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Monklands District Council

Mr. Gallie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects Mr. Nimmo Smith QC to complete his inquiry into the employment practices of Monklands district council. [8018]

Mr. Michael Forsyth: Mr. Nimmo Smith delivered his report to me on the afternoon of 15 December. I told him that I would advise the House of the completion of his inquiry and the submission of his report. I have now read the report, which is lengthy, and I am placing copies in the House Library today.

Mr. Nimmo Smith's report concludes that Monklands district council has not failed to comply with the requirements of section 7 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. No further action is therefore required by me. I would like to place on record my thanks to him for the speed with which he has conducted his inquiry.

20 Dec 1995 : Column: 1280

Crime

Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures he is pursuing to reduce crime.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: My right hon. Friend and I expect that further reductions in crime will be achieved by the deployment of the extra 500 operational police officers, backed up by improved technology, which he announced to the Scottish Grand Committee on 11 December. I announced, on 13 December, a £4 million CCTV challenge competition for Scotland to help fund more CCTV schemes, which have a clear effect on reducing crime. The Scottish Crime Prevention Council will continue its programme of crime prevention measures, which have achieved much since the council was set up in 1992. My right hon. Friend and I welcome the fact that recorded crime is falling--7 per cent. in the first six months of 1995, following reductions in the three previous years--and further reduction remains a major concern of the Government.

Highlands and Islands

Mr. Macdonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the economic prospects of the highlands and islands. [5234]

Mr. Kynoch: The highlands and islands area continues to benefit from the Government's careful economic policies. These have helped to reduce unemployment in the highland and islands area by 1,940 between November 1994 and November 1995 and have encouraged new enterprise. Highlands and Islands Enterprise continues to promote economic development and it is estimated that in 1995-96 HIE will have invested some £20 million in highland businesses, attracting around £64 million in private investment and creating or securing 3,000 jobs.

Field Cropping Forms

Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many forms MCAP009.114 his Department received and processed in each of the past four years; [2334]

Mr. Raymond S. Robertson [holding answer 27 November 1995]: The forms referred to are the covering letter requesting details of a farmer's field by field cropping for the period 1982 to 1991 and the blank cropping record itself. These forms are issued to farmers by the Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department in order that the eligibility of individual fields for aid under the arable area payments scheme can be determined.

The information is held locally in the Department's area offices and is not held on computer. The forms are analysed to ensure that individual fields meet the strict EC rules covering the eligibility of land for AAPS aid. Aid can be paid only on land which on 31 December 1991 was not in permanent grass, permanent crops, woodland or non-agricultural use. The process of analysis is standard throughout Scotland.

20 Dec 1995 : Column: 1281

Information on the number of forms received and processed could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Public Opinion Surveys

Mr. Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all qualitative and quantitative research projects and surveys carried out for his Department into aspects of public attitudes and opinions (a) in general and (b) in relation to specific policy proposals in each of the past three years to December 1995, indicating for each project or survey (i) the date on which the research was commissioned, (ii) the amount which his Department spent, (iii) who carried out the research, (iv) the number of people surveyed or taking part, (v) the location and time scale and (vi) which individuals and organisations have been given access to the findings. [5980]

Mr. Raymond S. Robertson [holding answer 14 December 1995]: Information is not readily available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

The Department's policy is to canvass relevant views of the public wherever this is appropriate and cost-effective, and to make responses widely available subject to any essential safeguards of confidentiality.

