Written Answers
Northern Ireland Food Products: Improved Processing And Marketing
asked Her Majesty's Government:What benefits both in additional revenue and employment could be generated through increased processing and more sophisticated marketing of Northern Ireland food products.
It is not possible to quantify any such benefits that might arise. Results would depend on the economic viability of such operations. Although encouragement and help, through grant aid and specialist advice, are given by the Departments of Commerce and Agriculture for Northern Ireland respectively, decisions on new ventures must rest with private operators.
Northern Ireland Industrial Products: Marketing
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are satisfied with existing facilities in assisting the marketing of Northern Ireland industrial products.
Northern Ireland industry has access to the full range of facilities for exporters which is provided by the United Kingdom Government. In addition, the Department of Commerce in Northern Ireland provides trade support services which are intended to meet particular regional requirements. Through this combination of national facilities and regional initiatives, industry in Northern Ireland has available a comprehensive service of trade support. The direction and content of the service offered is reviewed with interested organisations such as the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce. The Government believe that these services should be of major benefit to industry and will continue to encourage firms to make the fullest use of them.
Music: Tuition In State Schools
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether it is their intention to retain free instrumental tuition in State schools in view of its contribution to the resurgence of British orchestral music.
Her Majesty's Government recognise the contribution made by local education authorities' instrumental music services to the musical reputation of the country. They are studying the implications for those services of the recent decision in the High Court in the case of Regina v. Hereford and Worcester County Council, Ex parte Jones.
Esperanto: Teaching
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will examine the positive effects that the teaching of Esperanto could have on the teaching of modern languages and whether they will carry out, in collaboration with other countries, a controlled experiment to assess the feasibility of the teaching of Esperanto on an international basis.
Local education authorities and schools must make their own judgments on the value of Esperanto both in its own right and as a means of facilitating language studies generally, bearing in mind the many pressures on schools' time. At national level, I do not accept that there is a strong case for urging the adoption of Esperanto as part of the school curriculum.
Employment Schemes: Abuse
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in view of the dismissal of about 100 Midlands companies from the "jobs for school-leavers" scheme, on the ground that they have used it as a source of cheap labour to replace "redundant" workers, they will extend the investigation by the Manpower Services Commission to national dimensions.
Under the Youth Opportunities Programme procedures already exist to ensure that work experience schemes for unemployed young people are not abused. These procedures are kept under constant review and will be improved further as resources permit.
Historic Buildings: Response To Report
asked Her Majesty's Government:When they intend to respond to the report of the Working Party chaired by the Lord Montagu of Beaulieu,
In Britain's historic buildings: a policy for their future use.
My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Environment has today written to Lord Montagu responding to his report. I have placed copies of his letter in the Library.
Sites Of Special Scientific Interest: Inspections, Notifications, &C
asked Her Majesty's Government:In respect of each of the eight sites of special scientific interest at Blar nam Faoileag, Loch More Bog, Knockfin Heights, Dirlot Gorge, Blar Geal, Glutt Loch, Newlands of Geise and Bad nam Bo near Thurso in Scotland,(1) whether the Nature Conservancy Council (NCC) inspected each of the sites before they notified the local planning authority that the sites were of special scientific interest, and, if so, how many such inspections were carried out in which years, and whether such inspections were carried out with or without the landowner's permission;(2) what was the scientific basis for the selection of each of these sites;(3) whether the NCC informed the owner of the land affected of their intention to so notify prior to that notification, and whether the owner was given any opportunity to comment on the NCC's intention;(4) whether the NCC are aware of any proposed forestry or agricultural or other operations which, if carried out, would seriously damage or destroy the scientific interest of any of these sites; and(5) what representations the NCC has received from other national or international organisations or individuals about the need to protect these sites.
1. The notified sites were inspected by NCC prior to notification at the following times:
| Blar nam Faoileag | 1968 | 2 inspections |
| Knockfin Heights | 1968 | 1 inspection |
| Dirlot Gorge | 1973 | 1 inspection |
| Loch More Bog | 1968 | 1 inspection |
| 1970 | 1 inspection | |
| 1979 | 1 inspection | |
| Blar Geal | 1979 | 1 inspection |
| Glutt Loch | 1969 | 1 inspection |
| Newlands of Geise | 1979 | 1 inspection |
| Bad nam Bo | 1975 | 1 inspection |
A Nature Conservation Review. Each site is an important example of its type and forms part of a representative series covering the full range of habitat types in Great Britain.
