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EDS Ltd.
Ms Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those contracts his Department currently holds with EDS, indicating for each the (a) date of inception,(b) value and (c) duration. [17454]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The Scottish Office has no contracts with EDS.
Pupil Exclusions
Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many schoolchildren were excluded (a) permanently and (b) temporarily from schools in (i) Inverclyde and (ii) Strathclyde in 1995. [18047]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: Information on the number of school children excluded temporarily from schools is not available. The available information, consistent with that set out in the report on attendance and absence in Scottish schools 1994-95, published by the audit unit of HM inspectorate of schools, is as follows.
| Number of pupils permanently excluded from schools in 1994-95 | Number of half days of temporary exclusions from schools from January-July 1995 | |
|---|---|---|
| Inverclyde | 0 | 4,515 |
| Strathclyde | 0 | 110,060 |
Infertility
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) which health authorities provide NHS treatment for (a) assisted and (b) surrogate pregnancy for childless couples; and if he will make a statement; [17966]
- (2) what plans he has to designate (a) assisted and (b) surrogate pregnancies for childless couples on the NHS as clinically essential; and if he will make a statement. [17968]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Information about which health boards provide NHS treatment for all assisted and surrogate pregnancies is not available centrally. It is for individual health boards to decide whether to purchase high technology infertility procedures and surrogate pregnancy services.
Waste Disposal
Mrs. Ray Michie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list the number of landfill sites by district council; [18277]
- (2) if he will list by district council area, the number of tonnes of special waste arising and deposits for each of the last four years; [18281]
(3) if he will list, for each year, for the last four years, by district council area, the number of tonnes of special waste arising (a) within the district and deposited within the district, (b) within the district and exported out of the district and (c) outside the district and deposited within the district. [18276]
Mr. Kynoch: Data on waste management in Scotland are published in the Scottish Office Statistical Bulletin, "Waste Collection, Disposal and Regulation Statistical".
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The most recent issue of this document, containing data for 1993, was published in December 1995. A copy is in the House Library.
Table B18 of the bulletin shows the number of waste management facilities by district and islands councils. Landfill operations form the bulk of these numbers but are not specifically identified. Of the 1,054 licences and resolutions in table B18, a total of 635 were associated with landfills--458 licences and 177 resolutions.
Table B9 of the bulletin shows the quantity of special waste arisings and deposits in Scotland for 1993. Corresponding information for 1992 is detailed in table B9 of the 1992 bulletin, a copy of which is in the House Library. There is no district level information available before 1992. Table A2.2 of the 1993 bulletin provides a time series of data over the five-year period 1989 to 1993 for the total quantities of special waste arising, imported, exported and retained in Scotland. Table B22 of the 1993 bulletin and table B21 of the 1992 bulletin also contain relevant information on special waste.
Mrs. Ray Michie:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what was the percentage of household waste recycled for each year in Scotland over the past five years; and if he will make a statement regarding the target of recycling 25 per cent. of all household waste by the end of the century; [18279]
Mr. Kynoch:
The table shows the reported rate of household waste collected for recycling over the four-year period 1990 to 1993 in the form of a percentage of all household waste.
(2) which Scottish local authorities currently operate recycling schemes; and what was the expenditure for each. [18280]
| Household waste collected for recycling (percentage of all household waste) | |
|---|---|
| 1989 | No data |
| 1990 | 2.5 |
| 1991 | 3.3 |
| 1992 | 3.9 |
| 1993 | 4.1 |
As regards the target of recycling 25 per cent. of all household waste in the UK by the end of the century, it should be noted that provision of local recycling facilities is a matter for local authorities and the private and voluntary sectors. The Government's initiative on producer responsibility for waste packaging will play a key role in developing local infrastructure and encouraging higher rates of recycling, together with other factors, such as the rising costs of waste disposal, including the proposed landfill tax, and improved markets for secondary raw materials.
There are recycling activities in all district and islands councils areas. There are no current data available on expenditure relating to these schemes.
6 Mar 1996 : Column: 267
Mrs. Ray Michie:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to seek a Europe-wide agreement on the use of monofilament nets; and if he will make a statement. [18287]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson:
The Government have no plans to seek such an agreement, but I have written to the European Commission to notify it of our proposal to allow a derogation for the carriage of large-mesh monofilament nets in Scottish waters.
Mrs. Ray Michie:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures he will be taking to ensure that lifting the ban on the use of large mesh monofilament nets by Scottish boats will not conflict with Government commitments to the conservation of marine wildlife under the agreement on conservation of small cetaceans in the Baltic and North seas, the European Union wild birds directive (79/409/EEC) and the European Union habitats directive (92/43/EEC); and if he will make a statement. [18286]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson:
Arrangements for monitoring by-catches of marine mammals are already in place and will be extended to any large mesh monofilament nets that are used. These nets are unlikely to pose a threat to marine bird species as we expect the nets to be bottom set in deep water.
Mr. McFall:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland for what length of time Pearsons has been the principal legal advisers to the Forestry Commission; and for how long he estimates this relationship will be maintained. [18566]
Mr. Kynoch:
Pearsons has provided legal services to the Forestry Commission in Scotland for some 70 years. The Commission recently invited tenders for this work and has appointed another firm of solicitors with effect from 1 April.
Mrs. Liddell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what funds are being made available to further education colleges for the administration costs that will be incurred from the transfer of responsibility for bursary administration from local authorities. [18615]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson:
Following consultation with local authorities and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, £45 million was transferred from the aggregate external finance settlement to fund the provision of further education bursaries in colleges in Scotland in 1996-97. This settlement is based on historic trends of local authority expenditure and includes an element to reflect administrative costs.
Mrs. Liddell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what transfer arrangements have been made for bursary administration staff in local authorities in respect of the transfer of this function to further education colleges. [18614]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson:
It is the responsibility of each college's board of management to determine its staffing requirements for this new responsibility. The
6 Mar 1996 : Column: 268
Association of Scottish Colleges has encouraged its members to ensure that local authorities and their bursary staff are made aware of opportunities as they arise. Liaison has also been maintained with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.
Mrs. Ewing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many patients were registered with NHS dental practices in (a) 1980, (b) 1985, (c) 1990 and (d) 1995, showing this as a percentage of the population of Scotland. [17986]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton:
Registration of patients with a dentist was introduced in October 1990. Patients are registered with an individual dentist, not a dental practice. The information requested is in the table.
| Year(3) | Number of registered patients at 31 December | Registered patients as a percentage of population |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 812,057 | 15.9 |
| 1995 | 2,649,100 | 51.7 |
(3) Registration was introduced only from October 1990.
Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many dental practices in Scotland have accepted new NHS patients in 1993, 1994 and 1995. [17987]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: No information is held on dental practices. General dental practitioners are independent contractors who are free to decide whether to offer NHS treatment to each individual patient. The table shows the number of individual dentists who accepted new NHS patients or NHS patients on referral during each of the years in question.
| Dentists | |
|---|---|
| 1993 | 1,749 |
| 1994 | 1,773 |
| 1995 | 1,799 |
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