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Toxic Waste
Mr. McAvoy: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what provision he has made in the current financial year in financial allocations to Scottish Enterprise and the Glasgow Development Agency for making safe land contaminated by toxic waste.
Mr. Stewart: No specific allocations are made to Scottish Enterprise or to local enterprise companies for expenditure on dealing with land contaminated by toxic waste. Such expenditure is met from the block allocation for environmental expenditure. The expenditure provision for Scottish Enterprise on the environment block in 1994 95 amounts to £78 million.
The distribution of expenditure resources among local enterprise companies is a matter for decision by Scottish Enterprise. Glasgow Development Agency's budget allocation for 1994 95 on the environment block amounts to £13.680 million.
Public Sector Housing
Mr. Dunnachie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to meet representatives of tenants' organisations to discuss public sector housing in Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: There are no plans at present to meet tenants' organisations to discuss housing in Scotland, but I often meet tenants in the course of my housing visits throughout Scotland.
Mr. McMaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to meet representatives of tenants' organisations to discuss public sector housing in Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: My right hon. Friend has no plans to meet tenants' organisations to discuss housing in Scotland, but I often meet tenants in the course of my housing visits throughout Scotland.
Mr. Nigel Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what further steps he is taking to combat homelessness in Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer that I gave the hon. Member for Angus, East (Mr. Welsh).
Skillseekers Training Scheme
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he plans to have with the Glasgow development agency on the operation of the skillseekers training scheme.
Mr. Stewart: My right hon. Friend has no plans for such discussions. In Scotland the operation of Skillseekers is the responsibility of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise and its networks of local enterprise companies, which include the Glasgow Development Agency.
Economic Deprivation (Ill Health)
Mrs. Liddell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met Lanarkshire health board to discuss ill health as a result of economic deprivation.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: My right hon. Friend and my noble and learned Friend the Minister of State regularly meet representatives from all health boards to
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discuss health issues. There are no immediate plans for further meetings at present.Hawick Cottage Hospital
Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next expects to meet the chairman of the Borders health board in order to discuss the need for a custom built replacement for Hawick cottage hospital; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: My noble and learned Friend, the Minister of State meets chairmen of health boards regularly to discuss a wide range of strategic issues affecting the management of the NHS in Scotland. I understand that Borders health board is appraising options for the future provision of community hospital services in Hawick and that these considerations are at a preliminary stage.
Youth Unemployment, Glasgow
Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures he is taking to combat youth unemployment in south-west Glasgow.
Mr. Stewart: The Government's economic policies are designed to create a climate in which all employers, including those in Glasgow, can maintain existing jobs and create new ones. The Skillseekers programme, operational in Glasgow since April this year, gives young people the opportunity to receive high-quality training, often while in employment, in the occupational area of their choice, and our youth training guarantee ensures that all young people under 18 who are not in full-time education or employment will receive the offer of a training place, with the prospect of gaining a qualification and thus an improved chance of securing employment.
Local Government Reorganisation
Mr. Ingram: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next expects to meet the chairman of the Local Government Staff Commission to discuss the arrangements for staff transfers to the new authorities.
Mr. Stewart: I met the Chairman and Secretary of the Local Government Staff Commission (Scotland) on Friday 18 November.
Scottish Homes
Mr. Darling: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he proposes to meet the board of Scottish Homes to discuss its spending programme in 1995 96; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: My right hon. Friend and I meet the board from time to time to discuss a range of issues, the last occasion being on 7 November 1994. I shall consider Scottish Homes' proposed programme for 1995 96 around the end of February next year.
Growth Rate
Lady Olga Maitland: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from Scottish industry about the rate of growth.
Mr. Stewart: My right hon. Friend and I are in continual contact with representatives of Scottish industry,
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in order that we remain fully aware of their interests and concerns.The average projection of the independent forecasters monitored by the Scottish Office industry department is for gross domestic product to grow by between 2.5 and 3 per cent. in both 1994 and 1995. This is a steady and sustainable rate of economic expansion.
Unemployment
Mr. McKelvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people have been out of work for more than one year; and what steps he has taken to reduce the number.
