Chamber and committees

The overall management of their school building stock is a matter for individual education authorities. Detailed information of the kind requested is not held centrally.

The Scottish Executive is satisfied that the Trust's total administrative savings target for this year will not be injurious to the smooth running of its hospitals. These savings will be re-invested in priority areas as outlined in Argyll and Clyde Health Board's Health Improvement Programme 1999-2004, they will support clinicians in areas of pressure and improve efficiency for the benefit of patients.

The overall management of their school building stock is a matter for individual education authorities. Detailed information of the kind requested is not held centrally.

Primary responsibility for the protection of land from flooding lies with the landowner concerned. Nevertheless, the Scottish Executive has ensured that local authorities have the necessary powers and resources to mitigate the risk of flooding of non-agricultural land.

In addition, the Flood Prevention and Land Drainage (Scotland) Act 1997, commenced in July 1997, imposed duties on councils to maintain watercourses where this would reduce the likelihood of flooding, to assess watercourses and to publish biennial reports on flooding.

The provision of flood prevention schemes is a local matter for the councils concerned, who set the priorities for their own capital expenditure. There has been no need for potential flood prevention schemes to be prioritised by the Scottish Executive and therefore the need to develop criteria has not arisen.

Schemes promoted by councils under the Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961, and confirmed by Scottish Ministers, are supported by the Scottish Executive with grant at the rate of 50% of eligible costs. Every flood prevention scheme that is confirmed is eligible for grant following construction.It is not appropriate for the Scottish Executive to comment on how long it will take for councils' flood prevention measures to be implemented. It is for the councils concerned to decide on the timing of any work they intend to carry out.

The Scottish Executive will consider all flood prevention schemes in the West of Scotland region, or elsewhere in Scotland, that local authorities decide to take forward and submit for confirmation by Scottish Ministers.

Schemes promoted by councils under the Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961, and confirmed by Scottish Ministers, are supported by the Scottish Executive with grant at the rate of 50% of eligible costs.

The single capital allocation that councils receive for their non-housing capital programme includes provision for flood prevention measures, however, funding for major capital schemes is considered separately.

Whilst several councils have discussed their proposals with officials, the only schemes where the Council concerned has completed its preparations and submitted them to Scottish Ministers, are:-

EAST DUNBARTONSHIRERiver Kelvin Flood Prevention Scheme. This scheme was the subject of a Public Local Inquiry which was completed earlier this month, the report of which is awaited.

RENFREWSHIRE

1. Moredun Playing Field Flood Prevention Scheme, Paisley. A Public Local Inquiry has been requested to resolve outstanding objections.2. Collier St. Flood Prevention Scheme for Johnstone. Objections have been made to the scheme, which the Council are still attemping to resolve.The question of completion dates, and commencement of construction, is for the councils concerned and not for the Scottish Executive.

All research activities into genetic modification (GM) whether carried out under contained use or deliberate release Regulations are closely controlled. The Regulations require detailed risk assessments to be carried out and appropriate control measures put in place.Inspections of premises undertaking GM research and of sites with deliberate release consent are carried out by specialist Health & Safety Executive inspectors. Where there is a breach of safety relating to either health and safety at work or to the environment, formal enforcement action can be taken.

The Scottish Executive and its agencies take very seriously the impact of the planned reduction in activity at RAF Saxa Vord. In recognition of that I visited Unst, along with the Minister of State at The Scotland Office, on 15 and 16 November to meet the islanders and their representatives and to listen to their views on how future difficulties might be tackled. I also met the Unst Co-ordinating Committee which has been formed to consider appropriate response measures, and of which Shetland Enterprise is a member. The enterprise agencies recognise the uncertainty which faces the economy of Unst and will reflect that in their consideration of employment creation and other projects. The economic needs of Unst will be taken fully into account in future budget allocation decisions.

Neither the Scottish Executive nor the Scottish Environment Protection Agency is aware of any such case.

The Expert Advisory Group on Infertility Services in Scotland has presented their report on the clinical management on infertility services to the Chief Medical Officer in Scotland and to the Clinical Resources and Audit Group. The Report is currently being considered. A decision concerning the publication of the report will be taken in the light of that consideration.

Details of Scottish research activities into genetically modified organisms (GMOs) whether carried out under Contained Use or Deliberate Release Regulations are listed in a Public Register which is held by the Health & Safety Executive, Office for Scotland, 59 Belford Road, Edinburgh, EH4 3UE. The information held on individual notifications and consents includes details of any infringements that have resulted in the issuing of a formal prohibition or improvement notice, or in a prosecution.

The only formal enforcement action required under the Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) Regulations 1992 in relation to premises in Scotland was against Edinburgh University in 1999. This resulted in a successful prosecution.

In relation to the Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) Regulations 1992, two sites in Scotland had improvement notices imposed on them during the period April 97 - March 98. In the same year there were three other deviations from the terms of the consent, which were rectified without formal action. All the active release sites in Scotland have been inspected this year and all complied with the terms of their Consent at the time of inspection. While information on formal action in the period 1992 and March 1997 is publicly available from the Health & Safety Executive under Open Government provisions, it has not been collated and is held by reference to individual consents and is not readily available.Arrangements are now being developed to hold enforcement information in a more readily accessible format.