§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his latest assessment of the impact that the provisions of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1994 will have on the occupation of office buildings in each Scottish region post-1996; what assessment he has made of the effect on property prices in each region; and if he will make a statement. [24061]
§ Mr. KynochMy right hon. Friend will be issuing shortly for comment a draft property transfer order which will set down broad guidelines for the transfer of property to the new councils. Only when the councils work through that process will it be possible for them to assess the extent of surplus property and possible ramifications for the property market.
§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of compulsory redundancies during the transition from the current local government structure in Scotland to the new unitary authorities; and if he will make a statement. [24094]
§ Mr. KynochThe Government have not made forecasts about the number of compulsory redundancies arising from the move to single-tier councils. Decisions on management of the local authority work force and new staffing structures will be the responsibility of the new councils, but the Government hope that most, if not all, changes can be managed by means of early retirements, voluntary severance and the retraining of existing employees.
§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many(a) local authority, (b) Scottish Homes, (c) housing association, (d) housing co-operative, (e) private sector rented and (f) owner-occupied homes, are contained within the boundaries of (i) Renfrew district and (ii) Eastwood district; and how many will be contained within the boundaries of the new unitary authorities of (1) Renfrewshire and (2) East Renfrewshire, based upon current figures. [24095]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe available information is set out in the table:
475W
Local Authority1 Scottish Homes2 Housing Associations3 Housing Co-operative3 Private Rented4 Owner Occupied4 (1)Renfrewshire 24,410 3,339, 2.020 0 1,967 36,920 (2)East Renfrewshire 4,716 1,062 337 0 775 25,776 Notes:
1 Source: The Scottish Office. Estimates at 30 September 1995.
2 Source: Scottish Homes. Figures at 1 May 1995. Estimates for Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire calculated using breakdown in 1991 census of population.
3 Source: Scottish Homes. Figures at 31 March 1995. Estimates for Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire calculated using breakdown in 1991 census of population.
4 Estimates based on 1991 census of population.
§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his latest estimate of the number of job losses created by the provisions of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1994; and if he will make a statement. [24098]
§ Mr. KynochThe Government have estimated that the move to single-tier local authorities will result in a reduction in posts in a range between 220 and 1,800. The eventual number of jobs in the unitary councils will, however, depend on decisions taken by them in the light of the services to be provided.