Chamber and committees

The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with Shell about a wide range of matters, and was aware that the company was considering changes to its offshore operations. The restructuring decision was one for the company itself to take.

The Scottish Executive makes no direct contribution to match funding at project level. Match funding for European Structural Funded projects is provided by the individual project sponsors, the funding for many of whom comes directly from the Scottish Executive either in whole or in part. This ensures local commitment to local priorities, accountability and value for money.

None. Decommissioned vessels are no longer active in the fishery.

The extent of take up of European Structural Funds by other UK regions is a matter for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Department for Trade and Industry and the European Commission. Take-up by other member states is a matter for the European Commission. The Commission monitors progress and reports to member states through the Committee for the Development and Conversion of the Regions, which is attended by Scottish Executive officials.Take-up is measured by the so-called "N+2" regulation, under which money has to be spent within two years of allocation by the Commission. So far as the 1994-99 programmes are concerned, where project activity finished at the end of 2001, final reports will be considered by the Commission over the coming months. For the 2000-06 programmes, the first test of take-up was at the end of last year, where the majority of Objective 1 and Objective 3 Programmes had to report financial performance against allocations. Again, the information is currently being considered by the Commission.

The department does not maintain records of the value of FQA units. Consequently, no assessment has been made.

The Scottish Executive makes no direct contribution to match funding at project level. Match funding for European Structural Funded projects is provided by the individual project sponsors, the funding for many of whom comes directly from the Scottish Executive either in whole or in part. This ensures local commitment to local priorities, accountability and value for money.

A tendering exercise is currently under way. Subject to the progress of discussions with tenderers, a decision is expected in the summer of 2003. The resources freed up for the criminal justice system will depend on the outcome of the tender process.

The maximum cost to the Executive is estimated at £1.8 million. The actual costs will depend on decisions made by local authorities on the applications for hardship relief.

The processing sector is currently represented on the board of the Sea Fish Industry Authority by Mr Iain MacSween and Mr Jeff Evans. The eight industry members of the board are appointed to represent interests across the sea fish industry, striking a careful balance of geographical and sectoral representation. Mr Danny Couper of the Scottish Fish Merchants Federation was appointed for a three-year term on 1 April 2000, but resigned on 21 May 2001. Fisheries ministers appointed Mr MacSween as his replacement.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-34655 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.