Chamber and committees

The following improvements to the A75 are presently being prepared and their cost has been included in the Scottish Budget settlement for 2003-06. The settlement has ensured that subject to the satisfactory completion of statutory procedures, the schemes requiring funding during this period will be able to proceed to construction

Cairntop to Barlae	Construction start programmed for spring 2003.
Newton Stewart (DAL) Differential Acceleration Lane	Construction start programmed for autumn 2003
Barfil to Bettyknowes	Construction start programmed for autumn 2003
Planting End to Drumflower	Construction start programmed for spring 2004
Dunragit Realignment	Construction start programmed for autumn 2006
Hardgrove to Kinmount	Construction start programmed for autumn 2006

Mouchel have assessed two additional schemes on the A75 route under phase 2 of the A75/A77 Port Approach Study the results of which are currently being analysed.

Technical Notes, setting out the details of how the targets set out the Scottish Executive Draft Budget 2003-04 will be measured, were published on the Scottish Executive website on 11 November.The definition of under-represented groups includes: children (under 16 years old), young people (16 to 24 years old), disabled people, people from minority ethnic communities, women, older people (over 65), people living in rural areas, and socially excluded people. Different under-represented groups are target priorities for the different organisations (national institutions, Scottish Arts Council, Scottish Screen and sportscotland) under cultural and sporting activities.An exercise is now under way to compile the baseline data for each target.

In the year to 31 October 2002, two children sentenced to detention under section 208 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 were initially detained in penal establishments. Both were subsequently transferred to secure accommodation.In the same period, two persons, both over the age of 16, who were convicted of murder and sentenced under section 205(2) of the 1995 act to be detained without limit of time, were ordered to be detained in penal establishments.

Technical Notes, setting out the details of how the targets set out the Scottish Executive Draft Budget 2003-04 will be measured, were published on the Scottish Executive website on 11 November.The definition of cultural and sporting programmes in areas of economic and social disadvantage will include Scotland's established network of Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIPs) and activity supported by national agencies in areas identified as high in appropriate deprivation indices assessed through the Scottish Executive's Office of Social Research.An exercise is now under way to compile the baseline data for each target.

The Scottish Children's Reporter Administration annual report for 2000-01 provides data on the number of young offenders going through the hearings system. The data is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 20128).

Support to farm businesses in Scotland's remote hills is provided through the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme. Maintaining the number of claimants at or above 13,500 indicates that the scheme is helping to maintain agricultural activity in Scotland's hills. Work is on-going within the Executive to establish appropriate indicators of sustainability.

The general funding made available to Scottish police forces takes account of the wide range of policing functions which they undertake, and the methodology by which allocations are made between forces is reviewed from time to time. Forces also receive additional specific funding from the Scottish Executive to meet the costs of ports policing. That additional funding, which covers policing at both Stranraer and Cairnryan, has been the subject of a separate review which concluded earlier this year.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-29619 today. 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.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-29619 today. 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.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-29619 today. 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.