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Scottish Financial Enterprise

Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when she plans to meet Scottish Financial Enterprise; and how many times she has met them since becoming Secretary of State. [41607]

Mrs. Liddell: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 25 March 2002, Official Report, column 685W.

Parental Leave Directive

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate she has made of the (a) financial costs and (b) benefits to her Department of the Parental Leave Directive. [42487]

Mrs. Liddell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999. To date there have been no applications for parental leave in the department.

My department is committed to helping its staff achieve a better balance between their home, family obligations and their work. Parental leave can play an important part in achieving this. We believe it will lead to greater commitment and morale among staff with families and to help reduce staff turnover.

Access to Information

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will list the administrative manuals and internal guidance which her Department has made public

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as required by Part 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information; and which of these were first made available after May 1997. [45404]

Mrs. Liddell: Since my Department was established on 1 July 1999 the Scotland Office Service Delivery Agreement, the Scotland Office Charger and the Scotland Office Departmental Annual Reports have been publicly available. These give details of the service the public can expect to receive from my Department, and its record against these standards.

Scottish Interests

Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps she has taken to represent Scottish interests to the Department for Work and Pensions on pensions issues. [46348]

Mrs. Liddell: I have frequent meetings with Department for Work and Pensions Ministers and discuss a wide range of matters with them.

Shipyards

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions she has had with the Scottish Executive on helping shipyards in Scotland to market themselves (a) abroad and (b) within the UK. [45963]

Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 26 March 2002]: The Clyde Shipyards Task Force set out recommendations to promote the Clyde Yards. I shall continue to have regular discussions with Scottish Executive Ministers about how we might support these and other Scottish shipyards at home and abroad.

Whisky Strip

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what representations she has received from the tourist industry in Scotland on the impact of the whisky strip on miniature whiskies produced for the tourist industry; [48040]

(2) what representations she has received from the gift packaging industry in Scotland on the impact of the introduction of a whisky strip for whisky miniatures used in producing gift packs; [48041]

(3) what representations she has received from the whisky industry on the impact of the whisky strip on the production of miniature whiskies. [48039]

Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 10 April 2002]: I have received formal submissions from the Scotch Whisky Association and the Gin and Vodka Association covering a wide range of concerns on the introduction of fiscal marks on spirits. I have also received informal representations.

It was clear from the consultation process that the introduction of tax stamps would have a severe impact on the productivity and compliance costs of the spirits industry which, if passed on in full, could have had a significant impact on retail prices for spirits. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer therefore decided to pursue a joint programme of co-operation with the spirits industry to identify, track and trace illicit consignments of spirits, not involving strip stamps.

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Smart Card Technology

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on the use of smart card technology in her Department and in the areas for which it is responsible; and what discussions she has had with private companies about the use of smart card technology within her Department. [50473]

Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 16 April 2002]: My Department does not provide services directly to the public and I have had no discussions with private companies about the use of smart card technology. The office of the e-Envoy has established a working group to consider policy on smart cards for the United Kingdom.

Minimum Income Guarantee

Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many pensioners in Glasgow, Pollok are receiving the minimum income guarantee; and what estimate she has made of the numbers of those who are eligible but have not claimed. [52479]

Mr. Foulkes: In the Glasgow, Pollock constituency, some 3,600 people benefit from the minimum income guarantee. Estimates of the number of pensioners eligible but not claiming minimum income guarantee are not available below Great Britain level. Figures for Great Britain are included in the publication "Take Up of Income Related Benefits: Statistics for 1999–2000".

Tartan Week

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what involvement her Department had in the Tartan Week celebrations in the USA. [52559]

Mrs. Liddell: The First Minister and other representatives of the Scottish Executive and the Scottish Parliament attended the Tartan Day celebrations. I and my Department were happy to provide support. The First Minister and I share the view that such events can lend support to the Friends of Scotland initiative.

Grangemouth Refinery

Mr. Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions she, her Ministers and officials have held with BP over future plans for the Grangemouth refinery since January; and if she will make a statement. [53593]

Mr. Foulkes: I visited BP's complex at Grangemouth on 22 April and met with senior BP management. We discussed their long-term plans for sustaining the future of this very important complex and the contribution it makes to both the local and Scottish economy.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will list the written questions asked of her between (a) 1 to 30 June 2001, (b) 1 to 31 July 2001, (c) 1 to 30 September 2001, (d) 1 to 31 October 2001, (e) 1 to 30 November 2001, (f) 1 to 31 December 2001, (g) 1 to 31 January 2002, (h) 1 to 28 February 2002, (i) 1 to 31 March 2002 and (j) 1 to 30 April 2002 that had not received a substantive answer by 30 April;

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and if he will state (i) the name of the hon. Member asking the question and (ii) the reasons the question had not received a substantive answer. [54089]

Mrs. Liddell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my right hon. Friend the President of the Council. As at 30 April—due in no small part to the increasing number of 'round robin' questions—37 written questions await a reply. These will be answered as soon as possible.

New Deal

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people employed by her Department under the New Deal for Young People in each of the last four years have subsequently (a) found unsubsidised employment for more than 13 weeks and (b) returned to jobseeker's allowance or other benefits. [45084]

Mrs. Liddell: Information on New Deal appointees who have now left my Department is not held centrally.

DEFENCE

84 Squadron

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to withdraw the Wessex helicopters in service with 84 Squadron; and what aircraft will be used to replace them. [49768]

Mr. Ingram: On current plans we expect to withdraw the Wessex helicopters of 84 Squadron from RAF service on 31 March 2003. They will be replaced by the Bell 412 Enhanced Performance helicopter.

National Insurance

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the cost in the next 12 months of the Budget changes to employers' national insurance contributions to (a) his Department, (b) agencies of his Department, (c) each of the armed forces and (d) employers in respect of time spent by employees on reserve forces service. [52082]

Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 29 April 2002, Official Report, column 544W, by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary (Mr. Smith).

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the full year cost of Budget changes to national insurance to the MOD in the first year of its operation. [53528]

Mr. Ingram: The full year cost to the Ministry of Defence of the Budget changes to employers' national insurance contributions in 2003–04 is estimated to be some £60 million.

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