To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if it is Her Majesty's Government's policy to support the eight elements of an ideal result as outlined in the European Commission Note from Directorate General I to the Article 113 Committee on investment and the World Trade Organisation; and if he will make a statement; [71755](2) if her Majesty's Government supports the Investor-State Dispute Settlement set out in the European Commission Note from Directorate General I to the Article 113 Committee on investment and the World Trade Organisation; and if he will make a statement; [71753](3) if Her Majesty's Government have asked the European Commission to redraft the leaked Note from Directorate General I to the Article 113 Committee on investment and the World Trade Organisation; and if he will make a statement; [71756](4) if Her Majesty's Government have objected to the contents of the European Commission Note from Directorate General I to the Article 113 Committee on investment and the World Trade Organisation; and if he will make a statement. [71754]

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the European Commission Note from DG1 to the Article 113 committee on investment in the World Trade Organisation. [72249]

It is the Government's policy, shared by our EU partners, that the meeting of World Trade Organisation Ministers in Seattle later this year should lead to a comprehensive new "Round" of WTO negotiations, and that investment should be included on the agenda. However, the Government's policy is that any investment negotiation must be based around a new set of objectives, derived by consensus. We are in the process of consulting with all interested groups within the UK on what the Government's objectives for a new negotiation might be. As part of our general consultations over the UK' s objectives for the new "Round". I am convening a series of meetings including other Ministers, NGOs, TUs and business organisations. No conclusions have been reached on the inclusion or exclusion of an investor-state dispute settlement mechanism, or indeed on any other individual issue.The European Commission circulated an internal discussion paper on possible elements of a WTO investment agreement to Member States on 15 December 1998, with a view to stimulating discussion within the EU. The paper does not represent the views of the UK Government. The UK has called for a discussion of the paper by EU investment experts, but such a discussion has not yet taken place.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reasons Chapters E and F were omitted from the publicly released European Commission Note from Directorate General I to the Article 113 Committee on Investment and the WTO; and if will make a statement. [72056]

[holding answer 22 February 1999]: The Note was issued by the European Commission and its contents are a matter for them. However, I have drawn their attention to my hon. Friend's interest and have asked them to respond directly to him.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much funding (a) London First and (b) London First Centre has received from his Department per annum since 1992; and for what purposes the funding was specified. [72167]

Since its incorporation in February 1994, London First Centre (LFC) has received annual grants from the DTI's Invest in Britain Bureau for the coordination of inward investment activities in the Greater London area of £500k (94–95); £1,000k (95–96); £1,010k (96–97); £1,015k (97–98); and £1,015k (98–99).London First, of which LFC is a wholly owned subsidiary, has not received grant funding from the DTI. It is financed from members' contributions, donations, project and sundry income.

To ask the Attorney-General how many cases were referred to the Crown Prosecution Service in each of the last three years; in how many cases court proceedings were recommended; and if he will make a statement. [72548]

The table shows the number of cases which the Crown Prosecution Service received from the police, and the number which the Service finalised, in each of the last three years. Both figures are inclusive of cases submitted for pre-charge advice and non-criminal proceedings, and the numbers of these completed in each year are shown separately.The table then shows the number and the proportion of cases in which a prosecution did not proceed. These outcomes are divided into those cases discontinued by the Service, and those which were written off because the defendant could not be traced or had died, or because proceedings were adjourned indefinitely.Finally, the table shows the number and proportion of cases in which a prosecution proceeded. These are divided into cases in which the defendant was bound over to keep the peace, those which proceeded to a committal hearing, and those which proceeded to a trial or guilty plea.The Code for Crown Prosecutors requires that there should be sufficient reliable evidence to give a realistic prospect of conviction, and that the prosecution should be in the public interest. These criteria are applied in every case. Every case discontinued must be reviewed by a Crown Prosecutor and, wherever time allows, the police must be consulted before a decision is taken. The number of cases discontinued against the opinion of the police is very small: a survey conducted in 1994 showed that the police objected to discontinuance on only 4 per cent. of occasions when they were consulted.However, discontinuance is not primarily the result of a Crown Prosecutor's judgment. More than half of discontinued cases are unable to proceed because witnesses fail to appear at court, refuse to give evidence or change their evidence, defendants produce driving documents proving their innocence on the day of the trial; evidence is excluded because of irregularities in its collection; or due to lack of continuity evidence in the

Crown Prosecution Service magistrates' courts cases 1996–98
	1996		1997		1998
	Number	Percentage	Number	Percentage	Number	Percentage
Did not proceed
Discontinued	153,274	12.0	161,461	12.2	162,661	12.0
Written off	102,283	8.0	92,930	7.0	88,506	6.5
Total cases which did not proceed	255,557	20.1	254,391	19.2	251,167	18.5
Cases proceeding
Bind over	20,016	1.6	22,747	1.7	24,914	1.8
Committal hearing	98,575	7.7	107,979	8.1	95,073	7.0
Trial or Guilty plea	900,215	70.6	942,665	71.0	987,943	72.7
Total cases proceeding	1,018.806	79.9	1,073,391	80.8	1,107,930	81.5

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many school students there were in each local education authority that attracts standard spending assessment resources in each of the last five years; what are the estimated figures for 1999–2000; in what years changes in the definition of qualifying students took place; and if he will estimate the effect of these changes on the total numbers. [71810]

