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Beaufort's Dyke

Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to receive the report of the survey by the marine laboratory of the north channel around Beaufort's dyke; what arrangements he proposes to make for the publication of the report; and if he will make a statement. [5460]

Mr. Kynoch [holding answer 12 December 1995]: The initial results of the survey will be in the new year. The report setting out the results will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Political Advisers

Mr. McAllion: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many political advisers worked for the Secretary of State for Scotland in (a) 1978, (b) 1987, (c) 1992 and (d) 1995; and what was the annual cost of these posts in each year. [6082]

14 Dec 1995 : Column: 816

Mr. Michael Forsyth: The number of special advisers employed by my Department in each of the years referred to is as follows:


Salaries for special advisers are negotiated individually in relation to previous earnings, and are confidential. They are, however, normally paid on a special advisers salary spine of 34 points ranging from £19,503 to £67,609. Appointments are non-pensionable, and the salary spine reflects this.

Gourock Ropeworks

Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Inverclyde district council, Historic Scotland, Renfrewshire Enterprise and other interested parties about the proposed demolition of Gourock Ropeworks in Port Glasgow; and if he will make a statement. [5494]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: My right hon. Friend has had no recent discussions on the matter of demolition. However, as the question relates to matters undertaken by Historic Scotland, I have asked the agency's director and chief executive, Mr. Graeme Munro, to write to the hon. Member.

Letter to Dr. Norman Godman from Graeme N. Munro, dated 14 December 1995:


Departmental Payments

Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of bills to his Department were paid in accordance with agreed contractual conditions or, where no such contractual conditions existed, within 30 days of receiving goods and services or the presentation of a valid invoice in the last year for which figures are available. [5698]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Details of the Scottish Office payment performance are as follows:

Year Percentage of payments paid early or on time
1991-9282
1992-9385
1993-9489
1994-9596


14 Dec 1995 : Column: 817

DNA Technology

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what discussions his Department has had with the chief constables of Scottish police forces concerning the provision of a database allowing for the collation and use of DNA samples taken under the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1995; [5782]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State made clear in his statement on 11 December, we have made funds available for the Scottish police to make full use of the new DNA technology. We have just received a report from the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland; and the Scottish Office Home Department is having detailed discussions as to the best way of using the powers under the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1995, after they come into effect on 1 April.

We do not see any need for a pilot project: we expect that the Scottish police will be able to proceed as soon as possible to make full use of DNA technology.

Assisted Places Scheme

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many schools covered by the assisted places scheme received (a) more than £1 million, (b) over £750,00, (c) over £500,000 and (d) over £250,000

14 Dec 1995 : Column: 818

under the assisted places scheme for each academic year since 1981. [5818]

Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: Under the assisted places scheme, grant is paid to parents of assisted pupils. Schools administer the allocation of grant to parents. The amounts distributed to schools for this purpose are set out in the table.

Academic year Over £1 million £750,001 to £1,000,000 £500,001 to £750,000 £250,001 to £500,000
1981-82--------
1982-83------1
1983-84----1--
1984-85----1--
1985-86--1--1
1986-871----2
1987-881----3
1988-891----4
1989-90----25
1990-91----34
1991-92--126
1992-93--137
1993-94(27)--138
1994-95(27)--229

(27) Provisional.


Until school session 1988-89, Edinburgh Merchant schools--EMC--administered Stewart's Melville college, Mary Erskine school for girls and George Watson's college and one grant total was allocated to EMC to fund assisted places in each of these schools. From session 1989-90, grant was paid separately to George Watson's college.

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for the academic year 1994-95 in descending order the independent schools by the proportion of their school rolls made up of pupils covered by the assisted places scheme and the total number of pupils on the school roll; what proportion of the school roll at each school was covered by the scheme; how many pupils were covered by the scheme at each school; how many pupils were on the roll of each school; what level of fees was charged for pupils under the scheme at each school; and what sums were received by each school under the scheme. [5870]

Mr. Robertson: The information requested for the 1994-95 school session is set out in the table:

