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Cyclical Social Security (Scotland)
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what factors underlie the projected rise in the cost of cyclical social security between 1996-97 and 2001-02 as set out in table 4.6 of general government expenditure of the "Financial Statement and Budget Report 1997-98"; and if he will make a statement.[15686]
Mr. Waldegrave [holding answer 13 February 1997]: Table 4.6 of the 1997-98 "Financial Statement and Budget Report" shows projections for cyclical social security which are consistent with the Government's expectations for the public finances in the medium term. As such, it goes beyond the period covered by the last public expenditure survey for which a detailed analysis of expenditure was carried out.
Table 5.3 shows that, between 1996-97 and 1999-2000, cyclical social security is expected to rise by roughly £400 million due to four factors. Uprating benefits for the effects of inflation adds £1 billion. Higher case loads and higher average amounts of benefit paid to those under 60 years old claiming income support, particularly the sick and disabled, adds a further £1.2 billion. Although these claimants are not required to seek work, they fall within the definition of cyclical social security. Policy changes announced in the Budget and reducing unemployment over the period will save £1.9 billion in total, largely offsetting the increases.
Projections for 2000-01 and 2001-02, shown in table 4.6, were not part of the public expenditure survey and were based on simple broad assumptions. Whilst they illustrate the Government's expectations in the medium term, they lack the precision of projections for earlier years. To reflect this, the projections in table 4.6 are rounded to the nearest £1 billion.
Mr. Peter Bottomley:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if executive agencies, non-departmental public bodies and the Government's statistical services have shared a common approach to rounding. [15837]
Mrs. Angela Knight:
It can not be said that there has been any explicit sharing of a common approach to rounding. There is a description of good practice on page 37 of the second edition of "Plain Figures", recently published by The Stationery Office, a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library. In many respects, the approach taken depends inevitably on the context.
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Mr. Martyn Jones:
To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, what assessment the Commission has made of the presence of (a) hazardous materials and (b) ozone-depleting substances within those buildings for which it is responsible; and if he will make a statement.[16281]
Mr. Beith:
The buildings on the parliamentary estate have been assessed under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health--COSHH--Regulations 1994. Hazardous substances are recorded and risk assessments are acted upon to minimise hazards. Environmentally friendly products are used whenever possible. A register is kept of the locations on the parliamentary estate where asbestos is known to remain. Ultimately the aim is to remove any materials containing asbestos but this cannot be done all at once, nor is it necessary to do so. Remaining asbestos is sealed and inspected at regular intervals. All equipment containing ozone depleting substances is registered and is inspected quarterly. As this equipment becomes obsolete it is replaced with environmentally friendly alternatives.
Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Lord President of the Council how many hon. Members representing Scottish constituencies addressed oral or supplementary questions to Ministers who primarily have responsibility for England in the Session 1995-96. [17274]
Mr. Newton:
The information, taken from the parliamentary on-line information system database, is set out in the table. The list excludes questions to the Prime Minister, the Northern Ireland, Welsh and Scottish Offices, the National Audit Office, the Public Accounts Commission, the House of Commons Commission, the Church Commissioners and to me in my capacity as Leader of the House of Commons.
24 Feb 1997 : Column: 21
5 Reid/John
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Attorney-General what is the number and percentage of cases completed by the Crown Prosecution Service at magistrates courts that have been (a) discontinued, (b) written off, (c) discharged at committal proceedings, (d) committed for trial, (e) bound over and (f) heard in court; and what was the total proceeded against in each of the 13 CPS areas in England and Wales in each year since 1992. [16238]
The Attorney-General:
Tables setting out the information sought by the hon. Member would be too extensive to be included in the Official Report and I have placed them in the Libraries of the House. The figures contained in them are exclusive of pre-charge advice work and non-criminal proceedings, and do not include the specialised casework undertaken at CPS headquarters by Central Casework.
Mr. Martyn Jones:
To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the ways in which his Department has demonstrated the ability to improve efficiency and
24 Feb 1997 : Column: 22
competitiveness through an environmental audit of waste management within those buildings his Department occupies; and if he will make a statement. [16422]
The Solicitor-General:
The Law Officers' Departments and agencies keep waste management issues under constant review for the buildings they occupy, and have already taken steps to recycle waste, achieve greater energy efficiency and promote the use of environmentally friendly products. Specific waste management measures include the use of "green" bins for the majority of waste paper; the recycling of used toner cartridges and fluorescent tubes; and the dissemination of the Department of the Environment's waste guide to premises managers for implementation. Policies are in place to undertake assessments of environmental performance, including waste management, on all new property acquisitions using BREEAM--the Building Research Establishment environmental assessment method--where it is appropriate to do so. Consideration is also being given to ways of applying the BREEAM approach to buildings currently occupied.
Mr. Martyn Jones:
To ask the Attorney-General what assessment his Department has made of the presence of (a) hazardous materials and (b) ozone-depleting substances within those buildings which his Department occupies; and if he will make a statement. [16278]
The Solicitor-General:
Assessments are made of hazardous and ozone-depleting substances pursuant to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1994 and other statutory requirements. Measures taken include the holding of information on materials used by cleaning and building contractors, and the maintenance of asbestos records.
Sir Irvine Patnick:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list the schools in each metropolitan city which have sixth forms. [16019]
Mr. Paice:
The latest available list of maintained secondary schools in metropolitan cities which have sixth forms is shown in the following table.
Frequency Member:
28 Dalyell/Tam
18 Foulkes/George
17 Walker/Bill
16 Gallie/Phil
14 Campbell/Menzies
14 Cook/Robin
13 Strang/Gavin
12 Canavan/Dennis
11 Godman/Norman A.
10 Griffiths/Nigel
8 Chisholm/Malcolm
7 Darling/Alistair
7 Kennedy/Charles
7 Salmond/Alex
6 Bruce/Malcolm
6 Clarke/Tom
6 Ewing/Margaret
6 McAvoy/Thomas
6 McLeish/Henry
5 Ingram/Adam
5 Ross/Ernie
4 Brown/Gordon
4 Clarke/Eric
4 Davidson/Ian
4 Fyfe/Maria
4 Maclennan/Robert
3 Bray/Jeremy
3 Home Robertson/John
3 Kirkwood/Archy
3 Marshall/David
3 Maxton/John
3 McFall/John
3 Squire/Rachel
3 Steel/David
3 Watson/Mike
3 Wilson/Brian
2 Connarty/Michael
2 Galloway/George
2 Hughes/Robert
2 Macdonald/Calum
2 Monro/Hector
2 Welsh/Andrew
1 Cunningham/Roseanna
1 Galbraith/Sam
1 Graham/Thomas
1 Hood/Jimmy
1 McKelvey/William
1 Moonie/Lewis
1 Stewart/Allan
1 Wallace/James
1 Worthington/Tony.
(8) Metropolitan cities are boroughs which have city status under section 1 of the local Government Act 1972.
24 Feb 1997 : Column: 25
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