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Capita Managed Services
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the (a) facilities management consortia, (b) private finance initiative bids, (c) management buy-out consortia, (d) contractorisation schemes and (e) market-testing schemes in his Department in respect of which (i) Capita Managed Services and (ii) Lusis Business Solutions are currently involved in bidding. [19903]
Mr. Boswell [holding answer 8 March 1996]: Neither of the named companies is currently involved in bidding in any of the stated categories.
SCOTLAND
Executive Agencies
Mr. Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions in each of the past five years Ministers in his Department have passed (a) hon. Members' letters and (b) hon. Members' questions to agencies for response; and what this figure is as a percentage of the total number of letters and questions received. [19417]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The information requested in respect of hon. Members' letters is set out in the table. The information requested on hon. Members' questions is a matter of public record.
| 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (a) Number of letters passed to agencies for response | 8 | 74 | 154 | 367 | 317 |
| (b) Number of letters passed to agencies, (a), as a percentage of total letters sent to Ministers about agencies | 24 | 45 | 53 | 62 | 52 |
Scottish Natural Heritage
Mr. Galbraith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to ensure that the
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reduction in the Scottish Natural Heritage budget will not impair its performance of its statutory duties; and if he will make a statement. [19307]
Mr. Kynoch: My right hon. Friend is satisfied that SNH will continue to be able satisfactorily to carry out its statutory duties. Following the report of the study group on SNH published last December, a new strategic framework for SNH is being prepared in the light of changes affecting the natural heritage since publication in 1990 of "Scotland's Natural Heritage: The Way Ahead". The new document will be published in the first half of this year.
Cairngorm Funicular Railway
Mr. Galbraith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from Highlands and Islands Enterprise about the economic viability of the proposed Cairngorm funicular railway. [19987]
Mr. Kynoch: In accordance with the usual procedures for proposals involving financial assistance above certain limits, Highlands and Islands Enterprise has submitted to my right hon. Friend a request for approval to provide financial assistance to the Cairngorm Chairlift Co. in respect of the establishment of a new visitor uplift facility on Cairngorm. That request is supported by a detailed financial and economic assessment of the proposed investment.
Mr. Galbraith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what matters he will consider when determining whether to call in the planning application for the proposed railway on Cairngorm. [19988]
Mr. Kynoch: This matter has not formally been notified to my right hon. Friend. Should it be referred to him under the planning legislation he will take all relevant factors into account, including those relating to the UK Government's national and European obligations.
Private Prison
Mr. Galbraith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will announce the site for the new private prison; and if he will make a statement. [19995]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: A number of options are still under consideration at this time. I expect an announcement to be made in the near future.
Dounreay Nuclear Plant (Discharges)
Mr. Macdonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received calling for a public inquiry on Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution's discharge authorisations and reprocessing at Dounreay; and what plans he has to set up such an inquiry. [20210]
Mr. Kynoch: As of 1 March, the chief inspector of Her Majesty's industrial pollution inspectorate had received 358 responses to his consultations on th United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority's application for new discharge authorisations for its plant in Dounreay. Of these, 90 included representations that my right hon. Friend should
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hold a public inquiry. My right hon. Friend had received one such representation himself as of the same date. He will carefully consider the points raised.
Squirrels
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the existing instruction for the collection of dead squirrels; and if he will make a statement. [19984]
Mr. Kynoch: The wildlife incident investigation scheme, which is administered by the agriculture departments and which investigates reports of suspected wildlife poisoning, has found no evidence to suggest that the existing instruction for the collection of dead squirrels is inadequate.
Skiing Sites
Mr. Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much public money, in the form of grants, has been provided to assist the development and maintenance of Scotland's skiing industry by (a) Highlands and Islands Enterprise and (b) other agencies, in each financial year since 1979, for each skiing site. [20319]
Mr. Kynoch: The provision of grant assistance by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and its predecessor, the Highlands and Islands Development Board, for the development and maintenance of the skiing industry in Scotland is an operational matter for Highlands and Islands Enterprise and I have asked the chairman of that organisation to write to the hon. Member. Information on the amounts of grant assistance provided by other agencies for the same purposes for the years requested is not held centrally.
