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Ministerial Accountability
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to paragraph K8.1 of the Scott report relating to ministerial accountability, what additional measures he proposes to ensure his Department's compliance with paragraph 27 of "Questions of Procedure for Ministers". [17315]
The Deputy Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the speech made by my right hon. Friend, the President of the Board of Trade, on 26 February, Official Report, columns 589-604.
SCOTLAND
Local Government Finance
15. Mr. Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next intends to meet the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to discuss local government finance. [15799]
25. Mr. McMaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to meet representatives of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to discuss local government funding. [15809]
Mr. Kynoch: I will be meeting COSLA on 28 June.
29. Dr. Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to discuss Scottish local government; and if he will make a statement. [15814]
Mr. Kynoch: On 26 January. At the meeting, the convention representatives argued that the 1996-97 local government finance settlement was inadequate and have since put a figure of £395 million on the alleged shortfall in funding. The settlement already provides for an increase of £148 million or 2.9 per cent. in the level of aggregate external finance which is £26.5 million more than the formula consequences of the English settlement and the convention were asked to say which other Scottish expenditure programmes should be further reduced in order to increase the level of the local government settlement, but declined to express any view on this.
Fire Services
16. Mr. Gallie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what sums were made available in (a) 1995-96 and (b) 1996-97 to local authorities for fire services in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [15800]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Grant-aided expenditure for the fire service in Scotland was set at £134.4 million in 1995-96 and has been set at £147.4 million for 1996-97--an increase of nearly 10 per cent. It is up to local authorities to decide whether to spend at, below or above GAE on any particular service.
Scottish Economy
17. Mr. Salmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next expects to meet with representatives of Scottish Enterprise to discuss trends in the Scottish economy; and if he will make a statement. [15801]
28 Feb 1996 : Column: 595
Mr. Michael Forsyth:
Ministers meet Scottish Enterprise regularly to discuss a range of issues.
30. Mr. David Shaw:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the prospects for the Scottish economy. [15815]
Mr. Kynoch:
The prospects for the Scottish economy remain excellent. The latest CBI survey reports that Scottish manufacturers are more optimistic about business conditions, on average, than elsewhere in the UK. Recent independent forecasts of the Scottish economy predict high levels of GDP growth both this year and next. This is very encouraging.
18. Mr. Maxton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will meet the new City of Glasgow council to discuss its budget. [15802]
31. Mr. Michael J. Martin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to meet the City of Glasgow council to discuss the city's finances. [15816]
35. Mr. McAvoy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next expects to meet the leaders of the City of Glasgow and South Lanarkshire unitary councils to discuss the financial positions of those councils. [15820]
Mr. Kynoch:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Members for Glasgow, Maryhill (Mrs. Fyfe), for Glasgow, Central (Mr. Watson) and for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Hughes).
19. Mr. Fabricant:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement concerning tourism in Scotland. [15803]
Mr. Kynoch:
I believe that 1995 will prove to have been a very successful year for Scottish tourism, which is a major contributor to the Scottish economy.
20. Mr. Norman Hogg:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next expects to meet Scotland's chief constables; and what aspects of policing he expects to discuss. [15804]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton:
My right hon. Friend met chief constables on 20 January and also attended the Prime Minister's reception at No. 10 in honour of the police on 7 February.
22. Mr. Nigel Griffiths:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the impact of the teachers' pay settlement and projected increases in retail prices index on the provision of education services by (a) Edinburgh city and (b) Scottish councils in 1996-97. [15806]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson:
The teachers pay settlement in Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Joint Negotiating Committee and negotiations have not yet started.
28 Feb 1996 : Column: 596
23. Mr. Barry Field:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the Forestry Commission's plans for afforestation in the next year.[15807]
Mr. Kynoch:
As detailed in the Government's expenditure plans published last year, the Forestry Commission has provision to grant aid and carry out 22,250 hectares of new planting and 16,000 hectares of restocking in 1996-97.
24. Mr. Donohoe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next expects to meet the chairmen of Scottish health boards to discuss finance. [15808]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton:
I shall next be meeting health board chairmen on 1 March, when I expect to discuss a range of NHS issues.
26. Mr. Rathbone:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent consultations he has had with ministerial colleagues about implementation of "Drugs in Scotland: Meeting the Challenge"; and if he will make a statement. [15811]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton:
My right hon. Friend and I have regular contacts with ministerial colleagues about various aspects of drug misuse in Scotland, including the implementation of the valuable recommendations in that report where we have made very significant progress. Our new all-party drugs campaign in Scotland will build on, and complement, the success we have already achieved in the implementation of the report.
27. Mr. Wray:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to make legal aid available to those allegedly suffering from smoking-related illnesses who are taking legal action against tobacco companies. [15812]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton:
The granting of civil legal aid is a matter for the Scottish Legal Aid Board.
28. Mr. Eric Clarke:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received on the method of calculation of the financial settlement to the new single-tier authorities. [15813]
Mr. Kynoch:
We have received a number of representations regarding the distribution of the 1996-97 settlement. The distribution is on the basis agreed by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.
32. Mr. Bill Walker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received about the effect of a Scottish Parliament on economic growth and job creation. [15817]
28 Feb 1996 : Column: 597
Mr. Michael Forsyth:
It is widely accepted by the business community throughout Scotland that a Scottish Parliament with tax-raising powers would have a detrimental effect on economic growth and job creation.
33. Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to ensure that Scottish Office Ministers regularly attend meetings of the EC Council of Ministers. [15818]
Mr. Michael Forsyth:
Scottish Office Ministers attend Council meetings as part of the UK delegation as and when matters relevant to my responsibilities are discussed. I also attend Cabinet Committee meetings to discuss UK policy on European Union issues. This enables me to ensure that any specific Scottish points are considered within the context of overall UK policy and to decide which Council meetings require ministerial attendance.
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