Chamber and committees

Information on the number of small-scale renewable schemes that have been funded each year under the household stream of the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative, by local authority is detailed in the following table. In addition, a further 736 projects have been approved for funding in this financial year.

Local Authority	Number of Grants
	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Aberdeen City	0	1	4	11	4	1
Aberdeenshire	4	10	24	79	96	52
Angus	5	8	10	38	34	10
Argyll and Bute	3	6	15	26	38	14
Clackmannanshire	0	0	1	3	2	1
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar	0	1	2	7	7	9
Dumfries and Galloway	3	9	27	48	58	18
Dundee City	0	0	2	2	6	1
East Ayrshire	0	1	4	11	17	7
East Dunbartonshire	1	2	1	3	11	2
East Lothian	3	4	4	6	15	5
East Renfrewshire	1	1	4	7	4	3
Edinburgh City	2	3	8	29	25	11
Falkirk	0	1	1	9	4	1
Fife	4	12	10	50	66	29
Glasgow City	0	1	0	6	9	1
Highland	10	17	33	115	117	69
Inverclyde	0	0	0	3	2	0
Midlothian	0	1	2	7	10	4
Moray	0	4	11	26	27	8
North Ayrshire	1	1	2	21	26	5
North Lanarkshire	0	0	0	5	4	3
Orkney	0	4	18	22	36	19
Perth and Kinross	6	13	29	73	74	28
Renfrewshire	0	0	0	2	2	1
Scottish Borders	2	4	10	40	45	16
Shetland	0	18	25	27	52	14
South Ayrshire	2	2	1	13	31	11
South Lanarkshire	2	0	7	21	30	5
Stirling	4	0	8	23	19	8
West Dunbartonshire	0	0	1	1	3	0
West Lothian	0	2	1	8	19	4
Total	53	126	265	742	893	360

 

Information on the number of small-scale renewable schemes that have been funded each year under the community stream of the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative broken down by local authority is not available. Information is therefore provided broken down by Highlands and Islands Enterprise area, and Scottish Enterprise area, as this is consistent with the delivery of the community stream of the programme. In addition, a further 83 projects have been approved for funding in this financial year.

Local Authority	Number of Grants
	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Scottish Enterprise	30	42	12	7	71	2
Highlands and Islands Enterprise	109	52	73	56	46	10

 

The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) is reviewing SIGN Guideline 62 on Prophylaxis of Venous Thromboembolism and is using this opportunity to incorporate recommendations on diagnosis and management of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism into a single document. Consultation on the draft Guideline is expected to take place during 2009. SIGN will, as is its general practice, produce a version of the final Guideline suited to the needs of the general public.

As an interim measure until the publication of the revised SIGN guideline, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and the Chairman of NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (QIS) wrote to NHS Boards, asking them to adopt for local use a standard patient information leaflet on the prevention and management of DVT. NHS QIS will produce a further report on progress on this issue, which will be sent to the CMO in December.

We are also considering how best to follow up with GPs the availability of the Lifeblood patient information leaflet on thrombosis awareness which was issued in the spring of this year for display in GP practices.

The majority of deaths from thrombosis are caused by clots in the coronary arteries, which result in heart attacks, and clots in the brain, which cause certain types of stroke. CHD and stroke continue to be clinical priorities for NHSScotland, and we are in the process of revising our national CHD and stroke strategy, which will have a strong emphasis on prevention.

In April 2007, the Scottish Government awarded Lifeblood, the Thrombosis Charity, a £15,000 grant to develop a general information leaflet on DVT and to promote awareness of thrombosis. This leaflet has been distributed to all GP Practices across Scotland.

Additionally, the Scottish Government has devoted a significant amount of time and effort to raising awareness of the dangers of thrombosis and DVT which cannot be quantified because it forms an integral part of our work on the prevention of cardiovascular disease, such as the Keep Well programme. Nor is it possible to quantify the work of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network in developing and revising of its clinical guideline on prophylaxis of Venous Thromboembolism.

The Scottish Government will continue to invest in a wide range of work aimed at the prevention of cardiovascular disease, in particular, given that the majority of deaths from thrombosis are associated with heart attacks or strokes, the revision of our national CHD and stroke strategy.

During 2009, NHS boards will be investing in the production for their area of the standard DVT information leaflet issued by the Chief Medical Officer and the chair of NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS) in January 2008.

NHS QIS, through the work of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network, will be consulting extensively on its revised Guideline on prophylaxis of DVT and the management of pulmonary embolism.

The programme of investment in the replacement of road studs, commonly known as cat''s eyes, is assessed each year along with other condition assessments, such as signs, footways and drainage. Funds are then prioritised across all these competing needs.

The condition of the road studs (commonly known as cat''s eyes) is assessed every six months. The reflectivity is inspected at intervals of two weeks or monthly, dependent on the season. In addition, weekly safety inspections can identify defective road studs requiring repair.

Annual costs of replacement of road studs (commonly known as cat''s eyes) are not readily available. However, more than £1.8 million has been spent on the replacement of road studs since records began in April 2001. This cost does not include replacement of road studs as part of maintenance or improvement works.

The events planned for the Homecoming Scotland 2009 programme are intended, within the bounds of available funding, to cover the whole of Scotland. There are currently over 100 events ranging from the Shetlands Islands to Wigtown and from Barra to Aberdeen.

The events planned for the Homecoming Scotland 2009 programme are intended, within the bounds of available funding, to cover the whole of Scotland. There are currently over 100 events ranging from the Shetlands Islands to Wigtown and from Barra to Aberdeen.

The Homecoming Scotland Events Guide currently lists all events that are being directly funded through the Homecoming project. Funding has been allocated through three programmes: the Signature Programme; the Themed Events Programme, and the Rolling Programme. The criteria to judge the suitability of events was their fit with the five pillars of Homecoming - Burns, Golf, Whisky, Great Scottish Minds and Innovations, and Ancestry - and their ability to attract visitors and generate interest in the Homecoming. In particular, the eligibility criteria for the Themed Events Programme were given in the leaflet produced by EventScotland for applicants for event support. These criteria were that applications would be assessed on their demonstrated ability to reflect the Homecoming Scotland objectives and themes, and against the eligibility criteria outlined below:

Events must take place in Scotland during 2009 between 25 January and 30 November (inclusive).

Applications had to be made by a legally constituted organisation.

Both new and existing events could apply. Applications had to demonstrate that the funds applied for would develop new, special activity for 2009.

Existing events must demonstrate their capacity to further develop and grow in terms of audience/participant numbers and impact in 2009.

The level of grant applied for must be supported by a clear business case that justifies the request.

All applications had to demonstrate a robust means for measuring event outcomes, in particular tourism additionality and engagement with the Scottish diaspora.

All applications had to have the support of the relevant local authority and other appropriate agencies/partners/organisations.

It was not intended that an award from Homecoming Scotland would provide the majority of funding for any supported event. Applicants were therefore required to secure additional event income from alternative sources.

Homecoming Scotland could not offer replacement funding, e.g. to fill a budget gap created by the withdrawal of another funding source.

Funding available through Homecoming Scotland was distinct from funding currently available through EventScotland''s Regional and International Programmes which are targeted at supporting the long-term strategic growth and development of events.

Organisations applying to Homecoming Scotland could also, where appropriate, apply to EventScotland''s Regional and International Programmes.

More information at www.eventscotland.org or Tel. 0131 472 2313.