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SCOTLAND
BSE
Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what have been the costs of the BSE crisis in Scotland to public funds; and if he will make a statement. [18005]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson [holding answer 28 February 1997]: The Government's concern has been to provide support in a way which benefits all parts of the beef chain and enables a recovery of market confidence. The current estimates of the extra amounts paid out as a result of the BSE crisis in Scotland to the industry under the following schemes to 31 December 1996 are as follows:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| Beef special premium and suckler cow premium schemes: | |
| top-ups | 16.6 |
| Beef marketing payment scheme | 7.0 |
| Over-30-months scheme: | |
| producers payments | 65.9 |
| slaughter and rendering fees | 13.5 |
| Calf processing scheme | 2.6 |
| Slaughtering industry (emergency aid) scheme 1996 | 10.0 |
Also, in the period 1 April 1996 to 31 December 1996, the EU agreed to accept 10,901 tonnes of beef into intervention from Scotland at an estimated buying-in cost of around £22 million.
Sex Offenders
Mr. McFall: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a supervised release order mandatory for all those who commit sexual offences which result in custody, irrespective of whether the case is heard on indictment. [19075]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 10 March 1997]: Amendments to clause 3 of the Crime and Punishment (Scotland) Bill were tabled at Lords Committee stage. These raised a similar point to the hon. Member's question. No further Government amendments are proposed.
Organic Farming
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and what percentage of farms in Scotland are currently classified as organic; and if he will make a statement. [19859]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson [holding answer 11 March 1997]: There were 99 registered organic units in Scotland as at February 1997. This represents approximately 0.2 per cent. of the 50,817 farms and crofts which submitted a separate census return in June 1996, although the two figures are calculated on a different basis.
Vocational Qualifications
Mr. Wallace:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made towards implementing Lord Cullen's recommendation for the
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development of a Scottish vocational qualification in respect of work with children; and if he will make a statement. [20095]
Mr. Michael Forsyth
[holding answer 17 March 1997]: Following receipt of Lord Cullen's report, Scottish Office officials met with representatives of the Scottish Vocational Education Council. SCOTVEC has now submitted a paper to the Scottish Office to facilitate consideration of the options for the development of vocational qualifications for adults working with young children.
Mr. Wilson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list by constituency, based on home addresses, the number of pupils currently supported under the assisted places scheme. [20216]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
[holding answer 17 March 1997]: Information on the home addresses of assisted place pupils is at present not held centrally. Following the commitment made by my right hon. Friend on 10 March 1997, Official Report, column 40, this information is being sought, and will be collated in the manner requested. I will respond in full as soon as possible.
Mr. Darling:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the total cost to public funds of the assisted places scheme for each year since 1987. [20977]
Mr. Robertson:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Monklands, East (Mrs. Liddell) on 29 January 1997, Official Report, column 244.
Dr. Godman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money has been paid, from the priority partnership areas and regeneration programmes, to the districts of (a) Kelburn, (b) Woodhall, (c) Broadfield, (d) Bowfarm, (e) Greenock Central, (f) Gibshill, (g) Larkfield and (h) Brachturn in Greenock and Port Glasgow; and if he will make a statement. [20648]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
[holding answer 17 March 1997]: These districts are included within the boundaries of the Inverclyde priority partnership area, which was designated on 11 November 1996 and will receive urban programme funding in the order of £3.87 million over the first three years. Urban programme resources are defrayed in the first instance by local authorities who then claim 75 per cent. grant annually in arrears from the Scottish Office development department. At this stage, therefore, expenditure incurred in 1996-97 is a matter for Inverclyde council.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what actions he has taken on the recommendations of the Banner committee. [20422]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
[holding answer 17 March 1997]: The Government have made significant progress in taking forward the various recommendations in the Banner report.
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In particular, the Farm Animal Welfare Council has already agreed to adopt the general principles set out in the report and has established arrangements for liaison with the animal procedures committee.
A working party has also been set up to look into the role of non-veterinarians in relation to the artificial insemination of cattle and horses. We continue to support internationally harmonised controls on genetically modified organisms and efforts to achieve an acceptable EU patents directive.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy on animal geno-mapping. [20423]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
[holding answer 17 March 1997]: The Scottish Office does not fund any research on animal geno-mapping.
Under existing co-ordination arrangements for UK agricultural research, responsibility for animal geno-mapping research lies with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and with the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy towards patents established with the Roslin Institute during its motherhood of work leading to the cloning of sheep. [20424]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
[holding answer 17 March 1997]: The Scottish Office holds no such patents with the Roslin Institute. This is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, who co-funded the work leading to the cloning of sheep.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of work at the Roslin Institute for addressing (a) cystic fibrosis, (b) haemophilia B, (c) blood-clotting and (d) the mathematics of the in-breeding of animals. [20425]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
[holding answer 17 March 1997]: The work at the Roslin Institute has been funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Research Council, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the European Union and the private sector.
No detailed assessment of the impact of this research on specific medical conditions in humans has been made at this stage. The Scottish agricultural college has, however, been able to use the information on the mathematical theory of animal breeding in its advice to the farming industry.
Mr. Salmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the fishermen's organisations which (a) he and (b) his officials have met since 1 July 1996. [20493]
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Mr. Raymond S. Robertson:
Since 1 July 1996 I have met with:
In the same period, officials have met the following fishermen's organisations:
Fife Fishermen's Association
Pittenweem Fishermen's Mutual Association
Scottish Fishermen's Federation
Shetland Fishermen's Association
Mallaig and North West Fishermen's Association
National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations
In addition, there have been a number of joint meetings involving Ministers, officials and industry representatives from throughout the United Kingdom.
Aberdeen Fish Producers Organisation
Clyde Fishermen's Association
East Coast Licensed Small Boat Association
Fife Fishermen's Association
Fife Fish Producer's Organisation
Fishermen's Association Limited
Firth of Forth Fishermen's Association
Highlands and Islands Fishermen's Association
Mallaig and North West Fishermen's Association
North East Scotland Fish Producers Organisation
Orkney Fishermen's Association
Pittenweem Fishermen's Mutual Association
Scottish Fishermen's Federation
Scottish Fishermen's Organisation
Scottish Pelagic Fishermen's Association
Scottish Whitefish Producers Organisation
Shetland Fishermen's Association
Shetland Fish Producers Organisation
West of Scotland Fish Producers Organisation
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