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Ms Roseanna Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what sums from public funds have been given to the Atholl estate in the form of (a) non-agricultural grants and (b) loans since 1979; and if he will make a statement. [36735]
Mr. Kynoch [holding answer 11 July 1996]: Fully comprehensive information is not held centrally and some information may be commercially sensitive. However, three important areas of support to the estate have come from the Forestry Commission, Scottish Natural Heritage and Historic Scotland. In the case of SNH and Historic Scotland, full information on grant payments is published in their annual reports and is thus available to those who are interested.
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Mr. Gallie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the prior option review of the Rowett research institute. [39665]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: The Government's response to the report of the multidepartmental efficiency scrutiny of public sector research establishments announced a series of prior option reviews. As part of this series the Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department will conduct a prior options review of the Rowett research institute.
The review will address whether the research conducted at the Rowett continues to be needed, whether it requires public funding, the relationship of the Rowett to others working in similar or related areas of science, and the potential for privatisation or rationalisation.
I would welcome comments from interested parties. They should be sent by 30 September to:
Mr. Kirkwood:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those areas in the Scottish borders area sold by the Forestry Commission in 1996. [37995]
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Mr. Kynoch
[holding answer 18 July 1996]: The subject of the question relates to matters undertaken by Forest Enterprise. I have asked its chief executive, Mr. Gordon Cowie, to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Gordon M. Cowie to Mr. Archy Kirkwood, dated 23 July 1996:
Mr. Salmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what tonnage of fishing vessels and what number of fishing vessels in Scotland have been (a) permanently reassigned for purposes other than fishing in the waters of the European Community and (b) permanently transferred to a third country since 1993; how many of these would have been covered under article 8 of European Council regulations 3699/93; and if he will make a statement. [38243]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
[holding answer 19 July 1996]: No record is kept of the destination of vessels leaving the fleet without Government assistance. Under the Fishing Vessels (Decommissioning) Schemes 1993 to 1996, no decommissioned vessels were either permanently reassigned for purposes other than fishing in the waters of the European Community or permanently transferred to a third country.
Mr. Salmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received concerning the option of including permanent transfer of a fishing vessel to a third country or permanent reassignment for purposes other than fishing in waters of the European Community in the United Kingdom's decommissioning scheme; and if he will make a statement. [38244]
Mr. Robertson
[holding answer 19 July 1996]: A number of organisations made representations to the Scottish Office about fishing vessel decommissioning in response to a consultation document issued on 14 March. Some of these included support for the disposal of decommissioned vessels by methods other than scrapping. Similar representations were also received about previous schemes.
Under Council regulation (EEC) No. 3699/93, each member state is responsible for ensuring that vessels decommissioned with assistance from the Community's financial instrument of fisheries guidance do not re-enter its own fishing fleet or the fleet of any other member state. It has not been possible to develop transfer or reassignment mechanisms in the UK which would guarantee this. Under the Fishing Vessels (Decommissioning) Scheme 1996, the requirement therefore remains that most decommissioned vessels in
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the UK be scrapped, although there is a provision allowing vessels to be transferred in a seaworthy state to registered museums.
Mr. David Shaw:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated impact on the public sector unfunded pension liability of the recent proposals from each of the public sector pay review bodies. [36350]
Mr. Jack:
Recent proposals from review bodies have not contained this information. The Government Actuary's Department periodically reassesses the accrued unfunded pensions liabilities of public service schemes taking account of movements in pay, other economic variables and changes in demographic features. However, these liabilities cannot readily be broken down according to review body.
Mr. Shaw:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a ready reckoner of the change in unfunded pension liabilities caused by salary changes in ¼ per cent. increments between ¼ per cent. and 10 per cent. on the basis of current levels of inflation and discount rates. [36340]
Mr. Jack:
Each 1 per cent. rise in pay above the level of price inflation is estimated to increase the cash equivalent transfer value of unfunded pension liabilities in public service pension schemes by about £700 million. These additional liabilities will become payable over a lengthy period reflecting particularly the span of years over which existing staff reach retirement age and the period of years over which their pensions are payable.
Mr. Barry Field:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total annual expenditure of his Department in respect of the Isle of Wight, including expenditure on administration. [36918]
Mr. Waldegrave:
Information is not held centrally about how much Government expenditure is for the benefit of particular counties. However, a regional breakdown is available in "Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses", Cm3201. Information could be collected from other Government Departments only at disproportionate cost.
Mrs. Ann Winterton:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what factors account for the interval in publication between the next edition of "Abortion Statistics, England and Wales" (series AB No. 19) and its predecessors. [36899]
Mrs. Angela Knight:
The edition "1992 Abortion Statistics, England and Wales (series AB No. 19)" was published on 30 March 1995. The Office for National Statistics publishes on average, one edition a year. The present target dates for each edition are 12 to 18 months from the end of the period covered. Publication dates are determined by the time required for the receipt of HSA4 notification forms by the chief medical officers at the
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Department of Health and the Welsh Office, and the statistical processing and analyses of the notifications by the ONS in preparation for their subsequent publication.
The key principle of ONS policy on the release of statistical data is that data are released as early as possible.
Mr. Nigel Griffiths:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will act to limit the commission charged by organisations that cash housing benefit cheques for claimants. [37172]
Mrs. Angela Knight:
Housing benefit claimants do not need to use cheque encashment centres. Local authorities--who are responsible for the payment of this benefit--have powers to make alternative arrangements to ensure that claimants who do not have bank accounts receive its full value. For example, payment can be made by Girocheque which can be cashed at a post office; local authorities can use their own cash offices to cash cheques; or benefit can be paid direct to the landlord.
Mr. Griffiths:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review the procedures for cashing cheques by organisations which are not banks. [37170]
Mrs. Knight:
These are matters for the cheque cashing centres and the banks who offer them cheque clearing facilities.
Mr. Griffiths:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will investigate organisations which cash cheques for housing benefit claimants and make recommendations to tackle fraud and abuses. [37171]
Mrs. Knight:
Local authorities are responsible for the payment of housing benefits. Those which are concerned about organisations which cash cheques for housing benefit claimants have powers to make alternative arrangements to ensure that claimants without bank accounts receive the full value of their benefit by other means. For example, payment can be made by Girocheque which can be cashed at a post office; local authorities can use their own cash offices to cash cheques; or benefits can be paid direct to the landlord.
Mrs. B. McGee
The Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department
Pentland House
47 Robb's Loan
EDINBURGH
EH14 1TY
The Secretary of State for Scotland has asked me to reply to your Question about the areas sold by the Forestry Commission, in 1996, in the Scottish Borders Area.
There have been no plantation sales completed, in the Borders Council Area, so far in 1996.
However, there is one plantation, Priesthaugh measuring 787 ha, currently with our Solicitors awaiting legal completion and another, Edgarhope measuring 143.5 ha, with Agents for marketing.
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