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Pyrethroid Sheep Dips
Mrs. Golding: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the effect of pyrethroid sheep dips on aquatic life in rivers and streams in Scotland. [6157]
Mr. Chisholm: I understand from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency that much of the impact in watercourses affected by the disposal of spent pyrethroid sheep dip has been on aquatic invertebrates such as river insects, although there have been a number of reported cases of significant fish kills.
There are serious practical difficulties in disposing of spent pyrethroid sheep dip particularly in the more remote areas of the Highlands and Islands. However, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency considers environmental risks can be greatly reduced by the adoption of good farming practice. Comprehensive advice can be found in
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The Scottish Office Code of Good Practice for the Prevention of Environmental Pollution from Agricultural Activity, a revised edition of which will be available at the end of this month. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency actively promotes such good practice through the publication of educational material and undertaking farm visits.
Mr. Wallace:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland in how many cases in (a) Orkney and (b) Shetland the Procurator Fiscal proceeded by way of a fiscal fine in each year since 1992. [6049]
Mr. McLeish
[holding answer 2 July 1997]: The numbers of criminal reports concluded by way of a fiscal fine by the Procurator Fiscal at Kirkwall (Orkney) and Lerwick (Shetland) are as follows:
| Year | Kirkwall | Lerwick |
|---|---|---|
| 1992-93 | 41 | 145 |
| 1993-94 | 27 | 50 |
| 1994-95 | 32 | 43 |
| 1995-96 | 28 | 42 |
| 1996-97 | 76 | 67 |
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland in how many cases reports were submitted to the Procurator Fiscal in (a) Orkney and (b) Shetland marked for no proceedings in each year since 1992. [6048]
Mr. McLeish [holding answer 2 July 1997]: The information is as follows:
| Year | Kirkwall | Lerwick | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total reports received | No proceedings | Total records received | No proceedings | |
| 1992-93 | 742 | 89 | 870 | 86 |
| 1993-94 | 708 | 81 | 794 | 143 |
| 1994-95 | 715 | 94 | 758 | 167 |
| 1995-96 | 704 | 38 | 768 | 60 |
| 1996-97 | 786 | 46 | 854 | 80 |
RAF Edzell
Mr. Swinney: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland by what means he will support the economic development initiatives proposed by the RAF Edzell Task Force, in their bid for Challenge Funding in early 1997; and if he will make a statement. [6378]
Mr. Chisholm: Four million pounds is being made available through the Central Challenge Fund over the next three years for a package of measures put forward by Angus and Aberdeenshire Councils, with the support of the Edzell Task Force, to strengthen the local economy following the withdrawal of the US Navy from RAF Edzell.
Skye Bridge
Mr. Charles Kennedy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects the Lord Advocate to reply to the requests from the hon. Member for Ross, Skye and
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Inverness, West for a meeting to discuss the Skye Bridge tolls non-payment campaign; and if he will make a statement. [6496]
Mr. McLeish:
My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate has asked the Procurator Fiscal at Dingwell to undertake a review of pending cases. The Lord Advocate will write to the hon. Member once the review has been completed.
Gallaher (Subsidy Payments)
Ms Jane Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will make a statement on her plans for future subsidy payments to Gallaher's tobacco company in Northern Ireland. [2440]
Mr. Ingram: Any future application for financial assistance by Gallaher under programmes of support for industry in Northern Ireland will be considered against the normal criteria of eligibility for such support.
Ice Making Plant (Portavogie)
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals there are to provide a new ice making plant at Portavogie; and if she will make a statement. [5593]
Mr. Paul Murphy: Approval has been given for grant aid to the Northern Ireland Fishery Harbour Authority towards the cost of constructing a replacement ice-making plant at the fish auction hall in Portavogie. Consideration of the possible replacement of the other, larger ice plant at Portavogie Harbour is being given in the context of the Authority's Development Plan, which is currently under preparation.
Water Meters
Mr. Robert McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what percentage of properties in (a) North Down and (b) Northern Ireland have water meters; how many were charged for excess use and how much was collected in each of the last three years; and when she expects metering to become universal. [5638]
Mr. Paul Murphy: Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Water Service under its Chief Executive, Mr. H. R. F. Plester. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given. Letter from H. R. F. Plester to Mr. Robert McCartney, dated 30 June 1997:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply your recent Parliamentary Question asking what percentage of properties in Northern Ireland and North Down have water meters, how many were charged for excess use and how much was collected in each of the last three years, and when water metering is expected to become universal.
In Northern Ireland domestic properties are unmetered. Domestic customers pay for water and sewerage services through their contribution to the regional rate. Water supplies to non-domestic properties, mainly in the commercial, industrial and agricultural sectors, are metered where it is assessed that consumption may exceed the domestic property allowance of 100 cubic metres in any six month period. A farm with a metered supply, which also includes
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- a domestic household, is given the domestic usage allowance for that proportion of the property comprised by the household. All supplies serving properties on which full rates are not payable are also metered.
There are currently 68,787 metered water supplies in Northern Ireland of which 51,562 are chargeable. There are a number of reasons why a property may be metered but not charged including usage recorded below the domestic allowance level, test metering for leakage control purposes, etc. Income received in the last three financial years was £26.5 million in 1994-95, £27.7 million in 1995-96 and £29.4 million in 1996-97.
There are no charges levied for excess use. Metered water customers are responsible for paying for all water recorded by their meters as passing from the public water supply network to their private pipework. If a metered water customer encounters very high demand because of a burst, or fittings failure, or their private pipework, they may apply for a reduction on their bill. Such an allowance is, however, granted on a strictly 'once only' basis. The experience of one such episode of exceptional use or wastage is considered to have put a customer on guard that they are in future responsible for all water their meter records as being used on their property. They should, thereafter, put in place appropriate monitoring to identify at an early stage any unexplained rise in consumption on their premises.
Records maintained by the Water Service relate to the numbers of metered supplies rather than properties supplied. A metered supply may service more than the property to which it was initially provided and, therefore, it is not possible to determine the number of individual properties which are provided for by metered supplies. The North Down constituency boundaries do not equate to Water Service metering areas and information on the number of water meters in this area, or on the income received from them, is not available.
The Water Service has no plans to introduce universal water metering in Northern Ireland.
Trade Union Subscriptions
Mr. Robert McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will make it her policy to have Northern Ireland included in the proposed amendment of legislation to permit trade union subscription to be paid by check-off without regular reballoting of members.[5640]
Mr. Ingram: Any amendment of legislation in Great Britain to permit trade union subscriptions to be paid by check-off without regular reballoting of members will be replicated in Northern Ireland.
Traffic (Bangor)
Mr. Robert McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what steps she is taking to provide adequate car-parking spaces near Bangor station; and what plans she has to charge for car-parking at Bangor market; [5642]
- (2) what is her policy with respect to road traffic reduction on the Rathgael and Balloo roads in Bangor and promotion of the use of the existing Bangor dual-carriageway ring road. [5643]
Mr. Paul Murphy:
Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Roads Service under its chief executive, Mr. W. J. McCoubrey. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
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Letter from G. P. Fraser to Mr. Robert McCartney, dated 30 June 1997:
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