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Lockerbie

Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with other members of the United Nations Security Council about the statement by Edwin Bollier and Ulrich Lumpert, Swiss manufacturers of timing devices, about the circumstances of the Pan Am 103 disaster over Lockerbie and the policy of sanctions against Libya.

The Prime Minister : The exchange of information with the authorities of other Governments involved in the Lockerbie investigation is a matter for my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate. He has made it clear that he cannot comment on the details of the available evidence while criminal proceedings are pending. We have regular discussions with the other members of the Security Council about Libya. They are clearly of the view that Libya has not complied with Security Council resolutions 731, 748 and 883.

Engagements

Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 17 May.

Sir Peter Tapsell : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 17 May.

The Prime Minister : This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today.

Malaysia

Mr. Byers : To ask the Prime Minister for how long his predecessor visited Malaysia on 6 August 1988 ; who she met during her visit and by whom she was accompanied


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during her meetings ; what subjects were discussed during the meetings ; and on what date it was decided that she should visit Malaysia on 6 August 1988.

The Prime Minister : My predecessor decided in June 1988 to visit Malaysia in August on her return from Australia. During a two hour stop- over in Kuala Lumpur on 6 August, she met the Malaysian Prime Minister, who was accompanied by his Foreign Minister, the Secretary-General of the Foreign Ministry and two other officials. The British high commissioner and the Prime Minister's foreign affairs private secretary were also present. A wide range of subjects was discussed, including aid, air services, Cambodia, defence sales, and arrangements for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Malaysia in 1989.

SCOTLAND

Prisoners

Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list by Her Majesty's prison and remand home/centre for the latest date he has figures available, the number of inmates whose place of residence is South Yorkshire ; and what were the figures (a) 12 months and (b) 24 months ago.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Scottish Prison Service under its chief executive, Mr. E. W. Frizzell. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from E. W. Frizzell to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 17 May 1994 :

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton has asked me to reply to your Question about the number of inmates in Scottish penal establishments whose place of residence is South Yorkshire for the latest date available and the figures for 12 months and 24 months ago.

I regret that the information requested is not held centrally.

Hospital Contracts

Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) for which hospital contracts in Scotland Scottish Office advice has been given that they lie outside the scope of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations ; and for which contracts advice has been given that they fall within the scope of TUPE ;

(2) what advice was given by the national health service management executive about the applicability of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 to contracts for domestic and portering services at Glasgow Royal infirmary, the Royal maternity hospital and Yorkhill hospital.

Mr. Stewart : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 16 May, Official Report , column 365 .

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many parliamentary questions, in the period November 1992 to March 1993, were answered with the response that the information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate


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cost ; how many were referred on to an agency chief executive ; and, in each case, what percentage of the total number of questions asked this constituted.

Mr. Lang : The information requested is as follows :


                                        |Number    |Percentage           

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total number of Parliamentary Questions                                  

answered in the period November                                          

1992 to March 1993.                     |<1>1,321  |-                    

Number (and percentage of Parliamentary                                  

Questions which received responses                                       

that information requested is not held                                   

centrally and/or could be obtained                                       

only at disproportionate cost.          |<1>43     |3.26                 

Number (and percentage of Parliamentary                                  

Questions referred to Agency Chief                                       

Executives for reply.                   |10        |0.76                 

<1> Source Polis                                                         


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Police Sick Leave

Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list by sex, and by year for the last 10 years, the average number of police officer days lost for reasons of sickness in each police authority.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The information is set out in the table.


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                       Average number of Figures for                                    

