Chamber and committees

In relation to emergency planning aimed primarily at protection of lives, the Scottish Executive Justice Department runs general training courses for local authority staff and others, issues general guidance documents as required, and pays civil defence grant.

The recommendations cover a wide range of issues. We are continuing to consider them and will respond as soon as possible.

As explained in the answer to S1W-1330, this is a legal matter for The Employment Tribunal and Courts to determine. The Department of Trade and Industry who have policy responsibility for these reserved matters have seen the Employment Tribunal's decision and will study its findings in detail.I understand that in this case, the Post Office was not disputing that workers should receive at least the minimum wage but was questioning whether, under their contractual arrangements, a subpostmaster or subpostmistress is a worker as defined by the National Minimum Wage Act 1998.

The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with Her Majesty's Government on a wide range of issues including matters relating to maritime safety and the marine environment.

The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with Her Majesty's Government on a wide range of issues including matters relating to maritime safety and the marine environment.

A fundamental principle underlying the creation of the Centre is that it should be a Scotland-wide resource. Its early tasks will include the examination of service delivery and clinical networks - including those which operate across Health Board boundaries - with a view to establishing how they can be built on and developed. It will explore training needs in remote and rural areas and commission research on health matters affecting these areas from a wide variety of sources. It will establish a forum for clinicians from which new joint working initiatives can be developed.

None of these matters can be tackled effectively without input from all those who have to face the difficulties associated with delivering health care and treatment in the more remote parts of Scotland. It is important to understand that the Centre will not only exist to disseminate advice. It will also serve as a focal point through which local experience and good practice can be shared.Detailed arrangements for interaction with Health Boards and other bodies will be taken forward by the Steering Committee which has recently been appointed. The Committee's membership reflects the intention that the Centre's activities will extend to all remote and rural areas. Members have been drawn from various parts of Scotland, including Shetland and the other main island groups, and from an equally wide range of disciplines in the Health Service. Arrangements to appoint a Director for the Centre are also under way. I am confident that the Centre will be well equipped to achieve all of its stated aims once it is fully operational.

The Royal Commission was set up to consider the system of funding care in residential and nursing homes, as well as in people's own homes. The recommendations made in the Commission's Report relating to health, housing and social work are for Scottish Ministers, and we are considering our response.

I understand that UKAEA has no plans to build a facility to handle all Scottish low level radioactive waste at Dounreay. The Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee's (RWMAC) suggestion was contained in its response to the House of Lords Select Committee Report on the Management of Nuclear Waste. The Government's own response to the House of Lords report will be published shortly. The Scottish Executive is contributing to that response.

The Scottish Executive has not yet received advice from its statutory nature conservation advisers on the identification of areas appropriate for classification as marine Special Protection Areas under the EC Wild Birds Directive 79/409/EEC. Maritime safety and related issues are reserved functions. The Scottish Executive is aware that guidance by the International Maritime Organisation sets out recommended routes in the Fair Isle Channel for ships carrying hazardous cargo. I understand that the UK Government keeps these matters under constant review, and that they are analysing the UK coastline with a view to consulting in due course about marine environmental high risk areas to help inform policy on protective measures such as routeing systems for ships.

A report of the incident has been supplied by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.