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Mr. Peter MackaySecretary, Scottish Office Industry Department.
Mr. Steve Robson
Director (Finance, Regulations and Industry), HM Treasury. Mr. David Rowlands
Principal Finance Officer, Department of Transport.
Mr. Philip Fletcher
Deputy Secretary (Housing and Urban), Department of the Environment.
No expenses or other remuneration have been offered to panel members for their duties in connection with the panel.
There is no set frequency for meetings of the panel, but there have been three meetings in the last six months.
Revenue Adjudicator
Mr. Gareth Wardell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases have been referred to the revenue adjudicator as complaints arising out of the taxpayers charter; in how many cases the revenue adjudicator has upheld the complaint; what has been the total compensation awarded by the revenue adjudicator following complaints; and what actions have been taken by the adjudicator to monitor and improve the performance of the office in which complaints have been upheld.
Sir George Young: The adjudicator has received 3,794 complaints since her office opened on 1 May 1993. She has taken up 717 of these for full investigation. Of the 359 cases she has settled, she has found wholly or partly in favour of the complainant in 195 cases. She has recommended that the Inland Revenue pay compensation in 90 of these. The total compensation recommended was £37,181. The Inland Revenue has accepted all these recommendations. The adjudicator meets senior Inland Revenue managers on a regular basis to discuss her recommendations and views.
It is for Inland Revenue managers to decide what actions need to be taken to improve performance in any particular area in the light of adjudicator's recommendations and views. The Revenue has assured me that it does attach great importance to improving performance where they have been at fault.
The 3,077 cases which the adjudicator did not take up for full investigation were mainly ones where the complainant had not first tried to sort out the complaint through the Inland Revenue's own complaints system. In these cases, the adjudicator put the complainant in touch with the right person in the Inland Revenue, and where necessary helped the complainant clarify the terms of the complaint.
Scotch Whisky
Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the total receipts which have accrued to the Exchequer in each of the last five years from sales of Scotch whisky (a) abroad and (b) in the domestic market.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: Firm data on duty receipts are available only for total spirits. Estimates can be made for all home-produced whisky and these are as follows:
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-
Estimated duty and
consequential VAT on
whisky/whiskey
|£ million
------------------------------
1989-90 |748
1990-91 |835
1991-92 |856
1992-93 |814
1993-94 |847
Duty and VAT are not charged on sales of Scotch whisky abroad.
Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of expected receipts to the Exchequer from sales of Scotch whisky (a) abroad and (b) in the domestic market for the financial year 1994 95.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: Firm data on duty receipts are available only for total spirits. The current spirits forecast for the financial year 1994 95 is £1.7 billion, this cannot be broken down to Scotch whisky.
The Exchequer receives no income from sales of Scotch whisky abroad.
Credit Unions
Dr. Godman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has to modify the legislation and regulations governing (a) the management of credit unions, (b) their accountability to members and (c) the amounts of money loaned to members; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nelson: The Government announced two proposals on credit unions in January 1994. One extends categories of membership; the other increases the limit on the size of individual shareholdings and loans. A consultation document will be issued on these and other related measures. Subject to the response, the intention is to implement them through an order under section 1 of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994.
Power Generators (Share Sales)
Mr. Wilson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the costs incurred so far on the proposed sale of Her Majesty's Government shares in National Power and PowerGen; and if he will estimate future costs associated with this sale.
Sir George Young: The costs of the National Power and PowerGen share offer will be reported to Parliament after the sale has been completed. Sales proceeds will be appropriated-in-aid of the expenses of the sale. Because a large proportion of the costs are dependent upon the strike prices obtained for the shares in the international offers, it would be potentially misleading to the House for me to estimate the total costs for this sale at this point.
Mr. Wilson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the solicitors, banks, brokers, advertising agencies and public relations companies appointed to advise on the sale of Her Majesty's Government shares in National Power and PowerGen, with a statement of fees incurred so far in each case.
Sir George Young: The table shows, in the order of their appointment, the appointments of solicitors, banks, brokers, advertising agencies and PR companies made by HM Government for the National Power and PowerGen share offer. Fees paid to firms as part of the privatisation programme are treated as commercially confidential.
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The National Audit Office expects to examine the sale in due course. If it does so and a report is published by the Comptroller and Auditor General, the total fees paid to advisers will be quantified.
