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Ministerial Transport, London
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Lord President of the Council how many times in the last year he has used (a) London Underground and (b) London Transport buses while on official business.
Mr. Newton: None. However, the nature of my duties means that the overwhelming majority of my movements in London on official business are only between Whitehall and the House.
SCOTLAND
Motorway Crash Barriers
6. Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many miles of dual carriageway and motorway there are in Scotland that do not have the protection of crash barriers. [776]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: A total of 71 miles.
Munitions Dumping (South-west Scotland)
16. Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received regarding the survey he has asked the Marine Laboratory to undertake off the coast of south-west Scotland. [787]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: A number of companies with specialist expertise in underwater exploration have contacted Scottish Office scientists to offer their assistance with the marine survey of the Beaufort's dyke area.
Local Government Services
17. Mr. McMaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to meet representatives of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to discuss the funding of local government services. [788]
23. Mrs. Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to meet COSLA to discuss local government finances. [795]
Mr. Kynoch: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Paisley, South, (Mr. McMaster).
Migration
18. Mr. David Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the number of individuals who moved residence from England to Scotland in the last year. [789]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: It is estimated that 47,000 individuals moved residence from England to Scotland in 1994.
Scottish Economy
19. Dr. Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met with the chief executive of Scottish Enterprise to discuss the Scottish economy; and if he will make a statement. [790]
22 Nov 1995 : Column: 163
20. Mr. Ernie Ross:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the chairman of health boards in Scotland to discuss the national health service. [792]
21. Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the chairman of Grampian health board to discuss community hospital provision in the north-east. [793]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton:
My right hon. Friend and I meet health board chairmen regularly to discuss matters of current interest.
22. Mr. Ian Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many trees have been planted by the forestry industry in the United Kingdom within each of the past five years. [794]
Mr. Kynoch:
Over 70 million trees were planted in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years.
24. Mr. Welsh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the number of deaths, injuries, and accidents on the A92 Dundee, Arbroath to Montrose road in the current year to date; and if he will make a statement. [796]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton:
Between 1 January and 31 October 1995, the latest date for which the requested statistics are available, there were five deaths and 30 other casualties arising from 60 accidents, including 39 non-injury accidents, on the A92 between Dundee and Montrose. This stretch of the A92 is a local road and responsibility for road safety on it rests with the local roads authority, Tayside regional council.
25. Mr. Canavan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will name all Scottish Office staff who are political appointments, the nature of their responsibilities and the cost to public funds of employing them. [797]
Mr. Michael Forsyth:
I have two special advisers, Mr. Gerald Warner and Mrs. Jacqui Low. They assist me with that part of my work which is partly governmental and partly political. There is a nationally agreed salary range for special advisers; individuals are paid at a rate within that range which equates to salary in their previous employment.
26. Mrs. Ray Michie:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to increase the number of Forestry Commission woodlands to be held by local communities. [798]
Mr. Kynoch:
We are currently considering how local communities can become more involved in the management of Forestry Commission woodlands.
22 Nov 1995 : Column: 164
27. Mr. Robert G. Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the private finance in initiative in the national health service. [799]
Mr. Kynoch:
Good progress is being made with the private finance imitative. A number of major schemes are now at advanced stages in the process and are due to come to fruition within the next few months. There is confidence among those taking these schemes forward that the PFI will offer considerable benefits to the NHS.
28. Mr. Gallie:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to reduce under-age drinking in public places in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [801]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton:
Under-age drinking is a cause for concern in any context. The Health Education Board for Scotland continues to promote a range of materials aimed at educating young people about the risks of excessive or inappropriate drinking. We are also looking, together with other Government Departments, at what steps might be taken to address the problem of so-called designer alcoholic products associated with under-age drinking.
We are also concerned to reduce the problem of nuisance caused by people of any age drinking in public places and have invited local authorities to propose byelaws to address this by making it an offence to drink in designated public places. We have so far confirmed byelaws in six local authority areas. Many other authorities are in the process of preparing proposals.
29. Mr. McKelvey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to meet COSLA to discuss roads programmes. [802]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton:
My right hon. Friend has no plans at present to meet COSLA specifically to discuss roads programmes.
30. Mr. Kirkwood:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to promote job creation in the Border region; and if he will make a statement. [803]
Mr. Kynoch:
Scottish Borders Enterprise, which has a budget of £9.6 million in 1995-96, has the main responsibility for promoting economic development in the Borders. The SBE acts in co-operation with local authorities and other economic development agencies.
31. Mrs. Ewing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met representatives of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation to discuss current problems of the fishing fleet; and if he will make a statement. [804]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson:
My right hon. Friend last met representatives of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation in Luxembourg on 26 October when, together
22 Nov 1995 : Column: 165
with my hon. Friend the Minister of State at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, he represented the United Kingdom at the Council of Fisheries Ministers. The current problems facing the fishing fleet were fully discussed.
34. Mr. Hicks:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions his Department has had with MAFF concerning allegations that Scottish-based fishing vessels have been fishing illegally in the south-west mackerel box; and if he will make a statement. [808]
Mr. Robertson:
The Scottish Office maintains close contact with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on fisheries issues. The mackerel box is kept under close surveillance by the Ministry's sea fisheries inspectorate. There is no evidence of illegal fishing by Scottish vessels operating in the box.
32. Mr. Rathbone:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to support national tree week. [805]
Mr. Kynoch:
The Government support tree planting every week of the year. Last year, we provided funds for the planting of over 70 million trees.
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