Chamber and committees

The information is available from the British Geological survey and can be found at: http://www.bgs.ac.uk/mineralsuk/statistics/occ/home.html.

We have measures in place to minimise the impact of the 2012 Olympic Games on the availability of technicians and construction workers in Scotland. Current industry research indicates that the overall size of the construction activity needed for the 2012 Olympics will be at its highest in 2010. It will account for 3.7% of the total Greater London construction output for that year and the share of the Olympics construction employment for 2010 is 2.7% of the total Greater London employment.

In Scotland, the volume of public sector work forecast within the Executive's Infrastructure Investment Plan over the next 10 years and the increasing awareness of this within the construction industry should encourage the private sector to develop additional capacity to ensure that they can respond effectively to Scotland's requirements.

In addition, Scottish Enterprise has designated construction as a priority industry and are leading on the Construction Skills Action Plan which is supporting the industry’s efforts to alleviate skills shortages.

Across the UK, CITB-ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council for the construction industry, has been tasked by Government to identify the skills needs facing the sector and to work with employers, stakeholders and Government to effect change to meet those needs. CITB-ConstructionSkills completed work developing their Sector Skills Agreement (SSA) in September 2005 and are now implementing the action plans contained within it. The SSA sets out plans to assess current and future skills needs to meet the demand placed on the sector in the light of the 2012 Olympic Games.

Details of consented reserves of opencast coal is available from the British Geological Survey at http://www.bgs.ac.uk/mineralsuk/statistics/occ/home.html.

Information on other reserves is not available.

Under Section 36(1) of the Electricity Act 1989, consent of Scottish ministers is required to build any new generating station, including a nuclear power station, over 50 mega watts.

I shall reply to the member as soon as possible.

The Scottish Executive is committedto promoting science communication education. Whilst institutions are individuallyresponsible for the content and nature of courses on offer, there is evidence thatprogress is being made by a range of differenttraining providers, developing a number of options, including modules provided withinscience degrees; degrees focusing on science communication, and other communicationopportunities provided by bodies actively involved in complementary science education,including the Science Centres. The Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh and theEdinburgh International Science Festival provide training opportunities which includemodules within degrees and hands-on training placements. Information on the numbersof students enrolled on such courses is not held centrally. Further details canbe found in A Science Strategy for Scotland 2001:Progress Report,published February 2006, a copy of which is available on the web at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/science/16607/5910.

It is not appropriate todiscuss details of procedures followed in a criminal investigation, foroperational reasons. However, I can confirm that the fingerprint evidence foundat the scene of Marion Ross’ murder was compared with the fingerprints ofparticular individuals where this proved to be appropriate.

The tribunal was appointed bythe Secretary of State for Scotland on 18 February 1959 under the Tribunals of Inquiry(Evidence) Act 1921. Its remit was to inquire into the allegation of assault onJohn Waters by members of Caithness police on 7 December 1957.The report of the tribunal, chaired by Lord Sorn, was presented to the WestminsterParliament in April 1959 under Cmnd 718.

My officials asked FutureskillsScotland to investigate the supply and demand for scientists, engineers and mathematiciansin Scotland as part of its 2005-07 workplan. A project steering groupincluding representatives from the Scottish Executive, FutureSkills Scotland andthe Scottish Funding Council, is now directing the work. FSS expect to have theresults ready to pass to us by summer 2006. Further information is published in A Science Strategy for Scotland 2001:Progress Report, published February 2006, a copy of which is availableon the web at:http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/science/16607/5910.

Careers Scotland supportsthe career planning needs of individuals across Scotland. Professional Careers Advisersoffer impartial guidance and support to young people and are trained to recognisethe diversity of opportunities and to challenge stereotyping.

Careers Scotland’s “CareerBox” careers education tool was launched in 2004 and provides access to materialswhich develop research skills whereby young people can use ICT careers informationrelating to science opportunities. This information is detailed enough to give directguidance to young people in science and engineering. The resource is flexible, interactiveand supported by video clips and case studies which highlight role models who havechosen a STEM related career pathway. In addition, the Careers Scotland websitehas a section containing useful information on STEM related industries.

Education and careers opportunitiesin science have been promoted through a range of public science initiatives, furtherdetails of which are in published in A Science Strategy for Scotland, 2001: Progress Report, availableat:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/science/16607/5910.

The report highlights the “SmallGrants for Science” scheme launched by the Scottish Executive in 2003 to supportthe transition from primary to secondary school science, and the Careers ScotlandScience and Technology Matters initiative, announced in November 2005. “ScienceMatters” supports hands on STEM activity for pupils to engage with science, withthe twin aims of encouraging more young people into these subject areas, and improvingrates of progression into science careers. There are also a number of national projectsdelivered in partnership with industry including the Careers Scotland Space School for S4–S5 pupils, launched in 2002.

The Scottish Science CentresNetwork Strategy, published in December 2005, commits the science centres to strengtheningtheir existing links with key organisations to demonstrate more fully the linksbetween science and employment, complementing the work of Careers Scotland and othersin this field.