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Maximum Security Prisons

Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on the decision on whether to build a super-max prison; and if he will make a statement. [10782]

Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 13 January 1997]: The Prison Service carried out a feasibility study of the Learmont recommendations that new prisons should be built to house the most dangerous and difficult to control prisoners in the system. Ministers are considering the study. Any decision will hinge on the assessment of the costs and benefits of concentration. A move towards concentration would represent a fundamental change in penal policy and there will therefore need to be a very careful examination of the options.

SCOTLAND

Electricity Interconnector

Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he received the reply from Scottish Power to his intimation that he was minded to approve the electricity interconnector to Northern Ireland subject to undergrounding of certain sections; what other representations he has received since this intimation; when he expects to make a final decision on the application; and if he will make a statement. [11436]

Mr. Kynoch: My right hon. Friend received Scottish Power's comments on 20 December 1996. Comments were also submitted by 22 other interested parties. My right hon. Friend is currently considering all these representations and will announce his final decision in due course.

Mental Handicap Services

Mr. Nigel Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what arrangements are being made concerning the transfer of funds from mental handicap hospitals that are closed to mental handicap community services; who is responsible for determining these arrangements; and what mechanisms there are to ensure that the funds released continue to be used for mental handicap community services; [11324]

(2) what steps are being taken to ensure that funds transferred from Gogarburn hospital to alternative services in the community will continue in perpetuity to be used for the benefit of people with a learning disability. [11325]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The size and timing of resource transfers from the NHS to local authorities and others are matters for local determination following joint local needs assessments.

23 Jan 1997 : Column: 739

Where hospital closures are proposed, the agencies involved are charged with ensuring that replacement care and support services appropriate to needs are in place and available before any closure is made.

Resources transferred from health boards to local authorities continue to be NHS resources for which the councils account to the boards to ensure that the moneys are spent on the level and type of services agreed following local needs assessments.

My Department monitors individual resource transfers.

Mr. Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current position regarding planned closures of long-stay mental handicap hospitals in Scotland; which hospitals are proposed for closure; on what dates; and what funds will be available for community services as a result of the closures. [11323]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Health boards' plans have been approved for the closure of two long-stay mental handicap hospitals in Scotland: Gogarburn hospital in Lothian and Woodilee hospital in Greater Glasgow, but neither hospital will close until alternative facilities and services are in place and properly resourced.

Where hospital closures are proposed, the agencies involved are charged with ensuring that replacement care and support services appropriate to needs are in place. The level of funding required for alternative community services is a matter for local determination.

Food Safety

Mr. Nigel Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what statistics he collates in respect of inspections relating to control of foodstuffs by food enforcement authorities; and how many inspections there have been in each year since 1993. [11326]

Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: In compliance with article 14 of the official control of foodstuffs directive 89/397, the Secretary of State for Scotland collates the number of food hygiene and food standards inspections carried out annually by food enforcement authorities in Scotland.

This information for each calendar year since 1993 is:

	Food hygiene inspections	Food standards inspections
1993	41,398	14,199
1994	41,134	12,082
1995	38,154	13,382
1996	(26)--

(26)Figures not yet available.

Unemployment (Glasgow)

Mr. David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) men, (b) women, (c) young men and (d) young women were unemployed in the city of Glasgow in (i) June 1979 and (ii) June 1996; and how many were long-term unemployed in each category. [11862]

Mr. Kynoch: Unemployment statistics for 1979 are not available for the area represented by the Glasgow unitary authority.

23 Jan 1997 : Column: 740

In June 1996, there were 26,890 men and 6,729 women in the city of Glasgow registered as unemployed and claiming benefit.

Statistics concerning the age and duration of the unemployed are available on a quarterly basis and are not available for June 1996. In July 1996, there were 7,199 males and 3,289 females who were aged 24 and under and registered as unemployed and claiming benefit. There were 16,082 men and 3,175 women in the city of Glasgow who had been registered as unemployed and claiming benefit for over six months.