14 Dec 1995 : Column: 817

School Total school roll Number of assisted places Percentage of assisted places Assisted place fees charged Total grant paid
££
Kilquhanity(28)2711412,43034,082
Keil20769334,479239,782
Morrisins(28)584140243,351417,900
Park(28)28468243,708247,987
Rudolf Steiner26662233,594191,526
Kilgraston26754204,161184,177
St. Denis and Cranley16531194,203128,276
Laurel Bank(28)35463184,014232,914
Merchiston Castle(28)39369186,480333,381
H.S. of Dundee(28)1,143194173,608591,342
Glenalmond24541177,575257,408
George Heriot's(28)1,512250173,624699,790
Kelvinside54687164,135318,494
St. Aloysius(28)1,082168162,978472,009
Rannoch25038155,490175,887
Wellington(28)35453154,290202,604
Crawfordton456134,54222,853
George Watson's(28)2,033248123,876751,969
St. Margaret's [Edinburgh](28)66474113,895271,812
Stewart's Melvill and Mary Erskine School(28) 2,556 282 11 3,912 900,020
St. Leondard's32936115,682164,382
Lomond50454114,119183,741
Sthrathallan(28)4954697,485299,342
Fernhill(28)3263092,85078,155
Craigholme(28)4934593,330134,235
Hutcheson's(28)1,81316393,389478,942
Glasgow Academy1,0109094,014329,362
Loretto3783397,235198,443
Butterstone(28)58594,93023,817
Aberlour(28)112984,87533,255
Fettes(28)4753577,305204,576
Gordonstoun(28)4563176,690182,064
Belmont(28)3822573,57078,623
Dollar1,1116963,719209,028
Edinburgh Academy9025364,935229,807
Albyn(28)4152463,53669,591
St. Columba's(28)5713363,690117,233
Robert Gordon's(28)1,3537053,548204,100
Clifton hall120654,82728,452
HS of Glasgow9894953,987143,797
Croftinloan81455,47520,768
St. Margaret's [Aberdeen]4152053,35353,433
St. George's8774254,097122,151
St. Mary's93444,53615,992
Craigclowan2401043,49523,450
Lathallan145644,62228,244
Ardvreck147644,58822,589
Beaconhurst2491044,09531,815
New Park128433,95115,839
Belhaven74235,0399,789
Cargilfield192425,69512,897
Hamilton College7571422,27327,095
Drumley House115224,4157,069
Park Lodge00n/an/aNil

(28) Provisional figures. Final audited claims for 1994-95 schools session yet to be submitted.


14 Dec 1995 : Column: 819

14 Dec 1995 : Column: 819

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many independent sector schools have had (a) more than 25 per cent., (b) more than 50 per cent. and (c) less than 5 per cent. of their school rolls made up of pupils covered by the assisted places scheme for each academic year since 1981. [5794]

Mr. Robertson: The information requested was not collected centrally for school sessions 1981-82 to 1992- 93. Information for school sessions 1993-94 and 1994- 95 is set out in the table.

School session Assisted pupils over 25 per cent. but not more than 50 per cent. of school roll Assisted pupils more than 50 per cent. of school roll Assisted pupils less than 5 per cent. of school roll
1993-942Nil11
1994-952Nil14

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made by his Department in taking forward proposals for the expansion of the assisted places scheme; and how much his Department estimates this will cost in the future

14 Dec 1995 : Column: 820

financial years for which figures are available when this has been achieved. [5820]

Mr. Robertson: Consultation on ways of expanding the assisted places scheme are currently underway with the Scottish Council of Independent Schools and a statement will be made in due course. The estimated cost of the scheme in the current financial year will be around £11 million. An additional £9 million in total is being made available for expansion of the scheme over the next three years.

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which independent sector schools charged (a) and highest and (b) the lowest level of fees to pupils covered by the assisted places scheme in the academic year 1994-95; and what charges were levied. [5828]

Mr. Robertson: The highest tuition fee charged to pupils covered by the assisted places scheme in academic year 1994-95 was at Glenalmond college at £7,575 per annum. The lowest fees were charged at Hamilton college--£2,273 per annum for pupils aged 12 to 18 years.

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has spent on the operation of the assisted places scheme in each year since

14 Dec 1995 : Column: 821

1981; how many (a) pupils and (b) institutions were covered by the scheme; and what was the overspend on the budget allocated to the scheme. [5789]

Mr. Robertson: The information requested is set out in the table. Expenditure on the assisted places scheme is cash limited each year and there have been no overspends on the budget allocated in any year since the scheme commenced.

School sessionTotal expenditurePupils coveredSchools covered
£
1981-82799,20379039
1982-831,718,4851,45041
1983-842,454,3861,90042
1984-853,298,4612,26542
1985-864,217,2342,62042
1986-874,861,1502,62641
1987-885,310,0612,68041
1988-895,758,5422,69541
1989-906,681,2132,84159
1990-917,641,8952,86159
1991-928,706,4432,91158
1992-939,755,8443,03858
1993-94(29)10,127,2763,05855
1994-95(29)10,456,7383,04255

(29)Provisional.



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