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Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Maclennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many written parliamentary questions tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April have not received substantive answers, for reasons of commercial or other confidentiality. [127684]
Mr. Paul Murphy: Two written questions tabled between 19 October 1999 and 20 April 2000 have not received substantive answers for reasons of confidentiality.
SCOTLAND
Regional Selective Assistance
Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many Regional Selective Assistance applications were granted for each local authority area in Scotland in each year since RSA was introduced; and what was the value of each application. [126631]
Dr. Reid: RSA was introduced in 1972 under the terms of the Industry Act 1972 and subsequently the Industrial Development Act 1982. Since 1 July 1999, administration of Regional Selective Assistance grants in Scotland has been the responsibility of the Scottish Executive. Information on the number and value of grants offered is published annually in the Industrial Development Act 1982 Annual Report by the Secretaries of State for Trade and Industry, Scotland and for Wales for the year ending 31 March. Detailed information on grants in the form requested by the hon. Member is not readily available and could not be provided except at disproportionate cost.
Scottish Parliament Committees
Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what instructions he has given (a) Ministers and (b) officials regarding accepting invitations to give evidence to Scottish Parliament committees; and what his policy is in relation to such invitations. [126671]
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Dr. Reid [holding answer 20 June 2000]: Devolution Guidance Note 12, available in the Library, provides guidance for Ministers and officials of UK Departments who are invited to give evidence to Committees of the Scottish Parliament. I have not issued further guidance within the Scotland Office. Any invitations to give evidence to Ministers in my Department would be considered in the light of DGN 12.
Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the occasions when (a) ministers and (b) officials from his Department have been invited to give evidence to Scottish Parliament committees; how many have been accepted; how many have been refused; if he will give the reasons for each refusal; and what was the subject matter to be raised on each occasion. [126672]
Dr. Reid [holding answer 20 June 2000]: I have been invited to give evidence to the European Committee twice, about the European Structural Funds. I have declined because the primary requirement of accountability for UK Ministers is to the UK Parliament, and because I had received similar invitations from the Scottish Affairs Select Committee.
Erskine Bridge
Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Scottish Office recovered all of the costs of the repairs to the Erskine Bridge, following the damage caused by an offshore structure, from the parties deemed to be negligent; and if he will make a statement. [126692]
Dr. Reid: Responsibility for the recovery of costs of repairs to the Erskine Bridge is a matter for the Scottish Executive.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Maclennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many written parliamentary questions were tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April; and how many have not received substantive answers for reasons of disproportionate cost. [127683]
Dr. Reid: Our records show that 132 written questions were tabled to my Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April 2000. Of these, two questions did not receive substantive answers and two questions were not answered fully for reasons of disproportionate cost.