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Licensed Abattoirs

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many licensed abattoirs there were in (a) Wales, (b) England, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland at the end of 1995; and if he will make a statement. [17554]

Mrs. Browning: In respect of (a), (b) and (c) the lists set out the number of slaughterhouses licensed at the end of 1995 under (i) the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1995 and (ii) the Poultry Meat, Farmed Game Bird Meat and Rabbit Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1995:

(i) The Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1995
Wales: 36
England: 402
Scotland: 48
(ii) The Poultry Meat, Farmed Game Bird Meat and Rabbit Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1995
Wales: 11
England: 144
Scotland: 8

29 Feb 1996 : Column: 689

In respect of (d) I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, who is responsible for the licensing of slaughterhouses in Northern Ireland.

Statistics (Gender Breakdown)

Ms. Jowell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps his Department is taking to collect statistics broken down by gender where relevant.[17678]

Mr. Boswell: Statistics concerning staff employed in the Department are normally based on pay and personnel records which include information on gender. Statistical information about personnel can therefore usually be broken down by gender.

The Department also collects the following information broken down by gender:

(i) employment on agricultural holdings


(ii) earnings and hours on agricultural holdings


(iii) food consumption and expenditure.

Rabies

Mr. Tim Smith: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will commission an independent study and full economic audit of all the available options for managing the risk of rabies to Great Britain. [14786]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 14 February 1996]: The Government gave this matter careful consideration following recommendations made by the Agriculture Select Committee in its report in late 1994 for certain changes to the current quarantine arrangements. Ministers also receive regular advice from officials on all aspects of rabies control. I therefore see no need to commission a further study at this time.

Mr. Smith: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to receive from his Chief Veterinary Officer the new rabies risk assessment; and if he will place a copy of the report in the Library. [14787]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 14 February 1996]: Ministers receive regular advice from officials on all aspects of rabies control including the risk of introduction of the disease. However, advice from officials to Ministers is confidential and is not normally divulged.

Mr. Smith: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will ensure that veterinary surgeons have immediate unrestricted access to the inactivated rabies vaccines already approved by his Department for use of in animals in their care. [14788]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 14 February 1996]: No. The British isles is an internationally recognised rabies-free zone and the use of rabies vaccine for any animals other than those going for export or those going into quarantine would be unnecessary and entirely inappropriate.

Food and Drink Industry

Mrs. Roe: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how he intends to help improve export opportunities for the United Kingdom's food and drink industry. [16125]

29 Feb 1996 : Column: 690

Mrs. Browning: We continue, through Food from Britain, to provide active support, practical help and advice, to an increasing number of companies. Its recently opened new representative office in Copenhagen will help our exporters to reach even wider markets.

SCOTLAND

District Court Trials

Mr. McFall: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what was the total number of trials in the district courts during 1995; [16734]

(2) what was the total number of adjournments of trials in the district courts and the reason for these adjournments during 1995; and whether they were at the instance of the prosecution or the defence. [16735]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the chief executive of the Scottish Court Service on 27 February 1996, Official Report, column 531.

Lord Advocate

Mr. McFall: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many Bills the Lord Advocate has introduced into the House of Lords in each of the past five years; and on what dates they were introduced. [16736]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The information is as follows:

1991:
None.
1992:
None.
1993:
Crofters (Scotland) Bill (25 May 1993)
Scottish Land Court Bill (25 May 1993)
Local Government (Wales) Bill (30 November 1993).
1994:
Value Added Tax Bill (16 May 1994)
(Lord Advocate Rodger on behalf of the Lord Chancellor)
Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill (17 November 1994)
(Lord Advocate Rodger on behalf of the Lord Fraser of Carmyllie).
1995:
Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Bill (8 June 1995)
Proceeds of Crime (Scotland) Bill (8 June 1995)
Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Bill (8 June 1995)
Criminal Procedure (Consequential Provisions)(Scotland) Bill (8 June 1995).

My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate is currently a spokesman for legal affairs, Scotland, Home Office and Wales in the House of Lords and would normally be involved in later stages of Bills rather than on introduction.

