Chamber and committees

The local government settlement for 2000-01 provides for Government Supported Expenditure (GSE) to rise by 3.7% to £6.746 million. Pay is a matter for local authorities themselves to consider when setting their budgets and determining their priorities in the light of their own local circumstances.

When I announced the outcome of the Strategic Roads Review on 4 November 1999, I noted that responsibility for progressing the M74 proposals would continue to rest with the City of Glasgow and South Lanarkshire Councils. At my meeting in December with representatives of Glasgow City, South Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire Councils, I indicated that I wished my officials to offer advice and assistance to the Councils as they developed their thinking on the scheme. As a result, Scottish Executive officials have since met the Councils on a number of occasions and are keeping closely in touch with progress.

Our legislative proposals announced by Sarah Boyack earlier today represent a good deal for the public transport user and a good deal for the motorist. Our vision is to deliver a public transport system comparable with the best in Europe, whilst giving fair treatment to the motorist.

A wide range of initiatives are being developed by education authorities to tackle exclusion. These developments are supported by funding from the Scottish Executive under the Alternatives to Exclusion initiatives. £5 million was allocated this year rising to £8 million in 2000-01 and £10 million in 2001-02.In January the Executive held a Conference on exclusion attended by 90 representatives from local authorities to discuss progress and to spread best practice.

The Executive is committed to making public appointments in Scotland more representative of Scottish society as a whole.That is why the forthcoming consultation exercise on modernising the public appointments system, announced by Jack McConnell last month, will explore what more can be done to encourage women, disabled people and people from ethnic minorities to apply for public appointments.The consultation paper will also seek views as to whether the targets inherited from the Scottish Office for achieving greater representation of women and ethnic minorities in public appointments are relevant. In the meantime, the recently formed Equality Unit is working closely with the Public Appointments Unit to take forward work on gender, race and disability to ensure that equal opportunities is an integral part of the appointments process.

The Scottish Executive currently has responsibility for a total of 137 Public Bodies (excluding the 51 NHS Bodies), of which 38 are Executive NDPBs. In 1997-98, the Scottish Executive contributed £1,700 million of the Scottish budget to Executive NDPBs in Scotland.

None from the business community in the Glasgow Rutherglen constituency. Some representations have however been received from umbrella business groups whose membership may include businesses based in Rutherglen.

None from the business community in the Glasgow Rutherglen constituency. Some representations have however been received from umbrella business groups whose membership may include businesses based in Rutherglen.

We will promote this relationship by means of the Scottish Compact which will be brought to the Parliament for endorsement this autumn.

We will promote this relationship by means of the Scottish Compact which will be brought to the Parliament for endorsement this autumn.