§ Mr. WallaceTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps his Department has taken to monitor the one-year voluntary pilot management to protect barnacle geese in the Solway area; and if he will make a statement on the progress of the scheme. [37243]
§ Mr. Kynoch[holding answer 23 October 1995]: The one-year pilot for the Solway barnacle goose management scheme was undertaken by Scottish Natural Heritage to address conflicts between farmers and barnacle geese in the Solway area.
£000s 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 (Provisional) 1994–95 Family Health Services 10,392 22,983 2,916 8,039 -20,661 7,836 Hospital and Community Health Services 6,797 20,130 8,175 9,072 56,736 48,236 End year flexibility entitlement 8,409 10,068 — 8,401 29,709 48,492 Family health services are demand led and funded from non-cash limited provision. Underdrawings against this provision are not available for redistribution in subsequent years. Most underdrawings on the cash-limited provision for hospital and community health services are available for redistribution though in earlier years the eligibility criteria were more restrictive.
Underdrawings on the cash-limited hospital and community health services comprise mainly health board and NHS trust carry-forward balances. In the interests of sensible financial management, boards may carry-forward an element of their underdrawings. Once boards' annual accounts have been audited, the carry-forward balances, after parliamentary approval, will be formally allocated back to individual health boards, together with any additional resources secured from central underdrawings which in 1995–96 amounts to £16.3 million.
A similar procedure is applied to NHS trusts.
Health boards and NHS trusts can utilise their carry-forward funds to purchase patient care and for capital projects. The funds distributed from central underdrawings are to be used for local initiatives with the emphasis on pump-priming initiatives in priority areas particularly mental health, cardio and cerebro vascular disease, and cancer.
188WSNH has reported that the operation and monitoring of the scheme have shown that the approach adopted has been successful and has had the general support and participation of most local farmers.
Approval has now been given to the continuation of the project as a three-year demonstration scheme to build on the work already undertaken; SNH will continue to monitor and report on the development of the scheme.