Chamber and committees

I am pleased to announce that, following detailed discussion with representative bodies, the draft Honey Bee Health Strategy for Scotland has been issued to interested parties for comment today.

The strategy seeks to address the challenges facing beekeepers, and provides a plan of action that will sustain the health of honey bees and beekeeping in Scotland for the next decade.

Decisions on the works of art that are to be loaned and displayed on view in the National Galleries of Scotland are an operational matter for the National Galleries. There are hundreds of loans in operation at any one time, and it is for the National Galleries to determine what artworks it wishes to take on loan and to negotiate with the owners.

Decisions on whether to extend a loan or to purchase an object are also entirely a matter for the National Galleries. Scottish ministers have no locus to direct the National Galleries in these matters.

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The Scottish Government liaises regularly on the Acceptance in Lieu scheme with the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, the UK Government''s advisers on museum and gallery matters, which acts on behalf of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. The Acceptance in Lieu scheme enables an estate to satisfy more inheritance tax than by selling items on the open market, and at the same time allows the nation to acquire important works of art.

The Scottish Government may also discuss private treaty sales with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. These enable items which have been granted conditional exemption from inheritance tax to be purchased by a public museum or gallery in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland at a price which is beneficial to both public purchaser and private vendor.

I have referred this question to the national collections and they will respond direct to the member on this matter.

This is a matter for the National Galleries of Scotland. The information requested is not held centrally. I have asked the chief executive of the National Galleries to respond directly.

Discussions between lenders and the National Galleries of Scotland are an operational matter for the National Galleries. The information is not held centrally. I have asked the chief executive of the National Galleries to respond directly.

This is a matter for the National Museums of Scotland, National Galleries of Scotland and National Library of Scotland. The information requested is not held centrally. I have asked the chief executives of the three bodies to respond directly.

This is a matter for the National Museums of Scotland, National Galleries of Scotland and National Library of Scotland. The information requested is not held centrally. I have asked the chief executives of the three bodies to respond directly.

This is a matter for the National Museums of Scotland, National Galleries of Scotland and National Library of Scotland. The information requested is not held centrally. I have asked the chief executives of the three bodies to respond directly.

The National Institutions have very limited powers of disposal with regard to the objects in the National Collections. The exercise of these powers is a matter for the Board of Trustees of each of the National Institutions. Objects on loan to the National Collections are subject to specific loan agreements between the owners and the National Institutions. The Scottish Government does not have powers to override these loan agreements.