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Council Houses
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to release the controls on the use of receipts from council house sales; what estimates he has made of the number of extra jobs that will be created as a result; and if he will make a statement. [3148]
Mr. Win Griffiths: We have introduced the Local Government Finance (Supplementary Credit Approvals) Bill. When enacted, this will allow us to release resources in the form of Supplementary credit Approvals. We will consult local authorities in Wales on the timing and phasing of the release, and the targeting of resources before taking final decisions on these issues. Until that stage is reached, I cannot estimate the effect of this new investment on job creation.
Casualty Units
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action he plans to take to increase staffing of trust hospital casualty units on Saturday evenings and early Sunday mornings; and if he will make a statement. [3150]
Mr. Win Griffiths: Trusts have been made aware of our requirements to provide high quality services including the need for patients to be assessed within 10 minutes of their arrival at accident and emergency or casualty departments. It is for respective trusts to consider how best to deploy their staffing resources to meet requirement.
Assisted Places Scheme
12 Jun 1997 : Column: 557
Mr. Öpik:and if he will make a statement on the total expected savings from the abolition of the assisted places scheme in Wales.
Mr. Hain:
The position over the last five years is as follows: [3172]
| Financial year | Number of pupils | Number of schools | Total cost £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-93 | 700 | 8 | 2,457,230 |
| 1993-94 | 691 | 8 | 2,621,261 |
| 1994-95 | 720 | 8 | 2,771,504 |
| 1995-96 | 726 | 8 | 2,904,845 |
| 1996-97 | 887 | 14 | 3,462,320 |
Protected expenditure for 1997-98 is £4.5 million, for 1998-99 £5.1 million(6) and 1999-2000 £5.7 million(7). Subject to Parliamentary approval of the Education (Schools) Bill, total estimated savings once the scheme is phased out will amount to some £5.7 million per annum.
(8) Planned provision for 1998-99 and 1999-2000 will be subject to review in the forthcoming public expenditure survey.
Nursery Education
Mr. Opik: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) three-year-olds and (b) four-year-olds, received state-funded nursery provision in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement on the amount of extra expenditure which would be needed to meet total demand for state funded nursery provision for (i) all three-year-olds and (ii) four-year-olds. [3173]
Mr. Hain: The information requested is as follows:
| At January | 3-year-olds(9) | 4-year-olds |
|---|---|---|
| 1995-96 | 18,600 | 35,251 |
| 1994-95 | 19,375 | 34,638 |
| 1993-94 | 18,779 | 34,165 |
| 1992-93 | 18,258 | 34,822 |
| 1991-92 | 17,942 | 33,866 |
(9) Includes full and part time pupils in maintained nursery, primary and special schools.
Specific funding of £42.5 million is being provided in 1997-98 to enable all four-year-olds to receive education of at least five half day sessions per week. We will consult on targets for education for three-year-olds in the context of the forthcoming White Paper on education.
Class Sizes
Mr. Opik: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the total new expenditure needed to (a) reduce all class sizes for five, six and seven-year-olds to 30 or under and (b) reduce all class sizes for all school children to under 30; and if he will make a statement. [3174]
Mr. Hain:
We will consult the Welsh Local Government Association and Local Education Authorities in Wales in the context of the forthcoming White Paper on Education on implementation of our policy of reducing infant class sizes to 30 pupils or less. That consultation will include an assessment of costs which will vary from area to area. Reduction of all classes to under 30 is not under consideration.
12 Jun 1997 : Column: 558
Carers
Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the recommendations in the Carers National Association's report, "Still Battling? The Carers Act One Year On"; and what action he will take to ensure that carers are fully informed of their rights. [2986]
Mr. Galbraith: The report was launched on Monday 9 June as part of the 1997 National Carers Week. We will study the report carefully and consider what action is necessary.
Registers (Access Charges)
Mr. Swinney: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland for what reasons the Registers of Scotland have increased the cost of access to (a) the sasine search sheets and (b) the on-line database for the register of inhibitions. [2571]
Mr. McLeish: The fee contained in the Fees in the Registers of Scotland Order 1995 (S.I. 1995 No. 1945) for the searching of any Register of Sasines search sheet affecting one property is £7. There has been no increase in this fee. Private searchers enjoy special arrangements whereby a "badge" fee enables each searcher to have access to the search sheet between 08.30 and 16.30 each day. This preferential arrangement permits a "badgeholder" to make multiple searches during this time. A daily "badge" fee of £30 was set in 1993 and was based on the £5 fee for a search of any one search sheet contained in the 1991 Fees Order. The 1995 Fees Order increased this £5 fee to £7 and the daily "badge" fee, as part of a catch-up exercise, has been increased, pro rata and with effect from 1 May 1997 from £30 to £42.
The fee contained in the Fees in the Registers of Scotland Order 1995 (S.I. 1995 No. 1945) for searching each group of six names or less in the Register of Inhibitions and Adjudications is £7. Historically, the fee for on-line searching of this computerised Register has borne no relation to the search fee as set up in successive Fees Orders. Over the years there has been a gradual catching-up exercise underway. Prior to 1 May 1997 the fee for searching each group of six names or less was £0.94, an 86 per cent. discount on the fee as set out in the 1995 Fees Order. With effect from 1 May 1997 the discount has been reduced to 50 per cent. The new fee of £3.50 for searching each group of six names or less in now related to the 1995 Fees Order.
Minimum Wage
Mr. Tom King: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research has been commissioned and what estimates have been made by his Department and what information presented to him, regarding the costs per annum to the total Scottish Office budget of the introduction of a minimum wage at (a) £3.50 an hour, (b) £4 an hour and (c) £4.40 an hour; and if he will make a statement. [2111]
Mr. Wilson:
I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade on Monday 9 June 1997, Official Report, column 310.
12 Jun 1997 : Column: 559
Mr. Gorrie:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to increase the funds available for the urban aid programme. [2284]
Mr. Chisholm:
The Government are committed to remaining within the existing Public Expenditure totals for 1997-98 and 1998-99, and any increase in funds for one programme could therefore be funded only from reductions in another. Over the coming months, Ministerial colleagues and I shall be reviewing all the financial priorities within the Secretary of State's expenditure programmes. Decisions on any transfers of resources will be taken following the review of priorities.
Mrs. Ray Michie:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received concerning the future of Argyll and Bute Federation Councils on Alcohol; and if he will make a statement. [2853]
Mr. Galbraith:
Representations have been received from the Director of the Federation about the organisation's financial difficulties. However, this is a service issue which requires to be resolved at local level by the statutory and non-statutory agencies in the Argyll and Bute area.
12 Jun 1997 : Column: 560
Dr. Godman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to enable the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to reclaim VAT; and if he will make a statement. [2689]
Mr. Chisholm:
VAT refunds are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
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