Chamber and committees

It is possible that e-voting pilots will be available in 2003. However, this will depend on the final proposals being agreed with all relevant parties, including the Scottish Executive, local authorities and the Electoral Commission.

The total provisional expenditure referred to, which is shown in Table 2 of the Department of Trade and Industry's publication The Forward Look 2001, includes budget figures for a variety of programmes, some of which apply only in England; some apply only in the Devolved Administrations; some apply across the whole of the UK. Within the total planned expenditure of £5.1 billion shown in this table on UK civil science, engineering and technology, it is estimated that over £0.5 billion will be spent in Scotland by the Scottish Executive, the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council, the Department of Trade and Industry and the UK Research Councils. Figures are not available on how much of the £2.2 billion planned research and development expenditure by the Ministry of Defence will be spent in Scotland. The remaining £0.3 billion relates to UK contributions to EU research programmes.

Railway safety is a reserved matter. This includes issues surrounding trespass and vandalism. It is for the Health and Safety Executive, in conjunction with the Strategic Rail Authority, to set out plans to tackle trespass and vandalism.

Scottish Enterprise launched phase 1 of the Accessing Telecoms Links Across Scotland project (ATLAS) on 4 February 2002. The project has the aim of substantially cutting high bandwidth telecoms costs for Scottish businesses. Phase 1 of Project ATLAS will be operational by the end of this year.

The advertisement for the Digital Champion posts stated the requirements as follows:A Degree qualification in a related discipline, for example IT, preferably allied to a relevant post graduate qualification. You will have at least four years experience in a related field such as ICT project management, or training provision including the sourcing and securing of external funding or private sector sponsorship. You may also have experience of community-based education projects, including strategic experience of community learning strategies. Your high level of information technology awareness will be allied to your solid communication skills and ability to work on your own initiative. You will have a strong desire to make a difference and to serve the needs of the community in Scotland.

The Scottish Executive is increasing its use of electronic methods to engage the public in consultation. The Scottish Executive website is being redesigned to improve e-consultation opportunities, and more Scottish Executive consultations are using electronic discussion fora (for example in the current, "Blue Badge Parking Scheme" and on the "Getting Involved in Planning" exercise). In particular, e-mail software is soon to be applied to the regular distribution of consultation documents to those who subscribe to a consultation distribution list.

These are operational matters for the rail industry. I understand, however, that the improvements to operational flexibility for trains at both Dumfries and Dunblane are intended to reduce train turn-around times.

Sector-specific support and growth of biotechnology companies indigenous to Scotland and from outwith Scotland is taken forward by Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development International. The Scottish Enterprise Biotechnology Cluster team has implemented a £40 million biotechnology cluster action plan, Framework for Action, which was launched on 9 November 1999. Between 1999 and 2003 the plan aims to double employment in the sector, the number of biotechnology companies, and the number of support and supply companies. The action plan can be viewed at www.biotech-scotland.org.Since March 1999 the number of core biotechnology companies has grown at an average rate of 30% per annum, which compares well with the European average rate of 17% per annum over the same period. At September 2001, there were 428 organisations with 24,406 employees in the Scottish cluster, compared with 257 companies (12,729 jobs) at March 1999.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-22310 on 7 February 2002.

The capital value of the bids received in December 2001 is approximately £1.9 billion. Final decisions have still to be taken on the level of revenue support which will be available.