The Scottish Government will ensure that should Scotland become independent, patients living in the borders but registered with a GP in England will not be disadvantaged in their health care access and treatment.

The following table provides details of the number of (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful appeals submitted by farmers who incurred financial penalties for failing to observe cross compliance requirements and standards for calendar years 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. The table also contains the number of appeals lodged (by 29 February) in 2012, all of which relate to cross compliance year 2011.

This information is not available. It is not possible to accurately separate the costs to the National Concessionary Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled Persons for services operated under community bus permits and those which operate under a standard operator licence.

The absence of a detailed and up to date registry of Community Transport providers makes it difficult to provide anything but an approximation of the potential total costs. The report from the review of the National Concessionary Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled Persons published in May 2009 suggested that the costs then would be in the region of £5.2 million.

Service routes and frequencies are a matter for individual bus operators. We are maintaining total support for the bus sector at £248.6 million per annum, a reduction of less than 3% on the 2011-12 figure. Within that total, next year will see a reduction of £7 million (or 11%) in the Bus Service Operators Grant. However, the changes to the scheme will lead to a limited redistribution of funding towards longer and more rural services, which should be beneficial for the South of Scotland.

The information requested is not collected.

Across Scotland, the average impact on fares of the changes we are making to the Bus Service Operators Grant scheme should be around 1% or 2%. It is for individual bus operators to decide whether to pass these costs on to customers. However, the changes will also lead to a limited redistribution of funding towards longer and more rural services. This should further reduce the impact on operators in the South of Scotland.

The following table provides details of the number of payment reductions imposed on farmers for failing to observe cross compliance requirements and standards.

Number of Payment Reductions Imposed on Farmers

Notes:

1.^.The cross compliance year follows the calendar year.

2. Inspection findings for the 2011 have still to be finalised, details correct as of 28 February 2012.

3. Figures for the first two months of the 2012 inspections year, details correct as of 28 February 2012.

All renewable energy developments on the national forest estate will require planning approval by the local authority or (for wind farms in excess of 50 megawatts) consent from Scottish Ministers under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. The implications for biodiversity will be considered fully as a part of these processes.

Between November 2008 and January 2009, we carried out a public consultation (Climate Change and the National Forest Estate) that explained there were significant opportunities relating to wider development of the renewable energy potential of the national forest estate and sought views on allowing the Forestry Commissioners to enter into joint ventures, with the intention of participating in renewable energy programmes. There were 368 responses to this question, from a wide range of stakeholders. The analysis of responses is available at:

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/ccbillconsultationanalysis.pdf/$FILE/ccbillconsultationanalysis.pdf.

In addition, between April and June 2008, Forestry Commission Scotland had consulted on its Framework Strategic Plan which stated that, with due regard for community, planning and environmental concerns, Forest Enterprise Scotland would maximise for wind farms and small scale hydro-electricity developments on the national forest estate; There were 105 responses to this consultation, from a wide range of stakeholders. The analysis of responses is available at:

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/FSPConsultationsummaryandanalysis.pdf/$FILE/FSPConsultationsummaryandanalysis.pdf.