[holding answer 16 February 1999]: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Government strategy on sustainable development will be announced. [72301]

Following the extensive "Opportunities for Change" consultation exercise on revision of the 1994 UK Sustainable Development Strategy, preparation of new UK sustainable development strategy is underway. Publication is expected shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if developing countries can withhold agreement to import genetically modified organisms on the basis of detriment to traditional methods of farming. [72209]

The UK currently has a delegation in Colombia engaged in final negotiations on the UN Biosafety Protocol. This instrument will govern the transboundary movement of Living Modified Organisms (effectively the same as GMOs).While many of the developing countries want to see socio-economic factors such as the effect on traditional farming practices form part of the risk assessment, exporting countries disagree. My instructions are that the UK, on its own and as part of the EU negotiating group, should seek an outcome that includes some reference to socio-economic factors and encourages research into impacts on farming practices. We expect that countries will always be able to ban imports where there is evidence of serious damage to the environment or human health.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received on the Singapore-UK air services agreement; and if he will make a statement. [72163]

A number of representations have been received on the UK/Singapore air services arrangements, which already provide for unlimited capacity from Summer 2001. At the bilateral negotiations which took place earlier this month my officials confirmed that we would review Singapore's request for transatlantic fifth freedom rights either when we have liberalised the air services arrangements between the UK and the United States or in January 2000, whichever is the sooner.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the names of those he has nominated to the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment, together with (a) their qualifications, (b) details of relevant (i) public and (ii) private interests and (c) dates of appointment; if he will make a statement on the resources allocated to the Committee; and if he will set out the references to any of the Committee's published reports. [72556]

Details of the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions who will represent his Department at the Biosafety Protocol meeting in Colombia; and if he will make a statement. [72229]

I am being represented by officials at the Biosafety Protocol meeting in Colombia. The only European Union Minister to attend, that I am aware of, is the German Health Minister, representing the EU Presidency.The Protocol is being prepared by an Open Ended Ad Hoc Working Group which has met five times and is meeting now in Colombia to complete its work. The negotiating brief was agreed by ministers in detail beforehand and is being monitored by ministers throughout the negotiations to ensure it is strictly adhered to. An extraordinary Conference of the Parties will be held immediately afterwards for the adoption of the Protocol. There is to be no high level segment in Colombia and my official acting as Head of Delegation in Colombia will sign for the UK.Assuming the Protocol is adopted, I shall sign it at the official ceremony in New York in three months' time.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the tonnage of UK (i) owned and (ii) registered vessels in the maritime industry; and in each case what the figure was (a) 10 years and (b) 20 years ago. [72074]

Information on a consistent basis is not available prior to end-1986 because vessels registered in the UK cannot be distinguished from those registered in the Crown Dependencies (Isle of Man and Channel Islands). The information that is available is as follows:

Tonnage of UK-owned and UK-registered vessels1
000 deadweight tonnes
	UK-owned vessels		UK-registered vessels
	Trading vessels	All vessels	Trading vessels	All vessels
31 December 1986	18,609	n/a	10,458	11,952
31 December 1988	16,593	18,145	5,709	7,072
31 December 1998	9,761	11,577	2,699	4,150
1 All vessels 100 gross tonnes and above

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many UK (a) officers and (b) ratings are currently employed in the maritime industry; and how many there were (i) 10 years and (ii) 20 years ago. [72073]

There is no consistent series of UK nationals employed in the maritime industry. The Chamber of Shipping collects data on employment on vessels operated by its members, and this is shown for selected years in the table. It is known that many UK nationals, especially officers, work on non-member vessels, but precise figures for earlier years are not known.

UK officers and ratings on vessels entered with the Chamber of Shipping
Year	Officers	Ratings
1978	32,188	25,570
1986	10,871	12,706
1988	8,885	12,114
1995	7,724	8,721
19971	6,186	7,929
1Forecast

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much money his Department has spent supporting the research and development of agricultural biotechnology since 1 May 1997. [72068]

The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions has not spent any money supporting the research and development of agricultural biotechnology since 1 May 1997.DETR-funded research has however been conducted to assess the risks and potential impact of genetically modified organisms on the environment. The annual budget for such work is of the order of £500,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what compensation his Department has (a) requested and (b) received from Siemens plc following delays to the development of a new casework system by Siemens for the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. [70907]

The Immigration and Nationality Directorate Casework Programme is a privately financed business change programme supplied by Siemens Business Services (SBS). Although development of the full Information Technology application has been delayed, many elements of the Programme, and much new Information Technology, have been delivered.Some payments are made to SBS for services provided and milestones achieved, but SBS's earnings depend mainly on casework productivity improvements. The programme delay means that productivity has not improved as fast as expected.A commercial agreement has also been negotiated with SBS for changes to the contractual payments to reflect the delay in full implementation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the last date for which figures are available, how many former employees of his Department have taken new employment with companies involved in the provision of private sector criminal justice services which have contracts with his Department; if he will list

