Chamber and committees

As the Partnership Agreement states, we will use the model of drugs courts across Scotland where they are needed. The findings of the independent evaluation of the two-year pilots of the drugs courts in Glasgow and Fife will inform our decisions about the future policy on drugs courts in Scotland.

The pilot drugs courts in Glasgow and Fife will run for an initial period of two years and are subject to independent evaluations, comprising a six-month process evaluation, a two-year outcome evaluation with a final report a year later. The process evaluation on the Glasgow drugs court was published in November 2002 and the process evaluation for the Fife drugs court will be published within the next two months. The outcome evaluation of Glasgow drugs court will be available early in 2004 with a final report (including the results of a reconviction study) to be submitted in January 2005 and the reports for Fife about one year later.

Ministers will decide the future policy on drugs courts, in Aberdeen and elsewhere in Scotland, when they have the findings of the independent evaluation of the two-year pilot drugs courts in Glasgow and Fife.

The Executive's A Framework for Higher Education in Scotland makes clear our commitment to widening access to higher education in Scotland, as part of our broader commitment to promoting lifelong learning. In 2003-04 the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council is allocating over £11 million for a variety of initiatives designed to widen access and £2 million to support the development of links between further and higher education and encourage articulation between the sectors. This is alongside reforms to student support made during the last Parliament, and our plans to roll-out Educational Maintenance Allowances nationwide, to encourage young people from low income backgrounds to stay in education.

I have set the following targets for Fisheries Research Services for the financial year 2003-04.Delivery of Service:To achieve 93% of the performance targets set in the Schedules to the Service Level Agreement.To achieve 85% of the milestones agreed for Research and Development projects.To achieve an output of 1.2 publications per scientific member of staff. To produce 20 information leaflets and 10 major articles in the industry press.Quality of Service:To submit the scientific work of the Fisheries Management Programme to a peer review during 2003-04, and to put in place an agreed Action Plan to implement recommendations.To achieve accreditation by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service of the monitoring programmes for six new areas of work.Efficiency Targets:92% of costs to be recovered from external customers (other than those agreed to be undertaken at marginal or shared costs), with a limit of £4 millions on external income.To restrict administrative staff costs to a maximum of 17% of the total staff costs.To achieve a research vessel utilisation of 96%, operating at a daily cost of £11,685 for Scotia and £2,845 for Clupea.To achieve cash releasing efficiency gains to the value of 1% of FRS' budget.These targets provide a sound and challenging basis for evaluating the Agency's on which it will be accountable to me.

For the year 2003-04 the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency's financial resources will provide for the following inputs from the surveillance and enforcement assets at its disposal:Air: Total flying hours contracted 1,800Sea: Total available patrol days 1,256Land: Total available British Sea Fishery Officer enforcement days 8,008Based on these inputs, I have set the following targets for the financial year 2003-04:Aerial Surveillance- per cent of hours flown on task 83%- cost per hour flown on task £1,348Marine surveillance- uptake as a % of available patrol days 97%- cost per effective patrol day £4,360Sea Fisheries Inspectorate- per cent of total tonnage landed into Scottish ports - checked against logsheet 80%- cost per catch inspection £110Cases for Prosecution- cases for prosecution to be reported within six weeks of offences being detected 96%- number of cases where court proceedings are taken or the imposition of a PF fine, as percentage of offences reported to prosecuting authorities 90%Efficiency- cash-releasing efficiency gain 1.0%The Chief Executive will be directly accountable to me for the achievement of these targets, which will be reported in the Agency's Annual Report.