                       days              Male/Female not                                

                             available before                                           

                             1991                                                       

                       lost per officer                                                 

                       for reasons                                                      

                       of sickness                                                      

                      |1993 |1992 |1991 |1990 |1989 |1988 |1987 |1986 |1985 |1984       

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Central                                                                                 

Male                  |9    |9    |12   |11   |11   |7    |10   |13   |11   |10         

Female                |13   |12   |18   |-    |-    |-    |-    |-    |-    |-          

Dumfries and Galloway                                                                   

Male                  |10   |10   |13   |11   |11   |11   |11   |9    |9    |9          

Female                |11   |5    |7    |-    |-    |-    |-    |-    |-    |-          

Fife                                                                                    

Male                  |8    |9    |11   |11   |12   |8    |11   |10   |12   |11         

Female                |12   |11   |12   |-    |-    |-    |-    |-    |-    |-          

Grampian                                                                                

Male                  |5    |6    |<1>12|10   |9    |7    |8    |8    |10   |8          

Female                |9    |11   |-    |-    |-    |-    |-    |-    |-    |-          

Lothian and Borders                                                                     

Male                  |10   |11   |<1>8 |12   |13   |10   |11   |9    |13   |10         

Female                |13   |16   |-    |-    |-    |-    |-    |-    |-    |-          

Northern                                                                                

Male                  |9    |9    |14   |12   |10   |11   |8    |8    |11   |11         

Female                |8    |12   |12   |-    |-    |-    |-    |-    |-    |-          

Strathclyde                                                                             

Male                  |15   |15   |<1>16|19   |14   |11   |14   |15   |14   |15         

Female                |17   |20   |-    |-    |-    |-    |-    |-    |-    |-          

Tayside                                                                                 

Male                  |12   |10   |4    |8    |8    |7    |9    |11   |9    |10         

Female                |11   |10   |7    |-    |-    |-    |-    |-    |-    |-          

<1> Figures for Male/Female not available                                               

College Boards

Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the members of all further education college boards in Scotland and their relevant qualifications for this position.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : I have placed in the Library of the House the information held by my Department on the membership of boards of management of further education colleges in Scotland. Members of the boards of incorporated colleges are appointed in accordance with criteria set out in schedule 2 of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992. Schedule 6 of the Act provided that, with the exception of the staff and student representatives, the initial appointments to the boards were made by the Secretary of State. Subsequent appointments are for the boards themselves.


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Hospital Trusts

Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidelines the Government give to hospital trusts about openness and accountability.

Mr. Stewart : My noble and learned friend the Minister of State last month issued codes of conduct and accountability covering issues such as openness and accountability to all members of health boards and NHS trusts. Each board has been asked to adopt these codes at its next formal meeting. For new members, acceptance of the codes will be a condition of appointment. Arrangements have been made for copies of the codes to be available in the Library of the House.

Ambulance Service

Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the advantages for the Scottish ambulance service of becoming a trust and the disadvantages of remaining as it is at present.


Column 405

Mr. Stewart [holding answer 13 May 1994] : In signifying an interest in trust status the Scottish ambulance service has indicated that this will allow it to make much faster progress towards the achievement of its four main objectives which are :

(a) improving the quality of service to its patients ;

(b) improving relationships with health boards and NHS trusts as purchasers of ambulance services ;

(c) improving the motivation and ability of its staff to deliver better services ;

(d) achieving better value for money.

These advantages will be explained in more detail in the Scottish ambulance service trust application which is to be issued for public consultation on 18 May and a copy will be sent to the hon. Member.

Prison Visiting Committees

Sir David Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what changes are proposed to the composition of prison visiting committees ; which individuals and organisations were consulted before such changes were proposed ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Lang [holding answer 16 May 1994] : Under The Prison (Scotland) Rules 1952, as amended, appointments to prison visiting committees are made by every local authority in whose area prisoners might have their homes. As a result some committees are extremely large--the Barlinnie visiting committee for example has 35 members--and members have to travel long distances. As currently drafted, under the new Prisons and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules only those local authorities within which the prisons lie would appoint members to visiting committees. The position would then be as set out in table 1.

In the new draft rules it is also proposed that half the membership of visiting committees should come from outwith the elected membership of the appointing authorities. It would therefore be open to the latter to appoint whoever they considered appropriate. These proposals were the subject of consultation last September, when views were sought from the organisations and individuals listed in table 2.

No firm view has yet been taken on the final shape of the new rules. We are considering carefully the representations made during the formal consultation process. Thereafter the new rules will be laid before this House.


Name of prison and                     |Numbers of                             

Names of appointing                    |members to                             

authorities                                                                    

                                       |be appointed                           

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aberdeen                                                                       

Grampian Regional Council              |3                                      

City of Aberdeen District Council      |5                                      

                                       |--                                     

                                       |8                                      

                                                                               

Barlinnie, Glasgow                                                             

Strathclyde Regional Council           |10                                     

City of Glasgow District Council       |15                                     

                                       |--                                     

                                       |25                                     

                                                                               

Cornton Vale, Stirling                                                         

Central Regional Council               |4                                      

Stirling District Council              |5                                      

                                       |--                                     

                                       |9                                      

                                                                               

Dumfries                                                                       

Dumfries and Galloway Regional Council |3                                      

Nithsdale District Council             |5                                      

                                       |--                                     

                                       |8                                      

                                                                               

Dungavel                                                                       

Strathclyde Regional Council           |3                                      

East Kilbride District Council         |5                                      

                                       |--                                     

                                       |8                                      

                                                                               

Edinburgh                                                                      

Lothian Regional Council               |5                                      

City of Edinburgh District Council     |12                                     

                                       |--                                     

                                       |17                                     

                                                                               

