Chamber and committees

111 responses were received to this Consultation Paper. Analysis and consideration of the responses are now proceeding, in the light of which our proposals will be announced.

Through our Social Justice Strategy, we are already delivering a range of polices and programmes which will build strong and inclusive communities throughout Scotland, in both rural and urban settings. We have acknowledged that we need to improve our understanding of rural social exclusion in Scotland, and established the rural poverty and inclusion working group with a remit to investigate and recommend ways of achieving this, including ensuring that existing indicators are appropriately developed for, and measurable in rural areas, and to recommend ways of promoting social inclusion in rural areas. The group has now concluded its work and I look forward to receiving its report shortly.

The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) of the Scottish Executive Health Department is currently funding three research projects relevant to the relationship between social exclusion and mental health. Details of these are available from the National Research Register (NRR), a copy of which is in the Parliament's Reference Centre.

CSO would be pleased to consider funding further research proposals into the relationship between social exclusion and mental health, which would be subject to the usual peer and committee review.

In addition, the Scottish Executive funds the Scottish Health Survey and contributes to surveys carried out by the Office for National Statistics, which provide information about the relationship between psychiatric morbidity and a range of indicators of socio-economic status.

We recognise that current arrangements are complex and are keen to ensure the appropriate level of safeguard for European protected species which might be present on a development site. We have therefore decided to make adjustments to the land-use planning regime in Scotland.Our proposals, which will be the subject of public consultation later this year, envisage the integration of the species protection and derogation provisions of the Directive within the land-use planning process. This will ensure that all relevant issues are properly considered within the planning process, rather than under separate regimes operated by separate authorities, as occurs as present.In the interim, pending introduction of the new arrangements, the Executive will continue to operate the licensing system for developments affecting European protected species. A circular will be issued shortly to all local authorities setting out the interim position. Copies of this circular will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.

Working with Highlands and Islands Enterprise, we have recently secured a significant inward investment from the Danish wind turbine company Vestas in a new manufacturing facility near Campbeltown which will provide over 150 jobs in the area. In addition, along with Scottish Enterprise Energy Group based in Aberdeen, we actively encourage companies in Scotland to diversify into the manufacturing opportunities which are arising from such renewable energy developments. A series of Scottish Enterprise roadshows on the subject attracted interest from a variety of companies and, as a direct result, several of them are now pursuing opportunities for new business.Our promotion of these developments will be further strengthened by our Renewables Obligation (Scotland). One of its aims is to assist the renewables industry to become competitive and thus to provide more employment.

Responsibility for policy and funding of research and development into new and renewable energy technologies is a reserved matter. The development and demonstration of fuel cells as a source of heating, in power generation and in transport is included in DTI's most recent call for proposals for support under its New and Renewable Energy Programme. The total funding under the programme available amounts to £55 million over three years.

Analysis of the consultation responses to The Nature of Scotland: A Policy Statement is currently in progress. The Scottish ministers will consider these consultation responses before announcing proposals for the future legislative programme later this year.

The Scottish Executive is committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing in rural areas and in the three years since 1999 will have invested £136 million in rural housing through Scottish Homes, now Communities Scotland. This investment has allowed over 4,100 new homes to be started in rural communities across Scotland.

A total of 159 responses to the consultation on The Nature of Scotland: A Policy Statement were received by 29 May 2001. 114 of these responses, or just under 72%, expressed broad support for the proposals outlined in the statement.

The task force on E.coli 0157 advised me recently that its work was almost complete and that it was now preparing the Draft Report in consultation with its 150-strong membership. The task force would then deliver its report at the end of June. Once we have received the report we shall make arrangements to publish it along with our response as soon as possible. We shall respond to the issue of abattoir waste in the light of its findings.