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Clydesbank College

Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what basis he reduced the budget of Clydebank college in the current year. [24034]

Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: Formula funding aims to increase student participation on a cost-effective basis whilst maintaining quality. It rewards colleges which have been most successful in reducing unit costs and attracting and retaining students. The reduction in 1996-97 was largely due to the college's failure to attract additional students. The setting of the college budget is undertaken by the college board of management.

Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the financial position of Clydebank college. [24035]

Mr. Robertson: The latest audited accounts to 31 March 1995 show that Clydebank college had a deficit since incorporation of £70,000. In addition a deficit of £235,000 was inherited from pre-incorporation. Officials are in dialogue with college management over their plans to address its financial position.

Further Education Budget

Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the strategic aim of his method of calculating the further education budget in terms of increasing skill levels in Scotland. [24036]

Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: The aim is to increase student participation on a cost-effective basis, while maintaining quality, and thus increase the skills levels and economic competitiveness of Scotland.

Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what account he takes of levels of local unemployment in allocating budgets to further education colleges. [24037]

Mr. Robertson: None, as investigation has shown this not to be a significant factor in determining the total costs of colleges. Colleges delivered 6 per cent. more student activity between 1993-94 and 1994-95. Higher levels of student activity are enhancing employment prospects.

Inward Investment

Sir Hector Monro: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the name and location of new industries that have been attracted to Scotland by Locate in Scotland during the last 12 months. [24282]

3 Apr 1996 : Column: 275

Mr. Michael Forsyth: All our dealings with inward investors are undertaken on a commercially confidential basis and we do not therefore publish details of individual projects except in cases where details of the project have been announced by the company itself. The following table contains details of the new projects attracted to Scotland which have been the subject of public announcements since April 1995. A number of inward investors have of course also announced plans to expand their existing facilities in Scotland.

Date of announcement	Company	Location
April 1995	Birkbys Plastics Ltd.	Glenrothes
April 1995	Patrol Manufacturing	Glasgow
June 1995	Selfcare Inc.	Inverness
July 1995	MAN Truck and Bus UK Ltd.	Bellshill
July 1995	PET Processors LLC	Dumfries
July 1995	Canon (UK) Ltd.	Glenrothes
August 1995	British Gas	Edinburgh
August 1995	National Australia Group	Clydebank
August 1995	BT	Motherwell
September 1995	Precision Tube Technology	Peterhead
September 1995	Bi-Link Metal Specialities	Cumbernauld
October 1995	Lexmark International	Rosyth
November 1995	Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd.	Mossend
November 1995	Motorola	East Kilbride
November 1995	Foxconn UK Ltd.	Erskine
February 1996	DuPont	Hamilton

Computers

Mr. David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the problem of non-recognition by computers of the year 2000 with regard to his Department's computers and those for which it is responsible. [24403]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The Scottish Office is taking steps to ensure that administrative computer systems for which it is responsible will recognise the year 2000 and will continue to process information properly.

Waste Minimisation

Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on progress in establishing an office waste minimisation strategy for his Department, indicating the targets set. [24500]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The Scottish Office is introducing an environmental management system based on the British Standard BS7750 for its largest building at Victoria quay in Edinburgh. As part of the system waste minimisation targets will be set and introduced as appropriate across the remainder of the estate. The initial review for the system has been completed and data collected in order to develop waste minimisation targets by the end of 1996.

Scottish Agricultural Science Agency

Mr. Gallie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the performance of the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency against targets for 1995-96 and the setting of its targets for 1996-97. [24978]

3 Apr 1996 : Column: 276

Mr. Michael Forsyth: The agency is on course to meet the Commons targets for 1995-96 which my predecessor set out in his answer of 9 February 1995, Official Report, columns 359-60.

For 1996-97 I have set the agency the following key performance targets:

fulfilment of the service level agreement with the Scottish Office agriculture, environment and fisheries department within the running costs voted to the agency for 1996-97;


recovery of full economic costs for charged services;


continuation of the programme of consultation of all major customers on the quality of the work done by the agency;


completion of 92 per cent. of all scientific tests and analyses within the timescale set by customers; and


improvement in the unit of the scientific work of the agency (cost per direct scientist hour).

Air Pollution

Mr. Gallie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the 1996-97 charging scheme for local air pollution control in Scotland under part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. [25181]

Mr. Kynoch: Charges to cover the costs of local enforcing authorities in regulating processes which are subject to part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 were introduced in Scotland in April 1992.

With the approval of the Treasury, and following consultation with local authority associations and industry, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland has made a revised scheme specifying the scale of fees and charges to take effect from 31 March 1996. From 1 April, the new Scottish Environment Protection Agency has taken over the regulation of these processes.

The main changes are that the standard application fee is increased by £25 to £1,015, the application fee for a former Alkali Act works is reduced to £300, the substantial change fee is increased by £15 to £650, and the annual subsistence charge is increased by £20 to £625.

The scheme has today been laid before both Houses of Parliament and a copy placed in the Libraries.

Environmentally Sensitive Areas

Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to review the workings of the environmentally sensitive area agri-environment scheme in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [23016]

Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 1 April 1996]: All aspects of the workings of the environmentally sensitive area scheme are kept under review.

Abattoirs (Hygiene Standards)

Mr. McLeish: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent assessment he has made of the hygiene standards in Scottish abattoirs. [24444]

Mr. Raymond S. Robertson [holding answer 2 April 1996]: I understand that my right hon. and learned Friend, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked the chief executive of the Meat Hygiene Service to reply to the hon. Member direct. The Meat Hygiene Service operates across Great Britain and is accountable to the British Agriculture Ministers jointly.

3 Apr 1996 : Column: 277

Self-catering Properties (Rateable Value)

Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what account is taken of (a) wages of the spouse of proprietor, (b) self-employed national insurance contributions, (c) pension contributions of the proprietor and spouse of proprietor and (d) turnover in assessment of the rateable value of self-catering properties; [24260]

(2) if he will list the criteria used in the assessment of the rateable value of self-catering premises. [24266]

Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 2 April 1996]: Valuation for rating in Scotland is the responsibility of either the council or valuation joint board assessor as appropriate. In carrying out this function assessors are entirely independent of both local and central Government and reach their decisions in accordance with statute and case law.

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