Chamber and committees

Legislation, whether as primary legislation, secondary legislation or statutory guidance, is monitored routinely across the Scottish Government. However, Ministers have no plans to lift any statutory requirements on local authorities in relation to provision of services to (a) children (b) older people (c) other groups. 

The latest reduction in prescription charges from 1st April 2010 means patients now pay £3 per item when they pay for individual prescribed items or £28 and £10 for a 12 month and 4 month Prescription Pre-payment Certificate, respectively. The cost of the latest reductions, when compared to the cost of the policy for 2009-10, is estimated to be £8m. The Scottish Government believes this is a price worth paying to ensure more patients collect all of their prescribed medication.

The Scottish Government''s Director-General Economy is the accountable officer responsible for expenditure incurred in relation to Homecoming Scotland 2009.

The Scottish Government''s Permanent Secretary is the accountable officer responsible for expenditure incurred by the Scottish Government in relation to The Gathering 2009.

None.

The First Minister and the Minister for Public Health and Sport will be based at a central Delhi hotel which will serve as the focus for Scotland''s activities during the period of the Games; including the reception for the Scottish athletes and a number of events to promote Scottish-Indian business links. All Ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Scottish Ministerial Code and with a view to securing the best possible price for travel and accommodation.

The available information is provided in the following table:

Number of Speeding Offences Recorded by the Police per 1,000 Population, by Police Force Area, 2006-07 to 2008-09

Police Force Area	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Central	58	47	42
Dumfries and Galloway	127	75	76
Fife	26	27	23
Grampian	35	27	23
Lothian and Borders	45	28	22
Northern	28	25	30
Strathclyde	13	16	13
Tayside	56	53	36
Scotland	32	27	23

Source: Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services.

The variation in the offence rate can be explained in some part at least by variations in the number of temporary residents and the number of vehicles passing through the area in relation to the number of permanent residents. Areas, such as Dumfries and Galloway, which has a low permanent population but a high number of temporary residents (tourist) and a high volume of through traffic from both tourism and commerce, will tend to have high offence rates when compared with other areas, such as Strathclyde, which has a high permanent population with relatively small numbers of temporary residents and relatively low through traffic volumes. Temporary residents and through traffic will contribute to the overall number of offences but, as the offence rates are calculated on the basis of permanent resident numbers, there will inevitably be an associated variation in the offence rates between areas.

In 2006, Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary underwent an inspection by HMICS. Following the outcome of this report, Dumfries and Galloway Safety Camera Partnership moved their focus to more rural roads where there were a higher number of collisions but a smaller number of offenders.

There are two separate purchasing cards in use by Scottish Government staff: Government Procurement Cards, issued to designated staff in business areas where there is a need to make low value, non-recurring purchases; and Travel and Subsistence Charge Cards, issued to staff required to travel and stay overnight away from home on a regular basis according to official business need.

Cards are allocated to staff on a rigorous and systematic basis and the use made of the cards is kept under regular review.

Scottish Ministers will attend the Commonwealth Games in Delhi as representatives of a competing nation and as the hosts of the next Commonwealth Games in 2014. When attending official Games events they will be guests of the Commonwealth Games Federation and the organisers of the Delhi Games.

No Scottish Ministers or Scottish Government officials attended any games in an official capacity during the 2010 football World Cup in South Africa.

The information requested is not held centrally. Annual figures for electricity generated by renewables in Scotland are published online at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Environment/seso/sesoSubSearch/Q/SID/205. In 2008, the last year for which figures are available, wind and wave power provided 6.7% of Scotland''s total electricity generation.