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Consultancy Contracts
Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of the budget of (a) Scottish Enterprise and (b) Highlands and Islands Enterprise was spent on consultancy contracts in 1996-97; and what was the total value of these contracts. [19794]
Mr. Wilson [holding answer 12 December 1997]: This is a matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise respectively and I have asked the Chairmen to write to the hon. Member.
Services
Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the annual cost of abolishing ferry charges and fares for all public sector ferry services in Scotland. [19796]
Mr. McLeish
[holding answer 12 December 1997]: As this matter is not under consideration, no estimate of the cost of abolition has been made. The costs of providing public sector ferry services are met through a combination of fares revenue and public subsidies made available by The Scottish Office and local authorities. If no income was raised from fares then all existing operating costs would have to be met by subsidy. In the longer term, the provision of ferry services free of charge to customers could be expected to lead to a substantial increase in demand, with the consequential problems of capacity
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constraint and ensuing demand, for more frequent services, more and larger vessels and a higher requirement for operating subsidies.
Mr. Home Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the Controller of Audit requested the opinion of senior counsel concerning his Special Report 97/2 on East Lothian District Council; when that opinion was received at the Controller's office; and when information about that opinion was sent to the Chief Executive of the East Lothian Council. [20986]
Mr. MacDonald
[holding answer 15 December 1997]: I understand from the Accounts Commission for Scotland that the Memorandum for the Opinion of Counsel was submitted on 24 September 1996 and the Counsel's Opinion was given on 10 December 1996. Information about the Opinion was given to the Chief Executive of the East Lothian Council on 16 April 1997.
Mr. Welsh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he plans to fill the post of Chief Scientific Officer for Scotland. [21153]
Mr. Wilson
[holding answer 16 December 1997]: I expect to announce a decision, on the Garrick recommendation that the Government should consider filling the vacant post of Chief Scientific Adviser to the Secretary of State, shortly.
Mr. Ancram:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the cost to public funds of abolishing the nursery voucher scheme in Scotland. [22041]
Mr. Wilson:
The cost to public funds of abolishing the pre-school education voucher system in Scotland will be part of the termination fee negotiated by Government with Capita Managed Services Ltd., the operators of the Pre-School Administration Agency. The amount is commercial in confidence.
Mr. Salmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the entry of waste materials into the food chain through seepage. [22943]
Mr. MacDonald
[holding answer 15 January 1998]: The only project commissioned by The Scottish Office that addresses the entry of waste materials into the food chain through seepage is:
This project is due for completion on 31 March 2000.
Ms. Roseanna Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what guidelines have been issued to publicly-funded bodies in Scotland regarding the use of Scottish legal firms. [25201]
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Mr. Galbraith:
No such general guidelines have been issued. The Scottish Arts Council is, like other Non-Departmental Public Bodies, required to achieve best value for money in the purchase of goods and services, and is required to place contracts of an estimated value of £1,000 or more on a competitive basis unless there are good reasons to the contrary. The Council's compliance with these requirements is monitored through the audit process: no specific assessment has been made of the particular tendering process referred to.
Ms Roseanna Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will make a statement on the development of sustainable support services for the film industry in Scotland with particular reference to legal services; [25199]
Mr. Galbraith:
No such instruction has been issued. Scottish Screen has responsibility for promoting and developing the film industry in Scotland and it is for it to assess how best this can be done and to allocate funds accordingly.
Mrs. Ewing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland for how many staff employed in the Scottish NHS in each of the last five years a degree in orthoptics was part of the requirement for their employment. [24563]
Mr. Galbraith:
The information is not available in the form requested. However, the table shows the numbers of qualified orthoptists employed by the NHS in Scotland in each of the last 5 years. Employment as a qualified orthoptist requires that an individual be registered under the Professions Supplementary to Medicine Act 1960.
Concentration of environmental oestrogens (xenoestrogens) in tissues of domestic animals grazing pasture treated with sewage sludge.
(2) what mechanisms exist for the assessment of the Scottish Arts Council's tendering process for legal services; what assessment he has made of the Scottish Arts Council's most recent tendering process for legal services; and if he will make a statement. [25202]
(2) what instructions he has given to publicly-funded bodies in the arts sector in Scotland regarding the use of public funds to develop support services for the film industry, with particular reference to legal services. [25200]
26 Jan 1998 : Column: 78
Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many students graduated with a degree in orthoptics from Scottish universities or colleges in each of the last five years. [24564]
Mr. Wilson: The numbers of students graduating in ophthalmics (which includes orthoptics and optometry) is provided in the table.
| Year | Number of graduates |
|---|---|
| 1992 | 28 |
| 1993 | 33 |
| 1994 | 42 |
| 1995 | 58 |
| 1996 | 52 |
Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the recruitment benefits for Scottish hospitals of the Scottish-based degree course for the training of orthoptists. [24559]
Mr. Galbraith: Scottish Hospitals appreciate that professional education and training, including that of orthoptists, provided by Scottish universities is of the highest standard and so would wish to recruit graduates trained in Scotland. But it is for the Council for the Professions Supplementary to Medicine to ensure that orthoptists working in the United Kingdom are competent to practice whereever they train. Also, while it would seem probable that graduates from Scottish universities are more likely to seek initial employment within rather than outwith Scotland, many students who have studied in Scottish universities but who are not domiciled in Scotland return home on graduation.
Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the British Orthoptic Society concerning the future of the Scottish-based degree course for training orthoptists. [24560]
Mr. Galbraith: I have been in correspondence with the British Orthoptic Society on this matter and Miss Anne Jarvie, the Chief Nursing Officer, is arranging to meet with the Society in the next few weeks.
Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to ensure the continuation of degree training for orthoptists in Scotland. [24558]
Mr. Galbraith: The Scottish Office is currently engaged in assessing the numbers of orthoptists which Scotland requires.
Once I have ascertained this, I will take steps to ensure sufficient orthoptists undertake degrees in orthoptics to meet the needs of the NHS in Scotland.
26 Jan 1998 : Column: 79
Mrs. Ewing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has made to (i) Caledonian University and (ii) the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine regarding the future of the orthoptic degree course at Caledonian University; and if he will make a statement. [24561]
Mr. Galbraith:
Glasgow Caledonian University and the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine (CPSM) have kept Scottish office officials fully appraised of the situation regarding the orthoptic degree course at Glasgow Caledonian University.
I have called for a review of the education and training of orthoptists in Scotland, the first stage of which is to seek information from Trusts on the current need for orthoptists and the need over the next five years. This information has now been gathered. Further stages in the review process will be decided after these data have been analysed.
Mrs. Ewing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many Scottish students received funding for an orthoptic degree course (i) at Caledonian, (ii) at Liverpool, (iii) at Sheffield universities and (iv) outside the United Kingdom in the last year for which figures are available. [24562]
Mr. Wilson:
The number of Scottish students, funded by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland, on the BSc Orthoptics course, in the current academic session (1997-98) is contained in the table:
| University | Number |
|---|---|
| Glasgow Caledonian | 49 |
| Liverpool | 1 |
| Sheffield | nil |
| Outwith the UK | nil |
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