Chamber and committees

In the five years to March 2001, Scottish Development International and its partners helped attract 15 projects to Dunbartonshire involving planned investment of over £51 million and the planned creation or safeguarding of almost 1,500 jobs.Scottish Development International continues to work closely with Scottish Enterprise Dunbartonshire to develop appropriate inward investment opportunities for the area.

This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. With regard to wider evaluation matters, Scottish Enterprise launched their New Approach to Entrepreneurship in January 2002. This addresses a range of issues relevant to Scotland's business start-up rate, and was developed following a review of Scottish Enterprise's Business Birth Rate Strategy by the Fraser of Allander Institute, completed in June 2001.

Dunbartonshire Export Partnership is one of the 13 local export partnerships that cover the whole of Scotland, each of which plays an important role in focussing the trade development activities of the local enterprise company, local authority and Chamber of Commerce. They are responsible for enabling companies to reach a stage where they are ready to compete overseas and in financial year 2001-02 Dunbartonshire Export Partnership assisted six companies to trade overseas for the first time and 35 existing exporters to enter new markets.The assistance provided by Dunbartonshire Export Partnership is further augmented by Scottish Development International which leads the network of export partnerships and is able to offer additional support and services to companies including assistance through its network of overseas offices.One of a range of initiatives undertaken by Dunbartonshire Export Partnership is the establishment of an International Trade Forum in partnership with Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire to make companies aware of the opportunities available in overseas markets. Meetings are held at six-weekly intervals alternately in Dunbartonshire and Renfrewshire. Each event provides an overview of market conditions and business practices they are likely to encounter in particular geographic areas.

The publications A Smart, Successful Scotland and A Science Strategy for Scotland set out the Executive's programme for competitiveness and growth. Innovation within companies is a key component in this strategy and the Executive and UK Government provide a wide range of initiatives in this area.The Global Connections Strategy, launched in October 2001, set out the Executive's aims for future international economic development activity. The strategy led to the creation of Scottish Development International and one of its key aims is to ensure that companies are able to realise the full benefits of trading in international markets. It provides generic and custom market research and knowledge to Scottish companies and delivers customised strategic market entry support. This covers a wide range of activities including the delivery of all government trade services in Scotland, tailored Market Assistance Programmes and assistance for companies on outward missions and attendance at exhibitions. In addition, Scottish Enterprise's Global Companies Development Programme addresses innovation as part of its aim to support the deeper internationalisation of potential Scottish global organisations.

Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government. Jobcentre Plus offers long-term unemployed people in West Dunbartonshire a range of services including access to New Deal programmes and an Action Team for Jobs to assist them into work. Scottish Executive initiatives, such as Training for Work and the New Futures Fund, are also available.

Scottish Water has carried out extensive trials on pilot plant to check the performance of the water treatment process proposed for Milngavie. However, should the full scale plant fail to meet all the necessary regulatory standards, then the Drinking Water Quality Regulator will require remedial measures to be put in place.

Neither the European Drinking Water Directive nor The Water Supply (Water Quality) (Scotland) Regulations set performance criteria for cryptosporidium removal at water treatment works. Where there is an identified risk of cryptosporidium entering a water supply, The Cryptosporidum (Scottish Water) Directions 2002 require that a treatment process and operating protocols, appropriate for the identified risk, are put in place to minimise that risk.

The operating regime at the proposed Milngavie water treatment works will be in accordance with industry best practice.

The Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland is responsible for ensuring that public drinking water supplies are wholesome and meet the requirements of The Water Supply (Water Quality) (Scotland) Regulations.

There are no certification schemes covering the efficiency of water treatment processes. The highly variable nature of raw water means that the treatment technology appropriate for a particular treatment works has to be selected by carrying out trials on the raw water being used for that supply. The efficiency of any processes is also dependent on the operating regime put in place.