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Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: My right hon. Friend has no plans for further measures to require Scottish Homes to be more accountable to its tenants.
Within its objective of contributing to improved quality in housing and its management, Scottish Homes has finalised its tenant participation policy, which was developed with the assistance of tenants. The policy encourages increasing involvement of tenants in the management of their own homes. Scottish Homes has also issued a revised tenants handbook and is establishing a panel with tenant representation to review the effectiveness of communication with tenants.
Crofting
Mr. Macdonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the annual administrative running costs of the Crofters Commission, including its share of the cost of administering the crofting agriculture scheme, the township development scheme, the various livestock schemes and the building grants and loan scheme. [26344]
Sir Hector Monro: The Crofters Commission's approved running costs budget for 1995 96, including the
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cost of administering the crofting counties agricultural grants scheme and the township development scheme, is £1.444 million. The commission has no involvement in the administration of the crofters building grants and loans scheme or the livestock improvement schemes for crofters.Mr. Macdonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the annual administrative cost of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries of (i) the crofting agricultural loan scheme, (ii) the crofting township development scheme, (iii) the crofting building grant and loan scheme (iv) the livestock improvement scheme. [26343]
Sir Hector Monro: The estimated cost to the Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department in 1994 95 of administering crofting schemes is set out in the table.
|Administrative cost
Scheme |£000
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crofting counties agricultural grants scheme |680
Crofting township development scheme |2
Crofters building grants and loans scheme |870
Livestock improvement schemes |330
Mr. Macdonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of applications under the crofting agricultural grants scheme for projects not requiring prior approval and the number of applications for comparable projects in each year since 1991 92. [26382]
Sir Hector Monro: The information requested is set out in the table.
Financial year |Number of applicants
|claiming
|grant
---------------------------------------------------------------
1991-92 |2,731
1992-93 |2,688
1993-94<1> |2,537
1994-95<2> |2,334
<1> Applications for assistance towards cost of improving
virgin hill land not accepted after 1 April 1993.
<2> Minimum level of claims increased from £100 to £500 with
effect from 15 April 1994.
Local Enterprise Companies
Mr. McFall: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made on the proposed boundary changes for local enterprise companies with particular reference to Dumbartonshire Enterprise. [26858]
Mr. Kynoch: As the hon. Member knows from my letter of 31 May, my right hon. Friend announced his decision on local enterprise company boundaries on 31 May. A copy of his statement has been placed in the Library of the House.
Primary School Closures
Mr. Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what criteria are used to decide whether to close a small primary school. [26856]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Such decisions will depend on the merits of individual proposals.
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Heart Disease
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) cases of heart disease and (b) deaths due to heart disease were recorded for each year since 1990. [27214]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The number of recorded deaths in Scotland from heart disease in the years in question were as follows:
1990: 19,798
1991: 19,598
1992: 19,336
1993: 19,922
1994: 17,922
Information on heart disease morbidity is not available. Data are however, held on hospital admissions. The information for the period requested is set out for both admissions and cases since an individual patient can be admitted more than once during the year.
Year |Hospital admissions|Cases -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1990 |68,024 |42,120 1991 |73,791 |44,156 1992 |78,718 |46,031 1993 |82,228 |48,039 1994 |<1>83,781 |n/a <1> Provisional. n/a=not available.
Offshore Oil Installations
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the consequences for fishing of the disposal by Shell of the Brent Spar in the North sea. [25822]
Sir Hector Monro: The site selected for the disposal operation is in the north-east Atlantic in an area where the water is over 2,300 m deep. This is well beyond the current limit of deep-water trawling activity and hence disposal at this location will not present a hazard to fishing.
Environmental Education
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his policy for environmental education. [28002]
Mr. Lang: The working group on environmental education chaired by Professor John Smyth reported to me in April 1993, making more than 90 recommendations for action by a wide range of organisations in Scotland. The report set out a strategy for taking forward environmental education in Scotland over the next 10 years. Public consultation following the report overwhelmingly endorsed the proposals made.
One of the central recommendations was that there should be a national advisory panel. I am pleased that the advisory group on sustainable development has accepted my invitation to provide that central point around which environmental education can develop in Scotland, offering advice and targets for others to take up. This is an important initiative enabling environmental education to provide a significant tool with which to achieve our primary objectives for sustainable development.
