Chamber and committees

I announced the funding of projects to receive support in the first round of the Lowlands and Uplands Scotland 2007-13 European Structural Funds Programmes (ESEP) on 8 April 2008.

Details of each individual project funded are available on the ESEP website:

http://www.esep.co.uk/02-applications-announce.html.

The First Minister announced the projects to be funded in the first round of the Highlands and Islands Convergence Programme for 2007-13 on 11 April 2008. Details of the individual projects will be available on the HIPP website http://www.hipp.org.uk/new/.

Information on bank nurses by board and agency nurses by board and discipline employed in NHSScotland in the last five years is published on the ISD Scotland website at:

www.isdscotland.org/isd/servlet/FileBuffer?namedFile=WFE13.xls&pContentDispositionType=inline.

For Agency Nurse data.

Bank nurse data can be found at www.isdscotland.org/isd/5352.html#bank. Then follow the link to Bank Nurse usage by time, NHS Board and Region.

In view of the range of juror issues on which I now plan to seek views, my aim is to publish a consultation paper in the early summer.

On 29 November 2007, we announced our decision to introduce a bill to reverse the House of Lords Judgment of 17 October 2007 in Johnston v NEI International Combustion Ltd. We also announced that the provisions of the bill would take effect from the date of the Judgment. The intention is to ensure that pleural plaques remain an actionable injury in Scots law. The bill which is introduced to the Parliament will also make clear that asymptomatic pleural thickening and asymptomatic asbestosis, when caused by negligent exposure to asbestos, continue to give rise to a claim for damages in Scotland. Subject to parliamentary timetabling, we expect to introduce the bill before the summer recess.

I refer to the answer given to parliamentary question S3W-9591 and restate that ministers expect to make a determination on this project shortly.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

The final budget for the Burns-related launch event for the Homecoming next year is not yet finalised as the arrangements are still in the final stages of development. I have asked the Chief Operating Officer of EventScotland to write to you with this information when it is available.

These are forecasts based on historic data and reflect the historic underperformance of the Scottish economy, which is why we have taken a new approach to economic development with the Government Economic Strategy. We have placed sustainable economic development at the core of everything the Scottish Government does and are working to ensure that the outcomes for all of Scotland, including Ayrshire, are better than these forecasts.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9637 on 6 March 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9637 on 6 March 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9559 on 21 February 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.