National Power and PowerGen share offer-solicitors, banks,
brokers, advertising agencies and public relations companies
appointed
Month of
appointment |Company |Role(s)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 1994 |Barclays de Zoete |Financial Adviser
| Wedd<1>
|Kleinwort Benson<1> |Global co-ordinator
|Global lead manager
March 1994 |Slaughter and May<2> |Legal advisers
April 1994 |Dewe Rogerson |PR/Marketing adviser
May 1994 |Davis, Polk and |US legal advisers
| Wardwell<2>
July 1994 |WCRS<3> |Advertising agency
July 1994 |Lloyds Bank |Lead receiving bank
July 1994 |Royal Bank |Receiving bank
| of Scotland
November 1994 |Lloyds Bank |Interim registrar
| (National Power)
November 1994 |Royal Bank of |Interim registrar
| Scotland |(PowerGen)
December 1994 |Tsunematsu Yanase |Japanese legal advisers
| and Sakine<2>
December 1994 |Stikeman, Elliott<2> |Canadian legal
| advisers
December 1994 |Barclays de Zoete |International manager
| Wedd
December 1994 |Kleinwort Benson |International manager
December 1994 |Cazenove |International manager
December 1994 |Paribas |International manager
December 1994 |UBS |International manager
December 1994 |SG Warburg |International manager
December 1994 |Goldman Sachs |North American
| manager
December 1994 |Merrill Lynch |North American
| manager
December 1994 |JP Morgan | North American
| manager
December 1994 |NatWest Markets |North American
| manager
December 1994 |RBC Dominion |North American
| manager
December 1994 |Argentaria |Rest of World
| manager
December 1994 |Robert Fleming |Rest of World
| manager
December 1994 |Lehman Brothers |Rest of World
| manager
December 1994 |Mediobanca |Rest of World
| manager
December 1994 |Nikko |Rest of World
| manager
December 1994 |West LB |Rest of World
| manager
January 1995 |Bank of New York |Interim depositary
Notes:<1>
Firms act jointly
<2> Appointed by the Treasury Solicitor
<3> Appointed by the Central Office of Information
International Terminal, Ebbsfleet
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he, other Ministers or former Ministers or officials in his Department discussed matters relating to the international terminal at Ebbsfleet with representatives of Decision Makers at any function at No. 11 Downing street in June or July 1993.
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Mr. Nelson [holding answer 23 January 1995]: There is no record of any function at No 11 Downing street in June or July 1993 at which representatives of Decision Makers were present.
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when Ministers in his Department formally or informally met Mr. Mark Pennington and discussed Ebbsfleet.
Mr. Nelson [holding answer 23 January 1995]: According to Treasury records, no Treasury Ministers have met Mr. Mark Pennington and discussed Ebbsfleet.
Special Advisers
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the severance payments made to special advisers in each of the last five years indicating (a) the amount and (b) the date.
Mr. Nelson [holding answer 1 February 1995]: The severance payments for which special advisers are eligible are related to their salaries. The salaries of advisers are negotiated individually in relation to their previous earnings and are confidential. The total severance payments made to special advisers in each of the last five years year are summarised in the table.
Year |£ ------------------------ 1990 |105,771 1991 |28,078 1992 |188,803 1993 |34,446 1994 |56,131
Tax Loopholes
Mr. Darling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the loss of revenue to the Exchequer resulting from exploitation of the capital gains tax loophole identified in clause 43 of the Finance Bill 1995; and; how much revenue annually he estimates would accrue following its closure.
Sir George Young [holding answer 3 February 1995]: The known level of avoidance up to the closure of the loophole identified in clause 43 of the Finance Bill 1995 was low and the revenue loss is estimated to be negligible. However if not closed, this loophole would result in the loss of a significant amount of tax as the level of avoidance is expected to escalate once the loophole becomes well known. This loss could amount to many tens of millions of pounds.
SCOTLAND
Council Housing
Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people are on waiting lists for council houses in (a) Inverclyde, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole; and what steps he is taking to provide public housing for such persons.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Reliable information on waiting list applicants is not held centrally. Substantial
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resources have been made available to local authorities to enable them to meet housing needs in their areas. In addition, Scottish Homes, through its development programme, supports the provision of new and improved houses by housing associations, housing co- operatives and private sector developers across Scotland.Psychiatric Beds
Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many acute psychiatric beds are needed in (a) Inverclyde, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole to achieve an average bed occupancy of 85 per cent.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: It is for health boards to determine levels of bed provision for their population based on consideration of local assessments of need.
