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SCOTLAND
Supportive Flatmate Scheme
Mr. Gorrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will consider providing the resources to enable the supportive flatmate scheme in the Rock Trust's Bedrock Project to be developed as a model for supported accommodation. [6630]
Mr. Chisholm: Projects such as the Rock Trust's Bedrock Project provide accommodation and support for homeless young people who often have a range of problems. I understand that there are a number of such projects operating in Scotland, however, and it would therefore be inappropriate to single out any particular one for central Government support. Projects of this type necessarily work closely with their local authority, and it is from that source that they should seek funding.
Hospital Building Programme
Mr. Eric Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the timetable for future capital investment for the hospital building programme for Scotland. [6759]
Mr. Galbraith: The following amounts will be available for spending on capital projects in Scotland over the next three years.
1997-98: £140,930,000
1998-99: £178,707,000
1999-2000: £178,272,000.
In addition, a number of major capital schemes are being taken forward under the Private Finance Initiative.
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Mr. David Atkinson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his Department's timetable for dealing with the Year 2000 Computer Problem; who is in charge of the project; how many staff are working on it; what is the projected cost of resolving the problem; and whether the project is on schedule.[7131]
Mr. Dewar:
A Year 2000 compliance programme is underway within my Department with the objective of identifying and ensuring the correct operation of all critical systems by 31 December 1998. The review is on schedule.
The Director of Telecommunications is in overall charge of the programme and has the full time support of a Project Manager. They provide the central operational contact for all Year 2000 compliance issues. The programme of work in hand covers all Scottish Office IT systems, and although my Department is in a relatively sound position, owing to the recent redevelopment of many of its IT systems, we are nonetheless devoting significant effort to ensuring Year 2000 compliance. A detailed, costed project plan is being developed, which we expect to have in place by October, in line with the guidance issued by CITU and CCTA. At this stage, therefore, it is not possible to say precisely how much the work involved will cost, but it is expected that the costs will be contained within my Department's existing IT budget.
Mr. Bernad Jenkin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what change there has been in the financial terms, or repayment period, in respect of the Skye Bridge; and if he will make a statement; [7707]
Mr. Chisholm:
The measures to alleviate the impact of the Skye Bridge tolls on regular users, set out in my right hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Ross, Skye and Inverness, West on 4 July, are intended to have a neutral effect on the financial terms and the repayment period. The cost of the measures to public funds remains a matter of negotiation with the bridge operator, Skye Bridge Limited. It is proposed that any costs in the current financial year will be met from within Class XIII, Vote 2, in common with all other expenditure on Scotland's trunk road network.
Mr. Home Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what provision had been made by the previous administration in its capital budget for dualling the A1 road between Dunbar and Haddington; and if he will make a statement on his plans for the application of those funds. [7689]
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Mr. Chisholm:
It is estimated that the A1 Dunbar-Haddington project would have cost £40 million over the 2 financial years beginning 1998-99. It would not be appropriate to anticipate the outcome of the review of the Scottish trunk roads programme, or my right hon. Friend's decisions on expenditure priorities within the Transport programme as a whole.
Sir Teddy Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland for what reasons a spokesman for the Scottish Law Officers stated on Monday 7 July that the allegations in the Der Spiegel magazine about the Lockerbie bombing having been commissioned by the Ayatollah were the first occasion that the Office had been advised of such an allegation; and if he will make a statement. [7793]
Mr. McLeish:
The statement issued by the Crown Office was to the effect that this was the first time that they had been made aware of these allegations, namely the allegations which were being made by a person named as Abolghasem Mesbabi which had been reported in Der Spiegel magazine.
Mr. Maclennan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the cost to his Department of undertaking and publishing a research study on local authority traveller sites in Scotland. [7473]
Mr. Chisholm:
The contract for the research study recently published about local authority sites for travellers was awarded by The Scottish Office Development Department to a private research consultancy on the basis of competitive tenders. The contract price was £9,999.25 and the additional cost to the Department of printing 140 copies of the research report and 160 copies of a summary was £443.38.
Mr. David Stewart:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what targets have been set for performance by the Scottish Court Service and Sheriff Courts for 1997-98. [8409]
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Mr. Dewar:
The targets I have set for performance by the Scottish Court Service in the Supreme Courts and Sheriff Courts for 1997-98 are set out below.
(2) what has been the cost to public funds of the decision to change the tolls on the Skye Bridge; and from which vote additional moneys will be provided. [7708]
| Per cent. | |
|---|---|
| Number of time limited cases falling as a result of SCS action/inaction | 0 |
| Percentage of Court of Session Diets allocated within waiting periods set by Lord President | 90 |
| Percentage of solemn and summary appeals allocated to rolls within waiting periods set by Lord Justice-General | 70 |
| Percentage of Sheriff Courts meeting summary criminal waiting periods agreed with Sheriffs Principal | 80 |
| Percentage of Sheriff Courts meeting ordinary civil waiting periods agreed with Sheriffs Principal | 95 |
| Percentage of Sheriff Courts with 5 per cent. or less lack of time adjournments | 80 |
| Percentage achievement of administrative standards set by Lord President/Lord Justice-General | 90 |
| Percentage of Sheriff Courts achieving administrative standards agreed with Sheriffs Principal | 95 |
| Percentage of courthouses meeting "Coming to Court" standards | 85 |
| Staff, accommodation and administrative costs per court sitting day | £1,010 |
| Percentage cost recovery (including judicial costs) for civil business | 90 |
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many (a) summary trails and (b) sheriff and jury trials took place in Kirkwall Sheriff Court in (i) 1987, (ii) 1990 and (iii) each year since 1994; [6046]
- (2) how many (a) summary trails and (b) sheriff and jury trials took place in Lerwick Sheriff Court in (i) 1987, (ii) 1990 and (iii) each year since 1994. [6047]
Mr. McLeish [holding answer 2 July 1997]: This is a matter for the Scottish Court Service. I have asked the Chief Executive, Michael Ewart, to reply. Letter from Michael Ewart to Mr. James Wallace, dated 10 July 1997:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions about trails at Lerwick and Kirkwall Sheriff Courts.
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I am sorry that we do not have figures for cases in 1987. However, figures for 1990 and for 1994 and subsequent years are given in the attached tables. For each court and for each year I have shown both the number of cases called in each category and the number of these cases in which evidence was led.
I hope this information is helpful.
1990 1994 1995 1996
Called Evidence led Called Evidence led Called Evidence led Called Evidence led
Lerwick
Summary 151 32 81 11 112 14 139 22
Sheriff and Jury 1 1 1 0 2 1 1 0
Kirkwall
Summary 141 36 46 10 49 12 53 19
Sheriff and Jury 2 2 0 0 1 1 1 1
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