Grade	Position in Department	Company
Governor 1	Her Majesty's Prison Wormwood Scrubs	PPS
Governor 1	Prisons Inspectorate	Group 4
Governor 1	Her Majesty's Prison Full Sutton	PPS
Governor 2	Standards Audit	Group 4
Governor 2	Her Majesty's Prison Bristol	Securicor
Governor 2	Her Majesty's Young Offender Institution Aylesbury	PPS
Governor 2	Her Majesty's Young Offender Institution New Hall	UKDS
Governor 3	Her Majesty's Prison Gloucester	PPS
Senior Civil Service	Area Manager	PPS
Grade 7	Education Training Adviser, Prison Service	Strode College
Grade 7	Education Training Adviser, Prison Service	NESCOTT
Grade 7	Education Training Adviser, Prison Service	Matthew Boulton College
Senior Civil Service	Director (Enforcement), Immigration Service	Group 4 Securitas
Grade 7	Police Science and Technology Unit	Forensic Alliance

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provisional conclusions from the research of Dr Kate Painter into the experimental regime at Colchester Young Offenders Institute are available; and if he will publish them. [72607]

No conclusions will be drawn from the research into the experimental regime at Colchester until all the data have been collected and analysed. It is our intention to publish the final research report.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what the rules are concerning the rights of prison officers employed in prisons in England and Wales to take in cigarettes, alcohol, food and other items for prison inmates; and if he will make a statement; [72546](2) what private outside purchases paid for by the prisoners are being approved and made by prison officers at prisons in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [72547]

All items provided to prisoners must be provided through the prison shop or the catering department only. No other external shopping on behalf of any prisoner is allowed, but the Governor may authorise shopping for ethnic minority goods where these would not otherwise be available.

The Home Office does not maintain comprehensive records on the employment destinations of members of staff who leave the Department. Subject to the constraints of the Business Appointment Rules, staff are free to seek and take employment outside the Civil Service without the need to seek permission. We are aware of 12 applications within the last two years under the rules, by staff managed by the Prison Service, for permission to work in the private sector. In the same period, elsewhere in the Department, applications were received from two former members of staff for permission to provide advice to private companies, one in connection with a project outside the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to improve services for victims of crime and witnesses; and if he will make a statement. [73168]

The Government are committed to improving the position of victims and witnesses within the criminal justice system. We are increasing very substantially our annual grant to Victim Support to enable them to establish in magistrates' courts a support service for victims, witnesses and other court users to complement the highly successful service they have already established at all Crown Court centres. Up to an additional £2.8 million a year will be provided for this purpose in 1999–2000, rising to up to £4.5 million in 2001–02.We shall also be providing an additional £1.8 million a year from 1999–2000 onwards to enable Victim Support further to develop their community based schemes and the support services provided at the Crown Court.By 2001–02, therefore, our grant to Victim Support will have risen to some £19 million a year, an increase of 50 per cent. over the current figure of £12.7 million. This substantial injection of new money will enable Victim Support to provide a more complete and seamless service for victims and witnesses, from the reporting of the offence through to the conclusion of the case in the courts and, as appropriate, beyond.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason the recent date set for the publication of a Freedom of Information Bill has been postponed. [72241]

Freedom of Information is a complex subject. There have been a great number of detailed issues to resolve before the Government could publish their draft Bill. It is essential to take the time to get this detail right so as to provide for an effective and workable Freedom of Information Act.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases sent to the Criminal Cases Review Commission to date (a) have been dealt with, (b) are under consideration and (c) are awaiting consideration. [70852]

I understand that, at the end of January, the Criminal Cases Review Commission had completed 701 cases, had 482 under active review, and 1,055 awaiting review.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) prosecutions have been brought and (b) convictions have been secured against individuals holding a mink-keeping licence or employed by the holder of such a licence for offences related to that activity in the last five years. [71313]

I have been asked to reply.Two prosecutions have been brought by this Department in the last five years against the categories of defendant identified. Both were for animal welfare offences. One conviction was secured. The second case has yet to be concluded.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last held discussions with representatives of the Confederation of British Industry in Scotland on the development of the Scottish economy. [70829]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and my noble Friend the Minister with responsibilities for business and industry meet regularly with CBI Scotland. My noble Friend last met senior officials of CBI Scotland on 26 October.From 1 July this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met Scottish Enterprise to discuss the Scottish economy. [70831]

I meet the Chairman, Chief Executive and Members of Scottish Enterprise regularly to discuss a range of issues relating to the Scottish economy, most recently on 2 November. My noble Friend the Minister with responsibilities for business and industry meets the Chairman and Chief Executive on at least a monthly basis to discuss a range of issues relating to the Scottish economy.From 1 July this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to meet representatives of the Confederation of British Industry in Scotland to discuss the economy in Scotland. [70833]

Both my right hon. Friend and the Minister with responsibility for business and industry discuss economic matters with CBI Scotland from time to time. Arrangements for my right hon. Friend's next meeting have yet to be made, but the Minister with responsibility for business and industry is due to attend a CBI Scotland event on 12 March.From 1 July this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the number of local authority funded organisations created to overcome social exclusion which are currently issuing precautionary redundancy notices to their staff. [70830]

While the Government acknowledge the valuable role that can be played by such organisations in the fight against social exclusion, decisions on the staffing levels of local authority funded projects are made by local authorities themselves, and information about such decisions is not held centrally.From 1 July 1999 funding for local authorities will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with Scottish local authorities relating to their provision of council housing. [70832]

I discussed aspects of policy relating to the provision of council housing when I met representatives of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities yesterday to brief them on the Green Paper on Housing. I am sure that CoSLA will participate fully in the consultation process which now commences.From 1 July this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the latest position in relation to starting criminal proceedings on the Lockerbie bombing. [70834]

