The Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Councils provide six-monthly reports on their progress in implementing relevant recommendations contained in the Digital Scotland Task Force's report. The last such report was received in December 2001.

The Joint Performance Team is monitoring progress in information and communications technologies.The Joint Performance Team was established by the Scottish Executive and comprises representatives of the Scottish Executive and Enterprise Networks. It is developing indicators that will allow the regular benchmarking of Scotland's progress against international performance in the areas outlined in Smart, Successful Scotland. The monitoring of the Executive's own electronic service delivery targets also provide useful benchmarking information.The indicators suggested in the Joint Performance Team's measurement framework relevant to monitoring progress in information and communication technologies fall under two categories, more e-business and digital connectivity. Within these categories, the following measures have been adopted.Proportion of business and activity transacted through e-businessNumber of companies trading onlineShare of businesses using broadbandCost and geographic coverage of broadbandShare of population onlineShare of population in Social Inclusion Partnerships and other fragile areas with internet accessAfter a public consultation process the Joint Performance Team is due to publish its final indicator set by 28 January.

The e-Government Metadata Framework (e-GMF) published in June 2001, sets out the UK Government's policies for establishing and implementing metadata standards across the public sector. The Scottish Executive website is overseen by a Web Editorial Board which has responsibility for ensuring compliance with published guidelines including the e-GMF.The Scottish Executive actively supports and promotes the e-government interoperability framework and e-GMF across the wider Scottish public sector.

Scottish UfI Ltd and the National Grid for Learning team are in the process of finalising a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). We expect the main elements of the MoU to focus on:identifying and pursuing projects and policies that are of mutual interest where joint involvement would produce greater benefits to the public;ensuring the respective expertise of the organisations involved are mutually recognised and used in partnership where appropriate;sharing expertise in the delivery of online learning;avoiding duplication of effort, andcollaborating in furthering the effective implementation of the Digital Scotland initiative.

The information requested is set out in Learning and Teaching Scotland's Aims and Objectives, Strategic Plan 2001-2004 and Annual Plan 2001-2002, all of which can be found on the internet at http://www.ltscotland.com/about/corporate.asp.

Point 62 of the report of the Digital Scotland Task Force referred specifically to Scottish education-related websites. However, the Scottish Executive has a Web Editorial Board which is overseeing a programme of work to improve the signposting, accessibility and quality of content on the Scottish Executive Website. One aspect of this work programme is ensuring compliance with published guidelines and technical standards including the Framework for Information Age Government Websites and the e-Government Metadata Framework.

The Scottish Executive launched a broadband strategy last August with the aim of promoting affordable pervasive broadband across Scotland. The strategy includes aggregated public sector procurement which will be taken forward initially in two pathfinder rural areas - the Highlands and Islands and South of Scotland. We aim to invest in broadband capacity for public services in a way that stimulates providers to supply a wider range of services to businesses and consumers in those areas. The Executive also recognises the importance of both testing and increasing demand for broadband, in order to encourage wider roll-out of commercial services, including within rural areas. As a first step, we are proposing a programme of network trials and awareness-raising measures under the DTI fund for innovative projects to extend broadband networks.

Since April 2000, the Executive, through the NGfL Scotland programme of seminars and events, has supported seven seminars at which education authorities have been encouraged to meet and discuss their experience of obtaining and delivering a range of ICT services. Most recently, nearly 300 delegates attended the conference "Connecting Scotland's Schools", which launched discussion of the services that might be offered over the planned Scottish Schools Digital Network.

Telecoms regulation is reserved to the UK Government. However, the Scottish Executive recognises the importance of an efficient and competitive telecoms infrastructure to economic development. Within the context of its economic development remit, Scottish Enterprise is working on the Accessing Telecoms Links Across Scotland (ATLAS) project which aims to increase choice within the wholesale telecoms market in Scotland.

Recommendation six of the Digital Scotland Task Force report related to a broadband network for schools. I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21268 on 16 January 2002.