§ Ms AthertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list(a) in total and (b) by local authority the number of rat infestations recorded in each year since 1990. [8446]
§ Mr. ChisholmThe available information, drawn from reports prepared annually by the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland on a variety of environmental health matters, is set out below.
The total number of rat infestations dealt with by local authorities in Scotland is reported as follows:
351W
Number of infestations 1990–911 12,714 1991–92 11,312 1992–93 10,997 1993–942 Not collected 1994–952 Not collected 1995–962 Not collected 1996–97 Available December 1997 A breakdown by individual authority is not available.
1 Change from calendar year (January to December) to financial year (April to March). The figure relates to the period January 1990 to March 1991.
2 Information not collected due to local government reorganisation.