§ Ms Roseanna CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what are the criteria for monitoring non-agricultural grants made to owners of landed estates of more than 500 acres to(a) improve or maintain private buildings, (b) improve or maintain private roads and (c) promote tourism; and if he will make a statement; [39168]
(2) how much public money in (a) grants and (b) loans has been given to owners of landed estates of more than 500 acres to (i) improve or maintain private buildings or (ii) improve or maintain private roads on those estates in each year since 1990; and if he will make a statement. [39169]
§ Mr. Raymond S. RobertsonGrants for such purposes may be available from a range of public bodies and agencies in addition to the Scottish Office, and there will be different monitoring criteria for each scheme. Not all this information is held centrally, nor can it be obtained, except at disproportionate cost.
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§ Ms CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 15 July,Official Report, column 407, if he will set out the methods for monitoring non-agricultural grants to owners of landed estates of more than 500 acres; and if he will make a statement. [39166]
§ Mr. RobertsonThe methods employed do not discriminate as between owners of landed estates and other applicants and include, as appropriate, checking of plans and costings, examination of invoices, physical inspection of completion and supervision of usage for approved purpose and of compliance with conditions.
§ Ms CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 15 July,Official Report, column 407, when the information relating to the criteria upon which monitoring conditions imposed on applicants for financial assistance are based will be published; if he will give details of those criteria; and if he will make a statement. [39167]
§ Mr. RobertsonI refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Cannock and Burntwood (Dr. Wright) on 21 February,Official Report, column 194. Making such information available is an on-going process and I shall be pleased to send the hon. Member copies of the explanatory literature for any of the schemes administered by the Scottish Office in which she is interested.
§ Mrs. EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer from the Minister with responsibility for education, housing and fisheries of 15 July,Official Report, column 407, in each year since 1990 (i) how many departmental officials were involved in the monitoring of grants of public money to (a) agricultural and (b) non-agricultural schemes, (ii) how many schemes were found not to have met the requirement conditions, (iii) how much in assistance was recovered, (iv) in how many cases the monitoring of the schemes involved on-site visits and (v) what methods were adopted by departmental officials in monitoring the effectiveness of scheme; and if he will make a statement. [39171]
§ Mr. RobertsonThe information sought in categories (i) to (iv) is not held centrally and could not be obtained except at disproportionate cost. The methods adopted in monitoring effectiveness vary from scheme to scheme, but include such procedures as physical inspection of completed works and regular supervision to check that the grant-aided work continues to meet all the conditions of approval imposed.