Chamber and committees

Support for research and development in biomass, as for all renewable technologies, is a reserved matter and is the responsibility of the Department of Trade and Industry.Of the three biomass projects awarded contracts as a result of the three Orders comprising the Scottish Renewables Obligation, only one has been commissioned so far. The level of financial support for that project from the Fossil Fuel Levy in Scotland is subject to commercial confidentiality.

I refer the member to the answers given to questions S1W-14184 and S1W-14186.

The Digital Scotland Task Force completed its work in May 2000 when it published its report. This report was published on the web for public consultation. Following the consultation exercise the Executive's response to the report was published in September 2000. These can be found on the web at www.scotland.gov.uk/digitalscotland/report.htm. The Executive is taking forward action in two linked streams: 21st Century Government and Digital Scotland, the latter addressing issues of infrastructure and digital inclusion.

The Digital Scotland Task Force was created to enable the Executive to draw on expertise and experience from across the Scottish community, with members drawn from the private sector, local government and the education sectors. The task force was chaired by Mr Peter Peacock, the then Deputy Minister for Children and Education.The Digital Scotland Taskforce completed its work in May 2000 when it published its report. The report along with a list of who the members were is available on the web at www.scotland.gov.uk/digitalscotland/report.htm

Representatives of the Scottish Parliament's cross party delegation will travel to Washington DC, USA, via Dublin, on Monday 2 April and will be returning, via Dublin, on Monday 9 April.

This meeting was almost exclusively about English issues not related to the effect on tourism of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. I took the view that it would be more useful to speak seperately to Janet Anderson, the Minister responsible for tourism at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. I have done so and we have agreed to keep in touch on a regular basis.

From April, Training for Work will offer a wide range of recognised qualifications designed to assist unemployed people secure work. The Enterprise Networks will administer a list of approved qualifications that can be funded from the programme.Certain types of occupational driving licences, for example dump and forklift truck licences, PSV and LGV, are included in the approved list. Funding to obtain standard motor vehicle licences will only be considered exceptionally, and in remote parts of the Highlands and Islands, where potential trainees are excluded from opportunities due to lack of access. The Enterprise Networks plan to review the approved qualifications list in October. Advice on the acquisition of motor vehicles can be obtained from the Office of Fair Trading.

The Executive's future strategy for ports is set out in the ports policy paper, Modern Ports, published on 27 November 2000, a copy of which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. no. 9874). The paper provides a comprehensive statement of future policy on a wide range of issues relating to the ports industry, both devolved and reserved. It presents a strategy for devolved ports issues in the context of shared UK-wide policy aims, agreed between the Scottish Executive, the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the devolved Administrations in Wales and Northern Ireland.The paper sets out objectives for the departments concerned to achieve through working together with the industry, its users and other interests. It recognises the importance of the ports industry in Scotland to the local and national economy and integrated transport policy and for the ports industry to develop and promote its commercial opportunities.Funding is available from the Executive for certain fishery related harbour development, for piers and harbours improvements in the Highlands and Islands and from the EC through European Funds in eligible areas. Freight Facility Grants can also be available for inland waterway projects which can include expenditure on ports and harbours.

The number of students enrolled on Secondary Teacher Training Courses with Technological Education as their main subject, 1997-98 to 1999-2000, by institution and year, is given in the table:

	1997-98	1998-99	1999-2000
Total	237	201	165
Moray House Institute of Education1	83	0	0
Northern College of Education	6	7	7
The University of Edinburgh	0	74	55
The University of Glasgow	85	77	70
The University of Strathclyde	63	43	33

Source: HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency).Notes:1. Moray House Institute of Education merged with University of Edinburgh on 01 August 1998.

Scottish Trade International and Scottish Enterprise provided funding as follows:

1998
Offshore Technology Conference	Houston, USA	£35,000
Offshore Northern Seas	Stavanger, Norway	£25,000
Rio Oil & Gas	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	£10,000
Offshore South East Asia	Singapore	£25,000
1999
Australasian Oil & Gas	Perth, Australia	£15,000
Offshore Technology Conference	Houston, USA	£40,000
Argentina Oil & Gas	Buenos Aires, Argentina	£5,000
Offshore Europe	Aberdeen, UK	£85,000
2000
Offshore Technology Conference	Houston, USA	£40,000
National Petroleum Show	Calgary, Canada	£20,000
Offshore Northern Seas	Stavanger, Norway	£25,000
Rio Oil & Gas	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	£10,000
Offshore South East Asia	Singapore	£25,000