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Ministerial Advisers
Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the annual costs of the (a) salaries, (b) secretarial support and (c) accommodation and travelling expenses for his two advisers; and if he will make a statement. [25490]
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 16 April 1996]: I refer the hon Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Dundee, East (Mr. Brown) on 18 December 1995 Official Report, column 818. The salary levels have increased by 2.7 per cent. since that reply.
Secretarial support is provided by one secretary in London and one in Edinburgh. It is not our practice to divulge individual salaries, but the average cost of a personal secretary in the Scottish Office is £17,247--salary plus national insurance plus superannuation.
Accommodation costs are not separately identified as they form part of the overall Scottish Office charges.
The annual travel and subsistence charge for a special adviser is estimated at £9,000.
Mrs. Ewing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the Scottish Office expenditure (a) in cash terms and (b) at current prices on (i) the Health Care International hospital in Clydebank and (ii) developing the land. [25421]
Mr. Kynoch
[holding answer 16 April 1996]: The Scottish Office itself paid £18.6 million in regional selective assistance--of which £1 million was subsequently recovered--to Health Care International (Scotland) Ltd (HCI). The company also, however, received other support from public funds. In addition, the Scottish Development Agency and Scottish Enterprise incurred expenditure on physical works not specific to HCI to render the relevant site safe and capable of development as part of the Clydebank enterprise zone.
| Direct Support | £ | Month disbursed | £ (at March 1996 prices) |
|---|---|---|---|
| (i) Shares | |||
| Class A Ordinary Shares bought from Scottish Enterprise | 500 | July 1991 | 566 |
| Class A Preference shares bought by Scottish Development Agency converted from development loan advanced 1987 | 50,000 | October 198773,615 | |
| Scottish Development Agency: release towards consultants' fees | 1,285,302 | January 1988-July 1991 | 1,640,016 |
| Scottish Enterprise: final purchase July 1991 | 64,698 | July 1991 | 73,257 |
| GE Capital position taken over by Scottish Enterprise | |||
| Ordinary Shares | 1,107 | £3 million, March 1992 | 1,227 |
| Preference Shares | 5,500,000 | £2.501 million, April 1992 | 6,003,242 |
| Interest and Fees | 503,804 | August 1993 | 540,172 |
| Less: Disposal to British Aerospace plc | (5,501,107) | (August 1993) | (5,898,215) |
| (ii) Loans and Grant | |||
| LEG-UP Loan (Scottish Development Agency/Scottish Enterprise) | 4,000,000 | March 1994 | 4,252,632 |
| Regional Selective Assistance Grant (Scottish office Industry Department) | 18.600,000 | (7)[December 1991 to September 1994] | 20,101,449 |
| (iii) Physical Works-Specific to HCI | |||
| Value of Land | 900,000 | July 1991 | 1,010,058 |
| Scottish Enterprise Contribution | 500,000 | March 1992 | 554,133 |
| Dunbartonshire Enterprise Contribution | 1,600,000 | October 1991-March 1992 | 1,784,540 |
| (iv) Other Support | |||
| Dunbartonshire Enterprise Training and part running costs Healthcare Liaison Office | 108,500 | [from financial year 1992-1993 to financial year 1994-1995: not readily attributable to particular dates]115,775 | |
| Total direct support | 27,612,804 | £30,261,467 | |
| Physical Works not Specific to HCI | |||
| Scottish Development Agency: Site Works | 6,700,000 | February 1988-December 1989 | 9,113,538 |
| Scottish Enterprise: Additional Asbestos and Methane treatment | 2,700,000 | March 1992-June 1994: £2 million; June 1994-January 1996; £0.5 million; £0.2 million retention not yet paid out2,867,620 | |
| Total for physical works not specific to HCI | £9,400,000 | £11,981,158 |
(7) December 1991: £2 million; April 1992; £2 million; December 1992: £4 million; April 1993; £4 million, October 1993; £3 million; February 1994; £1.3 million; February 1994; £1.3 million; September 1994: £1 million (this final payment was subsequently recovered).
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21 May 1996 : Column: 153
Employees' Rights
Ms Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what provision is available to employees of his Department for (a) maternity leave, (b) maternity pay, (c) paternity leave, (d) parental leave, (e) flexible working hours, (f) part-time work, (g) job sharing, (h) leave to care for sick children, (i) home-working (j) term-time contracts, (k) annual hours contracts, (l) workplace nurseries, (m) child care allowances, (n) carers' leave and (o) career break schemes; and what criteria are used to judge eligibility in each case. [27574]
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 7 May 1996]: The executive agencies under the control of my Department have available, for employees, all of the provisions listed with the exception of (d) parental leave and (m) childcare allowances. The criteria used to judge eligibility are as provided in the Scottish Office staff
21 May 1996 : Column: 154
handbook, a copy of which will be placed in the House of Commons Library, and in Scottish Office management staff notices.
Employees in the Scottish Court Service have available all the provisions listed with the exception of (l) workplace nurseries and (o) career break schemes. The Scottish Prison Service has available all the provisions listed with the exception of (d) parental leave, (j) term-time contracts, (k) annual hours contracts, (l) workplace nurseries and (m) childcare allowances.
Ms Jowell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what provision is available to employees of executive agencies under the control of his Department for (a) maternity leave, (b) maternity pay, (c) paternity leave, (d) parental leave, (e) flexible working hours, (f) part-time work, (g) job sharing, (h) leave to care for sick children, (i) home-working, (j) term-time contracts,
21 May 1996 : Column: 155
(k) annual hours contracts, (l) workplace nurseries, (m) child care allowances, (n) carers' leave and (o) career break schemes; and what criteria are used to judge eligibility in each case. [27575]
Mr. Michael Forsyth
[holding answer 7 May 1996]: My Department has available, for employees, all of the provisions listed with the exception of (d) parental leave and (m) child care allowances. The criteria used to judge eligibility are as provided in the Scottish Office staff handbook, a copy of which will be placed in the House of Commons Library, and in Scottish Office management staff notices.
Mr. Wallace:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent in each of the last five financial years by islands and former district councils in Scotland on (a) improvement and (b) repair grants. [28594]
Mr. Michael Forsyth:
The information requested is set out in the table.
| Year | (a) Improvement grant(8) | (b) Repair grant |
|---|---|---|
| 1990-91 | 56,261 | 42,604 |
| 1991-92 | 69,181 | 44,216 |
| 1992-93 | 72,431 | 38,349 |
| 1993-94 | 67,127 | 33,793 |
| 1994-95 | 50,985 | 27,934 |
| Total | 315,986 | 186,896 |
(8) Includes amounts for standard and conversion grants.
Fishing Vessels
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what changes in the eligibility criteria resulted from the 1995 Fishing Vessels (Safety Improvements) (Grant) Scheme 1995; and if he will make a statement. [29176]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson [holding answer 13 May 1996]: Engines and other machinery for propelling the vessel and any items of a structural nature, including stability work, are now specifically excluded from grant under the Fishing Vessels (Safety Improvements) (Grants) Schemes 1995.
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