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Police Funding
Sir Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the real terms change in funding for the police, excluding expenditure on police pensions, in each of the last three years; and what is the expected real terms change in spending over the years of the comprehensive spending review (a) excluding pensions and (b) in total. [80040]
Mr. McLeish: The Secretary of State pays police specific grant at 51 per cent. of net eligible expenditure by police authorities. Overall expenditure is determined by the level of Grant Aided Expenditure set by the Secretary of State and subsequently by the budgets set by police authorities.
(50) Excludes expenditure on police pensions.
(51) Includes pensions expenditure which cannot be identified separately at this time.
Note:
The cash figures have been recalculated to show equivalent real term figures at 1999-2000 prices.
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From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Prison Population
Sir Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the prison population was (a) in each Prison Service establishment and (b) in total on the last date for which figures are available; and if he will list those establishments which were officially overcrowded. [79864]
Mr. McLeish: The information is correct as at Friday 2 April which is the last time statistics were formally gathered.
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Police (Efficiency Targets)
Sir Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action his Department will take if police forces do not achieve targets for efficiency gains; and if he will make a statement. [80043]
Mr. McLeish: Efficiency savings will be monitored by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary as part of their statutory inspection of each police force. Chief constables will be expected to respond in their annual reports to any comments or recommendations about efficiency savings made by HM Inspectorate in their reports to the Secretary of State on force inspections.
From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Prisoners
Sir Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the average number of hours per day that prisoners were locked in their cells in each of the last three years (a) per prison establishment, and (b) in the Prison Service as a whole; and if he will make a statement. [80038]
Mr. McLeish: Figures covering the information required are not routinely collated or held. It is, however, the Government's policy to maximise the opportunities for prisoners to engage in purposeful activities, including work, outside their cells, and, to that end, they have in recent years set the Scottish Prison Service targets for prisoner programme participation.
After 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Crime (Zero Tolerance)
Sir Robert Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the policy of zero tolerance for particular crimes; what proposals he intends to implement which are based on zero tolerance approaches; and if he will make a statement. [79869]
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Mr. McLeish:
No assessment has been made by The Scottish Office of the policy of zero tolerance in relation to certain crimes. However, the Government are satisfied that the strong measures they have introduced on handguns, sex offenders, racial harassment and anti-social behaviour will be successful. The Government's paramount concern is public safety and the way in which crime in Scotland is being tackled is set out in "A Safer Scotland: Tackling Crime and its Causes" which was published on 9 February. Copies of the publication were placed in the House of Commons Library.
From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Mr. Swinney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the allocation of cover for the recently announced transitional funding for the Highlands and Islands will be made through the Scottish Block. [80091]
Mr. Macdonald:
As happens at present for the existing programmes, the allocation of public expenditure cover for the special European Structural funds programme for the Highlands and Islands will be one of the elements of the former Scottish Block which will make up the Assigned Budget of the Scottish Administration.
From 1 July 1999, the administration of European Structural Funds will be the responsibility of the Scottish Administration.
Mr. Swinney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of the structural funds in each year since 1974 were (a) allocated for cover to the Scottish Office DEL and its previous equivalents through the Scottish Block arrangement; and (b) applied using specially negotiated agreements; and for those years where specially negotiated agreements were reached if he will list (i) that amount allocated for cover to the DEL and its previous equivalents under these agreements and (ii) the proportion this represented of the total structural fund cover. [80090]
Mr. Macdonald:
Public expenditure provision for all European Regional Development Fund or Social Fund expenditure for which the Scottish Office was responsible in the period since 1974 has been within the Scottish Office DEL and its previous equivalents. There have been no "specially negotiated agreements" covering the application for European Regional Development Fund or European Social Fund receipts.
From 1 July 1999, the administration of European Structural Funds will be the responsibility of the Scottish Administration.
Mr. Swinney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list (i) the total European structural fund allocation to Scotland in each year since 1974 in cash and real terms and (ii) the share of the overall UK structural fund allocation that this amount represented in each year. [80089]
Mr. Macdonald:
The information is set out in the table.
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| Million euro | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| European structural funds allocation to Scotland | Share of UK structural funds allocation | ||
| Year | Cash | Real terms | Percentage |
| 1975 | 17.900 | 82.321 | 28 |
| 1976 | 24.150 | 97.716 | 25.4 |
| 1977 | 22.950 | 81.740 | 25 |
| 1978 | 37.750 | 121.039 | 24.8 |
| 1979 | 58.900 | 161.714 | 22.5 |
| 1980 | 46.760 | 108.571 | 16.9 |
| 1981 | 127,400 | 270.144 | 36.6 |
| 1982 | 129.600 | 257.004 | 28 |
| 1983 | 143.640 | 272.231 | 31.2 |
| 1984 | 174.070 | 313.427 | 27 |
| 1985 | 117.300 | 200.625 | 19.2 |
| 1986 | 126.000 | 208.993 | 22.5 |
| 1987 | 131.130 | 206.492 | 20.6 |
| 1988 | 143.450 | 211.558 | 24 |
| 1989 | 101.320 | 139.446 | 23.7 |
| 1990 | 130.945 | 167.128 | 12.3 |
| 1991 | 207.038 | 248.230 | 14.5 |
| 1992 | 141.505 | 164.547 | 8.2 |
| 1993 | 156.337 | 177.196 | 9.9 |
| 1994 | 140.023 | 156.148 | 7.2 |
| 1995 | 223.566 | 241.333 | 10.4 |
| 1996 | 256.897 | 269.352 | 11.2 |
| 1997 | 315.269 | 333.872 | 13.4 |
| 1998 | 575.323 | 583.221 | 23.3 |
| 1999 | 402.907 | 408.713 | 15.2 |
Notes:
1. For the period 1975 to 1989, the figures are exclusively ERDF.
2. The years 1990 to 1999 include ERDF and ESF, as well as EAGGF and FIFG which are in the Objective 1 and 5b Programmes.
3. From 1990 to 1993, ESF was the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (formerly the Secretary of State for Employment). Before 1990, ESF was administered by the European Commission and Scottish figures are not available.
4. The figures have been converted to current prices using HM Treasury deflator tables dated 22 December 1998.
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