The information requested is shown in the following table:
NHSiS-Psychiatric beds<1>; by area; year ending
30 September 1994
Actual Estimated
|Average available |
|staffed
|staffed beds |occupancy |cent. occupancy<4>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scotland |14,399 |88.8 |15,043
Strathclyde<2> |6,228 |90.3 |6,613
Inverclyde<3> |268 |87.9 |277
<1> Comprises mental illness, psychogeriatrics, child psychiatry, adolescent psychiatry, mental
handicap.
<2> Comprises hospitals in Argyll and Clyde, Ayrshire and Arran, Greater Glasgow, Lanarkshire health
board areas.
<3> Comprises Inverclyde royal hospital and Ravenscraig hospital.
<4> Assuming the number of patients on average is the same as in the year ending 30 September 1994.
Source:
Information Services Division
Private Patients
Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the income generated by the treatment and care of private patients in each trust hospital in 1993 94.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The information requested is provided in the following table:
NHS Trust |£000 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Aberdeen Royal Hospitals |504 Ayrshire and Arran Community Healthcare |0 Caithness and Sutherland |1 Dundee Teaching Hospitals |45 Grampian Healthcare |37 Monklands and Bellshill Hospitals |0 Moray Health Services |26 North Ayrshire and Arran |46 Raigmore Hospital |114 Royal Alexandra Hospital |2 Royal Scottish National Hospital and Community |0 South Ayrshire Hospitals |69 Southern General Hospital |417 Stirling Royal Infirmary |33 Victoria Infirmary |17 West Lothian |29 Yorkhill |49
NHS Trusts
Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what surplus or loss has been accumulated by each NHS trust.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The surplus or loss accumulated by each trust to December 1994 is detailed in the table:
Accumulated surplus/loss of each NHS trust to December 1994
Name of NHS Trust |£000
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aberdeen Royal Hospitals |211
Angus |798
Ayrshire and Arran Community Healthcare |1,903
Caithness and Sutherland |560
Central Scotland Healthcare |104
Dumfries and Galloway Acute and Maternity Hospitals |1,520
Dundee Healthcare |908
Dundee Teaching Hospitals |3,403
East and Midlothian |1,304
Edinburgh Healthcare |2,156
Edinburgh Sick Children's |-43
Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary |1,645
Fife Healthcare |2,294
Glasgow Royal Infirmary University |3,419
Grampian Healthcare |7,499
Greater Glasgow Community and Mental Health Services |835
Hairmyres and Stonehouse |879
Highland Communities |669
Inverclyde Royal Hospital |1,785
Kirkcaldy Acute |447
Law Hospital |756
Monklands and Bellshill |1,994
Moray Health Services |441
North Ayrshire and Arran |4,634
Perth and Kinross Healthcare |1,574
Queen Margaret Hospital |1,270
Raigmore Hospital |3,001
Renfrewshire Healthcare |2,903
Royal Alexandra Hospital |1,674
Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh |2,840
South Ayshire Hospitals |426
Southern General Hospital |3,351
Stirling Royal Infirmary |1,455
Stobhill |2,481
Victoria Infirmary |-4,021
West Lothian |3,658
Western General Hospitals, Edinburgh |864
West Glasgow Hospitals University |1,602
Yorkhill |1,159
Total |64,358
Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total amount of accumulated assets of NHS trusts.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The net assets of each NHS trust as at 31 December 1994 are detailed in the table:
Net assets of NHS trusts as at December 1994
Name of NHS trust |£000
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aberdeen Royal Hospitals |136,383
Angus |45,595
Ayrshire and Arran Community Healthcare |55,902
Caithness and Sutherland |17,059
Central Scotland Healthcare |97,682
Dumfries and Galloway Acute and Maternity Hospitals |29,600
Dundee Healthcare |56,971
Dundee Teaching Hospitals |127,995
East and Midlothian |62,688
Edinburgh Healthcare |116,675
Edinburgh Sick Children's |13,949
Falkirk and District Royal University |41,232
Fife Healthcare |69,557
Glasgow Royal Infirmary University |141,467
Grampian Healthcare |189,569
Greater Glasgow Community and Mental Health Services |138,752
Hairmyres and Stonehouse |50,813
Highland Communities |64,378
Inverclyde Royal Hospital |33,729
Kirkcaldy Acute |37,428
Law Hospital |34,118
Monklands and Bellshill |44,213
Moray Health Services |35,506
North Ayrshire and Arran |85,196
Perth and Kinross Healthcare |76,949
Queen Margaret Hospital |69,867
Raigmore Hospital |55,353
Renfrewshire Healthcare |72,021
Royal Alexandra Hospital |63,127
Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh |152,852
South Ayrshire Hospitals |50,789
Southern General Hospital |65,893
Stirling Royal Infirmary |46,165
Stobhill |66,434
Victoria Infirmary |43,869
West Lothian |95,528
Western General Hospital, Edinburgh |82,660
West Glasgow Hospitals University |101,757
Yorkhill |47,134
Total |2,816,885
It should be noted that some of these figures are subject to final agreement of opening balances with health boards.
Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will state, in respect of the appointments of NHS trusts in (a) Strathclyde and (b) Scotland as a whole the salaries awarded, the terms of office and the number of hours such appointees are expected to work each working week;
(2) what time commitment is expected of (a) NHS trust chairman and (b) NHS trust non-executive directors.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Non-executives of NHS trust boards throughout Scotland are appointed for terms of up to four years. Chairmen are remunerated at one of three different rates--£15,125, £17,145 and £19,285 per annum--according to the size of the trust's budget. Non-executive directors other than chairmen receive £5,000 per annum. Trust chairmen are expected to commit two to three days per week to trust work and non-executive directors about three days per month, but many exceed those levels.
Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what hospital and related trusts have negotiated their own terms and conditions of employment, including pay, in (a) Strathclyde and (b) Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: No hospital or trust in Scotland has yet introduced its own pay and terms and conditions of service for all its staff.
Almost half of the 39 trusts in Scotland have departed to varying extents from the centrally negotiated terms and conditions of service for some groups of their staff.
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Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy to require NHS trusts (a) to hold meetings in public and (b) to publish minutes of all such meetings; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: NHS trusts are already required to hold one public meeting each year at which their audited accounts and annual report are presented. It is a matter for trust boards to decide whether to hold more meetings in public.
Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the level of co-operation among hospital and related trusts in the provision of services in (a) Strathclyde and (b) the rest of Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: None. The provision of services is a matter between the health boards and the NHS trusts. Providers will contract with the health board to deliver the best quality of care for the patients in the most effective, efficient and economical arrangement appropriate.
Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many NHS trusts have confidentiality clauses in their contracts.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Details of a contract of employment are matters for the employer and the member of staff concerned.
Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the NHS trusts in (a) Strathclyde and (b) Scotland as a whole which have entered into formal agreements with Norwich Union Healthcare; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: None of the NHS trusts in Scotland have entered into formal agreements with Norwich Union Healthcare. Any advertising material which claims such agreements is inaccurate.
Long-stay Mental Hospitals
Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many long -stay mental hospitals have been granted trust in (a) Strathclyde and (b) Scotland as a whole.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: With the exception of the State hospital, all long-stay mental hospitals in mainland Scotland enjoy the benefits of NHS trust status.
Private Medical Insurance
Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his latest estimate of the number of people with (a) private dental insurance and (b) private medical insurance in (i) Strathcylde and (ii) Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: No information is available on private health insurance.
Life Sentences
Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) men and (b) women currently serving a life prison sentence have been informed they will never be released from prison; and if he will make a statement.
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Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: My right hon. Friend has not informed any life prisoner that he or she will never be released from prison. A mandatory life prisoner may be released only on the recommendation of the Parole Board and after consultation with the judiciary. My right hon. Friend takes into account both risk to the public and criminal justice factors in deciding whether and when to refer any case to the Parole Board for its recommendation. Any recommendation made by the sentencing judge in open court as to the minimum period the prisoner should serve, including a natural life recommendation, would be a significant but not binding factor.
Violent Assaults
Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many violent assaults were inflicted upon (a) nurses, (b) doctors and (c) other members of hospital and medical centre staff in (i) Strathclyde and (ii) Scotland in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: This information is not held centrally.
Private Nursing Homes
Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) private nursing homes for the elderly and (b) residential homes for the elderly have been closed down and for what reasons in (i) Strathcylde and (ii) Scotland as a whole in each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: With regard to nursing homes, this information is not held centrally. This is a matter for individual health boards as registering authorities, which have the power under section 2 of the Nursing Homes Registration (Scotland) Act 1938, as amended, to cancel registration at any time if they consider that standards are not being maintained.
