Chamber and committees

TheExecutive encourages older people to access the variety of services availableto them such as flu vaccinations, the warm deal insulation programme and the centralheating programme. We have challenged fuel companies to offer a tariff topeople on pension credit to ensure they do not fall into fuel poverty. Further,we would encourage older people to ensure they are receiving any entitlements,such as the winter fuel payment, pension credit and attendance allowance.

The “Holford Rules” are a series of planning guidelines first developed in 1959 by Lord Holford adviser to the then Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) on amenity issues. They were reviewed in the 1990s by the National Grid Company (NGC). So far as the Executive is aware the rules are not published as a single work but they are referred to in a number of planning publications including Visual Amenity Aspects of High Voltage Transmission by George A. Goulty (1989) and Planning Overhead Power Line Routes by RJB Carruthers (1987) Research Studies Press Ltd, Letchworth.

The Holford Rules are:

Avoid altogether, if possible, the major areas of high amenity value, by so planning the general route of the line in the first place, even if the total mileage is somewhat increased in consequence.

Avoid smaller areas of high amenity value or scientific interest, by deviation; provided that this can be done without using too many angle towers (i.e. the more massive structures which are used when lines change direction).

Other things being equal, choose the most direct line, with no sharp changes of direction and thus fewer angle towers.

Choose hill and tree backgrounds in preference to sky background wherever possible and when the line has to cross a ridge, secure this opaque background as long as possible and cross obliquely when a dip in the ridge provides an opportunity.  Where it does not, cross directly, preferably between belts of trees.

Prefer moderately open valleys with woods, where the apparent height of the towers will be reduced and views of the line will be broken by trees.

In country which is flat and sparsely planted, keep the higher voltage lines as far as possible independent of smaller lines, converging routes, distribution lines and other masts, wires and cables so as to avoid a concatenation or ‘wirescape’.

Approach urban areas through industrial zones where they exist and where pleasant residential and recreational land intervenes between the approach line and substation, go carefully into the costs of undergrounding, for lines other than those of the highest voltage.

The two Scottish grid operators, Scottish & Southern Energy and Scottish Power, have reviewed the applicability of the Holford Rules to Scotland. When this information is available it will be placed in Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Data are available on the rates of episodes of MRSA bacteraemia by health board. This information is published quarterly by the Scottish Centre for Infection Control and Environmental Health (see www.show.scot.nhs.uk/scieh).The figures for Raigmore Hospital are not available separately.

A national mandatory hospital infection surveillance system was introduced in 2001 to monitor MRSA blood infections. The surveillance is operated by Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health (SCIEH) and it produces quarterly reports. These reports show that from January 2001 to June 2004 there were 3,042 episodes of MRSA bacteraemia and 4,106 episodes of MSSA bacteraemia. The total number of episodes of all Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia for this period is 7,148.

Episodes of Staphylococcus aureus Bacteraemia Between January 2001 and June 2004

Period	MRSA	MSSA
2001	885	1,033
2002	938	1,214
2003	755	1,259
To June 2004	464	600
Total	3,942	4,106

 

The Scottish Executive has not carried out any research into the impact of new overhead power lines on the economies of communities reliant on tourism.

However, we do understand the importance of tourism to the rural economy and, through VisitScotland, we are fully committed to the promotion of rural tourism. That is why developers of new power lines must consult widely on their proposals with local communities, including community councils and other local interest as specified under the Electricity Works (Environmental Impact Assessment)(Scotland) Regulation 2000.

We propose that when planning controls for marine fish farms are introduced, local authorities will be able to charge a planning application fee. Our consultation paper on the introduction of planning controls includes consideration of appropriate fee levels.

In 1994 the Secretary of State for Scotland owned three properties which were used for the Livestock Improvement Scheme. One of these, Wester Aberchalder farm (841.37 hectares), was sold in 1994 in three lots. The remaining two properties are (a) Beechwood (currently 86.773 hectares) and (b) Knocknagael and Balrobert (currently 284.683 hectares) which are owned by Scottish ministers. Plans of these properties showing the areas which have been sold and the areas remaining have been lodged in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 33746).

We do not have plans of these properties showing their extent at the start of each year but it will be possible to establish how the holdings changed on an annual basis from the plans that have been lodged in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 33746). The Crofters Commission does not own any land.

We are currently consulting on draft regulations and orders which should be laid before the Parliament later this year. These are required to implement the remainder of the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 2003 and, in particular, the pre-emptive right to buy for eligible tenants and general partners within a limited partnership that is the tenant.

This secondary legislation covers a number of detailed but important issues – such as how farms are to be valued where more than one tenant on an estate wishes to exercise a right to buy, and how the right to buy should apply to general partners where the tenant is a limited partnership – which required careful consideration with key stakeholders.

Subject to the will of Parliament I hope to be able to bring part 2 of the act into force towards the turn of the year.

VisitScotland provides a wide range of services to visitors and tourism businesses as it strives to position Scotland as a must-visit, must-return destination. These services range from national and local marketing through a range of quality assurance schemes to working with businesses on product development and packaging. The budget available to VisitScotland to do these things has more than doubled over the past 10 years and the services now beingprovided are generally appreciated by those in the industry. However, we cannotbe complacent, and that is why earlier this year, I announced additional fundingtotalling £20 million, over three years, for VisitScotland to strengthen its marketing, including attracting more private sector match funding, as well as to broaden and deepen its quality assurance work. In addition, the implementation of the integrated tourism network for Scotland will enhance the service that our visitors receive when they come to Scotland, and the support available to tourism businesses throughout the country.

We continue to work on the three causes of fuel poverty, namely poor household energy efficiency, income maximisation and the cost of fuel. We are not complacent and have previously expressed our concerns to the main fuel suppliers.