Chamber and committees

We are committed to providing sporting opportunities for all through various programmes delivered by sportscotland. An integral part of all of the sportscotland youth sport programmes is a firm commitment to equal opportunities for boys and girls. Indeed, 3 of the 7 main aims of the Team Sport Scotland Programme are relevant to the issue. These aims are:

To encourage the development of mixed team games.

To encourage initiatives which attract girls to participate.

To motivate and train more female leaders and coaches.

In recent years there has been a significant increase in girls' participation and currently there are 4000 registered female football players under the age of 16. Recent research has shown, however, that nearer 33,000 female players under the age of 16 are regularly participating in football. In the last 8 years the number of qualified female coaches has increased from around 200 to approximately 3,500.

In basketball, team participation in primary school competition is conditional upon equal numbers of boys and girls making up the team. In the recent National Basketball Summer Camp Programme, 40% of all participants were young female players.Scottish Rugby Union policy in relation to the development of rugby is to ensure that all children have the opportunity to play rugby at school or club and to develop their talents through organised and competitive structures.

The retirement age of staff of the Scottish Executive is a matter for the Scottish Executive to determine.

The NHS in Scotland does not collect data on the specific reasons for the retirement of doctors on the grounds of ill heath. Such information is considered a matter of confidentiality between the retiring doctor and his/her GP.

The feasibility studies for the 4 'short- listed' Edinburgh sites were the key documents considered before the decision was made by the then Secretary of State to locate the new Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood. All of the relevent factors covered in the Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick 'Comparative Transport and Environmental Assessment' were carefully considered when that report was published. The then Secretary of State made clear that on the basis of all the information available to him, Holyrood represented the best option.

The Halcrow Fox Transport Impact Assessment was submitted on 11 June as supplementary information to the Notice of Proposed Development (Reserved Matters)" application, which was registered in May 1999. It is available for public inspection at the City of Edinburgh Council Planning Department, 1 Cockburn Street, Edinburgh.

The £50 million construction cost estimate (excluding fees and VAT) for the new Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood was first announced in Scottish Office Press Release No 29/98 issued on 9 January 1998. The £90 million financial provision was first announced as a grand total in the Presiding Officer's paper circulated to all MSPs on 9 June. Previous answers to PQs provided combinations of the individual cost elements totalling £83.5million.

The Scottish Executive will make a wide range of high quality, relevant statistical information available to the Parliament and the public. The Executive is committed to the maintenance of high professional standards by its statistical staff, to adherence to the Government Statistical Service Code of Practice and to a continuing programme of improvement to the range and quality of the information available, in consultation with data providers and users. Particular attention will be paid to needs identified by the Parliament.Prior to 1 July a number of initiatives were undertaken by The Scottish Office, in anticipation of increased needs for data following devolution. These included the development of new economic series and enhancements to others, and the establishment of the Scottish Household Survey in February of this year. The first results from the Scottish Household Survey will be published within the next few weeks.A White Paper on official statistics will be published shortly by the UK Government. The Scottish Executive will consider at an early stage what additional arrangements might be needed to ensure the quality and accessibility of statistical information about Scotland. A statement will be issued in due course.

The Parliament's existing waste disposal arrangements do not currently cover the recycling of waste materials. Parliament staff are presently preparing a specification for a waste management service which will include recycling facilities for waste paper, cardboard, aluminium cans, plastic cups and where possible glass and other plastics. It is hoped that recycling arrangements will be in place by the end of the summer at which time recycling receptacles will be positioned throughout the Parliamentary complex. A notice will issue at that time to inform MSPs and staff of the recycling arrangements.

The Parliament's existing waste disposal arrangements do not currently cover the recycling of waste materials. Parliament staff are at present preparing a specification for a waste management service which will include recycling facilities for waste paper, cardboard, aluminium cans, plastic cups and where possible glass and other plastics. It is hoped that recycling arrangements will be in place by the end of the summer at which time recycling receptacles will be positioned throughout the Parliamentary complex. A notice will issue at that time to inform MSPs and staff of the recycling arrangements.

We have no plans at present to amend the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976. However, we will be giving careful consideration to whether it is necessary to review current practice and legislation on liquor licensing.