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Health Authority Budgets
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the (a) actual deficit and (b) projected deficit of each health authority as a percentage of its budget for the last three years. [14465]
Mr. Galbraith: The only cash deficits in health boards in the years 1994-95 to 1996-97 are as follows:
| Percentage | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-95 | 1995-96 | 1996-97 | ||
| Orkney | 0.01 | 0.05 | 0.05 | |
| Lanarkshire | -- | 0.01 | -- | |
Tax Advice
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the expenditure by (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non departmental public bodies on (i) tax consultants and (ii) other external tax advice in (1) 1995-96, (2) 1996-97 and (3) 1997-98; and if he will make a statement. [13251]
Mr. Dewar:
My Department and its agencies have recorded no expenditure on external tax advice in 1995-96.
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My Department spent £17,625 on external tax advice in 1996-97 and expects to spend £16,500 in 1997-98.
The agencies of my Department spent £252,000 on external tax advice in 1996-97. The agencies have not reported any plans to pay for external tax advice in 1997-98.
The information for non departmental public bodies is not held centrally.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the policy of his Department on the purchase of tax avoidance advice; and if he will make a statement. [13252]
Mr. Dewar:
It is the policy of my Department to obtain such advice as is necessary to ensure that the correct amount of tax is paid on its activities.
Mrs. Ballard:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the effect on hill farmers of reductions in the hill livestock compensatory allowances. [14181]
Mr. Rooker:
The autumn review of the economic conditions in the hills and uplands is in progress. Rates of hill livestock compensatory allowances will be determined in the light of that review and announced to the House shortly. On the day of that announcement, the economic data which form the basis of the review will be placed in the Library of the House.
Jacqui Smith:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to institute a full inquiry into (a) the links between bovine spongiform encephalopathy and new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and (b) the handling of this issue by Government. [14093]
Mr. Rooker:
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Ross, Skye and Inverness, West (Mr. Kennedy) on 3 November, Official Report, column 5.
Mr. Steen:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress he has made towards lifting the export ban on British beef with UK European partners; and if he will make a statement. [13895]
Mr. Rooker:
In accordance with the procedure laid down in the Florence agreement, the Commission is working on a proposal for an export certified herds scheme for consideration by the Standing Veterinary Committee. This reflects the most recent opinion for the Scientific Veterinary Committee on the UK papers. The Commission has said it expects its proposal to be presented within weeks.
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We have submitted a second proposal to the Commission for a date-based export scheme which would permit export of meat from animals born after 1 August 1996. We are presenting this to be considered by the relevant scientific committees as soon as possible.
My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food maintain regular contact with President Santer, Commissioners Bonino and Fischler and members of the European Parliament to emphasise the importance we attach to rapid progress on lifting the export ban.
Mr. Sanders:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the levels of organic conversion grants in each European Union Member state. [13795]
Mr. Morley:
Full details of organic conversion grants in the member states are contained in the paper "The impact of EC Regulation 2078/92 on the development of organic farming in the European Union" by Dr. Nicholas Lampkin of the Welsh Institute of Rural Studies, University of Wales, Aberystwyth. A copy of this paper has been placed in the Library of the House.
11. Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received on the Government's White Paper on proposals for a Welsh Assembly. [12385]
Mr. Ron Davies:
I have received representations in the form of letters both to me personally and to the Welsh Office, telephone calls to the Assembly information line, and e-mails to the Assembly website.
The great majority of the communications were requests for factual information, for example about absent voting arrangements in the referendum. Of the rest, there was generally a balance between those in favour of the Government's proposals, those neutral and those against.
Among the specific issues raised have been:
18. Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales who will speak on behalf of Wales in the House if a Welsh Assembly is set up; and if that person will be authorised to speak on behalf of that body. [12392]
Mr. Ron Davies:
The Secretary of State for Wales will continue to represent Welsh interests in this House. The holder of that office will need to take account of the Welsh Assembly's views on various issues.
20. Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the outcome of the referendum on a Welsh Assembly. [12394]
5 Nov 1997 : Column: 235
25. Mr. Hanson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the result of the referendum on the Welsh Assembly. [12400]
Mr. Ron Davies:
I refer my hon. Friend's to the reply I gave today to the hon. Member for Banbury, (Mr. Baldry).
Mrs. Laing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the administrative cost of setting up the Assembly and of running it for the next five years. [12398]
Mr. Ron Davies:
I have placed full details of the estimated set-up and running costs of the Welsh Assembly in the Library of the House, as part of the answer I gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for Swansea West on 23 July this year, Official Report, column 638.
12. Mr. Walter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the expenditure by his Department on the referendum campaign. [12386]
Mr. Ron Davies:
Total expenditure on Referendum information and publicity was some £575,000. Of this, about £300,000 was accounted for by the costs of the White Paper and associated information material.
13. Mr. Syms:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales in what ways Welsh Office Ministers were involved in the referendum campaign in Wales. [12387]
Mr. Ron Davies:
Alongside our official duties, I and my Ministerial colleagues campaigned vigorously and wholeheartedly for a YES vote.
14. Mr. Paice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he next expects to meet his European counterparts to discuss Welsh agricultural matters. [12388]
Mr. Win Griffiths:
My right hon. Friend is visiting Brussels next week and he will be having discussions on Welsh agricultural matters with the Commission.
15. Mr. Martyn Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what response he has received from farming organisations and environmental interest to his announcement of an all-Wales, whole-farm, agri-environmental scheme. [12389]
Mr. Win Griffiths:
A number of farming and environmental organisations have welcomed my right hon. Friend's announcement and have written to him and to the Department about implementation of the scheme.
16. Mr. Swayne:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received from students regarding tuition fees. [12390]
Mr. Hain:
The Department has received some 14 representations from students about tuition fees. Some have come from the National Union of Students and others have come from individual students.
5 Nov 1997 : Column: 236
the powers of the Assembly
the use of Welsh language in the Assembly's work costs
the qualities required of Assembly members
the location of the Assembly.
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