---

Departmental Running Costs

Ms Roseanna Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate she has made for the staffing levels and running costs for the Scotland Office in the years 2000-01 and 2001-02. [150045]

Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 12 February 2001]: Details of the staffing levels and running costs for the period to 2003-04 were set out in the Scotland Office Departmental Report 2001, which was published on 30 March 2001.

10 May 2001 : Column: 372W

Mr. Swinney: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the running costs of the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland and Advocate-General for Scotland were in each year since 1999-2000; how much of the budget in each year was allocated to (a) staff costs, (b) maintenance, (c) travel costs and (d) other expenditure; and if he will make a statement. [152351]

Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 7 March 2001]: Information in the form requested is not available. Details of administration costs were set out in the Scotland Office Departmental Report 2001, which was published on 30 March 2001 and in the Department's annual accounts.

In 1999-2000 expenditure on Scotland Office staff was £1,976,000 and on other administration costs was £1,991,000. Comparable figures for 2000-01 are not yet available.

Expenditure

Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate she has made of the total sums projected to be spent in Scotland in (a) this financial year and (b) each of the next two financial years (i) by the Scottish Executive and (ii) through direct spending by the Government of the UK. [152090]

Mrs. Liddell: Details of expenditure by the Scottish Executive were set out in "The Scottish Budget: Annual Expenditure Report" published by the Executive on 30 March 2001. Expenditure for 2000-01 was £17,997 million and is planned to be £19,823 million in 2001-02 and £21,022 million in 2002-03.

Details of other direct spending by the UK Government in Scotland are not calculated for forward years. Information on public expenditure by country and function is published by the Treasury each year in the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses.

Timber

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much certified timber has been purchased by her Department over the past six months; and what proportion of total timber purchases this represents. [152108]

Mrs. Liddell: No timber has been purchased by my Department over the past six months.

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if his Department's annual report on timber procurement to the Committee of Green Ministers will be published. [152149]

Mrs. Liddell: An annual report will be provided in line with the answer given on 28 July 2000, Official Report, columns 947-48W, by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment.

New Deal

Mr. Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will estimate the number of Scots on benefits who have found employment under the New Deal scheme. [153128]

10 May 2001 : Column: 373W

Mrs. Liddell: The New Deal has been a resounding success in Scotland with over 48,000 people going into jobs as a result of their participation in the New Deal for Young People, New Deal 25+, New Deal for Lone Parents and New Deal 50 plus.

A/F Protein Inc.

Mr. Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if her Office's (a) Ministers and (b) officials met, prior to devolution, representatives of A/F Protein Inc. of Waltham, Massachusetts, United States of America. [157766]

Mrs. Liddell: There is no record of Scottish Office Ministers or officials having met representatives of A/F Protein Inc. prior to devolution.

Mr. Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations her Office's (a) Ministers and (b) officials received, prior to devolution, from representatives of A/F Protein Inc. of Waltham, Massachusetts, United States of America; and what response she made. [157767]

Mrs. Liddell: No such representations were received by either Scottish Office Ministers or officials prior to devolution.

GM Food (Research)

Mr. Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will list the projects funded by the Scottish Office from 1990 to devolution on scientific research into (a) genetically modified and (b) transgenic fish in the UK and abroad, by research project title, indicating the purpose of the research, the project timespan, its total cost and recipient research centres. [157765]

Mrs. Liddell: No scientific projects on genetically modified or transgenic fish have been directly funded by the Scottish Office since 1990.

Special Advisers (Overseas Visits)

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions between 5 June 2000 and 31 March 2001 (a) departmental and (b) non-departmental special advisers have travelled abroad in an official capacity. [158544]

Mrs. Liddell: No special advisers from my Department have travelled abroad in an official capacity.

Appointments (Age Limits)

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what age limit is placed on appointments to public bodies in her Department; if this limit is mentioned in advertisements for such posts; and what the basis for this limit is. [158126]

Mrs. Liddell: The Government are committed to equality of opportunity and to increasing the diversity of those appointed to public bodies.

In respect of the Boundary Commission for Scotland, the only public body for which I am responsible, there was no specific age limit for applications in the last round of appointments for membership, in 1998.

10 May 2001 : Column: 374W

Irish Visit

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which Irish Government departments the Permanent Under-Secretary of State met during his visit of 10-11 February 1999. [159796]

Mrs. Liddell: The Permanent Under-Secretary of State met officials from the Department of An Taoiseach, the Clerk of the Dail, and the Department of Foreign Affairs during his visit to Dublin of 10-11 February 1999.

Special Advisers

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the total cost was of employing special advisers in her Department and its predecessor from 1997 to date. [160050]

Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 1 May 2001]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Perth (Ms Cunningham) on 9 April 2001, Official Report, column 425W.

