Chamber and committees

Subject to planning consent, it is intended that the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency's Headquarters should be relocated to Gogarbank Farm, some five miles west of Edinburgh, where the agency's field trialling work takes place. Gogarbank Farm was considered along with a number of other options, with the assessment process being undertaken by external consultants. The principal criteria taken into account were the capital and running costs associated with each site, assessed over a 25-year term, the travelling distance from the site to the agency's experimental field trialling land, and the planning restrictions relating to each of the locations.

A scientific review was also undertaken to investigate the feasibility of transferring the agency's extensive field operations to a site adjacent to the Scottish Crop Research Institute at Invergowrie, Dundee. As announced by Mr Angus MacKay in his answer of 1 December (question S1W-11704), the results indicated that the ground conditions would not be compatible with those necessary for the agency's work on the certification of seed potatoes. Accordingly, planning of the relocation of the agency's headquarters to Gogarbank Farm is now being taken forward.

Reports of suspected adverse reactions (ADRs) to medicines marked in the UK are received by the Medicines Control Agency (MCA). A report may describe more than one ADR in an individual.

As at 29 August, the MCA had received 7,742 reports of 16,527 suspected adverse drug reactions to the meningitis C vaccines authorised in the UK. Each report relates to one patient who may have more than one suspected reaction. Of these, 625 reports of 1,329 suspected ADRs came from Scotland; none of these 625 reports were associated with a fatality.

No. The route is being promoted by Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire Councils as part of their Integrated Transport Strategy.

No. The Scottish Office issued a circular in 1988 to Regional Councils as local roads authorities advising them of the need to undertake and fund the assessment and strengthening of relevant bridges to meet the 40 tonne standard for vehicles. In accordance with this circular local authorities have undertaken surveys of bridges from within the resources allocated to them under successive local government finance settlements, initially by the Scottish Office and latterly by the Scottish Executive.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11163.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11163.

The £4 million allocated to health boards this year for spend in support of Rough Sleepers Initiative projects was targeted at the pump-priming and evaluation of services with long-term potential.

Guidance on the health care needs of homeless people, including rough sleepers, will be issued shortly for health bodies to take forward over the coming years.

A national Health and Homelessness co-ordinator will be appointed later this year for a three-year period to spearhead improvements in health care for this vulnerable group, including developing standards of care.

Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which therefore takes the lead on the delivery of the New Deal throughout Great Britain, although in close consultation with its partners including the Scottish Executive.

Information on the numbers of homeless people joining the New Deal is not available.

Revenue expenditure¹ on roads maintenance² by each local authority in each of the last three financial years is as follows:

Roads Maintenance

	1997-98		1998-993		1999-20004
	Total Expenditure	of which revenue contributions to capital	Total Expenditure	of which revenue contributions to capital	Total expenditure excludes revenue contributions to capital
Scotland	197,885	10,106	205,381	9,398	180,759
Aberdeen City	6,409	1,339	5,753	0	2,527
Aberdeenshire	15,021	2,492	17,931	2,761	12,836
Angus	5,231	846	5,201	899	3,904
Argyll & Bute	7,811	0	7,620	0	8,003
Clackmannanshire	1,005	0	955	0	786
Dumfries & Galloway	6,755	0	6,508	0	6,713
Dundee City	3,265	0	3,270	0	3,120
East Ayrshire	4,117	0	4,345	0	4,760
East Dunbartonshire	3,240	0	3,599	0	3,125
East Lothian	3,150	0	3,039	227	2,365
East Renfrewshire	2,197	0	2,684	0	2,790
Edinburgh City	11,665	0	10,830	0	9,444
Eilean Siar	4,222	0	5,653	76	4,261
Falkirk	2,981	0	3,124	0	2,643
Fife	8,439	0	7,854	0	6,957
Glasgow City	15,086	0	15,789	0	14,979
Highland	17,941	0	21,384	0	18,009
Inverclyde	1,868	0	2,237	0	1,200
Midlothian	3,115	88	2,952	0	2,272
Moray	3,239	0	4,468	631	2,940
North Ayrshire	3,415	0	3,415	0	3,577
North Lanarkshire	6,315	0	5,854	0	5,924
Orkney Islands	4,809	1,646	4,757	1,558	3,262
Perth & Kinross	8,530	1,546	7,916	964	7,255
Renfrewshire	4,803	0	4,767	40	5,365
Scottish Borders	8,300	0	7,986	0	6,731
Shetland Islands	6,155	957	7,343	1,975	5,745
South Ayrshire	3,950	0	4,295	0	4,546
South Lanarkshire	12,454	1,192	11,199	222	11,841
Stirling	4,247	0	4,067	0	4,153
West Dunbartonshire	3,235	0	3,322	45	3,576
West Lothian	4,916	0	5,265	0	5,150

Source: As reported by local authorities on Local Financial Return LFR 5 for the years 1997-98, 1998-99 and Provisional Outturn Budget Estimate (POBE) return for 1999-2000.

Notes:1. Revenue expenditure is met from council tax, non-domestic rates and government grants. Revenue data are collected on an accrual basis. Figures prior to 1999-2000 include revenue contributions to capital. Service costs are apportioned notionally, pro rata, to expenditure on operating expenses.

2. Roads maintenance includes gritting and snow clearing and other road maintenance.

3. Data for 1998-99 are provisional and may be subject to change.

4. Provisional Outturn figures.

As stated by my predecessor, Angus MacKay, when announcing the additional funding of £100 million at the International Drugs Conference on 29 September, a statement will be made in January detailing how the new resources are to be allocated. The statement will take into account responses to the consultation exercise which is currently in process.