29 Feb 1996 : Column: 691

Housing

Mrs. Ray Michie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many private sector leasing arrangements were established in the last year with local authorities in Argyll and Bute for the purpose of housing people on housing benefit and income support; and if he will make a statement. [17104]

Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: Information in the form requested is not held centrally. However, we understand from Argyll and Bute district council that since 1 April

29 Feb 1996 : Column: 692

1995 it has accommodated 643 people in receipt of income support and housing benefit in privately leased accommodation in the district.

Police

Ms Roseanna Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the annual budget for each of the Scottish police constabularies for each of the last five years. [17430]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The budget estimates provided to the Scottish Office by local authorities are set out in the table.

29 Feb 1996 : Column: 691

Budget estimates for Scottish Police Forces for the last five years £000

	Central	Dumfries and Galloway	Fife	Grampian	Lothian and Borders	Northern	Strathclyde	Tayside	Total
1991--92
Net expenditure	20,928	12,962	25,670	40,354	87,749	24,521	226,473	37,096	475,753
Loan charges	934	511	814	1,585	2,904	2,764	7,230	1,495	18,237
Total	21,862	13,473	26,484	41,939	90,653	27,285	233,703	38,591	493,990
1992-93
Net expenditure	22,457	14,077	28,783	43,026	94,535	26,560	249,428	39,483	518,349
Loan charges	956	675	908	1,450	3,046	2,425	6,260	1,709	17,429
Total	23,413	14,752	29,691	44,476	97,581	28,985	255,688	41,192	535,778
1993-94
Net expenditure	24,115	14,652	29,978	46,246	96,360	27,200	261,068	41,281	540,900
Loan charges	927	1,172	1,097	1,461	2,968	2,502	7,528	1,761	19,416
Total	25,042	15,824	31,075	47,707	99,328	29,702	268,596	43,042	560,316
1994-95
Net expenditure	24,904	15,241	30,203	47,028	99,394	28,495	270,600	42,734	558,599
Loan charges	980	927	1,449	1,513	2,995	2,299	8,529	1,520	20,212
Total	25,884	16,168	31,652	48,541	102,389	30,794	279,129	44,254	578,811
1995-96
Net expenditure	25,621	16,361	32,174	51,334	104,177	30,095	288,555	44,334	592,651
Loan charges	826	804	1,644	2,099	2,845	2,513	7,854	1,659	20,244
Total	26,447	17,165	33,818	53,433	107,022	32,608	296,409	45,993	612,895

Loan charges include leasing payments.

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Ms Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the total number of staff for each of the Scottish police constabularies indicating (a) uniformed and (b) civilian employees for each of the last five years. [17431]

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Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The information requested is set out in the table.

	31 December 1991		31 December 1992		31 December 1993		31 December 1994		31 December 1995
	Police strength(32)	Civilian strength(33)	Police strength(32)	Civilian strength(33)	Police strength(32)	Civilian strength(33)	Police strength(32)	Civilian strength(33)	Police strength(32)	Civilian strength(33)
Central	636	164.5	649	166.5	657	174.5	654	184.5	659	187.5
Dumfries and Galloway	370	108.5	387	116	386	141	390	147	392	147
Fife	775	227	786	231.5	786	242.5	789	229	791	254
Grampian	1,150	414.5	1,194	435	1,193	430	1,191	434.5	1,181	432.5
Lothian and Borders	2,522	886.5	2,561	926	2,558	961.5	2,556	988.5	2,536	988
Northern	633	275	636	291	658	307	643	316	648	323
Strathclyde	6,790	1,372.5	6,797	1,454.5	6,823	1,513	7,003	1,606.5	7,156	1,629
Tayside	1,031	313	1,084	338	1,078	360.5	1,087	367.5	1,116	398.5
Total	13,907	3,761.5	14,094	3,958.5	14,139	4,130	14,313	4,273.50	14,479	4,359.5

(32) Includes officers on secondment.

(33) Includes traffic wardens, clerical and technical staff, domestics, cleaners, cadets and part-time staff (shown as whole-time equivalent).

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29 Feb 1996 : Column: 693

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