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AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Local Authority Funding

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the funds which are available to local authorities on application, indicating those for which the Torbay Unitary Authority has successfully applied in each of the last two years. [124197]

Mr. Nick Brown: Local authorities can apply for a range of funds managed by my Department, depending on their individual circumstances. My Department's records show that Torbay Unitary Authority had three successful applications under the Countryside Stewardship Scheme in 1998-99.

Organic Farming

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of those farmers requesting information from the organic conversion information service entered the organic farming scheme. [127027]

Mr. Morley: Precise figures are not available. However, we estimate that around 25 per cent. of farmers who contact OCIS eventually enter land into conversion.

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farmers requested information from the organic conversion information service in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [127028]

Mr. Morley: In the period 5 June 1999 to 2 June 2000, just over 2,000 farmers contacted the organic conversion information service.

Beta-sitosterol

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his policy towards beta-sitosterol products. [126892]

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Ms Stuart: As responsibility for food safety and standards matters have now passed to the Food Standards Agency which reports to Parliament through Health Ministers, I have been asked to reply.

I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that products containing beta-sitosterol require pre-market approval under the European Commission Novel Foods Regulation 258/97 if they did not have a significant history of consumption in Europe at the time the regulations came into force.

ADVOCATE-GENERAL

Human Rights

28. Dr. Godman: To ask the Advocate-General what recent advice she has given to the Government concerning the cross-examination of complainers in court cases involving sexual assault and similar offences in relation to (a) the human rights of such witnesses and (b) the European convention on human rights. [126363]

The Advocate-General for Scotland: This raises difficult questions which require to be handled with great delicacy by policy Ministers. These questions include issues of human rights, of the complainer as well as of the accused. In England and Wales, this is the responsibility of the Home Secretary and legislation has been passed by Parliament. The relevant provisions of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 will be brought into force once the necessary rules of court, which are at an advanced stage, have been made. In Scotland, where the matter is devolved, the Executive have announced their intention to examine options open to them.

Devolution Issues

29. Mrs. McKenna: To ask the Advocate-General in what type of cases, intimated to her as devolution issues, she has intervened. [126364]

The Advocate-General for Scotland: I have intervened in a variety of devolution issues cases. Each case is considered on its merits. In general terms I have intervened, for example, where important issues of principle have arisen particularly in cases which might have ramifications for the whole United Kingdom. I do not usually intervene until a case has reached appeal or Privy Council stage.

SCOTLAND

New Deal

6. Mr. McFall: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people in Scotland have moved in to unsubsidised employment as a result of the New Deal; and if he will make a statement. [126341]

Mr. Wilson: At the end of March this year, 28,795 people had moved in to unsubsidised employment as a result of participating in the New Deal in Scotland.

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Scottish Constituencies

7. Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the time scale for reducing the number of hon. Members representing Scottish constituencies. [126342]

Dr. Reid: It is not possible to be precise on this. The Parliamentary Boundary Commission for Scotland has not yet formally started its next review. It is for the Commission to determine when this commences, keeping in mind the requirement that it needs to report between December 2002 and December 2006. Following the report, implementation will take some time.

9. Mr. Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Boundary Commission for Scotland about the Government's plan to reduce the number of hon. Members representing Scottish constituencies. [126344]

Dr. Reid: I have had no such discussions. The rules for the redistribution of parliamentary seats are set out in the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986, as amended, and the Scotland Act 1998. The Boundary Commission is required to follow these in any review of the number of constituencies in Scotland.

25. Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Prime Minister about reducing the number of hon. Members sitting for Scottish constituencies. [126360]

Dr. Reid: I have regular discussions with my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on various matters.

Pensioners

8. Mrs. Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has made to the Secretary of State for Social Security regarding pensioners. [126343]

Dr. Reid: I have frequent discussions with my right hon. Friend. We are proud of this Government's record: we are spending an additional £6.5 billion on pensioners over the course of this Parliament.

Barnett Formula

10. Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent representations he has received on the operation of the Barnett formula in respect of the block grant to the Scottish Executive. [126345]

Dr. Reid: I have not received any such representations in the past six months.

Coalfield Communities

11. Mr. Eric Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action is being taken to regenerate coalfield communities in Scotland. [126346]

Dr. Reid: This Government are very aware of the specific problems faced by coalfield areas and remain committed to a long-term plan of action to regenerate coalfield communities. As I explained in my reply to my hon. Friend on 18 April, the work of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust is a matter for the Scottish Executive.

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With the publication of the report "Improving Lottery Funding Access and Delivery in the British Coalfields" on 5 June, this Government have signalled their intention to ensure that people in coalfields and other deprived areas can get the fullest benefit possible from the National Lottery.

National Minimum Wage

12. Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many Scottish companies have had action taken against them to enforce the national minimum wage. [126347]

Mr. Wilson: Since the introduction of the minimum wage on 1 April 1999, national minimum wage inspectors in Scotland have taken action against 17 companies to enforce the national minimum wage. There are presently 229 cases being investigated by national minimum wage investigators. The Low Pay Commission reported on 15 February that the Inland Revenue has made a successful start to enforcement and was working proactively to ensure compliance with the legislation.

15. Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many workers in Scotland have benefited from the introduction of the national minimum wage. [126350]

Mr. Wilson: Over 100,000 workers in Scotland are entitled to higher rates of pay as a result of the introduction of the national minimum wage on 1 April 1999.

Assisted Areas Map

13. Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Scottish Executive regarding the assisted area status map for Scotland. [126348]

Dr. Reid: I have had various discussions with both the Department for Trade and Industry and the Scottish Executive about the assisted areas map for Scotland. I am hopeful that the Commission will soon agree to a map that will secure a very favourable outcome for Scotland.

Planning Decisions

14. Mr. Peter Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will raise in the joint Ministerial Committee between the Scottish Executive and the UK Government the subject of planning decisions with cross-border implications. [126349]

Mr. Wilson: My right hon. Friend has no plans to raise this issue in the Joint Ministerial Committee. Planning decisions are in the first instance a matter for local government, and it will generally be desirable that local authorities should discuss planning matters that span their boundaries with neighbouring local authorities, whether those authorities are in Scotland or England. The bilateral concordat between the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the Scottish Executive provides for communication and co-ordination between these central government bodies.

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