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many special advisers worked in her Department and its predecessor from 1997 to date. [160035]

Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 1 May 2001]: In the Scottish Office in 1997-98 there were two special advisers and during 1998-99 there were three special advisers in post at any given time.

The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999. In 1999-2000 and 2000-01 there were three special advisers in post at any one time, one of whom was unpaid. There are currently two special advisers.

Employment Service

Mr. Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what target levels have been set for the aims and objectives of the Employment Service in Scotland in operational year 2001-02. [161065]

Mrs. Liddell: The aim of the Employment Service is to help people without jobs find work and employers to fill their vacancies. The Employment Service in Scotland makes an important contribution to an efficient and flexible labour market and to delivering the Government's welfare to work policies, working in close partnership with employers and others. These targets pave the way for the new agency, Jobcentre Plus, whose pathfinder offices will begin work in October. They give stronger emphasis than ever before to helping individuals facing particular difficulty in the labour market to move from unemployment and economic inactivity into sustainable employment. The highest priority will be given to helping people who have been economically inactive for long periods, including lone parents, to find work, and to capitalise on the opportunities created by the new generation of New Deals.

I am announcing today the targets we have set for Scotland. They are challenging and stretching. We are looking for improved levels of customer service to jobseekers and employers, together with consolidation of the improved performance against the Jobseeker's Allowance Labour Market Activity target. These targets cover a full year, but we propose to carry out a

10 May 2001 : Column: 375W

comprehensive consultation and review later in the year that will inform the setting of targets for the new agency for people of working age, called Jobcentre Plus, for 2002-03.

The targets for the Employment Service in Scotland for 2001-02 are:

Vision and Purpose

The Employment Service in Scotland aims to make a major contribution to an efficient and flexible labour market and to the Government's objectives of an increase in the effective supply of labour, and countering poverty and social exclusion by helping welfare recipients facing the most severe disadvantages to compete effectively for jobs. It does this by working closely with employers and with its private, voluntary and public sector partners to provide a quality service for all people without a job and to promote employment opportunities for all who can work. It aims to attract a diverse range of vacancies and to fill those vacancies quickly by matching the right people and skills with the right jobs. Its chief priority is to help individuals facing particular difficulty in the labour market to move from welfare and economic inactivity into sustainable employment. It does this through correct application of the Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) regime, delivery of the New Deals, and the provision of appropriate information, advice, training and support. The challenge and opportunity for the Employment Service, is to sustain continuous improvement in its services to jobseekers and employers and to make these services more accessible and relevant to customer needs, through effective use of modern technology and close working with a wide range of partners.

Aim

To help people without jobs find work and employers to fill their vacancies.

Objectives and Targets

Objective A

To help all people without jobs, and particularly those on welfare and at a disadvantage in the labour market, to find and keep work by providing appropriate information, advice, training and support and by encouraging employers to open more opportunities to them.

Targets

A1: To help into work 7,214 people who are either jobless lone parents, participants in the New Deal for Partners, participants in the New Deal for Disabled People or other disabled people claiming 'inactive' benefits.

A2: To help into work 46,517 participants in the JSA New Deals, New Deal 50+, Employment Zones, other disabled people not recorded in A1, and others at a particular disadvantage.

A3: To help into work 90,202 welfare recipients and other disadvantaged people.

A4: To help into work 150,788 jobless people.

A5: For 75 per cent. of long-term JSA claimants to be off benefit 13 weeks after starting a job into which they were placed by the Employment Service.

Objective B

To ensure that the rights and relevant labour market responsibilities of people on JSA and other benefits are fulfilled, while helping to combat fraud and abuse of the benefit system.

10 May 2001 : Column: 376W

Target

B1: To ensure that the relevant labour market responsibilities of people on JSA are fulfilled in 91 per cent. of cases checked.


Objective C

To harness new technology, the pursuit of excellence and continuous improvement to deliver effective, efficient and accessible services to all people without jobs and to employers in Jobcentres and increasingly through other locations and means of communications.


Targets

C1: To achieve a 93 per cent. customer service level for jobseekers.

C2: To achieve an 83 per cent. customer service level for employers.


Objective D

To deliver services to all ES customers in a way which respects individual differences, helps to overcome disadvantages due to ethnicity, gender, age or disability and achieves the best possible outcome for each of them.


Targets

D1: From October: To achieve a proportion of new ethnic minority claimants who leave JSA for a job within 12 months, which is equal to the percentage of all white claimants leaving JSA for a job within 12 months (to work towards equality of outcomes by 2004.) (Target level to be announced.

D2: From October: To screen benefit claimants for basic skills requirement and where needed refer to appropriate training. (Exact target wording and level to be announced.)


Milestone Target

By 30 September 2001, for 95 per cent. of jobseekers claiming JSA to have been asked to identify their ethnicity and for this answer to be recorded.

---