Mr. Stewart: Latest figures as at October 1994 show that 75,752 people in Scotland have been out of work for more than one year. This figure is 7.9 per cent. of the relative United Kingdom figure and is a reduction of 9.1 per cent. over the October 1993 figure. The Government have introduced a comprehensive range of measures aimed at reducing long- term unemployment through the Employment Service and through Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the local enterprise companies and we have created the right conditions for growth in employment through tight control over inflation and harmonisation of business rates.
House Building
Mr. Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many houses have been built for rent by (a) Renfrew district council and (b) Inverclyde district council in the last two years.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Information on tenders accepted, houses started, under construction and completed in each local authority area is available in the quarterly housing series of Scottish Office statistical bulletins, copies of which are in the Library.
Labour Statistics
Mr. John Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the change in the number of unemployed since December 1992.
Mr. Stewart: Between December 1992 and October 1994, the seasonally adjusted level of unemployment in Scotland fell by 28,700.
Grant Assistance
Mr. Butcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the compliance of the second application of assistance from Bell Woven Brakel to set up a woven label factory in Dunoon with his Department's criteria for such grant assistance; and if, as part of this application, he will examine the potential impact of the grant on existing woven name tape manufacturers in the United Kingdom.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Bell Woven Brakel received financial assistance from Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the Government's economic development agency for the highlands and islands. Consideration of individual assistance cases is a matter for the enterprise body and I have asked the chairman to provide my hon. Friend with the information requested.
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M74
Mr. David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects work (a) to commence and (b) to be completed on the M74 between Fullarton and the south side of the Kingston bridge at the M8; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The question of any extension to the M74 in Glasgow is at present a matter for Strathclyde regional council. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State recently issued a consultation document on proposals for trunking certain routes, including the proposed M74 within Glasgow, but no decisions have yet been taken.
Departmental Travel Contracts
Mr. David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which airline has won the contract to transport Scottish Office staff travelling to Europe on official business; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang: My Department does not have contracts with particular carriers to transport staff on routes between the United Kingdom and Europe. It is a member of a consortium of Government Departments which, following an open tendering exercise with all the carriers on a number of heavily used routes, has awarded preferred-carrier status to Sabena for travel to Brussels and Air France for Paris. There are no arrangements for other European destinations. Bookings are made taking account of price and airline schedules. These arrangements will be reviewed at 31 March 1995.
Ministerial Speeches
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what occasions since 1979 civil servants in his Department have been asked to draft speeches of a constituency nature for use in a Minister's own constituency.
Mr. Lang: None. Civil servants may provide briefing of a factual nature for Ministers on matters relating to their own Departments. In addition, Ministers in preparing for a constituency speech can draw on material produced by their Department during the normal course of business.
NHS Spending
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the level of spending per head of population on NHS provision in each Scottish health district.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The latest available information is set out in the table:
Health Board Area |NHS Expenditure Per
|Head of Population
|1993-94
|£
--------------------------------------------------------------
Argyll and Clyde |753
Ayrshire and Arran |729
Borders |770
Dumfries and Galloway |754
Fife |675
Forth Valley |719
Grampian |736
Greater Glasgow |886
Highland |773
Lanarkshire |642
Lothian |766
Orkney |868
Shetland |885
Tayside |840
Western Isles |1,084
|--------
Total health boards |767
Forestry Commission
Sir Thomas Arnold: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his current policy towards the Forestry Commission.
Mr. Lang: The Forestry Commission will continue as the Government Department that advises on and implements our forestry policy.
Medical Complaints
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many medical complaints were heard in Scotland in each of the past five years; and in what percentage of cases complaints of patients were upheld.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 5 December 1994]: This information is not available for the full period requested. Information about complaints since January 1993 is now published in a series of quarterly NHS complaints bulletins, copies of which are held in the Library of the House.
A global figure in respect of primary care service committee complaints in 1993 94 is provided in the most recent bulletin for the quarter ending 31 March 1994. The number of complaints made specifically against general medical practitioners was 141 of whom 13.5 per cent. were found to be wholly or partially in breach of their terms and conditions of service.
