Chamber and committees

I have asked Angiolina Foster,the Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response isas follows:Eaga have set up a websiteon the central heating and warm deal programmes. The address is www.eaga.co.uk. The website gives detail ofsurveys and installations of central heating by main postcode area. Informationis not collected on any other geographical basis. Information not shown is notcollected regularly.

The information requested isalso given in the monthly reports on central heating and warm deal programmesproduced by Eaga Partnership, copies of which have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 25061).

Please consult the websitefor information on progress.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-6150 on 8 March 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/search_wa.

Administrative arrangementsfor the establishment of the Skipton Fund, the independent body that willadminister the ex-gratia payment scheme, are being finalised. We hopethat the fund will be in a position to accept and process applications forpayment under the scheme in April.

The Executive has no plansto arrange for clinical trials of memantine (Ebixa).

None. The UK health services use the International Classification of Diseases bythe World Health Organisation for all medical conditions, including mentalillnesses.

It is a matter for localauthorities to decide on the detail of their contracts. The EC publicprocurement directives provide scope for reflecting environmentalconsiderations in procurement, where it is relevant to the subject matter of the contract or based upon environmental objectives of the public bodyconcerned. Given that the current main investment in school buildings isthrough the public private partnerships procurement route and will involve asubstantial amount of new build, the opportunity exists to deliver publicservices in a more environmentally friendly way.

I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Herresponse is as follows:

We have no evidence thatskills shortages are interfering with taking forward the central heating programme.

We would confirm that,whatever future changes are made to the pension age, teachers currently in servicebefore 2006 will retain the right to draw their pension at age 60. Currentteachers will be able to continue to earn benefits under the presentarrangements in respect of service up to a date yet to be agreed but likely tobe around 2013. All benefits accrued prior to this date will be safeguarded. Itwill be possible for benefits earned after the changes are implemented to be paidat age 60 but with an actuarial reduction applied to reflect that the postchange element is being paid early.

We are currently updatingand collating information gathered on sports ground capacities and related localauthority safety certification across Scotland. This will help us review current policy on safetyat sports grounds and decide whether or not it and current practice is relevantto current circumstances. We plan to issue a consultation paper in the spring andthe current 10,000 threshold will be one of the issues on which views will besought.

Polbae Road (U111) in Dumfries and Galloway, the B8035 on the Isle of Mull and the B840 inArgyll have weight restrictions that prevents the harvesting of mature timber. Iam aware of a further 18 instances across Scotland where there are on-going discussions regardingtimber extraction over minor public roads.