Friarton                                                                       

Tayside Regional Council               |3                                      

Perth and Kinross District Council     |5                                      

                                       |--                                     

                                       |8                                      

                                                                               

Glenochil                                                                      

Central Regional Council               |4                                      

Clackmannan District Council           |10                                     

                                       |--                                     

                                       |14                                     

                                                                               

Greenock                                                                       

Strathclyde Regional Council           |3                                      

Inverclyde District Council            |5                                      

                                       |--                                     

                                       |8                                      

                                                                               

Inverness                                                                      

Highland Regional Council              |3                                      

Inverness District Council             |5                                      

                                       |--                                     

                                       |8                                      

                                                                               

Longriggend                                                                    

Strathclyde Regional Council           |5                                      

Monklands District Council             |3                                      

                                       |--                                     

                                       |8                                      

                                                                               

Low Moss                                                                       

Strathclyde Regional Council           |4                                      

Strathkelvin District Council          |6                                      

                                       |--                                     

                                       |10                                     

                                                                               

Noranside                                                                      

Tayside Regional Council               |3                                      

Angus District Council                 |5                                      

                                       |--                                     

                                       |8                                      

                                                                               

Penninghame                                                                    

Dumfries and Galloway Regional Council |3                                      

Wigtown District Council               |5                                      

                                       |--                                     

                                       |8                                      

                                                                               

Perth                                                                          

Tayside Regional Council               |3                                      

Perth and Kinross District Council     |5                                      

                                       |--                                     

                                       |8                                      

                                                                               

Peterhead                                                                      

Grampian Regional Council              |3                                      

Banff and Buchan District Council      |5                                      

                                       |--                                     

                                       |8                                      

                                                                               

Shotts                                                                         

Strathclyde Regional Council           |5                                      

Motherwell District Council            |12                                     

                                       |--                                     

                                       |17                                     

List of Consultees

Advisory Committee on Prisoners' Management

Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland

Association of Directors of Social Work

The Association of Visiting Committees for Scottish Penal Establishments

Church and Nation Committee, Church of Scotland

Citizens Advice, Scotland

Consultative Committee on Clinical Psychology in Penal Establishments in Scotland

Convention of Scottish Local Authorities

Crown Agents

Faculty of Advocates

The Gateway Exchange

The Institute of Professionals, Manager and Specialists HM Chief Inspector of Prisons

Home Office

The Howard League for Penal Reform

The Howard League (Scotland)

The Joint Prison Chaplaincies Board

The Law Society for Scotland

Local Review Committees

National Union of Civil and Public Servants : Governors' Committee Northern Ireland Office

Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration

Parole Board for Scotland

The Principal Clerk of Sessions and Justiciary

Prison Reform Trust

Scottish Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders Scottish Association for the Study of Delinquency

Scottish Committee of the Council on Tribunals

Scottish Council for Civil Liberties

Scottish Legal Action Group

Scottish Parliamentary All Party Penal Affairs Group

Scottish Prison Officers' Association

Scottish Prison Service Trade Union Side

The Scottish Prison Social Workers

Sheriffs Association

Sheriffs Principal

University of Dundee Department of Law

University of Edinburgh Department of Criminology

University of Edinburgh Department of Social Policy

Visiting Committee Chairmen

Women's National Commission

Manpower Services Commission

Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps his Department has taken to constitute a voluntary early retirement scheme applicable to former Manpower Services Commission staff seconded to the local enterprise companies or previously seconded ; and what undertakings have been sought in relation to applicants from among such secondees that they were taking early retirement.

Mr. Stewart [holding answer 13 May 1994] : On the establishment of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise former Department of Employment staff in Scotland were seconded to those bodies--rather than to the local enterprise companies--and were entitled to


Column 408

exercise a right to take up an offer of employment from the body in question until the termination of their secondment on 31 March 1994. Former Department of Employment staff who accepted an offer of employment from Scottish Enterprise or Highlands and Islands Enterprise became subject to the terms and conditions of service of these bodies, which are subject to approval by my right hon. Friend. A number of former Department of Employment secondees subse-quently accepted voluntary severance or early retirement under those terms and conditions as part of a general programme of staff reduction within Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. Detailed arrangements relating to voluntary severance and early retirement are an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise but the terms of these arrangements did not include any conditions applicable solely to former Department of Employment secondees.

Department of Employment secondees remained eligible, until they took up an offer of employment, for any applicable early retirement schemes offered by that Department ; the detailed arrangements are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment.