I am today publishing "A Scottish Strategy for Environmental Education" which commends "Learning for Life" to all seeking a guide as to my policy on
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environmental education. I intend to adopt it as the foundation on which developments in my policy will be based, recognising that some of the recommendations within it may not be feasible or necessarily appropriate to implement immediately. I shall expect all organisations for which I have responsibility to have regard to its advice on environmental education. I will place copies of the publication in the House Library.Charity Funds
Mr. Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he intends to lay regulations before Parliament in respect of section 12 of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1990. [27254]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 6 June 1995]: Regulations in respect of section 12 are in the course of preparation and will shortly be laid before Parliament.
Regional Selective Assistance
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the amount spent by the Scottish Office in regional selective assistance for each financial year since 1979 80. [25347]
Mr. Kynoch [holding answer 23 May 1995]: The available information relates to payments to companies with projects in Scotland. For earlier years, this is published in the Scottish Economic Bulletin , copies of which are available in the Library. Expenditure in 1994 95 amounted to £77.1 million.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Parental Leave
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what maternity and paternity entitlements are available to employees within his Department. [27293]
Mr. Horam: My right hon. Friend is responsible for the Office of Public Service and Science, its agencies, Her Majesty's Stationery Office and the Central Office of Information. Each of these departments follows the relevant chapters of the civil service management code in respect of maternity and paternity entitlements. Copies of the code are available in the House Library. Maternity arrangements are provided in conjunction with the statutory entitlements available.
TRANSPORT
Parental Leave
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what maternity and paternity entitlements are available to employees within his Department. [27278]
Mr. Norris: The main maternity benefits provided by the Department depend on the individual's length of service. Women are allowed 18 to 52 weeks' maternity leave. The first 18 weeks are paid at normal or statutory maternity pay rates as appropriate.
All have the right to return to work at the end of their maternity leave. In addition, while at work, they are
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allowed paid time off to attend any necessary medical appointments.Men are currently allowed two days' paid paternity leave. In all, the arrangements are in line with legislation and Treasury guidance.
Vehicle Testing, Hampshire
Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many officers responsible for enforcing heavy goods vehicle legislation are employed in Hampshire; [27143]
(2) how many heavy goods vehicles were inspected in roadside checks in Hampshire in each year since 1979; [27144]
(3) how many inspections of MOT testing stations were conducted in Hampshire; and how many testing stations were operating in each year since 1979; [27145]
(4) how many inspections of public service vehicles were conducted in Hampshire; and how many public service vehicles were operating in Hampshire in each year since 1979. [27146]
Mr. Norris: This information is not available in the form requested.
Rail Closures
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many lines intended for closure British Rail is currently running with only a limited service of a few trains a day which otherwise would be subject to the formal closure process; and if he will list the lines involved. [27190]
Mr. Watts: British Rail is currently operating the following limited services for which statutory closure procedures are likely to begin in the near future: Derby to Sinfin and Watford junction to Croxley Green. The Croxley Green branch is subject to a major development proposal linking it to the LT Metropolitan line Watford branch to provide through Metropolitan services to Watford junction.
Public Weighbridges
Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the average capital and net revenue cost to his Department of providing a public weighbridge. [27147]
Mr. Norris: The cost of providing a public weighbridge is £60,000 with running costs of £5,000 per annum.
Port Waste Facilities
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has to improve port waste reception facilities. [26116]
Mr. Norris: My Department is currently consulting interested bodies on a number of measures to improve port waste reception facilities, including financial mechanisms to encourage use, improved communications between the users and providers of facilities and measures to aid the enforcement of vessels which do not make appropriate use of waste reception facilities.
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many ships annually used United Kingdom port
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facilities; and how much each port charges for the use of its facilities. [26113]Mr. Norris: A total of 144,919 ships arrived at UK ports in 1993. Information on their use of port waste reception facilities is not available; nor is information on the charges levied by individual ports for the use of such facilities.
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the result of research conducted on the issues raised by the Donaldson report referred to in the press notice No. 055 of 28 February on port waste reception facilities. [26115]
Mr. Norris: The Department of Transport's research has shown that while port waste reception facilities are generally adequate to meet the UK's international commitments, there is scope for improvement in the planning and organisation of facilities. This research has formed the basis of a consultation exercise with interested parties to consider how waste reception facilities could be improved, in the light of the recommendations of the report of Lord Donaldson's inquiry.
Marine Pollution
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his Department's estimate of the amount of illegal discharges made by ships into the North sea for the last 10 years (a) including and (b) excluding accidental discharges. [26112]
Mr. Norris: The information is not available in the form requested.
