It would cost an additional £2 million between 2002-03 and 2003-04 to include second and third year nursing degree students in the new arrangements. These students will continue to receive their current support of means-tested bursary and non-means-tested student loan, as well as any additional allowances for which they may be eligible.

The numbers of fatal road accidents in each year from 1970 to 2000 inclusive are given in Table 2 of Road Accidents Scotland 2000, copies of which are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 17733). Other tables provide more detailed breakdowns of the numbers of injury road accidents and the numbers of casualties. It is expected that provisional figures for 2001 will be published within the next two months.All the Scottish figures are made available to the Transport Research Laboratory.

The key to reducing truancy is to ensure that young people see a purpose to schooling. Effective learning and teaching is much easier to achieve where a positive ethos and good discipline prevail. The Discipline Task Group Report, Better Behaviour-Better Learning, has made 36 recommendations aimed at improving discipline and ethos in Scotland's schools. The Executive is currently funding a number of initiatives aimed at, or impacting on, truancy including the Scottish Schools Ethos Network, the Anti-Bullying Network, the Alternatives to Exclusion Programme, Support for Parents, Study Support and New Community Schools.

Scottish Executive solicitors were consulted during the preparation of the draft guidance on the circumstances in which parents may choose to educate their children at home, which has been issued for consultation until 29 March 2002. In fulfilling their duties, authorities must comply with the requirements of data protection legislation. The terms of paragraph 5.4 are not intended to suggest otherwise, and will be given further consideration before final guidance is issued.

The Minister for Social Justice chairs the Scottish Refugee Integration Forum. Action plans for the successful integration of refugees drawn up by the Forum will be supported by Ministers across all portfolios.

Our Plan for Action on alcohol problems is published today. The plan sets out a powerful package of national and local measures for a range of organisations and individuals to reduce alcohol-related harm in Scotland. Action proposed covers changing some of the cultures surrounding drinking, prevention and education, support and treatment services for people with alcohol problems and protection of individuals and the wider community. The success of the plan will depend upon partnership working. Our aims are ambitious, and it will take time to see changes. However, the Executive believes the Plan for Action offers an important opportunity to reverse the current worrying trends in alcohol problems in Scotland. We will review progress in delivering the plan by the end of 2003. Copies of the plan have been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 18608) and it is also being published on the Scottish Executive website.

Detailed advice on business preparation for the euro is available from Scotland Europa. They are, in conjunction with HM Treasury, implementing a detailed programme, including workshops, conferences, publications and a telephone hotline to provide advice to Scottish businesses and raise awareness of the need to make appropriate preparations for the introduction of the currency.Scotland Europa also has responsibility for administering the activities of the Scottish EuroForum. The forum brings together major commercial and public sector organisations to share information and help provide practical advice to Scotland's business community in its preparation for the introduction of the euro. It is supported by the Scottish Executive, with additional support from the private sector. VisitScotland are members of the forum.

Neither Wishaw Hospital nor Lanarkshire NHS Board are required to maintain specific bed occupancy nor would either face any financial penalties if they failed to do so.

The Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health published a report detailing the findings of Stage 1 of the survey, in November 2000.The data for Stage 2 of the survey has been collected and is being analysed. A report will be published in the new year.

We have no record of a request from South Lanarkshire Council for funding for the creation of a specific secondary school special needs unit. The authority is responsible for funding school building work, including work for special needs provision, from the general resources available to it.