Chamber and committees

The Scottish Executive and its linked bodies are actively developing networks of many kinds throughout the world with organisations which have a Scottish focus. For example, links are being built with the American Scottish Foundation and the network of St Andrew's societies throughout the US, and Scottish Enterprise through its Global Scot initiative is creating networks of successful Scots across the world with the aim of harnessing their business expertise to assist Scotland's economic development agenda.

This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. However, Scottish Enterprise have told me that they will allocate a minimum of £30,000 in the current financial year. Highlands and Islands Enterprise have no specific budget for genealogy related activity, but anticipate that some projects will receive support.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The specific costs incurred by local authorities in assisting offenders in their area who have care and resettlement needs, irrespective of their normal place of residence, are eligible for grant under the 100% funding arrangements for criminal justice social work services. The Executive also provides funding to police forces, through Police Grant, to enable them to carry out the full range of their functions.

The arrangements relating to the transfer of prisoners between UK and Islands jurisdictions are governed by statute - the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997 - and apply across the jurisdictions. They enable prisoners to transfer during the custodial part of their sentence, on an unrestricted or restricted basis or to transfer their supervision on licence on release or subsequently. Local authorities have a statutory responsibility for providing a range of social work and associated services to prisoners following release into the community in Scotland. The services are provided to enhance community safety and minimise the risk from offenders, including sex offenders and are governed by National Objectives and Standards for Social Work Services in the Criminal Justice System. These have been supplemented by additional guidance on the operation of the provisions in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, which allow courts to impose extended sentences, thus providing additional post-release supervision for violent or sex offenders where necessary. Offenders who are not subject to statutory supervision following release, can receive voluntary assistance in the form of advice, guidance and assistance from the local authorities on release from custody. The aim is to provide a range of supportive services to offenders to assist in the reintegration into the community and reduce the risk of re-offending.

The Scottish Executive is providing £115,600 (2001-02) in support of Science Year. This includes funding for a Science Year Co-ordinator whose role is to promote events, activities and initiatives throughout Scotland. National Science Week (8 to 17 March) is co-ordinated by the BA (formerly the British Association for the Advancement of Science) and funded by the Office of Science and Technology. Over 60 science events were advertised as taking place in Scotland. The Scottish Executive has allocated an additional £5 million to Education Authorities, which has been ring fenced for science activities and resources in support of the Science Strategy for Scotland.

We work closely with Scottish Enterprise to help Scottish companies working in the area of renewable energy to grow, and to encourage diversification of other companies into the manufacturing opportunities which are already arising in Scotland from development of renewable energy sources under the forthcoming Renewables Obligation (Scotland). We will continue to back our own renewables industry, to attract new investment to Scotland, and to persuade Scottish businesses to capitalise on this new business opportunity.

There were four Pilot meetings in each of 2000 and 2001, and so far this year there have been two meetings. More information is available on the Pilot website at:http://www.pilottaskforce.co.uk.

I understand that Pilot has not itself mapped the fallow acreage, but there are an estimated 120 fallow discoveries and 160 fallow blocks on the UKCS. In due course, details of the fallow assets will be placed on the LIFT (Licence Information for Trading) website.

The Scottish Executive is committed to the north-east of Scotland and through its agencies, including Scottish Enterprise Grampian, has a series of programmes to address economic change in that area.Following our meeting on 28 February on manufacturing businesses in the Aberdeen area, I can confirm that Scottish Enterprise Grampian is in regular contact with key businesses experiencing economic difficulties, and are currently reviewing the prospects for manufacturing industries in the Aberdeen area. They will publish a report shortly.