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proposals the United Kingdom Government will put forward or support at the forthcoming North sea ministerial conference in relation to controlling non -accidental pollution from ships with particular reference to oil. [26114]
Mr. Norris: In addition to a number of proposals on marine pollution generally, the Government will put forward and support specific proposals on the designation of the North sea as a special area for oil discharges under annex I of the international convention on the prevention of pollution from ships 1973 78 and on the improvement of the availability and quality of port waste reception facilities for oily wastes.
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how his Department intends to police the limits of discharge by ships set by the amendments to annexe 1 of MARPOL 73/78 in 1992. [26117]
Mr. Norris: Port state control inspectors assess discharges of oil by studying oil record books and quantities of oil on board vessels. Inspectors also inspect oil pollution prevention equipment and the ability of ships' staff to use it correctly, when carrying out port state control inspections of foreign vessels and general inspections of UK vessels.
NATIONAL HERITAGE
Library Services
Mr. Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when he intends to issue his response to the KPMG/capital planning report on library services; and if the report itself will be published. [26734]
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Mr. Sproat: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that my right hon. Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Stratford on Avon (Mr. Howarth) on 16 May 1995, Official Report , columns 150 51 , referring to the KPMG contracting out study. No decision has yet been made about the handling of the study, but we expect to make a further statement in due course.
Cable Television, Thurrock
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when cable television franchises will be able to offer a service to areas in Thurrock; and if he will make a statement. [27342]
Mr. Dorrell: United Artists Communications holds the Thames estuary north cable television franchise, which includes the Thurrock area. Construction is in progress, but is a time-consuming process. I understand that the franchise holder has not yet announced a target date for providing a service in Thurrock.
Royal Palaces (Admission Charges)
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how much was raised from admission charges to Windsor castle and Buckingham palace in 1994. [26971]
Mr. Sproat: The royal collection is responsible for visitor admissions and the related income and expenditure for Buckingham palace and Windsor castle. The royal collection is a department of the royal household and is not a responsibility of my Department. However, I understand that gross income, excluding VAT, from admission charges in the year to 31 March 1995 for Windsor castle, including precincts, state apartments and St. George's chapel, was £5,309,000 and for Buckingham palace state apartments was £2,662,000, in both cases subject to audit. Audited figures and further explanation will be provided in the annual report of the royal collection trust which will be available in early July.
Parental Leave
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what maternity and paternity entitlements are available for employees within his Department. [27283]
Mr. Dorrell: The maternity and paternity entitlements available to employees of my Department are consistent with the provisions of the civil service management code, copies of which are held in the House Library. A woman who satisfies the criteria set out in chapter 5 of the code is entitled to three months and one week's paid maternity leave. She is also entitled to a period of unpaid maternity leave; the total of paid and unpaid maternity leave should not normally exceed 52 weeks. All permanent male staff in the Department are entitled to two days' paid paternity leave, as outlined in chapter 3.1 of the code. These maternity and paternity provisions will be incorporated into the departmental staff handbook in due course.
Churchill Papers
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what agreement has been reached with the Churchill family on the circumstances in which they can raise their fees for the reproduction of the documents purchased by the National Heritage Memorial Fund. [27339]
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Mr. Dorrell: No agreement has been reached with the Churchill Archive Settlement Trust on reproduction fees since these are always a matter for the individual copyright owner.
National Lottery
Mr. Dafis: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will publish, for each of the countries of the United Kingdom and for the United Kingdom as a whole, his estimate of (a) total receipts of the national lottery and (b) proceeds of the Treasury tax on the national lottery receipts. [25679]
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 6 June 1995]: The total receipts of the national lottery to date stand at £2099.2 million. The proceeds of Treasury tax on the national lottery receipts to date stand at £201 million. These figures are available only for the United Kingdom as a whole.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Metropolitan Police (Overtime)
Mr. Straw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the effect of overtime restrictions on the operation of specialist squads of the Metropolitan police, with particular reference to the drug squad and flying squad. [27189]
Mr. Maclean: I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that no special overtime restrictions have been applied to these specialist squads. However, they are, of course, required to operate within their agreed overall budget for the financial year. Action against drug- related violence, street and commercial crime and burglary are all specific objectives for the Metropolitan police and will continue to receive priority for resources within the overall budget for the force.
Parental Leave
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what maternity and paternity entitlements are available to employees within his Department. [27286]
Mr. Howard: Chapters 3.1 and 5 of the leave section of the civil service management code--a copy of which is in the Library--set out the paternity and maternity arrangements and entitlements available to staff in the Home Office. These arrangements are provided in conjunction with the statutory entitlements.
