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Health Service Charges

Mr. Home Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the revenue from NHS charges for (a) prescriptions, (b) eye tests and (c) dental services in Scotland in (i) 1978 and (ii) 1995. [15887]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The information requested in respect of NHS prescriptions and NHS general dental services is set out in the table. There is no revenue in respect of NHS sight test fees paid to optometrists. Charges paid by patients in contribution towards the cost of their NHS prescriptions and general dental services are offset against total Government funding of these services.

21 Feb 1996 : Column: 195

Scotland: revenue from NHS prescription charges and general dental service charges

	Prescription charges(34)	General Dental Service charges
	£	£
1978-79	2,774,743	6,037,684
1994-95(35)	33,321,224	42,266,539

(34) Includes charges for drugs, appliances and pre-payment certificates.

(35) Provisional figures.

Toll Bridge Revenues

Mr. Home Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total revenue from bridge tolls in Scotland in (a) 1978 and (b) 1995. [15888]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Information on revenue and crossings in the years requested is set out in the table.

£ thousands

	1977-78			1994-95
	Tolls levied	Crossings made	Tolls levied at 1994-95 prices	Tolls levied	Crossings made
Forth Road Bridge	1,642	9,374	5,222	8,143	18,994
Tay Road Bridge	704	4,786	2,239	2,291	(36)3,599
Erskine Bridge	525	3,240	1,670	4,070	6,865
Totals	2,871	17,400	9,131	15,134	29,458

(36) One-way tolling was introduced on the Tay Road Bridge on 1 June 1991. This figure therefore refers to southbound traffic only.

Afforestation

Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when a consultation paper will be issued on the amended environmental assessment regulations for afforestation. [15850]

Mr. Kynoch: The Environmental Assessment (Afforestation) Regulations 1988 have to be amended to comply fully with Council directive 85/337/EEC. The amendments are technical in nature and will have limited practical effect. We shall decide on consultation when the revised regulations have been prepared.

Renewables Orders

Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number of Scottish renewables orders allocated in the first round of applications; and if he will list the names, locations and values of the orders allocated. [15306]

Mr. Kynoch [holding answer 19 February 1996]: Thirty projects were awarded contracts in December 1994 under the first order made within the Scottish renewables obligation. Their names and locations are listed in the table.

21 Feb 1996 : Column: 196

The value of each contract is a matter for the contracting parties.

Name	Location
Wind
Gallow Rig Wind Farm	Carsphairn, Kirkcudbrightshire
West Garty Wind Farm	Helmsdale, Sutherland
Beinn Ghlas Wind Farm	Taynuilt, Argyll
Bendealt Wind Farm	Evanton, Ross-shire
Meall an Tuirc Wind Farm	Evanton, Ross-shire
Craigenlee Wind Farm	Port Patrick, Wigtownshire
Polwhat Rig Wind Farm	Carsphairn, Kirkcudbrightshire
Helmsdale Wind Farm	Helmsdale, Sutherland
Largie Wind Project	Kintyre, Argyll
Hagshaw Hill (S10) Wind Farm	Hagshaw Hill, Lanark
Hagshaw Hill (S15) Wind Farm	Hagshaw Hill, Lanark
Laggan, Windcluster	Islay, Argyll
Hydro
Russell Burn	Applecross, Wester Ross
Loch Poll	Assynt, Sutherland
Sheildaig	Gairloch, Ross-shire
Inverbroom	Ullapool, Ross & Cromarty
Stanley Mills	Stanley, Perthshire
Stoneywood Mill	Dyce, Aberdeenshire
Antermony Loch	Milton of Campsie, Stirlingshire
Cuileig	Braemore, Ross & Cromarty
Novar	Evanton, Ross-shire
Ardtornish	Morven, Oban, Argyll
Auchtertyre	Tyndrum, Perthshire
Duror	Lochgilphead, Argyll
Garrogie	Loch Mhor, Inverness-shire
Garry Gualach	Forth William, Lochaber
Beochlich	Loch Awe, Argyll
Waste-to-Energy
Greengairs Phase I (Landfill Gas)	Nr Cumbernauld, Strathclyde
Greengairs Phase II (Landfill Gas)	Nr Cumbernauld, Strathclyde
Biomass
Westfield Biomass Power Station	Westfield, Fife

Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many small-scale hydro-development companies benefited from the first round of allocation of contracts under the Scottish renewables order. [15307]

Mr. Kynoch [holding answer 19 February 1996]: A total of 15 hydro projects from 12 individual companies were awarded contracts under the first order within the Scottish renewables obligation.

Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many small-scale hydro-development companies have made application to the Scottish renewables order in the second round. [15308]

Mr. Kynoch [holding answer 19 February 1996]: Under the second round within the Scottish renewables obligation, prospective developers have until 5 June 1996 to submit proposals to the Office of Electricity Regulation.

Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the total amount of moneys which have accrued to date to the electricity utilities as a result of levies raised by the Scottish renewables order. [15309]

21 Feb 1996 : Column: 197

Mr. Kynoch [holding answer 19 February 1996]: To date no money has been collected in respect of levy arrangements linked to the Scottish renewables obligation.

Water and Sewerage Charges

Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many responses were received by his Department in response to the consultation document on local authority billing and collection of unmeasured domestic water and sewerage charges on behalf of the new water and sewerage authorities; [16088]

(2) when he sent to consultees draft regulations under section 79 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 relating to the local authority billing and collection of unmeasured domestic water and sewerage charges; and if he will make a statement. [16089]

Mr. Kynoch [holding answer 20 February 1996]: The department received 44 responses to the consultation paper which set out the Government's proposals on the new billing and collection arrangements. Consultees were sent the draft order mirroring these proposals on 15 December 1995. Responses to the consultation exercise have been considered and the Water Services Charges (Billing and Collection) (Scotland) Order 1996 was laid before the House on 19 February 1996.

SOCIAL SECURITY

Pension Miscalculations

Mr. David Nicholson: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the total number of inaccuracies made in calculating (a) full and (b) partial retirement pensions in each of the last three years. [14749]

Mr. Heald: The administration of retirement pension is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available.

Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. David Nicholson, dated 20 February 1996:

The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what is his estimate of the total number of inaccuracies made in calculating (a) full and (b) partial Retirement Pensions (RP) in each of the last three years.
The information is not available in the format requested. The Benefits Agency provides statistics on the accuracy, in percentage terms, of the total of RP claims. These include details of Widows Benefit (WB) claims. Figures for full and modified rates are not separated for accuracy purposes.
The table below gives details of the accuracy achieved for RP and WB claims for the last three years.
Percentage

Year	Accuracy
1992-93	98.6
1993-94	98.3
1994-95	98.1




Figures are provisional and subject to change. I hope you find this reply useful.

21 Feb 1996 : Column: 198

War Widows' Pensions

Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the additional cost would be of allowing all claims currently received by his Department for the reinstatement of war widows' pensions to be backdated to 19 July 1995. [15440]

Mr. Heald: The information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

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