Enterprise Agencies (Grants)
Mr. Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidelines he has given to (a) Scottish Enterprise and (b) other enterprise agencies, on the cost per job created to be used when assessing grant applications. [20321]
Mr. Kynoch: The cost per job guidelines to be used in assessing grant applications vary, where applicable, according to the particular scheme of assistance under which grant has been applied for and according to the location of the project to be grant-aided. If the hon. Member has a particular case in mind, he may care to write to me.
School Class Sizes
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the range of class sizes in which five, six and seven-year-olds are taught; and how many children are taught in classes of each size. [20297]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: The available information, which is in respect of pupils in P1, P2 and P3 single stage classes and P1/P2 and P2/P3 composite stage classes, is given in the table.
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| Class size | Number of classes | Number of pupils |
|---|---|---|
| 1-5 | 20 | 58 |
| 6-10 | 29 | 253 |
| 11-15 | 158 | 2,156 |
| 16-20 | 862 | 16,042 |
| 21-25 | 2,608 | 60,652 |
| 26-30 | 2,477 | 69,132 |
| 31 and over | 927 | 29,646 |
| Total | 7,081 | 177,939 |
(6) Excludes pupils in P3/P4 composite classes and multi-stage classes.
Council of Ministers
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the occasions on which he and his predecessors have attended Council of Ministers meetings since 9 April 1992. [20813]
Mr. Michael Forsyth: As the Secretary of State, I attended the Council of Fisheries Ministers meeting on 26 October 1995. My predecessor attended the following Councils after 9 April 1992.
1993
January 25: Environment/Transport Council
September 20: Joint FAC/Agricultural Council
September 20: Joint FAC/Agricultural Council
September 21: Agricultural Council
| Council | Minister | |
|---|---|---|
| 1992--Total 6 Councils | ||
| June 9 | Fisheries Council | Sir Hector Monro |
| October 19 | Fisheries Council | Sir Hector Monro |
| October 26-27 | Agriculture Council | Sir Hector Monro |
| November 23 | Fisheries Council | Sir Hector Monro |
| November 27 | Education Council | Lord James Douglas-Hamilton |
| December 19 | Fisheries Council | Sir Hector Monro |
| 1993--Total 8 councils | ||
| January 25 | Environment/Transport Council | Secretary of State |
| March 18 | Fisheries Council | Sir Hector Monro |
| June 24 | Fisheries Council | Sir Hector Monro |
| September 20 | Joint FAC/Agricultural Council | Secretary of State |
| September 21 | Agriculture Council | Secretary of State |
| October 20 | Fisheries Council | Sir Hector Monro |
| November 29-30 | Justice/Interior Issues | Lord Fraser |
| December 20 | Fisheries Council | Sir Hector Monro |
| 1994--Total 8 Councils | ||
| April 12 | Fisheries Council | Lord Fraser |
| May 27-28 | Justice/Interior Issues (Informal) | Lord Fraser |
| June 3-4 | Regional Policy | Mr. Stewart |
| June 10 | Fisheries Council | Sir Hector Monro |
| September 28 | Fisheries Council | Sir Hector Monro |
| November 23 | Fisheries Council | Sir Hector Monro |
| December 19-20 | Fisheries Council | Sir Hector Monro |
| December 22 | Fisheries Council (continuation) | Lord Fraser |
| 1995-Total 7 Councils | ||
| April 6 | Fisheries Council | Sir Hector Monro |
| June 15 | Fisheries Council | Sir Hector Monro |
| June 20-21 | Justice/Home Affairs Council | Minister of State |
| October 26 | Fisheries Council | Secretary of State |
| December 18 | Environment Council | Earl of Lindsay |
| December 19 | Agriculture Council | Earl of Lindsay |
| December 21 | Fisheries Council | Mr. Raymond S. Robertson |
| 1996 to date | ||
| Nil | -- | -- |
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