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Statistics

Mr. Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which statistics his Department has discontinued (a) the collection and (b) the publication of since 1989. [32860]

Mr. Clappison: The main statistical series discontinued since 1989 are as follows:

(a) Collections
Housing
Local authority housing schemes
Proposals to acquire land
Tender stage--new build; environmental improvement; renovation above/below threshold
Practical completions--new build; renovation above threshold.
Tenders accepted for local authority housebuilding/renovation of local authority stock condition.
General improvement areas (GIA)
Housing action areas (HAA)
Declaration of GIA or HAA
Right to repair
Housebuilding by police authority
Homes Insulation scheme
Local authority insulation activity
Old style home improvement grants
Land use
Land use change statistics for Wales and Scotland
(b) Publication
Housing
Loans for house purchase made by insurance companies (no longer collected independently)
Land Use
In this year's publication programme the following district level series will be dropped (still available at regional and national level).
Section 78 planning appeals against refusal
Appeal against enforcement notices by district planning authorities
Listed building and conservation area consent enforcement appeals by region.

Water Byelaws

Mrs. Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) when he will complete the consultation over the revision to water byelaws; and when he plans to put draft regulations to replace water byelaws before the House; [33376]

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(2) if he will list the areas covered by the consultation over revising water byelaws; [33377]

(3) if he has required a proposed water conservation target to be included in his revision of water byelaws;[33378]

(4) if he will list the members of the Water Regulation Advisory Committee looking into the replacement of water byelaws. [33379]

Mr. Clappison: My Department issued a consultation document on the general arrangements for replacement of the water byelaws in January 1995. In the light of the comments received, I announced on 26 March the establishment of a Water Regulations Advisory Committee, whose membership I hope to announce shortly.

Regulations to replace the water byelaws will deal with the prevention of contamination, waste, undue consumption and misuse of water in premises. They are expected to include requirements on water usage by fittings and appliances.

There will be a further consultation on draft proposals, the timing of which will be determined in the light of advice from WRAC, which will also be asked to advise on the extension of the current water byelaws.

SCOTLAND

European Union Flag

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what instructions were issued to his Department's offices and agencies in respect of flying the European Union flag on 8 May; and if he will make a statement. [31510]

Mr. Michael Forsyth: I asked officials to make sure that the European flag did not fly on 8 May.

Development Corporations

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the amount spent by each development corporation in Scotland in supporting housing associations or co-operatives within their areas in each of the last three years; and if he will list the bodies and the amounts they have received. [32229]

Mr. Kynoch: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 July 1995, Official Report, columns 1525-26, which provides the only information held centrally on the expenditure incurred by the former development corporations in East Kilbride and Glenrothes.

The up-to-date information for the other corporations still in existence is set out in the table.

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Development corporation	Housing association	Amount	Financial year
		£
Cumbernauld	Abronhill	10,500	1993-94
Irvine	Irvine	127,413	1993-94
		181,661	1994-95
		(3)-2,837	1995-96
Livingston	Almond	83,672	1993-94
		(3)-15,467	1994-95

(3) These figures are after deduction of Scottish Homes' contributions of £24,737 to Irvine development corporation and £24,140 to Livingston development corporation in these years.

Scottish Homes (Former Chairman)

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the terms of the financial settlement

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made to Sir James Mellon, the former chairman of Scottish Homes, following his departure from this position. [32546]

Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: Sir James Mellon's appointment as chairman of Scottish Homes expired on 31 March 1996. There was no financial settlement following his departure.

Wheelchairs

Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many powered indoor/outdoor wheelchairs have been provided to patients and other users by each of the health boards since 1992; and if he will make a statement. [32706]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Information in the form requested by the hon. Member is not held centrally. However, the number of powered indoor and indoor/outdoor wheelchairs issued by each providing centre during the period 1992 to 1995--the latest period for which figures are available--is shown:

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	Aberdeen		Dundee		Glasgow		Inverness		Edinburgh
	Indoor	Indoor/ outdoor	Indoor	Indoor/ outdoor	Indoor	Indoor/ outdoor	Indoor	Indoor/ outdoor	Indoor	Indoor/ outdoor	Total indoor	Total in/ outdoor
1992-93	88	0	46	2	211	35	0	0	55	29	400	66
1993-94	60	30	39	33	376	206	7	15	61	27	543	311
1994-95	58	46	89	62	460	438	26	14	89	29	722	589

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In the last three years, special funding totalling £2,775,000 has been made available for the provision of powered indoor/outdoor wheelchairs. The scheme has been extended and from 1 April 1996 funding is included in allocations to health boards.

Council Tax

Mr. Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what powers he has under sections 72, 74 and 80 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 to alter the valuation list bands for dwellings; and if he will use those powers to alter the council tax liability of residents of mobile homes. [33045]

Mr. Kynoch: My right hon. Friend has powers under section 74 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 to alter the valuation bands for dwellings by order. My right hon. Friend has, however, no plans to make such an order.

Primary School Class Sizes

Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many children in primary school in Scotland are being taught in classes of more than 30 in the current year; and how many there were in each of the last five years; [32952]

(2) how many primary classes in Scotland contain more than 30 children, in the current year; and how many there were in each of the last five years; [32953]

Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: Information on class sizes is collected biennially in the September school census. The available information is given in the table.

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Education authority primary schools

	September 1991	September 1993
Number of primary pupils in classes over 30	72,202	74,894
Percentage of primary pupils	16.4	17.1
Number of primary classes with more than 30 pupils	2,239	2,341
Percentage of primary classes	12.5	13.2

Scottish Court Service

Sir Hector Monro: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what targets he has set the Scottish Court Service for 1996-97. [33702]

Mr. Michael Forsyth: Following consultation with the Lord President of the Court of Session and the sheriffs principal, I have set the following key performance targets for the Scottish Court Service for 1996-97:

1. That no cases should fall as a result of the statutory time limits being breached.
2. Targets for Waiting Periods
85 per cent. of diets allocated in the Court of Session within waiting periods set by the Lord President;
80 per cent. of criminal and justiciary appeals allocated to a roll within waiting periods set by the Lord Justice General;
80 per cent. of sheriff courts to report summary criminal waiting periods agreed with the sheriffs principal, currently 12 weeks;
90 per cent. of sheriff courts to report waiting periods between request for ordinary civil proof or debate and diet agreed with the sheriffs principal, currently 12 weeks;
80 per cent. of sheriff courts reporting lack of time adjournments at 5 per cent. or lower.

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3. Targets for quality of service and provision
to achieve 95 per cent. of the standards for administrative business in the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary set by the Lord President/Lord Justice General;
95 per cent. of sheriff courts to achieve the overall standards for administrative business agreed with sheriffs principal;
80 per cent. of courthouses to meet the "coming to court" standards set out in the justice charter for Scotland.
4. Cost and efficiency
staff, accommodation and administrative costs to be kept within £1,020 per court sitting day;
70 per cent. of the total costs of civil business in the Court of Session and in the sheriff courts to be recovered through fee income.

Full details of the performance measures, including the agreed waiting periods, administrative standards and "coming to court" standards are set out in the Scottish Court Service framework document. Details of performance in 1995-96 will be published in the Scottish Court Service's first annual report.

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