Chamber and committees

The responsibility for the overall provision of NHS dental services in the area rests with NHS Western Isles.

To increase dental access NHS Western Isles are currently undertaking a property review of all board accommodation to link with the clinical strategy which is also under development. This will produce a vision for services for the population of Western Isles in the short-term. In the meantime, to increase dental access the board are looking urgently at the setting up of a number of temporary surgeries in Stornoway.

In addition, a number of financial measures are in place to recruit and retain dentists in the NHS, including a remote areas allowance.

We are also working to continue to increase the dental workforce in Scotland.

The Scottish Government will encourage the roll out of DAB digital radio to the Western Isles, although the further extension of such services is in the first place a commercial matter for operators.

The government will be involved with the UK Government in the Digital Radio Working Group established by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. This group has been established to consider:

What conditions would need to be achieved before digital platforms could become the predominant means of delivering radio?

What are the current barriers to the growth of digital radio?

What are the possible remedies to those barriers?

The Scottish Government is contributing to the work of the group and will ensure that the interests of the Western Isles and other rural and island communities are considered. The group is due to report later in 2008.

I would also clarify that, in the Western Isles, digital radio will be available via digital television after the 2010 digital television switchover. It will not automatically be available on a DAB radio set at that date.

The priorities for distribution in Scotland by the Big Lottery Fund are set by Scottish ministers in policy directions made with the consent of the Secretary of State. The current directions, December 2006, identify promotion of community land ownership as one of the priorities to which Scottish devolved expenditure should be distributed.

There is no statutory clawback requirement on the disposal of Scottish Ministers' crofting estates to community organisations. The Scottish Public Finance Manual offers guidance on the considerations to be taken into account when Ministers exercise their discretion to dispose of such land. Details may be found at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/Finance/spfm/disposalassetsannex.

HIE Innse Gall has approved financial assistance towards the establishment of two Harris Tweed production facilities on Lewis including an element aimed at encouraging product promotion and marketing activity.

In addition, a Harris Tweed Industry Liaison Group was established in February 2008. This will seek to identify a range of issues and actions for the promotion, marketing and development of the sector.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of Harris Tweed to the economy of the Outer Hebrides. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and HIE Innse Gall, have worked with the Harris Tweed industry over a considerable period of time to support its development, and will continue to do so.

HIE Innse Gall provides a range of support, including working with self-employed weavers on weaver training and assistance with capital costs of buildings and equipment.

We estimate Harris Tweed production capacity is 1.2 million metres (single width equivalent). A Harris Tweed Industry Liaison Group has recently been established to encourage producers, weavers, local government and government agencies work together to drive the industry forward. This group plans to research Harris Tweed weaver and loom numbers. The aim is to ensure production capacity is adequate encompassing weavers, training, looms and loomsheds.

The St Kilda World Heritage Site is owned and managed by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS). The Management Plan for the St Kilda WHS (World Heritage Site) includes a contingency plan for this type of emergency and NTS sent staff to the island to initiate a programme to find and eliminate any rats which may have escaped from the Spinningdale. They remained on the islands for three days but detected no trace of rats. I understand that remains the position as the MoD staff resident on St Kilda are maintaining a watch for evidence of rats. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) continues to monitor the situation closely.

A derogation to claimforage against land below the mean high water spring tide level exists for the island of North Ronaldsay. This is the onlyarea within Orkney and Shetland that is permitted to claim within the inter-tidalzone. The derogation was granted due to the unique foraging abilities of the nativeNorth Ronaldsay sheep, a breed that has genetically evolved over many centuriesto the point where they now survive almost entirely on seaweed.

The Scottish Governmenthas not made any representations to the UK Government concerning the sovereigntyof Rockall nor its 12nm territorial sea, both of which constitute recognised partsof Scotland.

The Scottish Government has made representations to the UK Governmentconcerning the conduct of negotiations with neighbouring coastal States over theagreement of boundaries to the UK’s claim foran Exclusive Economic Zone including the area extending 200nm from the St Kildabaseline to seas beyond Rockall and its adjacent sea area. Following these representations,the negotiating aims and conduct, including the participation of the Scottish Government,have been agreed with the Foreign andCommonwealth Office.

With regard to energyissues, while again we have not made any specific representations regarding Rockall,we have made clear, as part of the national conversation, that we would wish toundertake discussions with the UK Governmentregarding options for the transfer of responsibility of oil and gas resources tothe Scottish Government in the long-term.