The information on the number of residential care homes is as follows:
|Registered
|Local |Private and
|Authority |Voluntary |Total
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 April 1991 to 31 March 1992
Strathclyde |0 |4 |4
Scotland |4 |18 |22
1 April 1992 to 31 March 1993
Strathclyde |2 |3 |5
Scotland |4 |6 |10
1 April 1993 to 31 March 1994
Strathclyde |9 |2 |11
Scotland |17 |7 |24
Information on the reasons for these closures is not held centrally. The data are not necessarily indicative of the quality of care provided. Most residential homes in Scotland maintain high standards of service provision.
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Credit Unions
Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many credit unions are located in (a) Strathclyde and (b) Scotland as a whole; and what is (i) the average membership and (ii) the total membership.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: While the Scottish Office provides financial support through the urban programme for some of the credit unions operating in Scotland, the Secretary of State has no overall responsibility for credit unions. I understand however, from the Association of British Credit Unions Ltd., that in June 1994 there were 79 credit unions in Scotland, of which 65 were in Strathclyde. There was a total estimated
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Scottish membership of some 51,000 at that date. No separate figure for Strathclyde is available.School Meals
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many pupils aged (a) under seven years of age (b) between seven and 11 years of age and (c) over 11 years of age, in each local authority area in Scotland, receive school meals; and what is the total number who receive free school meals.
Mr. Lang: Information on the number of pupils receiving school meals is not available for the age breakdown requested, but in respect of each school sector. Information, in respect of school meals census day in January 1994, is detailed in the following table:
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Number of pupils Number of pupils
receiving school receiving free
meals school meals
Education Authority |Nursery |Primary<1> |Secondary<2> |Special |Nursery |Primary<1> |Secondary<2> |Special
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Borders |- |3,432 |1,535 |57 |- |578 |130 |13
Central |122 |11,134 |7,857 |420 |44 |4,155 |1,312 |420
Dumfries and Galloway |- |7,540 |5,443 |17 |- |1,539 |546 |17
Fife |220 |16,767 |10,198 |459 |133 |5,642 |1,951 |339
Grampian |275 |21,810 |9,405 |604 |57 |4,174 |1,295 |111
Highland |- |8,275 |5,843 |242 |- |2,979 |1,107 |111
Lothian |802 |27,791 |13,339 |1,013 |337 |10,951 |3,200 |702
Strathclyde |1,305 |102,791 |57,141 |3,246 |686 |49,664 |19,058 |2,573
Tayside |435 |15,204 |8,885 |408 |146 |4,786 |1,392 |408
Orkney |- |1,279 |938 |15 |- |158 |47 |15
Shetland |- |1,807 |1,074 |15 |- |174 |47 |15
Western Isles |- |1,519 |1,119 |12 |- |352 |201 |12
Scotland Total |3,159 |219,349 |122,777 |6,508 |1,403 |84,970 |30,286 |4,820
<1> Includes 21 nursery and 16 special departments where data has been included in primary school figures.
<2> Includes 7 special departments where data has been included in secondary school figures.
Rules and Regulations
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the rules and regulations in his Department which have been withdrawn in the last 12 months, or which his Department plans to withdraw in the next 12 months; and what impact this will have on his Department's manpower.
Mr. Lang: Between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 1994, the Scottish Office has repealed the following regulations:
The Rabies Virus Order 1979 (No. 135).
The Control of Pollution (Licensing of Waste Disposal)(Scotland) Regulations 1977 and the Controlof Pollution (Licensing of Waste Disposal) (Scotland)(Amendment) Regulations both superseded on 1 May 1994 by the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994.
The Milk Marketing Schemes (Certification of
Revocation)(Scotland) Order 1994.
The Agricultural Marketing Act 1958 Part 1 (Certification of Cessation of Effect in Relation to Milk) Order 1994.
The Poultry Meat (Hygiene)(Scotland) Regulations 1976, as amended.
The Welfare and Livestock (Intensive Units) Regulations 1978. The Welfare of Battery Hens Regulations 1987.
The Welfare of Calves Regulations 1987.
The Welfare of Livestock Regulations 1990.
The Welfare of Pigs Regulations 1991.
The Welfare of Animals During Transport Order 1992.
As part of the deregulation initiative, the Scottish Office operates a continuing programme of review of the regulations, forms and rules for which it has responsibility, with a view to identifying areas where
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there is scope for repeal or simplification. Any proposals which arise from this process over the next 12 months will be announced as appropriate when relevant consultations are completed.Manpower implications for the Scottish Office are taken into account in the Department's central manpower plans which are published in the annual departmental report.
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