1,930 |98
Shetland |46 |2.0 |4,601 |203
Tayside |1,653 |4.2 |99,493 |252
Western Isles |103 |3.5 |4,918 |168
Scotland |17,022 |3.3 |1,178,569 |231
<1> Comprises acute (including GP acute), supra-area and special categories. Excludes obstetric,
long stay, psychiatric and mental handicap specialties.
<2> Rates based on Registrar General mid-1992 population estimates. Health board area rates are
based on total resident population and therefore do not take into account the cross-border flow
of patients for treatment.
<3> All patients who present at an accident and emergency department, some of whom would become
in-patients.
Health Service Staff
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) men and (b) women were employed at the latest available date for each grade in the administrative and clerical pay group of the national health service, for grades 0 to 12 in the senior managers pay group, for each grade in the ambulance staffs pay group and the ambulance officers pay group, and for general
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managers and chief executives in the national health service ; and if he will express the figures as numbers and as full-time equivalents.Mr. Stewart [holding answer 25 April 1994] : The numbers in whole-time equivalent terms of administrative and clerical staff and ambulance staff by grade and sex employed by the NHS at 30 September 1993 are given in the table. Not all chief executives can be identified separately and are therefore included in the general manager category. Senior manager grades 0-12, introduced in October 1993, are not reflected in the data which refer to the "old" scales.
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Administrative and Clerical and Ambulance Staff; by grade and sex: as at 30 September 1993
Headcount Whole time
equivalent
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Administrative and Clerical staff group |21,008 |3,724 |17,284 |18,310.7|3,664.3 |14,646.4
General Manager<1> |83 |75 |8 |83.0 |75.0 |8.0
Senior Managers |1,079 |675 |404 |1,068.6 |670.6 |398.0
Pay spine point 1-7 |97 |82 |15 |95.9 |80.9 |15.0
8-14 |316 |236 |80 |313.7 |234.5 |79.2
15-21 |396 |220 |176 |391.2 |218.6 |172.6
22-30 |230 |113 |117 |227.8 |112.6 |115.2
Other |40 |24 |16 |40.0 |24.0 |16.0
Protected Grades |23 |22 |1 |22.4 |21.4 |1.0
Grade 10 |26 |19 |7 |24.6 |19.0 |5.6
Grade 9 |61 |43 |18 |58.4 |43.0 |15.4
Grade 8 |219 |159 |60 |216.8 |159.0 |57.8
Grade 7 |604 |287 |317 |590.3 |286.3 |304.0
Grade 6 |1,119 |511 |608 |1,092.0 |509.6 |582.5
Grade 5 |1,227 |417 |810 |1,193.2 |412.5 |780.7
Grade 4 |2,197 |423 |1,774 |2,110.6 |418.3 |1,692.3
Grade 3 |6,256 |434 |5,822 |5,583.2 |428.3 |5,154.9
Grade 2 |7,931 |606 |7,325 |6,110.2 |568.4 |5,541.8
Grade 1 |100 |13 |87 |74.6 |13.0 |61.0
Other<2> |83 |40 |43 |83.0 |40.0 |43.0
Ambulance
Ambulance/control officer |230 |136 |95 |227.8 |134.6 |93.0
Ambulance officer |124 |122 |2 |124.0 |122.0 |2.0
Assistant senior officer |3 |3 |- |3.0 |3.0 |-
Band 2 |30 |29 |1 |30.0 |29.0 |1.0
Band 1 |91 |90 |1 |91.0 |90.0 |1.0
Control officer |106 |13 |93 |103.8 |12.6 |91.0
Grade 2 |18 |1 |17 |18.0 |1.0 |17.0
Grade 1 |88 |12 |76 |85.8 |11.6 |74.0
Ambulance staff |2,227 |1,932 |295 |2,162.9 |1,889.9 |273.0
Ambulanceman |654 |478 |176 |589.9 |435.9 |154.0
Loading |222 |214 |8 |222.0 |214.0 |8.0
Qualified |1,253 |1,161 |92 |1,253.0 |1,161.0 |92.0
Trainee |98 |79 |19 |98.0 |79.0 |19.0
<1>Includes General Managers, Chief Executives, Unit General Managers.
<2>Includes management trainees and non Whitley scales.
Forestry Commission
Mr. Tipping : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many applications the Forestry Commission made for financial assistance from the European Community for
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each of the last five years ; what was the purpose of each application ; and what has been the success of these applications ; (2) whether an application has been made by the Forestry Commission to the European Community for financial assistance to help with the development of community forests.Column 327
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 27 April 1994] : Council regulation 2328/91, and its successor Council regulation 2080/92, provide for member states to claim part-reimbursement from the European Community of eligible expenditure to support the afforestation of agricultural land and other forestry operations on farms. Under these provisions, the Forestry Commission has made annual applications for, and received, the sums shown for woodland grant scheme and farm woodland scheme planting grants for each of the last five years. The woodland grant scheme's community woodland supplement, which was introduced to encourage the development of community forests, is included in the provisions and the first claim for reimbursement of eligible expenditure will be made this year.
Year of eligible |EC reimbursement £ expenditure |million --------------------------------------------------------- 1989 |0.3 1990 |1.4 1991 |2.2 1992 |2.0 1993 |3.8
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to change the structure of the Forestry Commission.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 27 April 1994] : The Forestry Ministers are currently considering the report of the forestry review group, which was asked by Ministers to review, among other things, the options for the ownership and management of Forestry Commission woodlands. An announcement will be made in due course.
