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Scottish Parliament
11. Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultations he has had with Edinburgh district council on the site of the proposed Scottish Parliament.
Mr. Dewar: The Scottish Office is working closely with the City of Edinburgh Council in considering the location of the Scottish Parliament.
13. Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the cost implications of each of the potential locations for a Scottish Assembly. [17102]
Mr. McLeish: The estimated costs of providing a building for the Scottish Parliament at three potential locations in Edinburgh are being drawn up at present by independent consultants. The transport and environmental impacts are also being assessed.
18. Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to announce the location of the Scottish Parliament. [17109]
Mr. McLeish: My right hon. Friend hopes to announce his decision on the location of the Scottish Parliament building around the turn of the year.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current estimate for the cost of the proposed Scottish Parliament building. [18157]
Mr. McLeish: As is explained in the White Paper "Scotland's Parliament", the cost is dependent upon the site that is eventually chosen. The estimated costs of providing a building for the Scottish Parliament at locations in Regent Road, Leith and Haymarket are presently being drawn up by independent consultants.
Mr. Gorrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library representations made to him by Historic Scotland about the siting of the Scottish Parliament on Calton Hill. [17630]
Mr. McLeish
[holding answer 1 December 1997]: No such representations have been made. Historic Scotland, as an executive agency within The Scottish Office, is fully and directly involved in the process of advising Ministers on the selection of a location for the Scottish Parliament.
2 Dec 1997 : Column: 152
Mr. Salmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to announce the date of the first Scottish Parliamentary election. [17103]
Mr. Dewar:
The timing of elections is being considered. I will make a further statement in due course.
14. Mr. Savidge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for increasing the role of public transport in urban and rural areas. [17104]
Mr. Chisholm:
We intend to publish a White Paper in the spring setting out an effective, integrated and environmentally sustainable transport policy appropriate to the needs of Scotland. This will take account of the responses to the consultation document issued last August. Our proposals, which will recognise the important role of improved public transport will be published in the White Paper.
15. Mr. Alasdair Morgan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had recently with the President of the Board of Trade concerning inward investment policy. [17105]
Mr. Wilson:
I refer the hon. Member to the oral answer I gave earlier to the hon. Members for Banbury (Mr. Baldry) and for North Wiltshire (Mr. Gray).
17. Ms Roseanna Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for land reform in Scotland. [17108]
Mr. Dewar:
I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Inverness, East, Nairn and Lochaber (Mr. Stewart), on 30 October 1997, Official Report, column 875.
19. Mr. Fallon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what adjustments he will make within the Scottish block to reflect the level of household income in Scotland. [17110]
20. Mr. Galloway:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the Glasgow city council to discuss its economic situation; and if he will make a statement. [17111]
Mr. Chisholm:
My right hon. Friend and I met the Leader of Glasgow city council on 18 November and had a useful discussion on the economic situation and a range of other matters.
21. Miss Begg:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made in reducing bureaucracy int he NHS in Scotland. [17112]
2 Dec 1997 : Column: 153
Mr. Galbraith:
Health Boards and Trusts were recently instructed to submit action plans for reducing further the costs of bureaucracy. The plans have still to be fully evaluated and the likely savings and administrative improvements determined.
22. Mr. Home Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his review of trunk road improvement projects. [17113]
Mr. Chisholm:
The Strategic Review of the Trunk Road network, which I announced on 19 July this year, is a key part of our overall review of transport in Scotland, the results of which we intend to publish next year as a White Paper. The review is developing a revised framework for the appraisal of new trunk road schemes consistent with the integrated transport strategy to be set out in the White Paper.
The revised appraisal system will allow schemes to be assessed against the criteria of integration, accessibility, economy, safety and environmental impacts. Public transport solutions will be fully considered alongside new road building proposals. Scottish Office officials are currently developing the assessment criteria in parallel with colleagues from the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.
2 Dec 1997 : Column: 154
The roads review is taking into account the full range of factors, including traffic growth, which will give rise to pressure for further major improvements over the trunk road network in Scotland.
We shall undertake public consultation early next year on the emerging findings of the review and it is expected that the outcome of the review will be announced in the Summer of 1998.
22. Mrs. May:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on per capita spending levels in Scotland. [17114]
Mr. Dewar:
Identifiable General Government Expenditure in Scotland was £4,614 per head in 1995-96, the last year for which complete figures are available.
24. Mr. Ian Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many students there were in higher education in Scotland in each of the past five years; and what estimate he has made of the number for the academic year 1998-99. [17115]
Mr. Wilson:
The total number of students (full-time and part-time) in Higher Education in Scotland, for the last five years available, is provided in the following table. The latest published projections for 1998-99 are also included.
2 Dec 1997 : Column: 153
| Full-time | Part-time | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total | Postgraduate | Undergraduate | Total | Postgraduate | Undergraduate |
| 1992-93 | 120,483 | 13,095 | 107,388 | 46,700 | 8,638 | 38,062 |
| 1993-94 | 132,509 | 13,848 | 118,661 | 47,220 | 9,918 | 37,302 |
| 1994-95 | 142,722 | 15,428 | 127,294 | 59,158 | 17,701 | 41,457 |
| 1995-96 | 145,634 | 16,127 | 129,507 | 69,570 | 21,089 | 48,481 |
| 1996-97(15) | 148,380 | 14,512 | 133,868 | 60,179 | 18,050 | 42,129 |
| Projection 1998-99(16) | 163,140 | 14,372 | 148,768 | 60,183 | 18,926 | 41,257 |
(15) Figures for 1996-97 are provisional.
(16) Projections submitted to the Garrick Committee.
2 Dec 1997 : Column: 153
Regional Policy
25 Mr. St. Aubyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to attend an EC Council of Ministers meeting to discuss policy towards the regions.[17116]
Mr. Dewar: There is no formal Council devoted to regional policy. I plan to attend an Informal meeting of Regional Policy and Spatial Planning Ministers in Glasgow on 8-9 June as part of the UK Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers.
School Buildings
26. Mr. Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what new resources are being provided to improve the fabric of Scotland's schools in the current financial year. [17117]
Mr. Wilson:
£8.9 million.
2 Dec 1997 : Column: 154
27. Mr. David Marshall:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to improve secondary school education in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [17118]
Mr. Wilson:
Education is at the heart of this Government and raising standards is the key priority. Under our initiative to raise standards in Scottish schools, each school will have clear, realistic and achievable targets for improvement. Implementation will be overseen by my Action Group on Standards in Scottish Schools, membership of which is widely drawn from within and beyond education.
In September, with the endorsement of the Action Group, we issued for consultation a strategy paper for the development of a framework of school targets in key areas with national introduction in the school year 1998-99.
2 Dec 1997 : Column: 155
The outcome of consultation will be discussed at the next meeting of the Action Group on 15 December.
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