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SCOTLAND
Government Borrowing Requirement
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the share for Scotland of the United Kingdom's general Government borrowing requirement for each year from 1979-80 to 1994-95 expressed in 1996-97 prices. [1365]
Mr. Waldegrave [holding answer 31 October 1996]: I have been asked to reply.
Approximate estimates of the general Government borrowing requirement for Scotland in 1993-94 and 1994-95 are published in the "Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland" annual report. Figures for the complete period back to 1979-80 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Firearms
Mr. Gallie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many offences involving the discharge of a firearm took place in each year in Scotland since 1966;[4351]
- (2) how many offences involving the carrying of a firearm took place in each year in Scotland since 1966.[4352]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Detailed statistics on offences involving firearms in Scotland have been collected since 1978. The following table provides the available information:
| Number of offences in which a firearm was alleged to have been used | Number of offences in which a firearm was alleged to have been fired | |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 492 | 388 |
| 1979 | 682 | 564 |
| 1980 | 1,093 | 939 |
| 1981 | 1,314 | 1,150 |
| 1982 | 1,283 | 1,058 |
| 1983 | 1,336 | 1,081 |
| 1984 | 1,353 | 1,110 |
| 1985 | 1,675 | 1,352 |
| 1986 | 1,525 | 1,189 |
| 1987 | 1,429 | 1,084 |
| 1988 | 1,159 | 843 |
| 1989 | 1,479 | 1,001 |
| 1990 | 1,495 | 1,072 |
| 1991 | 1,921 | 1,191 |
| 1992 | 1,959 | 1,170 |
| 1993 | 1,773 | 1,057 |
| 1994 | 1,788 | 1,052 |
| 1995 | 1,715 | 1,219 |
Mr. Gallie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many handgun licences have been registered in each year in Scotland since 1966; [4353]
- (2) how many handgun licences are currently registered in Scotland. [4354]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Information on the number of firearms certificates on issue allowing the holder to possess a handgun is not routinely collected by the Scottish Office. Individual certificates are
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administered by police forces. Although annual statistical returns are made, there is no routine collection of the number of firearms certificates which allow the holder to possess a handgun. A special exercise was, however, conducted recently which showed that, at the beginning of 1996, approximately 3,230 firearms certificates current in Scotland allowed the holder to possess a handgun.
Further information on this matter is available at annexe A, table 7, of the Government's submission to Lord Cullen's inquiry into the shootings at Dunblane primary school, a copy of which is available in the Library.
Fisheries Assistance
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many applications he has received since 1 July 1994 for financial assistance under the financial instrument for fisheries guidance from (a) Orkney and (b) Shetland; how many have been approved; and what is their grant value. [4847]
Mr. Michael Forsyth: Since 1 July 1994, the Scottish Office has received 18 applications from Orkney, of which 13 were awarded grant aid totalling £1.173 million, and 37 applications from Shetland, of which 13 were awarded a total of £0.987 million.
Four applications from Orkney and eight from Shetland are currently being considered for grant in the next round of awards.
Resource Accounting
Mr. Tim Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress (a) his and (b) the Lord Advocate's Department is making with the introduction of resource accounting and budgeting; and, in each case, in respect of which financial year he expects to publish the first set of resource accounts. [4997]
Mr. James Douglas-Hamilton: The Scottish Office commissioned a new accounting system on 1 April 1996 capable of handling accruals accounting. Good progress is being made on introducing accounting for fixed assets, and on attaching expenditure to objectives, as required by schedule 5 to the proposed accounts, and the Scottish Office will be introducing its resource accounting system during 1997-98.
The Lord Advocate's Department, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, will be introducing its resource accounting system in April 1998.
Both Departments in common with others, are preparing to implement resource budgeting in time to form the basis for the year 2000 survey. As set out in Cm 2929 the first published resource accounts for the Departments and all other Departments will be in respect of 1999-2000.
Mr. Barnes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 17 October, Official Report, column 1142, when he will supply the information requested. [5658]
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Lord James Douglas-Hamilton:
I wrote to the hon. Member on Tuesday 19 November 1996.
Sir Hector Monro:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much European structural fund assistance has recently been awarded to the Dumfries and Galloway objective 5b area; and if he will make a statement. [5717]
Mr. Michael Forsyth:
I am pleased to announce that on 14 November, I approved a further £5 million of European funding to 54 projects in the Dumfries and Galloway 5b area.
In total, some £25 million of the available funds have now been committed to projects in the area, which are targeted at promoting economic development. This will be matched by funding from local project sponsors and will deliver over £50 million worth of investment.
Sir Hector Monro:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he intends formally to issue the guidance that he is required to give to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency under section 31 of the Environment Act 1995. [5718]
Mr. Michael Forsyth:
A draft of the guidance which I am required under section 31 of the Environment Act 1995 to give to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on its objectives, including the contribution it is to make towards the achievement of sustainable development, has been laid before the House for the required period of 40 sitting days. This guidance is being issued to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency today.
I am also formally issuing to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency a management statement which summarises Ministers' aims and objectives for the agency, its duties, powers and responsibilities, and its relationship with Ministers, Government Departments and other bodies.
An explanatory document which restates the principles of sustainable development, provides non statutory guidance on particular functions and offers a commentary on the agency's duty to take account of likely costs and benefits is also being provided to the agency.
Copies of these documents are being placed in the Library.
Mr. Bayley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how much money the Forestry Commission (a) received from the sale of land and (b) spent on acquiring land in each financial year since 1980-81; and how much it is forecast to (i) receive and (ii) spend on the sale and acquisition of land in the current financial year; [2893]
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Mr. Kynoch
[holding answer 13 November 1996]: The subjects of the questions relate to matters undertaken by Forest Enterprise. I have asked its chief executive, Mr. Gordon Cowie, to arrange for a reply to be given.
(2) how many hectares of land were (a) bought and (b) sold by the Forestry Commission in each financial year since 1980-81; and how many are forecast to be (i) bought and (ii) sold for each region in Scotland and county in England and Wales in the current financial year. [2894]
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