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Yemen and Oman
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister what meetings he has held since 1 May 1997 at which (a) Yemen and (b) Oman were discussed; and how many meetings he has had with representatives of the (a) Yemeni and (b) Omani Government. [34560]
The Prime Minister: I received President Ali Abdullah Saleh in November 1997 and Dr. Omar Zawawi, the Sultan of Oman's special emissary, earlier this month. The Omani and Yemeni Ambassadors were also present at a meeting of Arab Ambassadors at Downing Street in February.
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to visit (a) Yemen and (b) Oman. [34559]
The Prime Minister: At present, I have no plans to visit either Yemen or Oman.
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister how many ministerial visits there have been to (a) Yemen and (b) Oman in the last three years. [34558]
The Prime Minister: There have been 4 ministerial visits to Yemen and 14 ministerial visits to Oman over the last three years.
Iraq
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the oral answer of the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of 10 March 1998, Official Report, columns 307-8, what criteria he will use to determine the extent of Iraq's compliance with the recent agreement between Iraq and the UN to allow inspections to take place; and if he will submit these criteria to the scrutiny of the French, Russian and Chinese authorities as members of the Security Council. [34770]
The Prime Minister: Security Council Resolution 1154 was adopted unanimously by the Security Council. All members agreed that further violations of Iraq's obligations under relevant Security Council Resolutions and the Memorandum of Understanding signed in Baghdad would be followed by the severest consequences.
The question of Iraqi compliance will be dealt with in reports to the Security Council from the United Nations Special Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Official Hospitality
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Prime Minister what is his current estimate of the expenditure of his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies on hospitality since 1 May 1997. [27810]
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The Prime Minister
[holding answer 5 February 1998]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Mr. Loughton) on 26 February 1998, Official Report, column 311.
Publications
Mr. Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those European Commission (a) newsletters, (b) magazines and (c) occasional publications to which his Department subscribes. [33651]
Mr. MacDonald: The Scottish Office subscribes to the following European Commission publications:
- Com Documents of the commission of the European Communities;
- Directory of Community legislation in force and other Acts of the community institutions;
- Official Journal of the European Communities, Series C, Series L, Series S;
- Index to the Official Journal of the European Communities;
- Debates of the European Parliament
Cairngorm Funicular Railway
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what conditions the planning agreement for the proposed funicular railway on Cairngorm place on Highlands and Island Enterprise; and how expenditure to be incurred in fulfilling these conditions is to be approved. [33601]
Mr. MacDonald: There are a number of references to Highland and Islands Enterprise in the Agreement relative to the funicular railway on Cairngorm entered into under section 50 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1972 and section 49A of the Countryside (Scotland) Act 1967. The majority of the references concern the need for HIE to be consulted or notified in certain circumstances, or for that body to have discussions with the other parties to the Agreement in certain circumstances. The Agreement also provides for HIE to be given a period in which to seek an alternative operator for the funicular railway in the event of the Cairngorm Chairlift Company Limited discontinuing its operation. If an alternative operator cannot be found, there is a duty placed on that Company to dismantle the railway and reinstate the site. Should the Company fail to fulfil that obligation, the Agreement requires HIE to fulfil it.
Any future expenditure on the funicular railway incurred by Highland and Islands Enterprise as a result of the application of these conditions would be subject to the usual approval arrangements which apply to the annual grant in aid to that body and to any specific approval arrangements which apply to projects involving expenditure beyond the budgetary limits delegated to that body.
Dounreay
Mr. Maclennan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 6 March 1998, Official Report, columns 778-79, on Dounreay, if it is the
16 Mar 1998 : Column: 452
responsibility of the Health and Safety Executive to monitor the stability of the contents of the storage shaft and other radioactive waste repositories at Dounreay. [34165]
Mr. MacDonald:
Responsibility for safety at the Dounreay site, including monitoring the stability of radioactive waste, lies with the site operator, the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.
Sir Robert Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures he proposes to improve safety on school bus services in Scotland. [34029]
Mr. McLeish:
The Government recognise the importance of high safety standards on school transport. Regulations, which are already in place, cover issues such as bus and coach construction, operator licensing and conduct and these apply equally across the board to all Public Service Vehicles. Construction regulations have recently been amended to require seat belts for children on minibuses and coaches when used on specific journeys. Decisions about the provision of supervision on school transport are for education authorities, as part of their overall responsibilities to provide a school transport service. Guidance on the provision of school transport, including safety matters, was issued by The Scottish Office to local authorities in April 1996.
Mr. Ancram:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the size of the membership of the Scottish Parliament following the next report of the Boundary Commission, pursuant to Clause 81 of the Scotland Bill. [34276]
Mr. Dewar
[holding answer 13 March 1998]: None. I cannot anticipate the recommendations of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for Scotland.
Mr. Ancram:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to attend a meeting of the Council of Ministers of the European Union in relation to agriculture. [34278]
Mr. MacDonald
[holding answer 13 March 1998]: My noble Friend the Minister with responsibility for agriculture, the environment and fisheries in Scotland attended two Agriculture Councils last year and will attend future meetings as appropriate.
Mr. William Ross:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number of (a) claims brought and (b) occasions when compensation was paid, by Scottish courts in respect of injuries received at work for each of the last five years indicating the number of injuries recorded per 100,000 persons at work in Scotland in each year or as much information as is readily available to him. [34572]
Mr. McLeish:
This information is not held centrally.
16 Mar 1998 : Column: 453
Mr. Ancram:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from student representatives at Scottish universities about (a) the introduction of tuition fees in higher education and (b) the different treatment of students from Scotland and Europe as against those from England, Wales and Northern Ireland in relation to tuition fees for the fourth year of a Scottish degree course. [34586]
Mr. Wilson:
I have received representations on both matters from the National Union of Students (Scotland), the Students' Associations of Dundee, Edinburgh, and St. Andrews Universities; and the Students' Representative Councils of Aberdeen and Glasgow Universities. Napier University Students' Association made representations on the introduction of tuition fees in higher education; Heriot Watt University Students' Association made representations on the different treatment of English, Welsh and Northern Irish students compared to those from Scotland.
Mr. Ancram:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking in respect of the representation of Scottish fishing interests in the European Council of Ministers after the setting up of the Scottish Parliament. [34589]
Mr. MacDonald:
The Government remain committed to involving Scottish Ministers in relevant Council meetings, which could include Scottish Ministers speaking for the UK in appropriate cases. Whoever speaks will do so on behalf of the UK as a whole and to an agreed UK position. Scottish fishing interests will therefore continue to be properly represented.
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