Prisoners (Home Leave)
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners from HMP Holloway and HMP Styal were granted home leave in each complete month of 1995. [26891]
Mr. Michael Forsyth: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Derek Lewis to Dr. Lynne Jones, dated 8 June 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about how many prisoners from Holloway and Styal
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prisons were granted home leave in each complete month of this year.Home leave, as such, has not occurred since 24 April when the systems of temporary absence were revised and figures for this period are not yet available. The available information is on the table below:
Prisoners granted home leave from
Holloway and Styal,
January to April 1995
|Holloway|Styal
------------------------------------
January |4 |7
February |2 |3
March |0 |4
April |1 |0
Radio Phone-in Programmes
Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is his policy towards convicted prisoners participating in radio phone-in programmes; [22770]
(2) if he will undertake an inquiry into the participation of Mr. Jeremy Bamber in a radio phone-in programme on Talk Radio UK; and if he will make a statement. [22769]
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 9 May 1995]: I do not think it appropriate for prisoners to participate in radio phone-in programmes. I share my hon. Friend's concern that Jeremy Bamber was allowed to do so. I have asked the Director General of the Prison Service to take immediate steps to change the appropriate standing order and governors will be advised that any breach by prisoners will be contrary to these regulations and will lead to disciplinary action.
I am very concerned about the inappropriate use of telephones by inmates and have asked the Prison Service to take action. New technology which will allow prisoners to access only approved telephone numbers is about to be tested and, if effective, will be introduced throughout the prison system.
EMPLOYMENT
Restart Interviews
Mr. Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many restart interviews were conducted in each year from 1988 89 to 1994 95 for Great Britain and in each standard region; and as a result of these how many claimants (a) were placed directly in a job, (b) claimed other benefits, (c) entered his Department's programmes or (d) signed off from claiming benefit. [26616]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given. Letter from A. G. Johnson to Mr. Terry Rooney, dated 6 June 1995:
The Secretary of State has asked me, in the absence of the Chief Executive, to reply to your question regarding Restart Interviews from 1988 89 to 1994 95.
I have set out the information you have requested in the attached tables. You will wish to note however, that information on people who sign off from claiming benefit for reasons other than those in the three listed categories of total Restart Interviews, job placings and programme starts, has been collected only since 1990/91 and
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covers only those cases where a direct connection between the interview and the client leaving unemployment can be demonstrated. It may be helpful if I explain the scope and purpose of the Restart Interviews which are offered at regular six monthly intervals as part of an advisory and information service aimed at helping people back into work. These interviews provide clients with the opportunity to discuss with a Client Adviser the steps they are taking to find work, how to access the employment and training opportunities that are available to them and the course of action which, if followed, will offer the best prospects of returning to work.While the primary aim of this service is to help people back into work, advisers also have a duty to make sure those claiming benefit understand and comply with the conditions under which they are paid. These conditions require people to be available to start work immediately; not to place such restrictions on the work they are
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willing to do as to leave them with no real prospects of finding a job; and to take those steps, each week, which offer the best prospects of obtaining work.As part of this process, advisers ensure that people are claiming the most appropriate benefit. If, during an interview, discussions between the client and the adviser identify that an alternative benefit is more appropriate, then the adviser will ensure a smooth transition to the correct benefit.
I should emphasise that the figures shown in the tables represent only the immediate result of Restart interviews. Many other people subsequently take up a job or a place on an employment or training programme as a result of the guidance given to them at their interview. Independent researchers who have studied the Restart Interview programme have all concluded that this indirect effect is extremely significant.
I hope this is helpful.
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|London
|Yorkshire and|East |and South |South |West |North
1988-89 |Northern |Humberside |Midlands |East |West |Wales |Midlands |West |Scotland |Total
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Restart Interviews |157,562 |211,306 |176,822 |445,594 |101,764 |118,408 |210,344 |349,122 |282,658 |2,053,580
Job Placings |408 |938 |1,183 |3,476 |480 |962 |1,198 |1,977 |1,745 |12,367
Other Benefit Starts |<2>- |<2>- |<2>- |<2>- |<2>- |<2>- |<2>- |<2>- |<2>- |<2>-
Programmes Starts<1> |23,756 |27,887 |22,093 |50,813 |11,201 |19,877 |27,074 |42,570 |45,110 |270,381
Other Sign Offs |<2>- |<2>- |<2>- |<2>- |<2>- |<2>- |<2>- |<2>- |<2>- |<2>-
<1> Jobclub, Enterprise Allowance Scheme (EAS), Restart Course, Employment Training (ET), Job Training Scheme, Community Programme, Voluntary Projects Programme.
<2> Statistics not collected.
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