Community Care
Ms Rachel Squire: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to require a set proportion of local authority expenditure on community care to be spent in the voluntary and private sectors; what considerations underlie those plans; and what consultation will take place before their implementation.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 5 December 1994]: The Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 has provided the Secretary of State with the power to direct authorities on the use of the considerable resources provided to them for community care. Where the use of these resources by an authority is judged to be inconsistent with Government policy and against the best interests of its clients, this new power will prove useful. Any authority in this position will generally have been in discussion with The Scottish Office prior to a decision to use the power.
Grant-maintained Schools
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to ensure that the same standards of financial and managerial control that do not apply to local
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education authority schools will be required for grant-maintained schools.Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 5 December 1994]: A self-governing school in Scotland is subject to a range of provisions to ensure that the highest possible standards of financial and managerial control apply. In addition to inspection by Her Majesty's inspectors of schools, these provisions include: a scheme of Government prescribing such a school's articles of constitution and articles of management; the Self- Governing Schools (Application and Amendment of Regulations) (Scotland) Regulations 1994; the Self-Governing Schools (Change in Characteristics) (Scotland) Regulations 1994; the Self-Governing Schools Grant and Recovery (Scotland) Regulations 1994; and detailed financial management procedures and audit arrangements set out in a financial memorandum and other requirements and other guidance.
NATIONAL HERITAGE
Spitfire
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what action he is taking to preserve the Battle of Britain Flight Supermarine P.R. XIX Spitfire; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence is responsible for the operation of the Battle of Britain Flight. However, under the export control system, an export licence will be required from my Department if an owner wishes to export the aircraft, if it was manufactured or produced 50 years before the date of exportation and if it is valued at or above £39,600. In such a case there would be an opportunity for an objection to the export to be raised on the grounds that the Spitfire was of national importance under the Waverley criteria and for a decision on the export licence application to be deferred to enable a compensating offer to purchase to be made to retain the Spitfire.
Turner Bequest
Mr. Booth: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many of the finished pictures in the Turner bequest are now on public view in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Dorrell: The Turner bequest of 1856 makes provision for the display of approximately 100 unspecified paintings in his possession at the time of his death. The bequest currently comprises around 30, 000 items, as it now includes unfinished work and sketches. The bequest is under the supervision of the trustees of the national gallery and of the Tate gallery, which administer, The Clore gallery.
The national gallery has nine Turner paintings on display, its entire collection. The Clore gallery currently displays 160 oil paintings on its main floor, most of which are finished, and another 53 items in the reserve gallery, including studies and finished work. Other work is shown in rotation at the Clore. The Clore displays all finished works in its possession except for items on which conservation work is needed.
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Tourism
Mr. Barry Field: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list those initiatives taken on behalf of domestic tourism in the last 12 months.
Mr. Dorrell: Information on initiatives undertaken by the English Tourist Board is published in the ETB's annual report, which may be obtained from the Library of the House. In addition to providing grant-in- aid to the ETB, my Department has undertaken a number of activities in support of the domestic tourism sector. These include pursuing with other Government Departments many issues of concern to the tourism industry; helping to encourage and publicise a wide range of events to mark the 50th anniversary of D-day; and working, with the ETB and the British tourist authority, on a tourism strategy which will identify priorities for action by my Department and the tourist boards.
Mr. Pendry: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will publish details of the remit given to McKinsey and Co. Inc., with regard to its present study on behalf of his Department, the British Tourist Authority and the English tourist board; what was the value of his Department's contribution to that study; and what is the likely completion date of the study and the number and identity of the other firms bidding for the contract to complete the study.
Mr. Dorrell: McKinsey and Co. Inc., was engaged to assist on work which my Department is undertaking with the British Tourist Authority and the English tourist board to identify opportunities for growth and constraints on performance and areas where Government intervention can assist, in the tourism industry. KPMG Peat Marwick and Touche Ross also bid for the contract.
The first phase of this work, for which my Department contributed £35,000, is now complete. McKinsey is now developing certain parts of the original analysis. My Department has committed £15,000 to this work which should be completed by the early part of next year.
Mr. Pendry: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what was the value of the expenses claimed by KPMG for its work on behalf of the British Tourist Authority and the English tourist board into information needs and IT strategy.
