Chamber and committees

The Executive continues to provide unprecedented levels of investment to local government. The allocation of these funds to different activities is, of course, a matter for the individual authorities. However, the Scottish Arts Council has a range of programmes and schemes which provide support to local authorities to support and develop their arts and cultural activities. These include joint funding of various arts development officers and Education LINKS officers with local authorities. In addition to this the Executive has set up a joint working group with COSLA which will produce good practice guidelines for local authorities on the implementation of the National Cultural Strategy.

The full costs of the publication were £16,182.

Figures for arts and culture are not identified separately in reports to the Executive. The figures reported for the sport, arts and culture sector are as follows:

	Clackmannanshire				Fife
	1998-99	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02	1998-99	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02
	£000	£000	£000	£000	£000	£000	£000	£000
Libraries	960	896	965	1,059	5,354	5,162	5,592	5,763
Museums & Galleries	47	45	52	65	867	863	934	967
Countryside Amenities including Country Parks and grants for cultural organisations	1,315	1,303	1,348	1,371	2,139	1,445	1,558	1,802
Sport	586	604	549	543	4,439	5,874	6,421	6,364
Remainder of Leisure and Recreation	808	696	852	859	13,891	16,005	15,948	16,156

Notes: Libraries, Museums & Galleries 1998-1999 and 1999-2000 are final outturn figures.All 2001-02 figures are budget estimates.All other figures are provisional outturn.

The Improving Regulation in Scotland Unit is currently staffed by the equivalent of 2.5 full-time staff with additional support being given where necessary. The running costs of the unit are contained within those of the Enterprise and Industry Division and cannot be disaggregated.

The Scottish Executive does not provide any financial or other assistance to Planning Aid for Scotland.The Executive's consultation paper on Getting Involved in Planning highlights the need to consider with local authorities and the profession, ways of helping to put Planning Aid for Scotland on a more secure financial footing. The Executive has informed Planning Aid for Scotland that it is happy to explore with them, ways of how this can best be achieved.

Tackling unemployment in any area remains a high priority for the Scottish Executive and the enterprise networks.Scottish Enterprise Fife is focusing on the direction and priorities set out in the Executive's A Smart, Successful Scotland. This sets out the foundation for sustained improvement in economic performance in Scotland. It focuses on three key challenges for raising productivity:Growing businessesGlobal connectionLearning and skills

The total costs of printing, publishing and distributing the Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland 1999-2000 report are estimated at £6,200.

The poundage supplement for ratepayers occupying property with a rateable value in excess of £25,000 will be fixed when the poundage figure is set for 2003-04. A provisional poundage figure for 2003-04 is likely to be announced in December 2003 and confirmed the following February.

Information about contract fees is commercially sensitive and, as such, the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) cannot disclose this information. To do so could cause significant damage both to the legitimate commercial interests of our supplier, and to the SPCB's negotiating position.

The SPCB considered a number of options to support MSPs and staff with childcare costs before deciding to introduce a childcare voucher scheme. These were:the provision of an on-site nursery in the Parliament's interim accommodation;the creation of a new nursery outwith the interim complex;a contract with a private nursery, anda childcare voucher scheme.