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European Directives

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library copies of the guidance notes, office notes and other relevant documents which relate to his efforts in (a) removing gold plating from existing domestic regulation and (b) ensuring new European directives are not gold plated. [10056]

Mr. Kynoch: The Scottish Office is currently considering with other Government Departments the introduction of guidance about gold plating in relation to EC directives.

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what new systems he has put in place to ensure that European directives are not gold plated in domestic regulations. [10064]

Mr. Kynoch: My Department's policy is not to gold plate EC directives by the addition of unnecessary burdens when implementing them in the UK. We keep existing legislation under review in the light of this policy. Official guidance on gold plating is currently being reviewed in consultation with other Government Departments.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research is undertaken by his Department (a) directly and (b) indirectly into combat-induced post-traumatic stress disorder; and if he will indicate for (b) the organisations involved and the total funding provided. [10546]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The Scottish Office Department of Health is not undertaking any research, either directly or indirectly, into combat-induced post-traumatic stress disorder.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what provision is made by his Department

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for the treatment of combat-induced post-traumatic stress disorder; [10544]

Lord James Douglas Hamilton: Health boards in Scotland are responsible for purchasing health services to meet the needs of their resident populations. Services are purchased nationally only in the case of a few rare highly specialist treatments. These do not include services for people suffering post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Scottish Office Department of Health has not, therefore, specifically assessed the numbers suffering, nor has it made specific provision for treatment of, or respite care for, people suffering from this condition. These are matters for health boards.

Rural Areas

Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to revise the definition of rural areas following the introduction of new local authority boundaries in April. [10590]

Mr. Kynoch: The Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department is planning to commission research which will review the existing definitions of rurality and develop an appropriate formula in the light of that research and taking account of forthcoming changes to the structure of local government in Scotland.

Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how he intends to ensure that all agencies with an interest in rural affairs work to a common set of definitions. [10591]

Mr. Kynoch: The Scottish Rural White Paper "Rural Scotland: People, Prosperity and Partnership", which was published on 15 December 1995, sets out the Government's policies for rural communities in Scotland and proposes measures to put these into practice.

The White Paper proposes a Scottish rural partnership system, based on local rural partnerships, supported by a Scottish national rural partnership and resourced through a Scottish Partnership Fund. The national rural partnership will provide a forum at national level for a range of agencies and organisations concerned with rural Scotland to formulate and implement their policies in an integrated manner and to work towards the achievement of the objectives laid out in the Scottish Rural White Paper.

Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the rural local authorities, according to the Scottish "Economic Bulletin" Randall definition, updated to take account of data for the 1991 census of population. [10589]

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Mr. Kynoch: The Scottish "Economic Bulletin" Randall definition defines rural as those local authority districts which have a population density of fewer than 100 persons per square kilometre.

The information set out in the following list details the local authority districts classed as rural under this definition, taking account of data from the 1991 census of population.


Scottish Grand Committee

Mr. Norman Hogg: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many recent representations he has received calling for an extension of the powers and role of the Scottish Grand Committee; and if he will make a statement. [2542]

Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 27 November 1995]: During my statement to the House on 29 November 1995, Official Report, columns 1228-42, setting out my proposals for extending the role of the Scottish Grand Committee, three hon. Members called for the Committee to be given voting powers. However, my proposals to raise the profile and increase the activity of the Scottish Grand Committee were well supported and welcomed by hon. Members from both sides of the House; and during the debate on Standing Orders on 19 December 1995, Official Report, columns 1408-33, the proposals were approved without amendment.

22 Jan 1996 : Column: 92

Ministerial Visits

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many ministerial visits have been undertaken by each Minister in his Department between 6 July and 1 December; and how many and what percentage of these have involved the Minister travelling abroad. [4240]

Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 6 December 1995]: The information requested is as follows:

MinisterTotal number of visits madeNumber of visits abroadPercentage of visits abroad
Michael Forsyth2714
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton4524
Raymond Robertson6923
George Kynoch6834
Earl of Lindsay11533

Consultants

Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total cost of consultants' reports commissioned by his Department since April 1992; and what identifiable savings have been achieved as a result of implementing report recommendations. [5148]

Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 12 December 1995]: The total cost of consultancy projects commissioned by the Scottish Office from April 1992 to the end of March 1995 was £12,971,654. Consultancy reports do not invariably result in savings but my Department will summarise the benefits resulting from major projects over this period and I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

Mr. George Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those consultants, outside organisations and individuals employed by his Department in each year since 1990, indicating the purpose of their employment and the individual payments and total payments made to those contractors. [5512]

Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 12 December 1995]: The available information regarding consultants engaged by my Department is being collated and I shall write to the hon. Member on this subject as soon as possible and place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

The information requested regarding other organisations and individuals is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Water Authorities

Mr. George Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list (a) the members of the boards and (b) the chief executives of the new Scotland water authorities, together with their salaries, performance- related bonuses and membership of other non-departmental public bodies in Scotland. [5645]

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Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 12 December 1995]: In relation to the membership, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Industry and Local Government to the hon. Member for Cunninghame, South (Mr. Donahoe) on 11 December, Official Report, columns 470-71.

The Chairmen of the North and West of Scotland water authorities are paid £40,000 per annum; the chairman of the East of Scotland water authority is paid £24,000 per annum. The chief executives of each of the three water authorities are paid £80,000 per annum, and the members £6,000 per annum.

Only chief executives are eligible to receive a performance related bonus, which is limited to a maximum of 20 per cent. of salary.

The following are members of other NDPBs in Scotland as indicated:


Mr. George Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what have been the costs to date of establishing each of the new Scottish water authorities; [5509]

Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 12 December 1995]: Grant-in-aid provision for the three new water authorities in Scotland in 1995-96 and their expenditure are as follows:

Grant-in-aid, 1995-96Expenditure to 11 December 1995
£ million£
East3.2900,099
West3.2175,000
North3.3635,000
Total9.71,710,099

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