Chamber and committees

Scottish Government officials have held discussions with the Scottish National Farmers'' Union, the Scottish Agricultural College and Quality Meat Scotland. Officials have also been informed of the views of Advocates for Animals.

A full consultation will be undertaken if the government proposes amendments to legislation or statutory welfare codes.

Under section 74 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, local authorities may not dispose of land (including the rental interest in that land) at less than the best consideration that can reasonably be obtained without seeking the consent of the Scottish ministers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20379 on 5 February 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0205-01.htm

This issue was not specifically discussed at the annual review meeting on 23 June. However, I expect NHS Dumfries and Galloway to ensure that they meet the Nursing and Midwifery Council minimum standard of one supervisor to 15 midwives.

All NHS boards, including NHS Dumfries and Galloway, are putting in place plans to increase the number of supervisors in order to meet the required standards.

for h

Yes. Grants for urban woodland creation and management are available through Rural Development Contracts. In addition, the Woods In and Around Towns Challenge Fund and the Forestry for People Challenge Fund offer support for woodland-based projects.

Land owners can register their business and land within the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) which allows them to become eligible for payments from the Scotland Rural Development Programme funding mechanisms. It does not matter whether they are a charitable trust or a commercial enterprise so long as they have legal tenure of the land and are prepared to sign up to a contract with the Scottish Government.

There is a range of central government funding streams from which bodies such as the Glasgow and Clyde Valley Green Network may benefit. This includes grant-aid under the Scottish Rural Development Programme (e.g. Forestry Challenge Funds, Forestry Options under Rural Development Contracts) for eligible woodlands within the network area. In addition, the Government provides funding to Greenspace Scotland, one of whose purposes is to support a Scotland-wide network of greenspace partnerships and organisations.

The Scottish Government is providing local authorities with a total funding package this year and next amounting to £22.8 billion. The vast majority of this funding will be provided by means of a block grant. It is the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the total financial resources available to it on the basis of local needs and priorities having first fulfilled its statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.

The Woods In and Around Towns (WIAT) initiative comprises a general focus for Forestry Commission Scotland''s work on improving quality of life in towns and cities, by creating new woodland, bringing neglected woodland into active management, and working with people to help them use their local woodland. WIAT initiative includes the WIAT Challenge fund which aims to bring urban woodland into sustainable management and improve recreation facilities by carrying out agreed programmes of work.

Managers and owners of eligible woodlands within the Central Scotland Forest Trust area can apply for grant-aid generally available under the Scottish Rural Development Programme e.g. Forestry Challenge Funds, Forestry Options under Rural Development Contracts.