The arrest warrants which were obtained in respect of the two Libyans accused on 13 November 1991 remain outstanding. We continue to look to the Libyan government to respond positively to the UK initiative of 24 August 1998 by arranging for the delivery of those two accused to the authorities of the Netherlands. Once the accused become available to the Scottish authorities, the arrest warrants can be executed and the criminal proceedings can follow their usual course, subject only to the changes necessarily made to reflect the exceptional location of the proceedings.From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the Government's plans for education in Scotland. [70835]

The Government's plans for improving pre-school and school education were set out in our White Paper "Targeting Excellence: Modernising Scotland's Schools", which was published on 27 January. Our priorities for post-16 education and training are set out in our Green Paper "Opportunity Scotland", published in September 1998. Copies of both documents are available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with water and drainage authorities on their plans for methods of sewage disposal other than dumping at sea; and if he will make a statement. [70836]

Ministers have regular discussions with the water authorities about their plans to dispose of sewage in safe and appropriate ways.Following the ending of sea disposal on 31 December 1998 each authority has put in place alternative disposal methods which fully comply with the relevant regulations and protect public health.Responsibility for these matters will pass to the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the number of jobs in Scotland which depend on the sale of electricity from Scotland to other parts of the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [70837]

The information is not held in the form requested. This is a commercial matter for the Scottish electricity generators but the Government welcome the contribution made by the electricity industry to the Scottish economy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the most recent business survey by the Scottish Chamber of Commerce. [70838]

I have noted the results of the most recent Scottish Chamber's Business Survey, which were released on 13 January 1999.No country is immune from the effects of the current instability in the world economy. We fully appreciate the difficulties that this is causing for Scottish businesses and we are taking action to build a stable economy capable of sustained and steady growth. The recent reductions in interest rates are possible because of the tough decisions we have taken. The publication of the Competitiveness White Paper is further evidence of the Government's determination to create a strong and vibrant economy.From 1 July economic development in Scotland will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the consultants' report into the management of Reid Kerr Further Education College. [70839]

I am acutely concerned about the financial position at Reid Kerr College. That is why I agreed to the appointment of consultants last autumn. This report describes a number of steps to be taken by the College's Board of Management in order to draw up a recovery plan aimed at securing the College's future. We have offered financial assistance to the Board, but attached stringent conditions to ensure that the College's problems are addressed immediately, and have sought to ensure that the Board has access to appropriate expertise to assist in framing and implementing the recovery plan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of log movements in Scotland are currently transported by B class roads; and if he will estimate the percentage which over the last 10 years has been transferred from carriage by sea to carriage on B class roads. [70840]

Most of the timber grown in Scotland is transported along 'B' or 'C' class roads for part of its journey from the forest. While "preferred haulage routes" are usually agreed with local authorities, no detailed records are kept of how much timber is transported along individual roads. The amount of timber carried by sea has not changed significantly over the past 10 years.From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met representatives of the National Farmers Union of Scotland to discuss the problems facing the agricultural sector. [70841]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my noble Friend Lord Sewel met the National Farming Union for Scotland and other industry bodies on 31 January 1999 to discuss agricultural policy.From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met representatives of the Scottish Law Society to discuss the criminal justice system in Scotland. [70842]

The Government meet regularly with representatives of the Law Society of Scotland to discuss aspects of the legal system. I met the Law Society on 13 January.From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement regarding the current level of university applications. [70843]

Figures released by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service indicated that 59,702 applications to Scottish higher education institutions had been made as at 15 December 1998.This will become a matter for the Scottish Parliament from 1 July 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the progress made by the Social Exclusion Unit in Scotland. [70844]

We have been developing a social inclusion strategy for Scotland to ensure that the action already underway achieves the greatest possible impact. We have established the Social Exclusion Network to co-ordinate policy and action to promote social inclusion across The Scottish Office, and have also set up the Scottish Social Inclusion Network to assist us in preparing a statement of our strategy which we aim to publish shortly.From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the method of awarding trunk road maintenance contracts in Scotland. [70845]

I am satisfied that The Scottish Office's procedures for the award of trunk road maintenance contracts are fully in line with HM Treasury and European Union guidance.From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate his Department has made of this year's percentage rise in council tax bills in Scotland. [70846]

The council tax level for each council will depend on local circumstances and decisions and it is not possible to make reliable estimates at the individual council level. Provided councils heed the Expenditure Guidelines we have issued however, the Scottish average council tax increase should be no more than 5 per cent. in 1999–2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what responsibilities will be given to the European office to be opened in July in Brussels to represent the Scottish Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [70847]

There are no plans to open an office to represent the Scottish Parliament in Brussels. That possibility will be a matter for consideration by the Scottish Parliament itself.Arrangements are in hand to establish a representative office for the Scottish Executive, to be in operation when the Parliament assumes its full powers on 1 July 1999. The precise functions of that office will be determined by the Scottish Executive in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) on what date the Scottish Executive will take responsibility for those matters currently the responsibility of his Department which are to be devolved under the Scotland Act 1998; [72512](2) what the arrangements will be in respect of accountability to Parliament for matters which are currently his responsibility but which are to be devolved under the Scotland Act 1998, between 6 May and 1 July; [72513](3) on what date he will cease to be responsible to the UK Parliament for those matters devolved to the Scottish Parliament. [72514]

[holding answer 22 February 1999]: The Scotland Act 1998 (Commencement) Order 1998 (S.I. 1998/3178), which was made on 16 December 1998, provides that 1 July 1999 will be the principal appointed day for the purposes of the Act. It is on this day that the Scottish Parliament will acquire its powers to make laws and that functions will be transferred to the Scottish Ministers. Until the principal appointed day the Secretary of State for Scotland will remain accountable to Parliament for the matters within his responsibility which are to be devolved.The arrangements for financial accountability are set out in The Scotland Act 1998 (Transitory and Transitional Provisions) (Finance) Order 1999, a draft of which was approved by each House recently. The Secretary of State will render accounts to Parliament for expenditure up to the principal appointed day; and the Scottish Ministers to the Scottish Parliament for the period thereafter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to work in partnership with local authorities to deliver an integrated transport network in Scotland. [70822]

Last year's Scottish Transport White Paper recognises that local authorities will play a key role in the delivery of integrated transport.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average waiting time for (a) an initial appointment with and (b) treatment by an NHS orthodontist in Scotland; how much has been allocated to the Scottish Dental Access Initiative; which health boards have applied for funds to date and for how much; how many applications have been successful in each health board area; and how much total funding has been approved and distributed to date. [69272]

[holding answer 9 February 1999]: A major proportion of orthodontic treatment is undertaken in general dental practice, rather than in hospitals or the Community Health Service and no information is held centrally on patient waiting times for such treatment. Most orthodontic treatments carried out within the Hospital and Community Health Service settings are undertaken on an outpatient basis. Provisional figures show that, at 30 September 1998, the mean waiting time for a first orthodontic outpatient appointment was 103 days.Funding of £1 million has been allocated to the Scottish Dental Access Initiative in 1998–99. Dentists, not Health Boards, apply for funds under the Initiative. Information on the number of applications for funding, offers and payments made, is given in the table. To respect the anonymity of the applicants, information on the Scottish Dental Access Initiative is not provided on an individual Health Board basis.From 1 July this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

Scottish Dental Access Initiative
Number of applications received	28
Amount applied for (£000)	970
Number of offers made1	13
Amount offered (£000)	379
Payments made (£000)	134
1Offers number 6 in western, 5 in northern and 2 in eastern Health Board areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many managers have been seconded to implement the new NHS structures in Scotland. [71887]

Five managers have been seconded to the NHS in Scotland Management Executive on a full or part-time basis to help with implementation of the new structures in Scotland. This represents 2.8 whole time equivalents.From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many fixed penalties were imposed by Scottish courts last year in (a) Scotland as a whole and (b) each individual sheriffdom, broken down by offence; and what was (i) their total value and (ii) the total amount of money recovered. [71872]

Scottish courts do not impose a conditional offer of a fixed penalty. The decision whether to offer an alleged offender a fixed penalty (fiscal fine) is a matter for the Procurator Fiscal. The police or the Procurator Fiscal can also offer a fixed penalty for certain road traffic offences.The numbers of criminal reports concluded by way of a fiscal fine in each of the sheriffdoms in Scotland and in total for 1997–98 are as follows:

Sheriffdoms	Number
Grampian, Highland and Islands	2,136
Tayside, Central and Fife	3,003
Lothian and Borders	1,582
North Strathclyde	2,651
South Strathclyde Dumfries and Galloway	4,088
Glasgow and Strathkelvin	5,501
All Scotland	18,961

This information cannot be broken down by offence.In 1997–98 approximately £527,000 was collected by the district courts from the payment of fiscal fines.The 1997 provisional figures for fixed penalties dealt with by the police by force area and type of offence are as follows:

Force area	Moving vehicle offences1	Stationery vehicle offences
Central	6,943	16,349
Dumfries and Galloway	8,003	7,206
Fife	5,543	17,779
Grampian	14,938	30,279
Lothian and Borders	22,305	117,644
Northern	5,902	11,138
Strathclyde	51,536	210,567
Tayside	8,444	27,719
Scotland	123,614	438,681
1Includes speeding vehicle excise licence, parking, motorway traffic, seat belt and other motor vehicle offences

Information on conditional offers of a fixed penalty made by the Procurator Fiscal for road traffic offences is not held centrally.In 1997–98, the district courts received approximately £6.7 million in fixed penalty payments.From 1 July, Procurator Fiscal conditional offers (fiscal fines) will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament. Fixed penalties for road traffic offences will be reserved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland in how many cases where a fixed penalty was imposed civil diligence was initiated in 1998 in (a) Scotland as a whole and (b) each individual sheriffdom; how much money was so recovered; and if he will make a statement on the steps he is taking to recover the amount owing from fines. [71873]

The district courts in Scotland collect fixed penalty payments. In 1997–98, civil diligence was used to collect unpaid fixed penalties (including fiscal fines) in 34,071 cases.Information on the amounts recovered by diligence is not held centrally.Recovery of unpaid fixed penalties can be done in a number of ways. It is for the courts to determine how best to recover these fines taking account of the individual circumstances of each case.From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many full-time nurses are employed by the NHS in Scotland. [71867]

The latest provisional data available indicate that as at 30 September 1998 there were 24,936 nurses and midwives employed on a full-time basis by the NHS in Scotland.From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of nurses who have completed nursing training in Scotland since May 1997 have then taken up a nursing job in the NHS in Scotland. [71866]

This information is not held centrally.From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many nurses have been (a) recruited and (b) trained in Scotland since May 1997. [71875]

The available information is as follows:

(a) According to provisional figures, there were 2,845 nurses and midwives employed in the NHS in Scotland at 30 September 1998 who had joined since September 1997.