DEFENCE
Nuclear Accidents
Dr. Reid : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what responsibilities (a) United States diplomatic and military officials and (b) British officials would assume in the event of an accident or incident involving United States nuclear weapons in the United Kingdom ;
(2) what regulations cover the procedures that would be adopted in the event of an accident or incident involving United States nuclear weapons in the United Kingdom in peacetime ;
(3) which agency would assume primary responsibility under current emergency planning procedures in the event of an accident or incident involving United States nuclear weapons in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Hanley : In the highly unlikely event of an accident involving nuclear weapons in the United Kingdom, those United Kingdom regulations which are relevant to any radiological hazard to the public would be applied, irrespective of whether the weapon in question belonged to the United Kingdom or the United States. The general responsibilities of British officials in the combined response to any major incident affecting public safety are described in the Home Office publication "Dealing with Disaster". For an accident involving nuclear weapons in the United Kingdom, the lead Government Department would be the MOD. The civil police would
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co-ordinate the activities of all those responding at and around the scene. The same principles would apply in the event of an accident involving United States weapons.Within this framework, the United States would supply specialised personnel and equipment to render safe any damaged United States nuclear weapon and to recover it and any components into United States custody, and would provide advice on any specific measures necessary to maintain public safety.
Exercise Diver Mist
Dr. Reid : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Exercise Diver Mist taking place in Suffolk.
Mr. Hanley : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith) on 25 April, Official Report , columns 84-85 .
Search and Rescue
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the civilian search and rescue missions flown by helicopters from RAF Chivenor, RAF Brawdy and RAF Valley between 00.01 hours and 23.59 hours on Tuesday 19 April, including time of call and time of arrival on scene.
Mr. Hanley : The search and rescue helicopter flight at RAF Chivenor was called to one incident on the day in question. The call for assistance from the rescue co-ordination centre was received at RAF Chivenor at 15.35. The helicopter was stood down before reaching the incident scene and the rescue was completed by the Fishguard lifeboat. The flights at RAF Brawdy and RAF Valley were not involved in any civil search and rescue missions during that day.
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the purposes of the plans to transfer the area of responsibility of the search and rescue facility at RAF Brawdy, Dyfed to that of RAF Chivenor ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : My Department's decision to move the RAF search and rescue flight from Brawdy to Chivenor formed part of our overall plan for the basing of RAF search and rescue helicopters in the United Kingdom as set out in the 1992 open government document "The Future Provision of RAF Search and Rescue Helicopters", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
This decision, which has recently been re-examined in the light of subsequent developments and reconfirmed, was based on operational factors relating to the military requirement for search and rescue while maximising the effectiveness of the RAF search and rescue force for civil search and rescue operations.
RAF Chivenor
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are to close RAF Chivenor ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : On 7 December 1993, Official Report , column 177 , I announced proposals to cease flying training at RAF Chivenor from 1 October 1994 and to place Chivenor on to a care and maintenance basis. This proposal
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has been the subject of consultation with the trade unions and other interested parties. The consultation period has ended and I hope to be able to make an announcement shortly.Specialised Image Intensifiers
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 15 April, Official Report, column 348, what other actions he has taken to ensure the maintenance of a United Kingdom source of specialised image intensifiers : and if he will make a statement.
Defence Equipment
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 15 April, Official Report, column 348, what other decisions he has made to ensure the maintenance of a United Kingdom source of a particular type of defence equipment ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Aitken : Where relevant, industrial considerations and the importance of maintaining a domestic source are taken into account in my Department's procurement decisions. The weight given to these factors will vary from case to case. Records are not kept which identify any other decisions which were taken specifically to maintain a United Kingdom source of a particular type of defence equipment.
Armed Forces Pay Review Body
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy regarding the provision of information on the work of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body : and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : The Armed Forces Pay Review Body--AFPRB--is an independent review body and as such it is not my Department's practice to provide information on matters which are the sole responsibility of that body, such as the appointment of consultants. My Department will of course provide information on the work of the AFPRB where such matters fall within our responsibility.
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RNSD Eaglescliffe
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current estimate per person of the cost of relocating MOD personnel from RNSD Eaglescliffe to Bath.
Mr. Hanley : The current average cost of a permanent move in the public interest within the United Kingdom is £30,000. This represents a reduction from the 1993 average due to savings associated with the relocation company scheme.
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the office block at RNSD Eaglescliffe will be left vacant by the removal of mobile staff to Bath.
Mr. Hanley : The planned relocation of Naval Support Command Headquarters posts at Eaglescliffe to the Bath area should result in some 75 per cent. of the office block at Eaglescliffe becoming vacant. My Department is currently looking for alternative occupants for the building from other Government departments.
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on the recladding and updating of the store sheds at RNSD Eaglescliffe.
Mr. Hanley : It was considered necessary to reclad the store sheds at Eaglescliffe for fire safety reasons. A total of £4,850,000 has been spent on this programme between October 1989 and February 1993.
Defence Cost Studies
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce the results of defence cost study (10).
Mr. Aitken : We hope to make public the bulk of our conclusions arising from the defence costs study before the summer recess.
Departmental Publications
Mr. Rowe : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how many regular publications he was responsible in 1993-94 ; what was their circulation ; and how many were obtainable by subscription.
Mr. Hanley : I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Walsall, South (Mr. George) on 24 February 1994, Official Report , column 383 . The three publications referred to in that answer are all available by subscription.
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