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Private Finance Initiative
Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much capital expenditure is forecast to be included in the private finance initiative for the current financial year and the next five financial years. [3831]
Mr. Kynoch: I refer the hon. Member to table 6.5 of the "Financial Statement and Budget Report 1996-97", which was laid before the House on 28 November 1995.
Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for each scheme so far agreed under the private finance initiative (a) capital and (b) revenue costs to public funds (i) under the PFI and (ii) estimated to have been incurred had the scheme been funded wholly within the public sector. [3811]
Mr. Kynoch: The following table lists completed PFI projects and agreed projects within the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Scotland and their estimated capital value. The health sector projects are the responsibility of the relevant health boards and trusts and figures are not available centrally for estimated revenue costs or to allow a comparison between estimated PFI and public sector capital costs.
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Scottish Office PFI projects completed or agreed (ie contracts let).
| Project | Estimated capital value (£ million) |
|---|---|
| A--Completed | |
| Lanarkshire Health Board: 60 elderly care beds | 1.5 |
| Lanarkshire Health Board (Bellshill): care beds | 2.8 |
| Dundee Teaching Hospitals Trust: SMAC analyser equipment | 0.3 |
| Grampian Health Board (Spynie Hospital, Elgin): 25 beds | 1.1 |
| Grampian Healthcare NHS Trust (Aberdeen City Hospital): 60 beds | n/a |
| Grampian Healthcare NHS Trust beds for mentally ill: 3-18 beds | n/a |
| Greater Glasgow Health Board (Darnley) 120 care beds | 3.5 |
| Greater Glasgow Health Board (Ruchill): 120 beds | 3.8 |
| Greater Glasgow Health Board (Rutherglen): 180 beds | 5.0 |
| Greater Glasgow Health Board (Shettleston): 120 beds | 3.3 |
| Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh NHS Trust: CT and MRI scanners | 2.2 |
| Skye Bridge crossing | 23.6 |
| B--Agreed (i.e contracts let) | |
| Ayrshire and Arran Health Board: care beds | 3.8 |
| Lothian and Forth Valley Trusts: clinical waste disposal | 5.0 |
| Lothian HB: Western General Hospital Molecular Medicines Centre | 5.3 |
| Lothain Health Board: clinical genetic services | 0.8 |
| Northern Trusts: clinical waste disposal | 5.0 |
NHS Trust Executives
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what travel allowances have been paid to senior executives of (a) each NHS trust in Scotland; and (b) each health board in Scotland; in the last four financial years. [4447]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: This information is not held centrally.
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance his Department has issued to NHS trusts or health boards relating to the travel allowances which should be available to the senior executives of these bodies. [4446]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Travel allowance for senior executives of an NHS trust is a matter for the trust itself. For senior executives on national terms and conditions, travel allowance provisions of the "General Whitley Council Handbook" will apply.
Local Enterprise Companies
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) when Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise expect to introduce new disclosure arrangements for themselves and their subsidiary local enterprise companies relating to assistance offered to companies by the local enterprise companies; [4450]
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(2) how much in total the directors of Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and each local enterprise company have declared in beneficial interests for each financial year since their establishment; and what percentage this represented of the operational expenditure of each of the local enterprise company. [4449]
Mr. Kynoch: These are operational matters for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. I have asked the chairmen of both bodies to write to the hon. Member.
Water Authorities
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance he has issued to the water authorities in Scotland on the subject of conflicts of interest between their business and personal interests and their membership of the water authorities. [4454]
Mr. Kynoch: The instrument of appointment signed by members required them to notify the Secretary of State of interests which might be prejudicial to their appointment. Members are also required by the provisions of schedule 7 to the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 to disclose at a meeting of the water authority any interests which might prejudicially affect consideration of matters being dealt with by the authority to which they have been appointed.
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what tendering procedure was used by his Department in awarding the contract for drafting the property transfer orders for the new water authorities in Scotland. [4453]
Mr. Kynoch: To assist outgoing councils and the Central Scotland Water Development Board in the drafting of the transfer schemes required under section 91 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, the Scottish Office let two contracts: the first was to draw up a model transfer scheme and the second was to liaise with councils and the board on the preparation of schemes and to evaluate the content of submitted schemes.
Both contracts were let by competitive tender. For the first, six firms were invited to tender from which the Babtie Group was chosen. For the second contract expressions of interest, were sought by advertisement in the Official Journal of the European Communities. Thereafter, 13 firms were invited to tender and the contract was awarded to the Babtie Group.
Mr. Donohoe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements he is proposing in respect of payments of water rates by the new unitary councils to the new water authorities in Scotland; what procedures he will put in place to resolve disputes between the water authorities and the unitary councils over the levels of payments; and what plan he has to allow unitary councils to be billed by the water authorities in advance for water rates. [4443]
Mr. Kynoch:
My right hon. Friend will require the unitary councils to bill and collect unmeasured domestic water and sewerage charges on behalf of the new water and sewerage authorities in 1996-97. A copy of the consultation paper setting out our proposals is available in the Library of the House. The consultation period ends
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on 31 December. The billing and collection of other water and sewerage charges is a matter for the new water and sewerage authorities.
Mr. Donohoe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what personal interests have been declared by members of the new water authorities; and what procedures there are for public scrutiny of these interests. [4455]
Mr. Kynoch:
No member of a water authority has declared any interest within the terms of schedule 7 to the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994. Each of the new water authorities is presently considering the issue of public scrutiny of any declarations of interests. The West of Scotland Water Authority has agreed interim standing orders which provide for the public inspection for a register of members' interests.
Mr. Donohoe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations his Department has made to Railtrack in respect of its recent decision on the deployment of emergency response trains on the rail network; and if his Department was consulted on this matter. [4441]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton:
The deployment of emergency units is entirely a matter for Railtrack and there is no requirement to consult the Scottish Office.
Education Funding
Mr. Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will give the amount in cash terms by which (a) the funding from her Department changed per pupil in Derbyshire between 1994-95 and 1995-96 and (b) the funding allocated by Derbyshire county council to each school changed, per pupil, over the same period. [2216]
Mr. Robin Squire: The standard spending assessment for Derbyshire increased by £11 or 0.6 per cent., per primary pupil and decreased by £101 or 4.2 per cent., per secondary pupil between 1994-95 and 1995-96. In percentage terms, this is broadly in line with national figures.
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