HC Deb 28 January 1999 vol 324 cc383-4W
Mr. Swinney

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list broken down by year and amount for each of the next three financial years those projects of value greater than £50,000 which have been allocated funds from the money announced by press release by his Department on 17 March 1998; and what percentage of the money remains unallocated. [658061

Mr. Dewar

[holding answer 18 January 1999]: The Scottish Office issued three news releases on 17 March 1998 about public expenditure allocations announcing an additional £44 million for the NHS in Scotland; £21 million of additional funding for education; and an increase of £4.5 million in funding for rural transport. From 1 July 1999 these will be matters for the Scottish Parliament. The information requested in relation to each of these is as follows:

Health An additional £44.5 million has been added to the baseline of the NHS in Scotland specifically to tackle waiting lists. In 1999–2000, Health Boards will use these resources to provide full funding for 196 strategic projects established during the current year and designed to secure long-term, sustained reductions in waiting lists and waiting times. The Boards will be monitoring and auditing the progress and success of these projects and will allocate funding to them in 2000–01 and in subsequent years, as appropriate. I have arranged for a list, by Health Board, of the 104 projects which will cost in excess of £50,000 in 1999–2000 to be placed in the Library.

Education Additional spending of £19 million for schools and child care was provided to local authorities in the current year under the normal allocation arrangements. Details are not available at this time of individual projects undertaken by those authorities. Additional funding of £1.4 million for further education was directed to colleges to assist in the transitional period following a change in funding methodology. No specific projects were involved in this allocation. Funding announced for the University for Industry (£880,000) will be utilised for the continued development costs of the project.

Rural Transport £4.5 million per year for three years is being invested in the Rural Transport Funding Package. In 1998–99 £3.5 million has been earmarked for allocation to local authorities to provide additional public passenger transport services; it is for the local authorities to decide which public transport services they intend to fund and information about projects greater than £50,000 is not held centrally. The Scottish Office has issued 75 per cent. of the funding for this financial year; the remaining 25 per cent. is expected to be issued in the near future. A further £600,000 has been earmarked in this financial year for community transport projects. The three community transport projects awarded grant amounts greater than £50,000, and the spread of payments over the three financial years involved, are listed in the table.

Rural community transport projects greater than £50,000
£
1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 Total
Annandale Community Transport Project 70,900 6,750 10,020 87,670
Handicabs (Mid/East Lothian) 31,500 15,000 15,000 61,500
Handicabs (West Lothian) 31,500 15,000 15,000 61,500

Grants of £240,000 to Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and £160,000 to Scottish Enterprise (SE) have been allocated to assist rural petrol stations in 1989–99. Decisions about the specific allocation of grant for individual projects are a matter for HIE, SE and the relevant Local Enterprise Companies.

100 per cent. of the grant to local authorities for rural public passenger transport services and grant to assist rural petrol stations remains to be allocated in future years. 90 per cent. of the funding for rural community transport grant schemes remains available for allocation in future years.