Fishing

Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether it is the practice of his officials to prohibit the use of nets between 70 and 90mm in the United Kingdom nephrops fishery where the square mesh panel is fitted forward of any flapper as an alternative to placing it three flapper lengths to the rear of the flapper.

Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 12 May 1994] : Article 4(1) and (2) of the Sea Fish (Specified Sea Areas) (Regulation of Nets and Other Fishing Gear)(Variation) Order 1991, as amended, sets out the requirements for the use of square mesh panels in nets of between 70-90mm mesh size used for nephrops fishing in ICES area IV (north Sea).

Guidance to Fishery Officers was issued in December 1993 to confirm that square mesh panels should be sited either in the cod-end or in any extension piece, or immediately in front of any cod-end or any extension piece, as required by article 4(1)(c). Article 4(1)(f) sets out additional requirements in relation to any flappers that may be used, and allows the panel to be placed forward of any flapper.

Office Space, Edinburgh

Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made as to the availability of quality, modern, open-plan office space in the Edinburgh area ; and what plans he has to address any shortfall.

Mr. Stewart [holding answer 12 May 1994] : My right hon. Friend has made no such assessment. Data may be available, of course, from private sector interests and publications and other sources. Local enterprise companies generally have a responsibility to work with the market to ensure that business development is not constrained by a lack of suitable accommodation. I understand that Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise Limited conducted a major audit of the Lothian property market last winter.


Column 409

The hon. Member may therefore wish to approach the chairman of Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise Limited to seek further information about the audit and about its present activities in this area.

Strathclyde Regional Council

Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the value of central (a) administrative, (b) financial, (c) legal, (d) personnel and (e) information technology services provided to each of the (i) police, (ii) fire, (iii) water and (iv) sewerage departments by Strathclyde regional council in the latest available financial year.

Mr. Stewart [holding answer 13 May 1994] : The information requested is not held centrally.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

Development Assistance

Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the unweighted average of official development assistance of (a) EC countries and (b) Development Assistance Committee countries, as a proportion of gross national product in (i) 1992 and (ii) 1993 ; how much the United Kingdom spent by the same measure ; and by how much the United Kingdom would have needed to increase its assistance in cash terms in those years to have reached (1) EC and (2) DAC average expenditure.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Figures for official development assistance are not yet available for 1993. In 1992, the unweighted average official development assistance as a proportion of gross national product for EC countries and DAC countries was 0.45 per cent. and 0.48 per cent. respectively--the weighted averages are 0.44 per cent. and 0.33 per cent. respectively.

The United Kingdom official development assistance as a proportion of gross national product in 1992 was 0.31 per cent. In cash terms, the United Kingdom would have needed to increase its assistance by £844 million and £1,012 million to have reached the unweighted average expenditure levels for EC countries and DAC countries respectively.

Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of British aid was spent on (a) primary health care, (b) nutrition, (c) basic education, (d) family planning and (e) safe water and sanitation in (i) 1992 and (ii) 1993 ; and how much in cash terms would need to have been spent in each year in order to increase the amount spent on those basic needs to 20 per cent. of official development assistance.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Figures for official development assistance are not yet available for 1993. In 1992, the specified sectors as a proportion of the United Kingdom's bilateral official development assistance that can be allocated to a sector was :


                      |Per cent.          

------------------------------------------

Primary health care   |4.7                

Nutrition             |0.06               

Education             |20.4               

Family planning       |0.4                

Safe water/sanitation |2.9                

                      |-------            

Total                 |28.0               

Our bilateral aid programme also includes a large amount of assistance which cannot be allocated by sector, such as debt relief, economic reform programmes and humanitarian assistance, but which also helps the poorest.

Least Developed Countries (Aid)

Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much British aid was spent in the least developed countries in (a) 1992 and (b) 1993 ; how much this was as a proportion of gross national product ; and by how much British official development assistance to the least developed countries would have needed to increase in cash terms in those years in order to meet the level recommended by the 1990 United Nations programme of action for the least developed countries.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Figures for official development assistance for 1993 are not yet available. In 1992, the United Kingdom gave £610.7 million to the least developed countries. This amounted to 0.10 per cent. of gross national product. To meet the 1990 United Nations programme of action for the least developed countries target, an increase of £278 million would have been needed. It should be noted however that the United Nations' category of least developed countries excludes states such as India and Pakistan, which are as poor as many least developed countries and are major recipients of United Kingdom aid.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of its official development assistance the United Kingdom spent in sub-Saharan Africa in 1992 and 1993 ; and what was the change in percentage terms between those years, giving the figures for (a) bilateral aid, (b) multilateral aid and (c) in total.


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