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Edzell Base
Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what studies he has commissioned regarding the effects of closure of Edzell base on the local economy; and if he will make a statement; [13687]
- (2) what forms of (a) financial and (b) other assistance from his Department will be available to address the effects of the closure of Edzell base; [13691]
(3) what additional finance he has provided to (a) Edzell base and (b) the local economy during the transition phase to closure; and if he will make a statement. [13686]
Mr. Kynoch: The Scottish Office has assisted in planning for the rundown through membership of the Ministry of Defence joint working group and the Edzell task force. In addition, the Scottish Office contributed to the costs of a consultancy study, assessing the likely impact of the closure, which has been commissioned on behalf of the task force. The need for additional finance from the Scottish Office or any other source to address the effects of the closure of the Edzell base can be assessed only once the consultancy report has been considered and proposals to tackle any problems have been developed. The task force will be considering the consultants' draft report shortly.
Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whom he has met to discuss the closure of the Edzell base; what alternative uses have been proposed for the base after its closure; and if he will make a statement. [13689]
Mr. Kynoch: My right hon. Friend has not been involved in any meetings specifically concerned with the closure of the RAF base at Edzell. However, he is represented by officials on the Ministry of Defence joint working group, which is considering issues related to the disposal of the base. In addition, a Scottish Office official chairs the Edzell task force, which is considering the need for measures to address the impact of the closure on the local economy. Several possible alternative uses for the base have been proposed by members of the public and bodies with an interest in the area. The task force provides an appropriate forum in which to consider these suggestions.
Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimates he has made of (a) the employment and (b) other economic effects arising from the closure of Edzell base. [13688]
Mr. Kynoch:
When the closure was announced in July 1995, Scottish Office economists prepared a rough estimate, based on limited provisional information, of the likely impact of the closure on local employment and unemployment. This suggested a reduction in employment of about 400 and a likely increase of about 270 in registered unemployment in the Brechin and Montrose travel-to-work area. Consultants commissioned on behalf of the Edzell task force are currently preparing more refined estimates, based on the results of local surveys, and the preliminary indication is that the initial estimates overstate both the loss of jobs and the impact on unemployment.
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Mr. Welsh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has made to the United States authorities regarding the retention of infrastructure, buildings and other assets after the closure of the Edzell base. [13690]
Mr. Kynoch:
My right hon. Friend has made no direct representations to the United States authorities regarding the retention of infrastructure, buildings and other assets after the closure of the RAF base at Edzell. However, my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces wrote to the United States ambassador in July 1995 on a range of issues, including the infrastructure to be retained at Edzell, relevant to minimising the impact of the closure. On behalf of my right hon. Friend, I also wrote to the ambassador in July expressing my support for the approach taken in the letter from my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces. The response from the ambassador confirms my expectation that the United States authorities will adopt a flexible approach on these issues.
Mr. Welsh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 22 January, Official Report, column 94, if he will list those agencies or companies which submitted tenders for (a) the trial media monitoring service and (b) the long-term media monitoring service. [12740]
Mr. Michael Forsyth
[holding answer 30 January 1996]: Tenders have been invited for a press cuttings service. This service is the identification, selection and compilation of any articles in daily or Sunday newspapers on matters for which the Scottish Office is responsible. It is not possible to identify those press cuttings agencies which have either provided this service on a trial basis or submitted tenders, as this information is classed as restricted-commercial.
Mr. Welsh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 22 January, Official Report, column 94, if he will list the independent press cuttings agencies which have been providing a trail media monitoring service to the Scottish Office since October 1995; and what has been the cost to date of such expenditure, including the tender process. [12739]
Mr. Forsyth
[holding answer 30 January 1996]: This information is classed as restricted-commercial.
Mr. Welsh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 22 January, Official Report, column 94, to whom the companies and agencies engaged in media monitoring activities will be directly responsible on a daily basis; and if he will make a statement. [12771]
Mr. Forsyth
[holding answer 30 January 1996]: The company which wins the contract will, like the company at present providing the service on a trial basis, be responsible on a daily basis to the head of the secretariat in the information directorate of the Scottish Office.
Mr. Welsh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 22 January, Official Report, column 94, on what dates he invited the tenders for the media monitoring service on (a) a trial and (b) long-term basis; and what form the invitations took. [12741]
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Mr. Forsyth
[holding answer 30 January 1996]: Tenders for providing the press cuttings service for a period of three years--with the possibility of an extension to five years--were issued on 8 December 1995 and are in accordance with standard invitation to tender documents used by the Scottish Office.
Mr. Welsh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 22 January, Official Report, column 94, what guidance was given to the press cuttings agencies which have been providing a media monitoring service since October 1995 to ensure that the media monitoring activities were limited to coverage of official Scottish Office activities. [12769]
Mr. Forsyth
[holding answer 30 January 1996]: I understand that the agencies which have provided a press cuttings service on a trial basis were asked in writing to select only articles on matters for which the Scottish Office is responsible.
Mr. Welsh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 22 January, Official Report, column 94, if he will make a statement on the criteria to be used in selecting the companies or agencies, during the current tender exercise, to provide the media monitoring service to the Scottish Office. [12743]
Mr. Forsyth
[holding answer 30 January 1996]: The criteria will be the price, the delivery of the service, the quality of the service, experience of similar contracts and customer service.
Mr. Welsh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 22 January, Official Report, column 94, if he will make a statement on the criteria which were used in selecting the press cutting agencies to provide the trial media monitoring service to the Scottish Office. [12742]
Mr. Forsyth
[holding answer 30 January 1996]: I understand that both companies approached the Scottish Office offering to provide a press cuttings service. It was decided to offer both companies a trial period to evaluate the quality of their service against that of the in-house one and to ensure value for money.
Mr. Welsh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 22 January, Official Report, columns 94, what conventions or guidelines apply to outside agencies or companies engaged in media monitoring activities on behalf of the Scottish Office; and if he will make a statement. [12770]
Mr. Forsyth
[holding answer 30 January 1996]: When the contract is awarded, the successful company will provide the press cuttings service in accordance with the tender specification and will comply with Scottish Office terms and conditions of contract.
Mr. Welsh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 22 January, Official Report, column 94, if he will publish the remit which was given to the press cuttings agencies which have been providing a media monitoring service since October 1995. [12744]
Mr. Forsyth
[holding answer 30 January 1996]: The companies have been asked to provide cuttings from daily and Sunday newspapers on articles on matters for which
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the Scottish Office is responsible and to deliver the cuttings to St. Andrew's house, Edinburgh or Dover house, London by specified times.
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