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Scottish Office (Media Coverage)
Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements exist for the Scottish Office Information Directorate to monitor media coverage of Scottish Office activities; how long such arrangements have been in existence; and if he will make a statement. [7271]
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Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 20 December 1995]: Two independent press cuttings agencies have been providing, on a sequential basis, a trial monitoring service since October 1995. Tenders for the service were invited and these are presently being considered.
Messrs Kynoch of Keith
Sir Patrick McNair-Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what progress he has made in recovering moneys paid to Messrs Kynoch of Keith by the Scottish Development Agency and Scottish Enterprise, following that firm's withdrawal from Scotland; [8180]
- (2) what at constant prices is the amount of Scottish Enterprise's investment in Messrs Kynoch of Keith; and what is its current value. [8181]
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 9 January 1996]: Scottish Enterprise's investment in Kynoch Group plc, formerly G and G Kynoch plc, is an operational matter within the delegated authority of Scottish Enterprise. I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member.
Delegated Legislation
Mr. Hutton: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many of the powers to make statutory instruments exercisable by the Secretary of State under primary legislation enacted since 1979 are subject to (a) the negative and (b) the affirmative resolution procedure. [9591]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 16 January 1996]: The information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mobile Phones
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what costs his Department and executive agencies have incurred as a result of withdrawing from contracts under which mobile phones are provided; and if he will list the companies concerned. [9766]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 17 January 1996]: No costs have been incurred as a result of withdrawing from contracts under which mobile phones are provided.
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what procedures were used by his Department in awarding contracts for the supply of mobile and car phones to his Department and its executive agencies; and which companies were involved in tendering for these contracts. [9765]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 17 January 1996]: Mobile phones and car phones are purchased as and when required, taking advantage of offers on the market at the time with a view to securing the best value for money.
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WALES
Local Government Finance
12. Mr. Ray Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the all-Wales average increase for standard spending assessments for 1996-97; and what was the standard spending assessment provisional announced sum for the Bridgend unitary authority for 1996-97. [8840]
Mr. Gwilym Jones: The average increase between 1995-96 indicative standard spending assessments and 1996-97 provisional standard spending assessments for county councils and county borough councils is 2.9 per cent. Bridgend county borough council's provisional standard spending assessment for 1996-97 is £107.537 million.
16. Mr. Congdon: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the revenue settlement for local government provides per head of population in (a) Wales and (b) England. [8845]
Mr. Hague: The provisional settlement proposals for 1996-97 provide for total standard spending per head of population of £984 in Wales and £922 in England. Comparable figures for central Government support for that spending are £864 and £732.
Both I and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment will announce our final settlement decisions at the end of the month.
22. Mr. Hanson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received following the announcement of the 1996-97 local government finance settlement. [8853]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
My right hon. Friend and I discussed the provisional settlement with representatives of local government at a meeting of the Welsh Consultative Council on local government finance on 18 December 1995. We have also received various written representations.
26. Mr. Alan W. Williams:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his Department's latest estimate of the percentage change in the average council tax bill in Wales for 1996-97 compared with 1995-96. [9774]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
1996-97 council tax levels will depend on the budgetary decisions local authorities take following my right hon. Friend's final revenue settlement, which he will announce shortly.
14. Mr. Ian Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the latest trends in tourism in Wales. [8842]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
Latest information for 1995 suggests that domestic visitors to Wales increased by 11 per cent. with spending up 8 per cent. There were 690,000 overseas visitors to Wales in 1994 with spending up 10 per cent. to £190 million.
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15. Mr. Waterson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what resources have been allocated to provide more closed circuit television cameras to fight crime in Wales. [8843]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
£1.6 million has been allocated over the next two years under the strategic development scheme for new closed circuit television camera projects in Wales, with over 100 additional cameras being brought into use for the fight against crime. Welsh projects can also compete for a share of the £15 million Home Office funding for CCTV schemes in England and Wales in 1996-97.
17. Mr. Carrington:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what developments have taken place to improve the facilities at Cardiff international airport. [8846]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
Several, including a new international arrivals hall opened officially by my right hon. Friend last November.
18. Mr. Roy Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the figure for male unemployment in (a) Newport, Gwent and (b) Wales at the latest available date and expressed in percentage terms. [8847]
Mr. Richards:
In December 1995, the unadjusted number of males on the claimant unemployment count in the Newport travel-to-work-area was 5,841. This compares with 82,839 in Wales. The unemployment rates were 10 per cent. and 11.1 per cent. respectively.
19. Sir Sydney Chapman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about Government spending and tax receipts per head in Wales. [8849]
Mr. Hague:
A Welsh Office report, "Government Expenditure and Revenue--Wales 1993-94", published on 8 January, estimated that total Government expenditure on behalf of the population of Wales in 1993-94 was £14.7 billion. This is equivalent to £5,040 per head in Wales compared with expenditure of £4,871 per head in the United Kingdom as a whole. Total tax receipts from Wales in the same year are estimated at £9.3 billion or £3,020 per head. This compares with the UK figure of £3,973 per head.
20. Lady Olga Maitland:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what activities the Welsh Office is undertaking to promote trade in the far east. [8850]
Mr. Richards:
General advice is available to any company which is considering exporting to any overseas market, including the far east. In addition, the Welsh Office trade mission programme and trade fair representative service specifically encourage small and medium sized Welsh companies to export to new markets worldwide. Eight visits to various countries in the far east have been made or are planned under current programmes between 1993 and spring 1997.
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21. Mr. Michael:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he intends to take to protect and improve the level of local public transport services in Wales. [8852]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
The level of services is primarily a matter for operators. It is the responsibility of local authorities to ensure that essential public transport services are provided where it cannot be done commercially.
23. Mr. Touhig:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much it has cost to set up an office for the Grant-maintained Schools Foundation in Wales. [8854]
Mr. Richards:
The Grant-maintained Schools Foundation's regional office in Swansea opened in January last year. The costs incurred in 1994-95 were £15,298. Payments so far made to the foundation in 1995-96 are a little over £20,000.
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