Chamber and committees

These will be operational matters for Scottish Water.However, in my answer to question S1W-20138 on 20 November 2001, I indicated that the vast majority of Scottish Water staff would be located in existing water authority premises around the country.In relation to costs and staffing, I refer the member to the answers given to questions S1W-19792, S1W-19794 and S1W-19795 on 21 November 2001.

The figures, acquired from the water authorities, are as follows:

Domestic & Non Domestic Customers
	1998-99		1999-2000		2000-01		2001-02
	Domestic	Non Domestic	Domestic	Non Domestic	Domestic	Non Domestic	Domestic	Non Domestic
EoSWA	686,000	53,500	690,000	53,500	700,000	53,500	705,000	53,500
NoSWA	505,278	51,379	507,665	51,560	513,564	50,203	513,501	49,370
WoSWA	1,010,000	70,800	1,019,000	71,500	1,029,000	72,300	1,040,000	73,000
Total	2,201,278	175,679	2,216,665	176,560	2,242,564	176,003	2,258,501	175,870

This is an operational matter for the Scottish water authorities. I understand from them that their records show that no charities in any water authority area have had their water supply withdrawn for non-payment of water bills in 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, or to date in 2001-02.

As the answer to question S1W-19408 on 9 November 2001, stated, the research described was undertaken for the European Commission. It is for that body to decide on publication. A copy of the report has, however, been obtained from the Commission and is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 17704).

As I said in reply to question S1W-20055, contact with the institutions of the European Union on the Bathing Waters Directive (76/160/EEC) is particularly frequent. These contacts are by letter, telephone, fax and e-mail as well as in face-to-face meetings. The last meeting of a Scottish Executive official with officials of the European Commission on the directive was on 12 November. On this occasion the Scottish Executive official was attending a workshop hosted by the European Commission's Directorate General for the Environment, to consider the economic cost-benefit appraisal of possible measures in the proposed revision of the directive. The workshop brought together a number of consultants and technical experts from the UK and from France and the Netherlands.

Although relations with the European Union are a reserved matter, the Scottish Executive is in regular and frequent contact with its institutions about matters concerning the implementation of devolved responsibilities. Contact on the Bathing Waters Directive (76/160/EEC) is particularly frequent in view of on-going discussions on its proposed revision. It would not be possible to detail all these contacts.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-20150.

For each of the three years concerned, Energy Action Scotland (EAS) have been sponsored by the Scottish Executive. They have been set targets of securing and investing private sector resources to improve home energy efficiency and tackle fuel poverty and of enrolling local authorities as members of EAS. They received funding of £100,000 from the Executive in 1999-2000 and £102,500 in 2000-01 and will receive funding of £105,000 in 2001-02 if they meet their targets.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-20478.

The findings of research entitled An Exploration of Regional Climate Change Scenarios for Scotland were published on 9 February and are available on the Executive's climate change website at www.scotland.gov.uk/climatechange. More detailed UK scenarios are expected to be published by the UK Climate Impacts Programme early next year.