Chamber and committees

I recognise that young carers have specific needs and that more must be done to help meet these needs. I will be announcing shortly the content of our Carers' Strategy for Scotland which will include measures to increase recognition and support for young carers.

I recognise that young carers have specific needs and that more must be done to help meet these needs. I will be announcing shortly the content of our Carers' Strategy for Scotland which will include measures to increase recognition and support for young carers.

Health and safety at work is a matter reserved to the UK Parliament and remains the responsibility of the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

The Board is set up under the National Lotteries Act 1993 as an independent body. Monitoring is therefore a matter for the Board itself.

The erection of telecommunications masts require planning permission except where they qualify for permitted development rights under Class 67 of the Town and Country Planning) (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992.

In December 1998, the then Scottish Office Planning Minister, Calum MacDonald MP, announced a number of measures on telecommunications, which included increasing the degree of control over telecommunications development permitted by the aforementioned Order. Those measures included:

• prior approval procedures for the siting and appearance of telecommunications masts;
• increased controls over telecommunications development in Sites of Special Scientific Interest;
• clarification that planning permission is required to extend the height of an existing mast beyond 15 metres;
• good practice guidance for operators and planning authorities; and
• advice on the use of planning agreements to encourage mast sharing.

The Scottish Executive hopes to bring forward legislation implementing these proposals in due course.

Provision is being made for the support of the training and skills development sector during the transition period until the new Structural Funds programmes commence by the reallocation of unspent resources from the 1998 Objective 3 programme.I am very pleased to announce today, therefore, the provision of around £8.5 million of European Social Fund grants for 388 projects. It is important to ensure that the capacity of training organisations is sustained in order to ensure that the new programmes have a smooth start.

It is for Ayrshire and Arran Health Board to decide how best to deliver services to the population resident within its area. The Board has recently concluded consultation on its Draft Orthopaedic Strategy and is considering the results. I understand that the Board has no plans to close the Accident and Emergency Departments at either Ayr Hospital or Crosshouse Hospital. The Board has plans to improve the range of services at these departments and in the primary care setting. These include better links with the out-of-hours GP and dentist services and psychiatric services, and improvements to services for children and victims of domestic violence.

There are no plans to build a Maybole bypass. However, £2m has been spent on implementing village gateways, traffic calming and management measures in settlements along the A77. At Maybole work to install the village gateway scheme should be completed in September.

Funding of research and development into sources of renewable energy, including wave energy, is a reserved matter. On 30 March the DTI announced a new wave power programme. Initially the programme will monitor the development of the 3 wave power projects that were awarded contracts under the Scottish Renewables Order laid by The Scottish Office in February. The DTI programme will also call for proposals for research, development and demonstration of wave technology.The Scottish Executive is committed to the promotion of renewable energy. The DTI is currently undertaking a review of the mechanisms required to achieve the generation of 10% of the UK's electricity from renewable energy sources as soon as possible, a target which it hopes to reach by 2010. The Scottish Executive will decide how to best promote renewable energy in the light of the outcome of that review.

The Scottish Parliament Corporate Body is currently considering how Fair Trade goods might be made available within the Parliament's existing and pre-determined catering outlets, in conjunction with the catering contractor. Members will be kept informed of the outcome. I believe it would be the wish of Members to ensure that any new catering contract includes such a provision.