Mr. Dorrell: The total expenses claimed by KMPG Peat Marwick from the British Tourist Authority and the English tourist board for its study were £2,652.06.
Mr. Pendry: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what was the value of the expenses claimed by McKinsey and Co. Inc., and incurred during its work for the British Tourist Authority entitled, "Meeting the Challenge".
Mr. Dorrell: The total expenses claimed by McKinsey and Co. from the British Tourist Authority were £3,591.
Civil Servants
Mr. Pendry: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many civil servants are employed in the sport and recreation department of his Department; if he will list at what grade, at what salary and at what location they are employed; and for each of those civil servants seconded from other Departments, what was the Department from which they were seconded and the length of their secondment.
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Mr. Sproat: The Department's sport and recreation division, which is located at Cockspur street, is currently 21 strong and staffed as in the following table. The salaries of individual members of the division are, in every case, within the minimum to maximum band for the grade, as shown.
Grade |Number in post|Salary minimum|Salary maximum -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grade 5 |1 |38,341 |56,953 Grade 7 |3 |25,837 |40,012 HEO |5 |16,000 |21,059 EO |6 |11,673 |16,835 AO |3 |9,393 |12,450 AA |1 |7,412 |10,513 Personal Secretary |1 |9,937 |12,880 Typist |1 |7,755 |10,513 In addition, all of the listed staff receive Inner London Weighting of £1,776 ( on a "reserve rights" basis). Six members of staff have been seconded from the Department of the Environment, 5 since April 1992 who will be returning by March 1995 and 1 since June 1994 who is on a two-year secondment.
Television Licences
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many representations he has received on the subject of increasing the discount for purchase of television licenses by partially sighted people in the last year; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell: In the year to 30 November 1994, I have received three letters on this subject. As I explained in my reply to the hon. Member's question of 28 June this year, Official Report, columns 470 71, registered partially sighted people are not entitled to a reduction in their television licence fee on account of being partially sighted.
Sport for the 21st Century"
Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what timetable he proposes for the implementation of "Sport for the 21st Century"; who will be consulted; what procedures will be used for the consultation process; what representations have been received from the North-West Federation for Sport, Recreation and Conservation; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sproat: The extent of consultation on the Government's proposals for restructuring the Sports Council was set out in my statement to the House on 8 July, Official Report, columns 584 92. I am currently considering a wide range of responses, including written representations from the North-West Federation for Sport, Recreation and Conservation. I have subsequently asked the GB Sports Council to provide me with its view of how its current functions and staffing might be re-aligned to take account of the Government's proposals. I shall then take final decisions on policy and the timing of implementation.
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Library Services
Mr. Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when he intends to publish the review of public library services.
Mr. Sproat: I hope to receive the final report from the review consultants early in the New Year. I will make a further statement on publication in due course.
Broadcasting
Sir Anthony Durant: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) what is his policy regarding the European Audiovisual Green Paper's suggestion of tightening the enforcement rules on the level of European programme content in broadcast television; (2) what is his policy towards the continuance of the quotas on the levels of European programmes set out in article 4 of the broadcasting directive; and when the directive is to be reviewed.
Mr. Dorrell: In the Government's view, the flexibility in applying the European programme content requirements afforded by the present wording of the EC broadcasting directive must be retained to avoid risking damage to the growth and development of the sector. We would not favour any proposal to remove this flexibility. We expect the European Commission's conclusions, following the review of the directive which it has conducted, to be published before the end of the year.
Sir Anthony Durant: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what assessment he has made of the compliance with existing GATT rules of article 4 of the European broadcasting directive.
Mr. Dorrell: As we said in our response to the European Commission's Green Paper on European Union audiovisual policy, we would oppose any steps which would undermine the existing flexibility and relative openness to competition from outside the Union. We noted that even the existing provisions of article 4 of the directive carried the risk of successful challenge by our trading partners under the existing GATT rules.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Sheep Lice
Dr. Strang: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to what insecticides sheep lice have developed resistance in other countries;; what resistance in sheep lice to insecticides has been suspected or detected in the United Kingdom; what percentage of sheep flocks in the United Kingdom are currently affected by sheep lice infestations; and what assessment he has made of the rate of spread of sheep lice infestation.
