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Negative Equity
Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the percentage of home buyers in each of the past five years experiencing negative equity in Scotland. [7248]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: This information is not held centrally.
Arable Area Payments Scheme
Dr. Strang: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money was spent in Scotland in (a) set-aside payments under the arable area scheme and (b) total arable area payments in 1994-95. [7192]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: Payments which have been made to farmers in Scotland under the 1994 arable area payments scheme are as follows:
(a) Set-Aside: £22,834,883.66
(b) Total AAPS Payments: £115,992,045.88.
Mr. Robertson: Forecast payments which will be made to farmers in Scotland under the 1995 arable area payments scheme are as follows:
(a) Set-Aside: £23,572,834
(b) Total AAPS Payments: £151,892,010.
Fisheries (Expenditure)
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the level of structural support expenditure on fisheries in Scotland from (a) the United Kingdom Government and (b) European Community funds has been in each of the past three years; what is the projected expenditure in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement. [7286]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: The table shows support to the Scottish fishing industry from (a) UK Government public aid sources and (b) EC funds paid in the last three years and forecast for the next three years.
| (a) UK Government public aid sources | (b) EC funds | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| 1992-93 | 8,024,582 | 2,112,221 |
| 1993-94 | 11,140,188 | 5,915,329 |
| 1994-95 | 9,654,932 | 5,887,707 |
| 1995-96 | 13,844,000 | 8,500,000 |
| 1996-97 | (45)8,420,000 | (45)3,420,000 |
| 1997-98 | (45)7,250,000 | (45)3,750,000 |
(45) Does not include decommissioning--forecast not available.
Radiation Discharge Levels
Ms Roseanna Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what increase the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority has petitioned Her Majesty's industrial pollution inspectorate to authorise regarding emissions of (a) alpha particles, (b) caesium 137, (c) plutonium and (d) iodine. [7288]
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Mr. Kynoch: The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority has not applied to HMIPI for any increase in discharge limits for releases to the sea for alpha-emitting radionuclides, caesium 137, any isotope of plutonium, or any isotope of iodine. For releases to air, the UKAEA has not sought any increase for alpha-emitting radionuclides or iodine 129. However, the UKAEA has sought an increase in the discharge limit for caesium 137 from seven to 10 gigabecquerels, an increase in the limit for iodine 131 from 3 to 14 gigabecquerels and an increase in the limit for plutonium 241 from 5 to 5.5 gigabecquerels.
Dounreay
Ms Roseanna Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what quantity of (a) alpha particles, (b) caesium 137, (c) plutonium and (d) iodine the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority is authorised to discharge into the air and sea at the Dounreay facility each year; [7287]
(2) what amount of alpha radiation Dounreay normally is allowed to release into the atmosphere in the form of particles of plutonium 239. [7278]
Mr. Kynoch: The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority is authorised to dispose of radioactive waste to air and sea by two separate authorisations which set limits on the quantity of radionuclides or groups of radionuclides which may be discharged by a variety of routes. Full details of these authorisations are given in the published Scottish Office statistical bulletin-- Env/1995/3--entitled "Radioactive Waste Disposals From Nuclear Sites in Scotland: 1990 to 1994" and a copy of the bulletin is available from the Library of the House. The following limits apply specifically to alpha emitting radionuclides, caesium 137, plutonium 241 and iodine 131.
Discharges to sea
Alpha emitting0.75 Terabecquerels per annum
radionuclides
(excluding curium 242)
Caesium 13750 Terabecquerels per annum
Plutonium 24115 Terabecquerels per annum
Curium 2421 Terabecquerel per annum
Discharges to air from the Fuel Cycle Area
Alpha emitting1 Gigabecquerel per annum
radionuclides (including plutonium 239 but excluding curium 242 and 244)
Caesium 1377 Gigabecquerels per annum
Plutonium 2415 Gigabecquerels per annum
Iodine 1294 Gigabecquerels per annum
Iodine 1313 Gigabecquerels per annum
Curium 2421 Gigabecquerel per annum
Curium 2440.1 Gigabecquerel per annum
Mr. Kynoch: Extensive monitoring of the environment around Dounreay is carried out by both the site operator and Her Majesty's industrial pollution inspectorate. The results of this monitoring are published and copies of the
20 Dec 1995 : Column: 1289
Scottish Office bulletin "Environmental Monitoring for Radioactivity in Scotland" and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority's publication on "Radioactive Waste Discharges from UKAEA Establishments" are available in the Library of the House. The published results demonstrate that doses to the public as a result of discharges from Dounreay are small and well within internationally agreed limits.
Ms Cunningham: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what monitoring of the area around Dounreay, including Orkney coastal areas, is taking place to ascertain where plutonium particles accidentally discharged on 11 February of the current year were deposited. [7259]
Mr. Kynoch: The unplanned discharge of plutonium particulate material from the Dounreay site which occurred on 11 February was small when compared with the authorised discharge limits. These limits are set to ensure that the dose to the most exposed group in the population is extremely low and well within internationally agreed limits. The very extensive environmental monitoring programme in place around Dounreay is adequate to provide information on this and other discharges from the site. Information on this environmental monitoring programme is contained in the Scottish Office statistical bulletin "Environmental Monitoring for Radioactivity in Scotland" and a copy of this bulletin is in the Library of the House.
Food Exports
Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of Scottish exports are in the food sector, and what action he is taking to promote the Scottish food sector in international markets. [7268]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: In 1994, the Scottish food and drink processing industry, excluding whisky, accounted for 3 per cent. of Scottish manufacturing exports.
There is a wide range of current initiatives to assist the promotion and marketing of the Scottish food industry in overseas markets. These are either done directly through the Scottish Office or through its economic development agencies Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise and their network of local enterprise companies. In addition to this purely Scottish effort, Food From Britain has a United Kingdom remit to assist British food and drink companies in export markets and to promote British food and drink products.
20 Dec 1995 : Column: 1290
Mr. Dunn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures and what resources are available to his Department for the promotion of inward investment. [5208]
Mr. Michael Forsyth:
Inward investment in Scotland is promoted by Locate in Scotland, which employs around 95 staff worldwide and has a budget of £8.9 million in the current year. Locate in Scotland also draws heavily on partnership arrangements with other bodies to assist it in its task.
The measures available to support inward investment are those available to support economic development generally, including, in particular, the regional selective assistance scheme.
Mr. Ian Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what major investments have been made by overseas companies in Scotland's economy over the last 12 months. [5212]
Mr. Kynoch:
Our continuing success in attracting inward investment to Scotland includes major announcements during the past 12 months by Chungwa Picture Tubes, Shin-Etsu Handotai, Lexmark, MIC Textiles, Selfcare International, Canon, Motorola and IBM, among others.
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