(b) 2,855 student nurses have successfully completed basic training since 1 May 1997.

The 2 sets of data are not comparable because they derive from different sources, and in particular because the figures on recruits to employment:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library a list of those holding commissions as temporary sheriffs on 15 January, including details of when each of the temporary sheriffs was first appointed. [71886]

I have arranged to have placed in the Library a list of those holding commissions as temporary sheriffs on 15 January, showing dates of first appointment in that capacity.From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many temporary sheriffs held commissions on 15 January; and of these, how many were (a) solicitors, (b) advocates, (c) female, (d) under the age of 40 (e) 60 to 64 and (f) 65 years of age or over. [71888]

On 15 January 131 commissions as temporary sheriffs were in force. Of these (a) 84 were solicitors, (b) 47 were advocates, (c) 16 were female, (d) 7 were under age 40, (e) 5 were aged 60 to 64 and (f) 7 were aged 65 or over.From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money listed by each NHS trust in Scotland has been directed into the Waiting List Initiative. [71889]

An additional £44.5 million was made available to tackle waiting lists and waiting times. £40 million was allocated to Health Boards to enable them to implement their plans for achieving reductions. The funding issued to each Health Board is set out in Table 1. The remaining £4.5 million was issued to those NHS Trusts which had achieved waiting list reductions. The awards to NHS Trusts are set out in Table 2.From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

Table 1: Waiting lists funding to Health Boards
£ million
Health Board	Funding
Argyll and Clyde	3.3
Aryshire and Arran	2.4
Boarders	0.9
Dumfries and Galloway	1.3
Fife	2.4
Forth Valley	2.2
Grampian	4.0
Greater Glasgow	7.7
Highland	1.5
Lanarkshire1	4.2
Lothian	5.5
Orkney	0.5
Shetland	0.2
Tayside	3.2
Western Isles	0.3
Common Services Agency2	0.4
1Includes £300,000 funding for the Scottish Ambulance Service
2Funding for Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what indicators have been used to measure value for money gained from funds directed towards the waiting list initiative in Scotland. [71871]

Health Boards, in conjunction with NHS Trusts, prepared detailed plans for achieving reductions in waiting lists and waiting times. A clinical and professional Support Force examined the plans and discussed them with representatives of Health Boards and NHS Trusts. Prior to recommending the plans for approval, the Support Force ensured that they were robust, deliverable and would achieve value for money, through an assessment of the project costs and the anticipated impact on waiting lists. Monitoring of expenditure by Health Boards on their plans, and the outcomes achieved, is ongoing.From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much of the money spent to reduce waiting lists in Scotland over the last year was allocated specifically for that purpose. [71870]

An additional £40 million was issued to the NHS in Scotland in 1998 specifically to tackle waiting lists and waiting times. In February 1999, an additional £4.5 million was issued as awards to those NHS Trusts which had achieved waiting list reductions.From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money has been directed towards reducing waiting list figures in the last three months in Scotland. [71884]

An additional £20 million was issued to the NHS in Scotland in April 1998 for action to secure early reductions in waiting lists, and a further £20 million was issued in September/November 1998 to fund over 190 strategic projects designed to secure sustained reductions in waiting times and waiting lists. In February 1999, £4.5 million was issued as awards to those NHS Trusts which had achieved early reductions in waiting lists.From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many hospital beds there are per 1,000 of the population in Scotland. [71869]

Provisional figures for the year ending 30 September 1998 indicate that there were 7.3 NHS inpatient beds per 1,000 population.From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average percentage of beds occupied in Scottish hospitals. [71868]

In the year ending 30 September 1998, provisional figures show that the average percentage of all NHS inpatient beds occupied was 79.9 per cent.From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland with reference to the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland's report to him on the Second Statutory Review of Electoral Arrangements, in which local authority areas consultants were engaged (a) to complete, (b) to validate and (c) to examine the local authorities' initial proposals to the Commission; and what was the cost of such work to the Commission. [71891]

No consultants were engaged by the Commission for the purposes mentioned for any local authority area.From 1 July this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the anonymised programme of HIV surveillance in Scotland, setting out for each survey currently in operation or planned the (a) location, (b) targeted populations, (c) clinical reasons for initial collection of specimens, (d) number of specimen collection venues, (e) annual specimen numbers and (f) most recent prevalence data. [71910]

The statistical information is set out in the tables.The two principal targeted populations are genito-urinary clinic attenders and neonates. For the latter, prevalence of HIV antibody positivity among neonates is an indicator of the prevalence of HIV infection among childbearing women. Up to 1997, additional unlinked anonymous HIV testing was performed on pregnant women in Edinburgh and Dundee. Because HIV prevalence among this group has remained relatively low and stable, these additional surveys were discontinued as at December 1997.Genito-urinary clinic attenders having a syphilis serology test or presenting with a new sexually-transmitted disease for the first time in a calender quarter are eligible for entry into the survey. HIV testing of