Advertising

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the expenditure of his (a) Department, (b) agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies on newspaper advertising by title for each year since 1990-91; and what estimate he has made 1995-96 based on expenditure to date and existing plans. [6558]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Press advertising expenditure by Scottish Office departments was as follows:

Newspaper£
1992-93
The Sun (Scotland)3,404
Daily Record11,300
News of the World (Scotland)630
Sunday Mail10,989
Sunday Post11,424
Edinburgh Herald and Post828
The Glaswegian1,080
The Strathclyder1,275
1993-94
The Sun (Scotland)16,680
Aberdeen Evening Express1,435
Aberdeen Press and Journal13,658
Daily Record58,712
Dundee Courier11,849
Dundee Evening Telegraph1,150
The Scotsman16,219
Edinburgh Evening News1,284
Edinburgh Herald and Post1,526
The Herald22,428
Glasgow Evening Times5,544
Scotland on Sunday5,522
News of the World (Scotland)2,376
Sunday Express840
Sunday Mail46,334
Sunday Post50,157
Sunday Times (Scotland)360
Scottish Daily Express420
Greenock Telegraph743
Helensburgh Advertiser297
Scottish and Universal Lanarkshire Package3,324
Scottish and Universal Paisley Package1,281
Scottish and Universal West Lothian Package1,423
Scottish and Universal Ayrshire Package2,287
Arbroath Herald610
Buchan Observer554
The Glaswegian950
North Clyde Series835
Dunfermline Press1,032
Falkirk Herald815
Fife Free Press Group2,615
Fife Leader643
Guthrie Newspaper Group1,937
Scottish Provincial Press5,029
Lennox Herald559
Motherwell Times Series471
Oban Times438
Orcadian277
Paisley and Renfrew Gazette Series1,203
Perthshire Advertiser529
Scottish County Press Group1,159
Stirling Observer844
Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser1,347
Airdrie and Coatbridge World147
The Strathclyder2,500
Cumbernauld News and Advertiser393
East Kilbride News525
Glenrothes Gazette213
Irvine Times484
Lothian Courier690
1994-95
Scottish Daily Express1,731
The Sun (Scotland)10,258
News of the World (Scotland)4,126
Daily Record49,040
Aberdeen Evening Express6,600
Aberdeen Press and Journal8,426
Dundee Courier6,928
Dundee Evening Telegraph2,299
The Scotsman11,565
Scotland on Sunday11,614
Edinburgh Evening News6,678
The Herald12,306
Glasgow Evening Times10,842
Sunday Mail45,795
Sunday Post49,306
Sunday Times (Scotland)6,880
Oban Times335
Orcadian498
Shetland Times445
Stornoway Gazette and Westcoast Advertiser1,001
Tweeddale Press Group2,065
Greenock Telegraph780
Scottish and Universal Lanarkshire Package3,168
Scottish and Universal West Lothian Package1,388
Scottish and Universal Dumfries and Galloway Package 851
Scottish and Universal Ayrshire Package2,059
Arbroath Herald652
Buchan Observer519
Dunfermline Press990
Edinburgh Herald and Post1,568
Falkirk Herald883
Fife Free Press Group1,635
The Glaswegian2,786
Guthrie Newspaper Group2,208
Scottish Provincial Press2,577
Lennox Herald540
Linlithgow Journal and Gazette216
Northern Scot Series826
Paisley and Renfrew Gazette Series1,161
Perthshire Advertiser554
Scottish County Press Group1,176
Stirling Observer811
The Strathclyder2,500
Highland News Group618
Galloway Gazette and Stranraer News157
1995-96(44)
Scottish Daily Mail240
Scottish Daily Express1,224
The Sun (Scotland)3,792
Aberdeen Press and Journal5,264
Daily Record15,776
Dundee Courier3,685
The Scotsman5,600
Scotland on Sunday2,786
The Herald7,719
Sunday Mail7,423
Sunday Post7,423
The Times Education Supplement1,174

(44)Expenditure to date.

20 Dec 1995 : Column: 1283

There are no current plans for further press campaigns in this financial year. Details for previous years are not held centrally.

Expenditure by my agencies was:

Historic Scotland

£
1994-95
Daily Mirror360
Glasgow Evening Times296
The Herald1,388
The Scotsman1,286

Figures for previous years could be provided only at disproportionate costs. Historic Scotland has no plans for press advertising in 1995-96.

Details of press advertising by non-departmental public bodies are not held centrally.

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