Blur Dunn Faoileag is an internationally important site and the best example in Britain of patterned watershed blanket-bog, with characteristic plant communities, invertebrates and birds, in a relatively natural condition.
Loch More Bog is an example of a valleyside bog with a surface pattern of linear pools and ridges. The site has a high proportion of characteristic plant species and is largely unaffected by drainage or muirburn.
Knockfin Heights contains botanical, ornithological and geomorphological interest. The surface terrain is unique in Great Britain.
Dirlot Gorge is one of the most species-rich of the remaining fragments of natural woodland, which is very sparse in Caithness. Many of the species present are uncommon north of the Great Glen and rare in Caithness, while the scrubland is a feature virtually absent from the interior of the region.
Blar Geal is a gently sloping blanket mire with plant communities characteristic of its climatic type. Its interest is greatly enhanced by a network of poor-fen
soligenous flushes which dissect its surface.
Glutt Loch is an exceptionally large lochan whose physical structure, water clarity, unusually high acidity and apparent absence of calcium are all distinctive features. The associated flora and fauna are thus of particular interest.
Newlands of Geise is a small but particularly rich valley mire showing the full range of fen communities typical of the climate and geology of the area. The combination of vegetation types is unusual in Great Britain.
Bad Dann Bo is a wetland area consisting of blanket mire, streams and lochs. The wide variety of habitat supports a representative range of plant communities found only in Caithness.
3. Notification of Blar nam Faoileag and Knockfin Heights did not take place until the owner had been informed of the proposal to notify and given an opportunity to comment. The same procedure was followed in the case of Dirlot Gorge, but after notification had taken place NCC proved to have been misinformed on the identity of the owner, with whom contact has subsequently been made.
The owner has been apprised of and invited to comment on the proposals to notify Loch More Bog, Blar Geal, Glutt Loch, Newlands of Geise and Bad nam Bo.
4. The NCC are aware of afforestation and hill drainage proposals affecting part of Blar nam Faoileag which, if carried out, would seriously damage the scientific interest of the site.
5. Representations have been made to the NCC about the need to protect Blar nam Faoileag by:
Sites Of Special Scientific Interest: Caithness
asked Her Majesty's Government:How many sites of special scientific interest have been notified in Caithness, what acreage they cover and what percentage of the total acreage of rough grazing does this represent; how many sites are under consideration for notification as sites of special scientific interest but have not yet been notified, what acreage will they cover if notified and what percentage of the available rough grazing of Caithness will then be covered by sites of special scientific interest; and how many of the sites of special scientific interest in Caithness which have been notified have been inspected by officers of the Nature Conservancy Council before notification.
To date, 27 sites of special scientific interest covering an area of 38,018 acres have been notified in Caithness. A further 36 new sites and extensions to 2 existing sites covering a further 13,959 acres are under consideration for notification as sites of special scientific interest.The percentage or rough grazing the existing and proposed sites cover could only be accurately established at disproportionate cost.All of the already notified sites of special scientific interest were inspected by officers of the Nature Conservancy Council before notification.
New Companies: Registrations In Scotland
asked Her Majesty's Government:How many new companies with capital of £10,000 or more were registered in Scotland in 1978, 1979 and 1980.
The number of new companies registered in Scotland, with capital of £10,000 or more, during 1978, 1979 and 1980 were as follows:
| 1978 | 965 |
| 1979 | 819 |
| 1980 | 766 |
Airline Passengers: Scotland
asked Her Majesty's Government:How many passengers arriving last year from overseas at (a) Heathrow and (b) Gatwick flew on to Scotland andHow many passengers from Scotland arriving last year at (a) Heathrow and (b) Gatwick flew on to (i) North America, (ii) Europe or (iii) to another overseas destination.
Information of the type requested is available only from the CAA Origin and Destination (O/D) Surveys which do not contain estimates of passengers by direction of flow. The latest information for Heathrow and Gatwick refers to 1978.HeathrowInternational air passengers flying between Heathrow and Scotland:
| O/D North America | 93,000 |
| O/D Europe | 257,000 |
| O/D Other areas | 144,000 |
| O/D North America | 23,000 |
| O/D Europe | 18,000 |
| O/D Other areas | 9,000 |