Chamber and committees

Information is not collected on "drop-out rates". However, data published on 6 October 2000 for 1998-99, indicates that 7% of young entrants and 13% of mature entrants did not continue their studies following the year of entry to higher education in Scotland - an improvement on the 9% and 16% of the previous year. The data also projected that 16% of all full-time students starting a first degree course in Scotland are not expected to obtain a qualification nor transfer to another HE institution. The full report on the latest Performance Indicators will shortly be available through the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Between 1991-95, 26 cases of this infection were reported to the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health. The centre received no reports of fatalities as a result of this infection. The age profiles of those affected, by health board, are shown in the following table:

Year	Health Board	Age Group	Total
1991	Ayrshire & Arran	0-4, 35-39, 50-54	3
	Greater Glasgow	30-34, 50-54	2
	Highland	15-19	1
			(6)
1992	Ayrshire & Arran	45-49, 65+	2
	Grampian	15-19, 65+	2
	Tayside	65+	1
			(5)
1993	Ayrshire & Arran	65+	1
	Argyll & Clyde	15-19	1
	Forth Valley	0-4	1
	Greater Glasgow	30-34, unknown	2
	Lanarkshire	65+	1
	Lothian	25-29	1 (7)
1994	Ayrshire & Arran	0-4, 15-19	2
			(2)
1995	Ayrshire & Arran	35-39, 40-44, 65+	3
	Grampian	65+	1
	Lanarkshire	15-19	1
	Lothian	55-59	1
			(6)
			Total (26)

Taxation matters are reserved. The Chancellor's intention is to recycle the revenues from the aggregates tax into a reduction in employers' NI contributions. This can be expected to lead to a net increase in employment.

Science underpins, directly or indirectly, a wide range of Scottish Executive policies. These cover not only innovation in industry and wealth creation more generally, but also health, agriculture and fisheries, the environment, the built heritage, education, transport, housing, construction and local authority services.

In addition the Scottish Executive has a responsibility for supporting the science base in Scotland as part of the UK science base. It does this both through infrastructure support of universities, through the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council, and by the sponsorship funding of research institutes and units such as the Scottish Agricultural and Biological Research Institutes funded by the Rural Affairs Department and the Research Units funded by the Chief Scientist Office of the Health Department. Other major science facilities funded directly by the Scottish Executive are the Fisheries Research Services and the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency, both being agencies of the Rural Development Department. Historic Scotland, an agency of the Education Department, carries out and commissions scientific work in support of conservation. A range of public bodies sponsored by the Scottish Executive, such as Scottish Natural Heritage, the National Museums of Scotland, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and the Water Authorities also have a science capability.

The Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department is taking forward the development of a science strategy for Scotland, which will provide a strategic framework of policies to guide the provision and use of science in pursuit of Scottish Executive objectives. It will be published in the New Year.

At present, around 11% of Scotland's electricity demand is met from renewable sources. Nearly all of this is accounted for by long-established hydro generation whose output varies year by year depending on rainfall. The rest comes from a wide range of renewable energy projects supported under the Scottish Renewables Obligation.

None. Research and development of renewable sources of energy is carried out under a UK programme funded by the Department of Trade and Industry. The contracts awarded to renewables generators in Scotland under the three Orders making up the Scottish Renewables Obligation are funded by the Fossil Fuel Levy on all electricity suppliers, which is in turn passed on to electricity consumers in Scotland. The levy rate is set each year by the Director General of Electricity Supply and is currently 0.8%.

This information is not held centrally.

The contracts awarded to renewables generators in Scotland since 1994 under the three Orders making up the Scottish Renewables Obligation are funded by the Fossil Fuel Levy on all electricity suppliers. The levy rate is set each year by the Director General of Electricity Supply and is currently 0.8%. We will consult shortly on a new obligation to promote further development of renewable energy in Scotland, as part of which consultees will be asked for their views on support mechanisms that they consider to be necessary.

This information is not held centrally.

There has for long been comprehensive central guidance on the prevention of infection in hospital, most recently revised in 1998 in the form of the Scottish Infection Manual. This guidance contains a chapter on the prevention of infection in "Units of High Potential Risk", which include certain paediatric units, and indicates specific measures to be put in place in addition to the standard infection control precautions.The importance of reducing the incidence of hospital-acquired infection generally is recognised and the Executive has recently established a working group to examine this whole area.