Departmental Offices

Mr. David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the name and location of each of his Department's offices and the number of people employed in each. [11866]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The numbers of people employed in each of the Scottish Office's buildings are shown in the tables.

Table A: All staff in the Scottish Office and its executive agencies (other than SPS) at 1 January 1997, by building

Building	Location	Total
Victoria Quay	Edinburgh	1,171
Longmore House and Monuments(27)	Edinburgh and various	690
Pentland House	Edinburgh	500
St. Andrews House	Edinburgh	452
Saughton House	Edinburgh	385
Tay House	Glasgow	319
Marine Laboratory	Aberdeen	178
St. Margaret's House	Edinburgh	177
16-17 Waterloo Place	Edinburgh	176
Meridian Court	Glasgow	163
James Craig Wall	Edinburgh	142
Gyleview House	Edinburgh	133
East Craigs	Edinburgh	131
Russell House	Ayr	71
Soafd Vessel	Greenock	71
Grampian Area Office	Inverurie	69
Soafd Vessel	Leith	61
Strategy House	Edinburgh	56
Hayweight House	Edinburgh	55
Robert Stevenson House	Edinburgh	51
Government Buildings	Inverness	50
Franborough House	Glasgow	49
Cotgreen Road	Tweedbank	42
Scottish Police College	Kincardine on Forth	39
Government Buildings	Dumfries	36
Dover House	London	33
N College of Ed Building	Broughty Ferry	31
Corunna House	Glasgow	30
Freshwater Fisheries Laboratory	Almondbank/Pitlochry	30
Cameron House	Oban	28
7 Mill Street	Perth	27
Chambers Street	Edinburgh	22
Government Buildings	Stirling	22
Haymarket House	Edinburgh	21
25 Drumsheugh Gardens	Edinburgh	20
Government Buildings	Kirkwall	20
Governor House	Edinburgh	20
Strathbeg House	Thurso	16
10 Keith Street	Stornoway	15
Fishery Office	Fraserburgh	15
140 Causewayside	Edinburgh	14
Charlotte House	Lerwick	14
Fishery Office	Dundee	14
Mulberry House	Edinburgh	13
1 Grosvenor Crescent	Edinburgh	12
Scottish Fire Service Training School	Gullane	12
132 Seagate	Dundee	11
Bonnington Garage	Edinburgh	11
Estates Office	Portree	11
Fishery Office	Lerwick	11
Greyfriars House	Aberdeen	11
Jeanfield House	Perth	11
Balivanich	Isle of Benbecula	10
Fishery Office	Aberdeen	10
Wellgate House	Dundee	10
Cadzow Court	Hamilton	9
22/23 Melville Street	Edinburgh	8
631 Paisley Road West	Glasgow	8
Donaldson House	Edinburgh	8
Fishery Office	Scrabster	8
Parliament House	Edinburgh	8
20 Walker Street	Edinburgh	7
Nel Technical Park	East Kilbride	7
32 Reidhaven Street	Elgin	6
Fishery Office	Kinlochbervie	6
48 Manor Place	Edinburgh	5
Fishery Office	Lochinver	5
Fishery Office	Buckie	5
Fresh Fish Station	Montrose	5
Ord Croft	Lairg	5
Miscellaneous/other(27)		335
Scottish Office total		6,227

(27) Covers 124 staff in locations with five staff (eg small Fisheries Offices), plus 211 centrally managed staff (eg paid staff on maternity leave, longer term sickness, unposted staff etc.).

(28) Many Historic Scotland staff are based at ancient monuments or historic buildings in very small numbers. In view of the many buildings staffed by Historic Scotland all Historic Scotland staff have been grouped together.

23 Jan 1997 : Column: 741

Table B: All staff in Scottish prisons service headquarters at 1 January 1998

Building	Location	Total
Calton House(29)	Edinburgh	252

(29) SPS HQ only--excludes staff in prison establishments.

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