Chamber and committees

The Scottish Executive does not collect data on local area redundancies by sector.

Jack McConnell discussed this matter with Council representatives as part of a recent visit to the unit. The Council have commissioned a study of Public Private Partnership as a funding option. We await sight of the study and will then consider the matter further with the council.

A consultation paper on the Water Services Bill is being published today. It describes the Executive's proposals for creating a single all Scotland public water authority and for establishing a regulatory framework to ensure that increasing competition in the water industry benefits customers, while safeguarding public health, the environment and social objectives. Copies of the paper have been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. no: 12181) and will be available shortly on the Executive website. The deadline for comments on the paper to reach the Scottish Executive is 13 June 2001

As at 28 February 2001, 56,800 Individual Learning Accounts have been opened in Scotland. By then, account holders had registered for a total of 13,545 learning episodes.

Over the past year £0.5 million has been made available for the introduction of safety and security measures, such as the provision of access to mobile phones for community nurses, midwives and health visitors. The Occupational Health and Safety Strategy for NHS in Scotland staff makes clear that employers must risk assess all tasks and activities and develop local policies based on risk, aimed at reducing violent incidents in the workplace. Policies could include measures such as training in the use of techniques designed to diffuse potentially violent situations and crime prevention and safety techniques.

Guidance and a model policy on Dignity at Work: Eliminating Bullying and Harassment in the Workplace has been issued and work has begun on further guidance covering employee health at work which include personal safety and a model policy for the management of violence and aggression.Regulations are now in force which enable boards and Trusts to take account of which GP practice is best placed to deal with a potentially violent patient and to ensure that treatment is provided at appropriate premises.

I met local and national trade union representatives on 22 January to discuss the future of Royal Ordnance Bishopton. I agreed to discuss their concerns about the possible public costs of closing the site for propellent manufacture with Scotland Office and Ministry of Defence colleagues. The Trade Unions agreed that the work of the Bishopton Working Group into possible alternative uses of the site should proceed.

The rules governing the central heating programme will be published tomorrow.In 1999/2000 47,000 low-income households benefited from government-funded home energy efficiency schemes. Their homes were insulated, and the householders given energy advice, resulting in a range of savings. The Warm Deal for owner occupiers resulted in average annual savings of around £90 and reductions in CO² emissions of 1.1 tonnes per dwelling. A full report for 1999/2000 will be published shortly and made widely available.Home insulation leads to substantially lower fuel bills which can either be taken as savings or used to provide more warmth at the same cost. It helps combat condensation damp and so threats to health, and to the condition of the housing stock, are reduced. Reductions in CO² emissions help combat the threat of global warming.The new programme combines home insulation and central heating and so the benefits described will be increased. The central heating programme will be central to our plans to tackle fuel poverty and help Scotland's most vulnerable households.

Learning is critical to employability and to fulfilling potential. learndirect scotland is simplifying access to lifelong learning by giving people information and advice on all kinds of learning opportunities.We have set learndirect scotland challenging targets for March 2002, including: engaging at least 23,000 learners from socially deprived areas and branding at least 100 learning centres within such areas.

The outline programme provided to the European Commission on 17 November makes a strong case in meeting the guidelines for URBAN II. The Scottish Executive will now be working closely with Inverclyde Council and other local partners to ensure that the formal document underlines this.URBAN II lays particular emphasis on developing local capacity and the "bottom-up" approach. Implementation arrangements will be developed consistent with these principles.

As I indicated on 6 November (question S1W-10937), we are making up to £1.5 million available over the next three financial years to support the delivery of safety training for fishermen in Scotland. Delivery is planned to commence from next April. Other aspects of training may also be eligible for support under the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG).

We will also make available grant funding of up to 40% of eligible project costs to support testing and trials of innovative safety equipment.These measures succeed the Fishing Vessels (Safety Improvements) (Grants) Scheme 1995, which operated on a UK basis and funding for which ended last year.