Incidence of HIV infection among genito-urinary clinic attenders 1995–971
	1995		1996		1997
	N	%+ve	N	%+ve	N	%+ve
Greater Glasgow
Homo/Bisexual Males (excl. IDUs)	255	4.31	215	4.65	311	1.93
Hetero Males (excl. IDUs)	2,035	0.20	1,519	0.20	2,105	0.14
Hetero Females (excl. IDUs)	1,374	0.07	956	0.21	1,232	0.00
Injecting Drug Users(IDU)	38	5.26	37	2.70	50	0.00
Other/Unknown	64	0.00	77	0.00	101	0.00
Total	3,766	0.48	2,804	0.57	3,799	0.24
Lothian
Homo/Bisexual Males (excl. IDUs)	292	3.08	477	3.98	437	3.66
Hetero Males (excl. IDUs)	2,246	0.40	2,087	0.29	2,241	0.22
Hetero Female (excl. IDUs)	1,971	0.20	1,876	0.32	2,231	0.18
Injecting Drug Users (IDU)	27	3.70	35	11.43	55	7.27
Other/Unknown	27	0.00	35	0.00	50	0.00
Total	4,563	0.50	4,510	0.78	5,014	0.58
Tayside
Homo/Bisexual Males (excl. IDUs)	28	7.14	38	2.63	46	0.00
Hetero Males (excl. IDUs)	515	0.58	468	0.21	550	0.18
Hetero Females (excl. IDUs)	248	0.40	297	0.00	379	0.00
Injecting Drug Users (IDU)	16	0.00	9	0.00	31	9.68
Other/Unknown	17	0.00	22	0.00	52	0.00
Total	824	0.73	834	0.24	1,058	0.38
Grampian
Homo/Bisexual Males (excl. IDUs)	34	0.00	83	1.20	50	6.00
Hetero Males (excl. IDUs)	481	0.21	489	0.00	505	0.40
Hetero Females (excl. IDUs)	336	0.00	428	0.00	425	0.71
Injecting Drug Users (IDU)	14	0.00	46	0.00	57	0.00
Other/Unknown	14	0.00	14	0.00	69	1.45
Total	879	0.11	1,060	0.09	1,106	0.81
Other
Homo/Bisexual Males (excl. IDUs)	23	4.35	19	15.79	28	0.00
Hetero Males (excl. IDUs)	363	0.00	303	0.00	477	0.00
Hetero Females (excl. IDUs)	297	0.34	258	0.00	467	0.00
Injecting Drug Users (IDU)	11	0.00	8	0.00	15	0.00
Other/Unknown	8	0.00	4	0.00	9	0.00
Total	702	0.28	592	0.51	996	0.00
Scotland
Homo/Bisexual Males (excl. IDUs)	632	3.64	832	4.09	872	2.87
Hetero Males (excl. IDUs)	5,640	0.30	4,866	0.21	5,878	0.19
Hetero Females (excl. IDUs)	4,226	0.17	3,815	0.21	4,734	0.15
Injecting Drug Users (IDU)	106	2.83	135	3.70	208	3.37
Other/Unknown	130	0.00	152	0.00	281	0.36
Total	10,734	0.47	9,800	0.58	11,973	0.43
1Attenders at GUM clinics in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Perth, Aberdeen, Falkirk, and Stirling Geographical categorisation is by the health board area in which the clinic is sited.

neonates is performed on dried blood spots collected on Guthrie cards used for neonatal metabolic screening tests for conditions such as hypothyroidism and phenylketonuria.For genito-urinary clinic attenders the collection venues are two genito-urinary clinics in Glasgow, one in Edinburgh, one in Dundee, one in Aberdeen, one in Falkirk and one in Stirling. For neonates, all Guthrie cards are sent directly to the neonatal metabolic screening laboratory at Stobhill General Hospital, Glasgow.From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the Gaelic-medium units in Scottish primary schools and the number of pupils studying them in each year since 1985. [71674]

[holding answer 22 February 19991: The table shows numbers of Gaelic-medium units in Scottish primary schools and the total number of pupils in each year since 1985:

	Unit	Pupils
1985–86	2	24
1986–87	6	64
1987–88	9	112
1988–89	13	169
1989–90	19	286
1990–91	25	431
1991–92	31	614
1992–93	38	824
1993–94	45	1,080
1994–95	47	1,258
1995–96	50	1,456
1996–97	52	1,587
1997–98	55	1,736
1998–99	56	1,816

From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list (a) those units in his Department and (b) the number of departmental staff which are concerned with preparing rebuttals of allegations in the media; and what is (i) the total cost of their work, including salaries, and (ii) the number of rebuttals issued since May 1997. [71844]

[holding answer 22 February 1999]: In common with other departments, the work of press officers in my department includes responding to and correcting any misinformed or inaccurate media reporting of Government policy or activity. They are supported in this work by other officials as necessary.This is a routine part of a Department's work and it is not separately recorded from other tasks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the criteria he has applied (a) in selecting the areas in which solicitors will receive an enhanced fixed payment for summary criminal legal aid cases and (b) in determining the level of the enhanced payment. [71860]

The criteria were chosen to reflect a combination of small numbers of cases dealt with and time taken to travel to the court.The 15 Sheriff courts in Scotland with the lowest throughput of cases were therefore identified. Any courts which were less than 40 miles from the nearest other sheriff court and which could be reached without a sea crossing were eliminated from the list. The resultant list of courts for which an additional payment will be available is Campbeltown, Stornoway, Lockmaddy, Kirkwall, Lerwick, Oban, Portree, Lochgilphead and Rothesay Sheriff courts.The additional fee of £50 was determined to provide reasonable remuneration to solicitors who have to represent clients in these courts. The Sheriff Court core fee has also been increased to £500 for all courts. From 1 July 1999 legal aid in Scotland will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been granted by the Foundation for Sports and Arts in Scotland over the past five years. [72267]

[holding answer 22 February 1999]: The information is set out in the table.

