Research was carried out in 2001 under the UK Air Quality Research Programme, on behalf of the Scottish Executive and other UK Administrations, on atmospheric mercury and monitoring of pollutants, including mercury, around industrial sites across the UK. As far as mercury abatement is concerned, I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-12372, answered on 2 December 2004. 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.

Currently orthopaedic surgeons provide foot surgery in NHSScotland and there are no podiatric surgeons employed on a full-time basis at present.

However, an MSc in podiatric surgery has recently been introduced run jointly by Glasgow Caledonian University and Queen Margaret University College and 20 students have registered in the first year.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) is currently undertaking a detailed internal review of the guidance provided to procurators fiscal in relation to the investigation of deaths.

It is anticipated that the review will be completed by early 2005 with revised guidance being issued to staff in the spring.

COPFS guidance in relation to the investigation of deaths is currently available through the COPFS Freedom Of Information Publication Scheme. Any revised guidance will also be available in a similar way.

The Scottish Executive, in conjunction with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Welsh Assembly Government, have recently consulted on a proposal that 50% of all cremations throughout Great Britain should be subject to mercury abatement. It is proposed that this target should be achieved by the end of 2012. Procedural guidance will be issued in due course to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), and other environmental regulators. In deciding what emissions abatement is appropriate at installations in Scotland, SEPA will adopt a regulatory approach that is proportionateto the risk posed by the installations.

The Executive is committed to ending the discredited tolling regime on Skye Bridge and has entered negotiations with Skye Bridge Ltd. These negotiations are commercially confidential, and any further comment would be inappropriate at this time.

We are committed to managing and protecting Scotland’s most valuable natural assets. Section 2(2) of the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000 sets out the conditions that must apply before any area can be considered for designation as a National Park. Scotland’s first two national parks were established in 2002 and 2003.

Scottish Natural Heritage undertook a consultation exercise in 1999 which informed the Executive’s decisions on national park designations. The consultation sought views on a number of areas which might benefit from national park designation. The conclusion was that consideration of any new proposal should not take place until there had been an adequate opportunity to evaluate the experience from the first two national park designations.

Our partnership agreement gave a commitment to consult on the best strategy for protecting and enhancing all of Scotland’s coastline, including the options of establishing a national coastline park and marine national parks. That commitment was taken forward in our consultation paper Developing a Strategic Framework for Scotland’s Marine Environment (paper 2004/6 published April 2004) copies of which are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 32159). Responses to that consultation paper are currently being considered.

Scottish Water is a statutory consultee on planning strategies, is involved in the process and makes its representations known to local authorities. It is already involved in a number of Community Planning Partnerships and wrote recently to all Scottish local authorities indicating its willingness to become involved in such partnerships. The Quality and Standards III consultation made clear that Scottish Water’s investment programme to 2014 would be informed by the priorities for economic development and area regeneration set out in the National Planning Framework for Scotland.

As part of its Review of Affordable Housing, the Executive conducted an analysis of the Scottish housing market. This analysis included a review of the evidence on house price trends and was published on the Executive’s website on 7 July 2004.

The relevant document can be located at the following weblink:

www.scotland.gov.uk/about/DD/H3/00019504/page1661430580.aspx.

Information about the numberof people with learning disabilities in their employment is not collected byNHS boards. From 2006, all public bodies will be required to report generalfigures on the number of people with disabilities they employ. This informationwill be gathered through self-declaration of disability.

Employment policy on jobsearch and support is reserved to the UK government. Nevertheless, the Scottish Executive isaware that people with mental health problems are among the most disadvantagedgroups when it comes to gaining access to education, training and inparticular, employment. We therefore support people with experience of mentalhealth problems to gain access to a range of services that offer avenues toeducation, training and employment.

There are a range ofagencies that provide services for people seeking to gain access to education,training and employment. It is a key aim of the Scottish Executive to makethese agencies and the people who work within them aware of mental healthissues. This to be achieved through delivery of training schemes such as themental health first aid programme, being developed by the Executive’s NationalProgramme for Improving Mental Health & Well-Being. One of the NationalProgramme’s six priority areas is to improve mental health and well-being inemployment and working life.

In addition, the MentalHealth (Care & Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 Section 26b places a duty on local authoritiesto provide training and assistance for people with mental health problems inobtaining and undertaking employment. The Scottish Executive anticipatesworking closely with local authorities on this issue.