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Agent Orange

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research Her Majesty's Government have sponsored into the effects of Agent Orange; and if he will make a statement. [14488]

Mr. Spellar: As far as can be established from records, no research on Agent Orange has been undertaken by MOD or its Agencies or their predecessors.

SCOTLAND

University Students

Mr. Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was (a) the total number of students on first degree courses at Scottish higher education institutions in each of the past five years and (b) the number of those students taking four-year honours degree courses. [15057]

Mr. Wilson: The total number of first degree students--full time and part time--in Scottish higher education institutions for the most recent five years available is set out in the table.

Number of first degree students in Scottish HEIs

Year	Full time	Part time	Total
1991-92	78,182	5,169	83,351
1992-93	87,057	7,014	94,071
1993-94	93,394	7,722	101,086
1994-95	97,928	6,012	103,840
1995-96	99,434	6,198	105,632

However, it is not possible to ascertain how many of these students undertook a four-year honours degree course. The only point at which it is known that a student has studied for an honours degree is when they obtain their qualification. The following tables set out data for

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full-time first degree graduates from Scottish higher education institutions for 1994-95 and 1995-96. It is not possible to identify the number of years taken to obtain the qualification in data prior to 1994-95.

	1994-95
Year of student	Honours	Other	Total
Less than four years	3,545	5,407	8,952
Four years	10,187	928	11,115
More than four years	2,041	342	2,383
Total	15,773	6,677	22,450

The following table shows that of the 15,773 honours graduates for Scottish HEIs in 1994-95, 10,187--65 per cent--obtained the qualification after completing four years of study. The 3,545 graduates who completed an honours degree in less than four years will include direct entrants into second year and also students transferring between higher education institutions to study the same course.

	1995-96
Year of student	Honours	Other	Total
Less than four years	2,900	6,162	9,062
Four years	12,219	1,149	13,368
More than four years	2,031	642	2,673
Total	17,150	7,953	25,103

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland further to his answer to the hon. Member for Tiverton and Honiton (Mrs. Browning) of 4 November, Official Report, column 156, how many potential university entrants had confirmed places for Scottish universities by 1 August; and if he will make a statement.[15314]

Mr. Wilson: The information requested is not held centrally. Information on university applications may be obtained from the University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), Fulton House, Jessop Avenue, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 3SH.

Chiropody and Podiatry

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list the budget for each health

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authority or health board allocated for spending on chiropody and podiatry services in (a) 1997-98, (b) 1996-97 and (c) 1995-96; [15372]

(2) what was the NHS expenditure on NHS chiropody and podiatry in (a) 1996-97, (b) 1995-96 and (c) 1994-95. [15373]

Mr. Galbraith: Health Boards are not given specific budgets for spending on chiropody and podiatric services. Resources for these services are met from within Health Boards' general revenue allocations and will reflect their assessment of need.

The majority of chiropodists employed by the NHS in Scotland are engaged in Community Health Services. The costs are not identifiable separately in financial returns. However, information on hospital expenditure is collected centrally and the data, covering both chiropody and podiatry, are in the following table:

Year	£000
1994-95	1,360
1995-96	1,813
1996-97	2,342

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list those health authorities which have notified his Department of (a) reductions or increases in chiropody services in 1996-97 relative to 1995-96 and (b) planned reductions or increases in chiropody services in 1998-99; [15374]

(2) what are the staffing and personnel figures for all NHS grades and whole-time equivalent staff for chiropody and podiatry for (a) 1996-97, (b) 1995-96 and (c) 1994-95. [15362]

Mr. Galbraith: Health Boards are not required to notify the Department of changes in activity in particular services. Although the Department wishes to see health authorities and GP fundholders provide the full range of NHS services including chiropody, detailed planning decision on levels of provision are taken locally according to the needs of the population served.

Information available on changes in chiropody services relates to the number of chiropody and podiatry staff employed by the NHS in Scotland. This information is shown in the following table:

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NHS chiropody staff by grade(14) Headcount and whole time equivalent: at 30 September

	Number			WTE
	1994	1995	1996	1994	1995	1996
Chiropody	664	698	716	593.6	619.0	628.3
Chiropodists	632	664	680	564.5	588.4	595.7
Area	6	8	8	6.0	8.0	8.0
Chief	57	59	66	55.7	57.7	64.4
Senior	555	573	583	490.0	499.9	501.9
Basic/general	14	24	23	12.8	22.8	21.4
Footcare assistant	32	34	36	29.1	30.7	32.6

(14) Chiropody staff directly employed by the NHS in Scotland. The figures do not include any privately employed chiropodists who may be engaged by the NHS on a sessional basis.

Source:

National Manpower Statistics from payroll ISD Scotland Adhoc ref. 97/9541.

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Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the guidelines that are issued and health needs assessments that health authorities undertake to ensure the availability of chiropody and podiatry services to meet the needs of the local population. [15361]

Mr. Galbraith: Health Boards are responsible for undertaking local needs assessments and for providing chiropody services to meet the needs of their local populations within available resources.

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) face to face contacts and (b) initial contacts there were with NHS chiropody and podiatry staff in (i) 1996-97, (ii) 1995-96 and (iii) 1994-95. [15360]

Mr. Galbraith: The total number of contacts with NHS chiropody and podiatry services, including hospital and community-based services and services provided by voluntary organisations acting on behalf of the NHS, is shown in the following table:

NHS in Scotland--Chiropody and podiatry contacts: year ending 31 December

	Number
1994	1,731,715
1995	1,986,911
1996	1,944,630

There were 43,696 new patients seen by hospital chiropody services during 1996. Information on other contacts is not readily available.

Business Rates

Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what steps he has taken to monitor the differential between business rates for hotel properties in Scotland and England; [15520]

(2) if he will commission an investigation into the level of business rates faced by hotels in Scotland and rates for comparable properties in England; [15521]

(3) what representations he has received concerning differences between Scottish and English business rates since 1995. [15522]

Mr. Chisholm [holding answer 12 November 1997]: Valuation for rating of non-domestic property in Scotland is the responsibility of local assessors who together with the Valuation Office Agency have assured the Government that the 1995 Revaluation has been carried out using cross-Border harmonised valuation techniques. Representations arising since the revaluation have been received from, amongst others, the caravan industry, the hotel industry and representatives of those providing self-catering accommodation. The majority of difficulties have been resolved through negotiation with the assessors and through the well established formal appeals system. There are no plans to commission an investigation into these matters.

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