Chamber and committees

The Scottish Executiveis responsible for policy on waste in Scotland and the WasteElectrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2006 were made after consultationwith the Executive and with the consent of the Scottish ministers.

The regulations includeprovision for appeals to the Scottish ministers in respect of the following decisionsby the Scottish Environment Protection Agency:

(a) refusal to approvea proposed compliance scheme;

(b) withdrawal ofapproval of a compliance scheme;

(c) refusal to approvean authorised treatment facility;

(d) refusal to approveadditional treatment sites used by an exporter, and

(e) suspension orcancellation of approval of an authorised treatment facility.

The Executive willissue a consultation paper later this year seeking views on whether and what typesof electronic training collars should be banned, or whether their use should beregulated. This consultation will include the type of electric collar activatedby boundary systems.

NHS Borders is responsiblefor providing out-of-hours primary care services in its locality. Out-of-hoursservices must meet the standards and criteria laid down by NHS QualityImprovement Scotland (QIS). These require the new out-of-hours arrangements tobe accessible, available and acceptableto patients or their representatives. NHS QIS works closely with NHS boards toensure that services are delivered against these standards.

The Scottish Government issupporting an out-of-hours strategy group that is reviewing best practice anddeveloping models that will continue to sustain safe and responsive patientservices.

I have already confirmedthat in honouring our commitment to maintain accident and emergency services atAyrand Monklands, I am not signalling a general review of service changes thathave been made in the NHS.

It is for NHS Borders toplan and deliver services to meet the needs of its resident population. The board has retained the hospital site inColdstream to provide a dental care facility for the people of Berwickshire andit will reinvest savings from the closure of the Jedburgh facility indevelopment of a community heath centre in the town.

I am keen thatwe maintain forward momentum and don't consider it would necessarily be helpfulor indeed possible to reconsider the decisions taken by NHS Borders. However, I will continue to engage with localcommunities about the range of services provided locally.

Applications to develop windfarms will be considered on their merits, taking into account all materialconsiderations, including those put forward by local communities. Where anapplication is made under planning legislation for a development with less than50MW generating capacity, the decision will be in the first instance for theplanning authority. It may then be notified or, if refused, appealed to the Scottishministers. Applications for developments with generating capacity greater than50MW are made directly to Scottish ministers, under section 36 of theElectricity Act 1989. Given their role in these decision-making processes, ministerscan not comment in advance on any application which may come before them fordetermination.

Views of the public andlocal communities, where based on relevant planning matters, will be materialconsiderations that should be taken into account when considering proposals.

The Government proposes to invest£1.6 billion in rural Scotland over the next seven years through the Scotland RuralDevelopment Programme 2007-13.

Measures to deliver a wealthierand fairer Scotland include:

£31 million for the restructuringof agricultural businesses;

£70 million for the processingand marketing of agriculture and forestry products;

£18 million for diversificationout of agriculture or forestry;

£18 million for the creationand development of micro-enterprises;

£10 million to deliver our manifestocommitment to new entrants to farming, and

£43 million in skills developmentin rural areas, underpinning our commitment to economic development and drivingforward a smarter Scotland.

We look forward to receiving from the Borders high-qualityapplications for funding under these measures once the programme is up andrunning.

NHS Borders has committeditself to improving access to NHS dentistry through the expansion of itssalaried general dental service, concentrating in the first instance on Hawickand Coldstream.

Funding is available throughthe general dental services budget where NHS boards wish to appoint salarieddentist posts to fill gaps in provision. Whilst NHS Borders has no currentplans to establish a full-time dental post in Newcastleton, the board islooking at ways of providing outreach dental facilities to rural communities inits area.

NHS Borders will appointadditional salaried general dental practitioners. There are also a range offinancial measures in place to support independent general dental practice whowish to provide NHS dental services.