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Ambulance Service Training Courses

Mr. Chisholm: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in respect of the Scottish ambulance service management training courses at Barony castle, (a) how many people have participated in the courses, (b) what guidelines are issued to those participating, (c) what provision there is for opting out of courses or part of courses and (d) what equipment is available in the event of medical emergencies. [17134]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The information requested is as follows:

26 Feb 1997 : Column: 230

(a) Forty-two operational managers have completed 10 or 12-day classroom-based management training courses, which include a two-day outdoor module; a further 20 operational managers participated in the most recent course, which was suspended on 15 February.


(b) Course participants receive a comprehensive two-hour briefing for the two-day outdoor module. This includes guidance on safety, communication arrangements, map reading skills and the country code.


(c) The Scottish Ambulance Service NHS Trust attaches the highest priority to the need for formal management training where previously there was none. Accordingly, it would normally expect operational ambulance managers to take part in its management training programme. The leadership element of the course was designed by external consultants

26 Feb 1997 : Column: 231

to be physically achievable, even by those of moderate fitness. Despite this, students are encouraged to express any doubts or concerns they may have about participating in the outdoor activities and there have been occasions when alternative arrangements have been made at the request of individuals unable to complete this element of the course.


(d) During the outdoor module each of the walking groups is accompanied by a safety supervisor who has a first aid kit consisting of dressings and plasters, a walkie-talkie radio, mobile phone, flares, strobe light and portable cooker. Every member of each group is also equipped with various items of survival equipment. The groups use as a base a cottage equipped with modern amenities and a patient transport vehicle carrying emergency response equipment and drugs, a stretcher and blankets. A 4-wheel drive vehicle is also available at the cottage.

The trust has suspended the course and is carrying out a full review of it, in light of the death of one of the participants on 15 February.

M74

Mr. David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 17 February, Official Report, columns 481-82, on junctions on the M74 motorway, how many entry-exit junctions are planned to be included over the proposed M74 route from Carlisle to Glasgow. [17046]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: There will be a total of 19 junctions on the completed motorway between the M6 junction 44 at Carlisle and the Maryville interchange, inclusive.

Braer Oil Spill

Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current estimate of the costs incurred by his Department and agencies for which his Department is responsible in the clearing-up operation which followed the grounding of the MV Braer on Shetland in January 1993. [17699]

Mr. Michael Forsyth: The clearing-up operation was undertaken on behalf of the Government by the Department of Transport. The costs incurred by my Department related primarily to testing and monitoring for traces of oil and amounted to some £900,000.

Electoral Register

Mr. Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the current number of electors in each parliamentary constituency in Scotland. [17539]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: For the latest information held centrally I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Cunninghame, South (Mr. Donohoe) on 6 February 1997, Official Report, columns 690-93.

Law Reform Projects

Mr. Gallie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals the Scottish Law Commission has for future law reform projects. [18210]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The Lord Advocate has recently agreed with the Scottish Law Commission a fifth programme of law reform. This was presented to Parliament yesterday and is published today. Copies have

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been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The new programme, which supersedes the existing four programmes, describes the short, medium and long-term projects on which the commission will be working between now and the end of 1999. Timetables are set for the short and medium-term projects.

The centrepiece of the projects in the fifth programme is the commission's work on property, including feudal tenure reform and reform of the law of the tenement. Recommendations on the law of the tenement are expected before the end of 1997 and on feudal tenure reform before the end of 1999. Other matters on which recommendations are expected before the end of 1997 include diligence on the dependence and admiralty arrestments and unjustified enrichment.

The Government welcome this programme which concentrates on a number of important ant timely law reform projects. The fixing of priorities and timetables is particularly welcome and will help all of those with an interest in law reform to keep track of and prepare for changes in the law which the commission might recommend.

Leasehold Casualties

Mr. Gallie: To ask the Secretary of state for Scotland what plans he has to reform the law on leasehold casualties in Scotland. [18244]

Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: In view of the difficulties which are being caused to some tenants by the operation of the existing law on leasehold casualties, my right hon. Friend has formally written to the Scottish Law Commission asking commissioners:

"To consider the law on leasehold casualties and advise on possible reforms".


I hope that the commission will be able to consult and report by March 1998.

Homelessness

Ms Rachel Squire: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people were accepted as homeless by each local authority in Scotland for each year since 1990.[17230]

Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: The available information is set out in the table.

Households accepted as homeless under the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987

Local authority	1990-91	1991-92	1992-93	1993-94	1994-95
Berwickshire	15	22	30	36	21
Ettrick and Lauderdale	22	33	49	51	38
Roxburgh	58	44	80	92	126
Tweeddale	31	36	42	30	31
Clackmannan	206	131	116	70	81
Falkirk	613	400	606	486	510
Stirling	284	322	423	448	586
Annandale and Eskdale	57	27	47	52	32
Nithsdale	256	186	152	88	85
Stewartry	85	55	81	85	78
Wigtown	101	123	120	152	84
Dunfermline	191	295	294	169	162
Kirkcaldy	492	659	581	439	331
North East Fife	187	253	247	259	193
Aberdeen	941	1,296	1,354	1,243	713
Banff and Buchan	202	302	347	357	272
Gordon	183	249	239	227	220
Kincardine and Deeside	44	33	81	108	117
Moray	101	127	155	135	352
Badenoch and Strathspey	19	31	15	32	16
Caithness	6	11	12	22	9
Inverness	174	141	121	155	331
Lochaber	46	63	66	49	58
Nairn	19	26	38	17	27
Ross and Cromarty	80	101	119	83	49
Skye and Lochalsh	22	32	30	17	18
Sutherland	7	14	5	2	--
East Lothian	328	324	314	237	238
Edinburgh	2,195	2,364	2,704	2,635	2,342
Midlothian	71	76	148	148	220
West Lothian	200	486	804	440	575
Argyll and Bute	164	138	156	164	112
Bearsden and Milngavie	51	24	34	32	39
Clydebank	207	233	224	133	57
Clydesdale	188	301	292	233	118
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth	219	228	178	178	141
Cumnock and Doon Valley	47	54	81	96	88
Cunninghame	230	258	227	187	168
Dumbarton	449	474	439	301	334
East Kilbride	350	382	373	364	408
Eastwood	8	9	8	9	17
Glasgow	4,609	5,429	5,881	6,629	6,145
Hamilton	192	176	251	206	97
Inverclyde	143	140	121	139	137
Kilmarnock and Loudoun	118	106	110	98	77
Kyle and Carrick	308	316	245	251	239
Monklands	112	138	102	199	225
Motherwell	254	134	165	231	218
Renfrew	694	923	753	583	513
Strathkelvin	237	287	233	217	166
Angus	212	239	281	224	227
Dundee	430	380	350	339	400
Perth and Kinross	303	332	815	468	327
Orkney	21	19	25	32	87
Shetland	39	102	55	47	35
Western Isles	35	90	124	167	143
Total	16,856	19,174	20,943	19,891	18,433

Notes:

1. The term "accepted" has been taken to include households assessed as homeless or likely to become homeless within 28 days for whom the local authority secured that accommodation was available. The figures given include cases where the authority has taken action to ensure that the household can retain or return to its present or previous accommodation.

2. The figures given are taken from detailed individual case returns which are available for around 95 per cent. of applications, though the proportion varies between local authorities.

Source:

Local authorities.

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