Mr. Waldegrave: In Australia, the chewing louse of sheep-- Bovicola Damalinia ovis --has been shown to be resistant to the synthetic pyrethroid cypermethrin, both by laboratory bioassay and under field conditions.
Monitoring for insecticide resistance within United Kingdom populations of sheep ectoparasites--including the sheep chewing louse--has been undertaken for the past three years, under a Government-funded research project. There is no evidence to suggest that chewing lice are resistant to any licensed synthetic pyrethroid or ornaophosphorus formulation applied to sheep in the
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United Kingdom. Suspected resistance to organochlorine insecticides, which are no longer used, was reported in sheep lice in Cumbria in 1965.In the United Kingdom, the compulsory national dipping of sheep in organochlorine, organophosphate or synthetic pyrethroid plunge dip formulations between 1974 and 1992 for scab control, dramatically reduced the prevalence of B. ovis . During this period, a total of 24 incidences of infestation were recorded. These were located on Bodmin moor, Dartmoor, the North Yorkshire moors, the Peak district, the Lake district, the Pennine regions of Cumbria and County Durham, Mid Glamorgan and the Scottish islands. No assessment has been made of the incidence of sheep lice infestation since 1992.
Goat Lice
Dr. Strang: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what approved products are available for treating lice on goats; and what approved products are available for treating lice on goats in the event of the ineffectivity of pyrethroid products.
Mr. Waldegrave: Two veterinary medicines are licensed for the treatment of lice on goats--Cypor and Parosol Pour-on. Both are pyrethroid products. Any evidence of lack of efficacy of these products, or any other veterinary medicines, should be reported as suspected adverse reactions to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. In the absence of any other products specifically licensed for the treatment of lice on goats, the advice of a veterinary surgeon should be sought on what alternative products may be appropriate for use in the particular circumstances.
Drug Registration
Dr. Strang: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans (a) the United Kingdom Government and (b) the European Union have to introduce a system for the registration of drugs for use in minor species.
Mr. Waldegrave: Both EC and national law already provide for a system of registration of drugs for all animal species. The requirements for an application for an individual authorisation will reflect the target species and the use to which the drug is likely to be put.
Warble Fly
Dr. Strang: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his policy in respect of the eradication of warble fly in the United Kingdom; what is his estimate of the number of years by which the eradication of warble fly was set back by the introduction of warbled cattle from France; and what is his estimate of the extra cost incurred to public funds in 1993 by the import of warbled cattle.
Mr. Waldegrave: The Government are committed to maintain the United Kingdom's warble free status. Warble fly was eradicated from the United Kingdom in 1992 but was reintroduced in imported cattle during 1993. The reinfestation from imports is now well under control. Only two compulsory treatment areas have been established this autumn because of warble fly outbreaks and within these areas only five premises remain under movement restrictions pending confirmation of appropriate treatment.
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The state veterinary service has provided for increased checks on imported animals, for a number of diseases, within existing manpower levels by adjusting priorities. It is not possible to cost out separately resources expended on checks for warble fly. The cost of warble fly operations within Great Britain for 1993 was approximately £237,000.Pigs
Dr. Strang: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what surveys for anthelmintic resistance in oesophagostomum have been undertaken in the United Kingdom in the nematodes of pigs; and what steps are being taken to ensure that resistant worms are not imported in pigs from Denmark.
Mr. Waldegrave: I am not aware of any surveys for anthelmintic resistance in the pig nematode, oesophagostomum, or any indications that this is a significant problem that calls for Government action. There are no EU requirements to check for resistant worms and no justification for taking special action in relation to imports from Denmark.
Dr. Strang: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has on the change in parasite burdens in pigs maintained out of doors.
Mr. Waldegrave: No data are maintained specifically on this subject. The management of parasitic problems would be carried out normally by the veterinary practitioner responsible for the herd. However, in the course of routine investigations, the veterinary investigation service has discovered the following numbers of cases of intestinal parasites in pigs since 1985. These figures do not differentiate between indoor and outdoor pigs.
1985: 21
1986: 22
1987: 16
1988: 21
1989: 13
1990: 14
1991: 7
1992: 11
1993: 7
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