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Air Miles
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many Air Miles have been earned by him and each of his Ministers; and how he proposes to use them. [73331]
Mr. Dewar: The Government's policy on the use and disposal of air miles was set out by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 12 January 1999, Official Report, column 141.
Detailed information on any air miles earned by Ministers as a result of official travel is not recorded centrally.
Agriculture Business Improvement
Mr. Maclennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the approved six year budget for the agriculture business improvement scheme of 1994; what sums have been made available to the Highland agriculture industry; and what plans he has to vire part of the approved budget to other sectors. [73191]
Mr. Dewar [holding answer 25 February 1999]: The Agriculture Business Improvement Scheme (ABIS) forms part of the Objective 1 Highlands and Islands Agricultural Programme (HIAP), along with the Marketing Scheme and the Crofting Township Development Scheme. There is no separate budget provision for the ABIS.
The original budget provision for the HIAP was around £23 million, but due to the strength of sterling against the ecu, this figure is now nearer £20 million. To date, almost £14.6 million has been committed under HIAP, and all three Schemes remain open to applications from farmers and crofters in the Highlands and Islands.
As a consequence of consistent underspending against the HIAP budget provision, it is possible that all of the resources allocated to the Programme will not now be required. The Government are reviewing the budgetary provision for HIAP, but no decision has been taken on the possible virement of resources. The Government are planning to announce improvements to the ABIS next month to help stimulate uptake of the available funds.
Mr. David Stewart:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to change the rules of the Woodland Grant Scheme. [75416]
4 Mar 1999 : Column: 850
Mr. Macdonald:
We are making two changes to the rules of the Woodland Grant Scheme today.
We are keen to improve value for money from the Woodland Grant Scheme and have concluded that the payments currently offered for creating new woodland do not reflect the economies of scale available when creating very large forests. Payments for these large forests significantly reduce the funds available for delivering our other forestry objectives.
We have therefore decided that from today, fixed rate grants will no longer be available for applications to create new woodlands of 300 hectares or more. They will be replaced by a grant linked to the overall costs likely to be incurred by the applicant over the first ten years. Normally the grant will be 60 per cent. of the costs, which will be agreed in negotiation with the owners. However, where there are particularly important public benefits in relation to achieving Biodiversity Action Plan targets, or helping crofter or community-based forestry schemes, it may be possible to pay 80 per cent. of the agreed costs. These payments will not exceed the grant that would have been paid using the current fixed rate grants.
The rules of the Woodland Grant Scheme have also been amended from today so that grants are no longer available for land where the landowner has terminated an agricultural tenancy by means of a contested notice to quit. This change, which follows a recommendation in the Scottish Land Reform Policy Group's Report, is intended to discourage landowners from terminating tenancies, against the wishes of their tenants, in order to convert the land to woodland.
Both these changes will apply throughout Great Britain.
More detailed information on these changes is available from the Forestry Commission.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the expenditure by Scottish universities on hardship funds in the latest year for which information is available; and if he will make a statement. [74559]
Mrs. Liddell:
The Government distribute resources to further and higher education institutions in the form of Access Funds to enable them to assist students whose access to, or continuance, in education may be inhibited by financial difficulties. Many institutions also have funds of their own which are used for a similar purpose.
The Access Fund resources distributed to Universities and other higher education institutions in Scotland in respect of academic year 1998-99 amounted to £3.473 million.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the role of professional lobbyists in formulating policy in his Department. [74363]
Mr. Dewar:
Any contacts with lobbyists by Ministers and civil servants in this Department are conducted in accordance with the "Ministerial Code" and "Guidance for Civil Servants: Contact with Lobbyists".
4 Mar 1999 : Column: 851
Mr. Norman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how long the Immigration and Nationality Department paper room, where files are stored, is planned to remain closed for access to casework files. [72860]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The Immigration and Nationality Directorate Croydon paper store, which holds casework files on which there is no current action, is no longer closed.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 2 February 1999, Official Report, columns 554-45, if he will list the submissions and briefing papers prepared by his officials on crime among ethnic minorities. [73625]
Mr. Boateng:
I regard details of the frequency and substance of the advice I receive from officials as confidential. The incidence of crime amongst the general population is regarded as of importance, whatever the ethnic origins of the victims or alleged perpetrators, and I receive regular advice thereon.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last visited the British police contingent in Bosnia. [73499]
Mr. Boateng:
I have not visited Bosnia. The then Minister of State at the Home Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Mr. Michael), visited the British contingent in December 1997. I will be visiting Bosnia later this year. The Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, my hon. Friend the Member for Vauxhall (Kate Hoey) hopes to visit at some point. A number of Chief Constables have visited as has a Home Office official.
Mr. Chope:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department has paid in each of the last three years to support the Women's Royal Voluntary Service; and how much of the money was in respect of that organisation's core activities. [74197]
Mr. Boateng:
The Home Office has provided grant in aid to the Women's Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS) since its inception in 1938. The levels of grant for the years in question were as follows:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1996-97 | 5,840,000 |
| 1997-98 | 5,548,000 |
| 1998-99 | 5,298,000 |
All of the grant provided was in support of the organisation's core activities.
4 Mar 1999 : Column: 852
Race Relations Act 1976
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to strengthen the provisions of the Race Relations Act in relation to the restaurant and hotel trade. [74016]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The restaurant and hotel trade is subject to the provisions of the Race Relations Act 1976 in terms of both employment and the provision of goods and services. There are some exceptions which may apply for genuine occupational qualifications designed to protect racial authenticity--for example, in certain restaurants.
The Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) has reviewed the Race Relations Act 1976 and put forward 57 recommendations for change including one to replace the genuine occupation qualifications for authenticity, which relate to working where food and drink are served in a particular setting. The Department has carried out a public consultation on the proposals which concluded on 18 December 1998.
My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced when he published the report of the Inquiry into the death of Stephen Lawrence that the Race Relations Act 1976 will be extended to cover the public services.
The Government will bring forward proposals in due course, including a response to the CRE recommendations.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints about CS sprays have been submitted to the Police Complaints Authority since 31 March 1998. [74250]
Mr. Boateng:
The Police Complaints Authority have provided the following information regarding complaints which they have received between 1 April 1998 and 1 March 1999.
Note:
A case may include more than one complaint. The first column indicates the number of cases and the second indicates the number of actual complaints.
4 Mar 1999 : Column: 853
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers in England and Wales currently carry CS sprays. [74248]
Mr. Boateng: Decisions about equipping police officers with CS spray are the responsibility of chief officers of police. In this, they are governed and monitored by the Association of Chief Police Officers' (ACPO) self-defence, arrest and restraint sub-committee.
ACPO have advised that details on the number of police officers trained in the use of CS spray are not held centrally. However, all but 3 police forces in England and Wales now issue CS spray to their officers. These are Northamptonshire, Sussex and Nottinghamshire.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if special constables are being trained to carry and use CS sprays. [74249]
Mr. Boateng:
Special constables do carry and use CS spray. They use the same equipment and receive the same training as regular Police Constables in accordance with guidelines issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers.
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