£
Year	Sport	Arts
1994	2,937,337.13	1,634,091.00
1995	1,867,394.00	1,223,425.00
1996	2,148,410.78	767,935.00
1997	738,363.32	291,551.00
1998	544,021.75	147,686.00

From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much the Scottish Sports Council has invested over the past five years as a percentage of its total expenditure in (a) Glasgow and (b) Scotland's other cities. [72266]

[holding answer 22 February 1999]: It is not possible to provide a breakdown of the Council's grant in aid expenditure in the form requested. The information in respect of awards from the Lottery Sports Fund is set out in the table.

LSF awards to Scottish cities (to 18 February 1999)
City	LSF programme	Total awards	Percentage of total (per programme)
Glasgow	Capital	19,387,144	26.4
	Talented Athletes	278,844	6.4
	Major Events	462,161	49.4
	Safety at Sports Grounds	0	0
	Awards for All	34,025	5.7
	Sub Total	20,162,174	123.5
Edinburgh	Capital	8,199,824	11.1
	Talented Athletes	830,123	18.9
	Major Events	160,720	17.2
	Safety at Sports Grounds	0	0
	Awards for All	23,160	3.9
	Sub Total	9,213,827	110.7
Aberdeen	Capital	2,198.608	3.0
	Talented Athletes	125,611	2.9
	Major Events	0	0
	Safety at Sports Grounds	0	0
	Awards for All	12,087	2.0
	Sub Total	2,336,306	12.7
Dundee	Capital	3,626,250	5.0
	Talented Athletes	61,202	1.4
	Major Events	0	0
	Safety at Sports Grounds	1,000,000	47.5
	Awards for All	5,559	0.9
	Sub Total	4,693,011	15.5
1As percentage of total commitments across all programmes

From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many members of the Scottish Sports Council there are; when each was appointed; and by which Secretary of State for Scotland each was appointed. [72263]

[holding answer 22 February 1999]: The information requested is set out in the table.

Name	Date of current appointment	Appointment by
Mr. Graeme M. Simmers, CBE (Chairman)	June 1995	Rt. Hon. Ian Lang MP
Mr. Alan Grosset (Vice-Chairman)	November 1998	Rt. Hon. Donald Dewar MP
Mrs. Evelyn Raistrick	November 1997	Rt. Hon. Donald Dewar MP
Mr. David Arnott	November 1997	Rt. Hon. Donald Dewar MP
Mrs. Jane Heaney	May 1996	Rt. Hon. Michael Forsyth MP
Mr. Eamonn Bannon	August 1996	Rt. Hon. Michael Forsyth MP
Mrs. Louise Martin	November 1997	Rt. Hon. Donald Dewar MP
Mr. Ian Mason	December 1998	Rt. Hon. Donald Dewar MP
Mr. Alastair Dempster	December 1998	Rt. Hon. Donald Dewar MP
Mr. Ritchie Campbell	December 1998	Rt. Hon. Donald Dewar MP
Miss Fiona Reid	December 1998	Rt. Hon. Donald Dewar MP

From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff are employed by the Scottish Sports Council; and where they are based. [72274]

[holding answer 22 February 1999]: In 1997–98 the Scottish Sports Council employed 187 staff at its headquarters in Edinburgh and at its three national centres at Aviemore, Largs and Cumbrae. More detailed information is contained in the Council's Annual Report and Accounts for 1997–98, a copy of which is in the Library.From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much grant money was given or is planned to be given to (a) Scottish sports in total and (b) each sport in Scotland over (i) the past three years and (ii) the next three years. [72273]

[holding answer 22 February 1999]: The amount of grant aid given to governing bodies of sport by the Scottish Sports Council for the past three years is set out in the table. The projected total grant-in-aid, and the grant-in-aid to be made available to individual governing bodies of sport, for the next three financial years has not yet been agreed by the Scottish Sports Council.From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

Grants offered to governing bodies from 1 April 1995 to 31 March 1998
GB Name	1995–96	1996–97	1997–98
Scottish Anglers National Association	9,000	9,000	9,000
Scottish Federation of Sea Anglers	0	26,500	13,000
Scottish Federation of Coarse Anglers	3,000	5,800	2,800
Scottish Archery Association	4,850	4,800	4,000
Scottish Athletic Federation	164,850	157,000	46,943
Scottish Badminton Union	116,370	116,250	116,250
Scottish Basketball Association	60,000	62,000	61,500
Scottish Women's Bowling Association	4,500	4,500	5,723
Scottish Bowls Coaching Committee	6,500	6,500	6,500
Scottish Boxing Association	19,000	0	0
Scottish Canoe Association	41,700	40,243	41,700
Scottish Cricket Union	60,800	58,700	61,500
Scottish Croquet Association	1,500	1,500	1,500
Royal Caledonian Curling Club	12,000	17,350	40,225
Scottish Cyclists' Union	95,560	57,825	56,000