Chamber and committees

In recognition of the importance of community participation in the Clyde Waterfront regeneration proposals, the Clyde Waterfront Working Group has established a Community Regeneration Sub-Group. This sub-group will look specifically at the impact of on-going regeneration activity on the Clyde Waterfront communities (covering housing, labour access, skills development and community engagement), and collate information on good practice in linking developments to job opportunities.Through Glasgow City Council, the Glasgow Harbour development has applied for over £10 million in European Regional Development Funding. An offer of grant, if made, is likely to contain a condition that a local labour market plan is developed. The council is working towards a strategic approach to maximising the training and job opportunities for local residents of social inclusion partnership areas.One of the key themes of Clydebank Re-Built Ltd (the company formed from the Clydebank Taskforce to transform Clydebank) is an Inclusive Clydebank to improve the experience of the people who live, work, learn and invest in Clydebank. Clydebank Re-Built Ltd will use the Place Check Approach to ensure appropriate community participation and have applied for Urban II funding to cover the costs. Urban II is a European programme directed at areas of particular disadvantage specifically targeting social inclusion and ensuring community participation in local projects.

The Scottish Executive recognises the importance of social inclusion for the sustainable regeneration of the Clyde Waterfront. The Clyde Waterfront Working Group focuses on social inclusion issues through its Community Regeneration Sub-Group. The Glasgow Harbour development will consider these issues as part of its proposed local labour agreement with Glasgow City Council.

It is for local licensing authorities to determine what conditions must be met before a licence for a house in multiple occupation is granted. HMO licensing and planning control are not linked in law and not all HMOs require planning permission. Some authorities require confirmation that the property has any necessary planning permission before granting an HMO licence, some grant conditional licences requiring that planning permission must be obtained, and others do not consider planning issues in the licensing process.

I have nothing further to add to the answer given to question S1O-5472 on 5 September 2002, which is available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

We continue to work through Scottish Development International to promote Scotland as a quality location for value-added, high-skill call centres, emphasising our educational strengths, providing support and assistance with identifying locations and training, and offering financial support where appropriate. Financial services and telecommunications are priority areas for Scottish Development International and are being actively targeted in key overseas markets.

An extensive consultation exercise seeking views on future governance and accountability arrangements in the further education sector is currently under way. The appointment of boards of management is one issue on which views are being sought.

Industrial relations and employment issues within further education colleges, which are autonomous bodies in terms of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992, are for the colleges themselves to address.

Arrangements whereby staff in colleges of further education may appeal against disciplinary action would normally be covered by the disciplinary code of the college concerned and by general employment law provisions.

Boards of management are accountable to the Scottish ministers through powers delegated to the Scottish Further Education Funding Council in the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992.

We will consider further the alignment of the student support for further and higher education students in the light of the forthcoming lifelong learning strategy.