Chamber and committees

Motability leaseholders receive roadside assistance under the terms of a group agreement arranged by Motability Finance Ltd. They are not themselves members of either the AA or the RAC, who hold the current Motability contract for roadside assistance.

The Land Register is a public register which is governed by the Land Registration (Scotland) Act 1979. Any individual is entitled to search it irrespective of whether they do so in a personal or business capacity. In terms of section 25 of the Land Registers (Scotland) Act 1868, fees for information provided from the Land Register can only be set at cost recovery level. The current level of fees are prescribed in the Fees in Registers of Scotland (Amendment) Order 1999 [SI 1999.1085 (S.87)]. The fee is the same whether the individual seeks the information in a personal capacity or as an employee of a commercial interest and whether the information is obtained by personal visit to the Land Register premises, by post, by telephone, by e-mail or other electronic means. There are no plans to change these arrangements

Information regarding payment of financial assistance to companies, whether inward investment or indigenous, is commercially confidential. Unisys is eligible for support on exactly the same basis as any other commercial venture bringing investment and jobs to an Assisted Area.All offers of regional selective assistance (RSA) contain specific provisions relating to the clawback of grant, should there be a breach of the grant agreement by the grantee. Once an RSA application has been approved, grant is always paid retrospectively and only when set conditions have been met. If these conditions are not met, then no grant is payable.

As I explained in my reply of 2 July, the area in question required very little attention from our patrol vessels. That judgement was based on traditional fishing patterns and information from aerial surveillance. Only six fishing vessels were sighted in that area by the SFPA's patrol vessels during the year ending 31 March 99.It is not possible to calculate this patrol effort in terms of precise crew hours.The transfer of their minimal patrolling responsibility to the Royal Navy will have no significant effect on the workload of the SFPA.

The provision of local bus services in Renfrewshire and Inverclyde is a matter for the commercial judgement of individual bus operators and for local authorities where they identify a social need. The Scottish Executive recognises that in rural areas bus services can provide a very real lifeline. Support via our Rural Transport Funding package has been provided to Renfrewshire and Inverclyde Councils to help local authorities to provide additional public transport services which could not be provided commercially.

Since April 1998, rural post offices benefit from mandatory rates relief of 50% if they meet the terms of the Village Shops Rate Relief Scheme. Each council also has discretion to give full relief on the remaining 50%. No data are yet available on the extent to which councils are using this discretion.

The criteria for the prescription of Beta Interferon are based on objective consideration of all available guidance. This includes guidance about new drugs for multiple sclerosis, which was issued to all Health Boards in 1995 from The Scottish Office Department of Health and the advice from their expert Committees.The criteria contained in the advice given by the Standing Medical Advisory Committee is that GPs should determine on clinical grounds whether to refer patients for specialist assessment. The clinical grounds include mobility and disease type. The specialist should take into account the patient's clinical history and contra indications of the drug when determining the suitability of treatment for an individual patient. Where treatment is indicated, it should be initiated and continued by the specialist. Only certain patients with multiple sclerosis benefit from the use of this drug, and decisions as to individual patients' eligibility for treatment depends on the clinical judgement of the medical practitioners' concerned.

Infertility services are divided into 3 levels. Level 1 services are provided by a General Practitioner while Level 2 services, involving more advanced investigation and treatment, are normally provided by a gynaecologist with a specialist interest in infertility within a District General Hospital. Level 3 infertility services are complex and involve high-technology procedures which include, for example, In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) and Intra-Cytoplasmic Semen Insemination (ICSI). These services are provided at 4 centres in Scotland.Level 1 and 2 infertility services are provided by all Health Boards. Individual Health Boards determine the provision of Level 3 services on the basis of clinical need for patients who meet locally determined criteria. The criteria varies from Health Board to Health Board but includes an upper age limit on the age of the woman, minimum duration of unexplained infertility and restrictions relating to existing children.An Expert Advisory Group on Infertility Services in Scotland has undertaken a review of the clinical management of infertility services with a particular focus on establishing a model specification for infertility care in Scotland. The Expert Group has reported to the Chief Medical Officer in Scotland and to the Clinical Resources and Audit Group. The Report is currently being considered.

The area in question represents a very small proportion of the total area patrolled by vessels of the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency. Neither is it an area of prolific fishing activity. Consequently it does not require a substantial surveillance effort from the Agency. It therefore follows that a change in the enforcement arrangements for this area will not be reflected in the level of resources of the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency.

The area in question represents a very small proportion of the total area patrolled by vessels of the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency. Neither is it an area of prolific fishing activity. Consequently it does not require a substantial surveillance effort from the Agency. It therefore follows that a change in the enforcement arrangements for this area will not be reflected in the level of resources of the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency.