Chamber and committees

The Executive will invest£24 million in the active schools programme over the years 2003-04 to 2005-06and sportscotland is taking the lead in developing the programme. This programmewill look to ensure that links are established between schools and local clubsso that school children have increased access to coaching.

In addition to this, the Executive is committed to meeting the targets set out in Sport 21 2003-2007. Target10 commits Scottish sport to sustaining 150,000 volunteers who are contributingto the development and delivery of sport, many of whom are coaches. Animplementation group is being set up to consider how to take this commitmentforward.

As part of its work inmeeting the targets set out in Sport 21, the Executive, through sportscotland,will work with community planning partnerships to ensure that local strategiesdeveloped through community planning take full account of the role and needs ofsport.

The Environmental ProtectionAct 1990 contains the main legislation on statutory nuisance and enables localauthorities and individuals to take action to secure the abatement of astatutory nuisance. However, light pollution is not defined as a statutorynuisance under the act. Therefore, local authorities have no statutory powersto take action against security lights on domestic properties that are causinga nuisance to neighbouring householders.

We have no plans at presentto introduce legislation to bring light pollution within the scope of statutorynuisance. However, we are considering the report on Light Pollution andAstronomy published by the House of Commons Science and Technology SelectCommittee on 6 October 2003 which contained various recommendations oncontrolling light pollution.

As Iannounced on 6 October 2003, GP prescribingof portable oxygen will be introduced in April 2004. The timing of its introduction is designedto ensure that an effective means of supply and distribution will be in placeto meet the needs of all patients in Scotland who can benefit.

In themeantime, a study is to be undertaken to consider the possible benefit topatients of alternative methods of supply and distribution of portable oxygen.Additionally, consideration is to be given to the possible benefits of makingconservation devices available on the NHS in Scotland.

A Partnership for a BetterScotland refers to the announcement,as part of the Scottish Budget for 2003-06, that £20 million funding would be madeavailable in 2004-06 to help ensure that child care was not a barrier for peoplein disadvantaged communities engaging with work, training or education.

The Executive is currently developingplans for the roll out of this funding from April 2004. I shall make a further announcementin due course.

The Scottish Executive is committed to developing partnerships between educational institutions and business to offer more apprenticeship and training opportunities as outlined in A Partnership for a Better Scotland.The detail of how this will be undertaken in Greenock and Inverclyde is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise.

The Scottish Executive has committed to increasing the number of modern apprenticeship places in Scotland to 30,000 by 2006 as outlined in A Partnership for a Better Scotland. The detail of the number of places available in Greenock and Inverclyde is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise.

The Cities Review clearly recognises the important role that cities have to play in the economic and social regeneration of their surrounding regions. As the Glasgow economy develops so the benefits will be felt in the wider city region, including areas such as Inverclyde. Meanwhile, Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire will continue to work with local partners on initiatives around the lower Clyde such as theredevelopment of the A8 corridor and the further regeneration of Greenock Waterfront.

The benefits of broadband to businesses are well catalogued. These benefits, which include reduced business costs and improved access to markets, can significantly boost the economy of the areas in which these businesses are located. Broadband also offers more opportunities for the current and future labour force of the area to develop their skills and knowledge. The Scottish Enterprise broadband website contains a list of case studies describing how broadband has benefited a wide range of organisations throughout Scotland.

The Enterprise Networks, working closely with other agencies, have a specific range of programmes aimed at assisting people into work. The networks are also committed to supporting the formation and growth of businesses which create new jobs and contribute to the reduction of overall unemployment. In addition, programmes such as Regional Selective Assistance play a key role in regional policy, in particular reducing regional disparities by encouraging investment and employment in the Assisted Areas.The Measuring Scotland’s Progress Towards a Smart, Successful Scotland report, published in March 2003, indicated that the gap in employment rates between the worst 10% of areas and the Scottish average continues to decline.