Chamber and committees

None.

None.

There is no consultationrequirement in respect of a bridge scheme promoted under s.75 of the Roads (Scotland)Act 1984. However, notice of the making of the scheme (and a copy of the schemeand any relevant map or plan) must be served on every navigation authorityconcerned with or having jurisdiction over the waters affected by the scheme,and on Scottish Water.

There are no alternativeprocedures to be followed if the organisations in question have ceased to exist.However, Scottish ministers must be satisfied that the reasonable requirementsof navigation have been taken into account when considering such schemes.

The Scottish Executive has no plans to reintroduce professional grouse keepers to increase thehen harrier population.

There is no scientific evidenceto link the decline of breeding hen harriers at Langholm moors with a decline inred grouse. Numbers of breeding hen harriers present on moorland areas instead appearto be related principally to the abundance of voles and meadow pipits in spring.

Scottish Natural Heritage hasrecently launched a Natural Care Moorland Management Scheme for its Forth and BordersArea. This covers a number of Sites of Special Scientific Interest including theLangholm - Newcastleton Hills Special Protection Area. There is a variety of prescriptionsavailable under this scheme which will support and sustain the important moorlandfeatures of each site. Some of these prescriptions are associated with sportingmanagement for red grouse shooting. Support for muirburn will be available on allsites. Support for legal predator control will be available on three areas, includingLangholm, as part of a trial study.

As well asthe programme of inspections by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education, wewrote to all authorities last year about their published progress reports andmet with almost all of them. We will repeat this annually.

The properties known as LongbedholmCottage, Longbedholm Farmhouse and Middlegill have been offered back to the previousowners in accordance with the Crichel Down Rules. A positive response was receivedin respect of Longbedholm Cottage and this has been referred to the District Valuerto determine a suitable price. A reply is still awaited regarding Longbedholm Farmhouse.Arrangements are being made to have Middlegill advertised on the open market laterthis month following confirmation that the previous owners are not interested inre-purchasing. Work continues in identifying the land boundaries and location ofservices necessary for the preparation of plans required to effect the disposalfor Nether Howecleugh, Raecleugh and Milagro. It is anticipated that this work willbe completed during the summer.

The numbers of teachers who have registered interest in undertaking the Chartered Teacher programme and have received certificates of eligibility from the General Teaching Council for Scotland, are shown in the following table. Information on current levels of participation is not held centrally and will not be available until after University Examination Board meetings, which normally take place in June.

Local Authority	Secondary Education	Primary Education
Aberdeen City	127	157
Aberdeenshire	146	163
Angus	65	46
Argyll and Bute	56	59
City of Edinburgh	183	204
City of Glasgow	316	351
Clackmannanshire	31	23
Dumfries and Galloway	87	85
Dundee City	71	58
East Ayrshire	67	84
East Dunbartonshire	96	99
East Lothian	38	54
East Renfrewshire	84	79
Falkirk	87	94
Fife	254	270
Highland	157	126
Inverclyde	59	64
Midlothian	55	66
Moray	45	58
North Ayrshire	75	78
North Lanarkshire	174	165
Orkney Islands	15	28
Perth and Kinross	79	76
Renfrewshire	150	112
Scottish Borders	54	56
Shetland Islands	46	34
South Ayrshire	77	96
South Lanarkshire	182	143
Stirling	85	64
West Dunbartonshire	63	52
West Lothian	94	73
Western Isles	39	18

This planning application byDumfries and Galloway Council was notified to the Scottish ministers in November2002. After careful consideration of the case, the Scottish ministers decided thatthere were no issues of national significance that would justify their interventionand therefore deemed planning permission was granted in December 2002.

The Executive has no such powersat present. We have agreed with DTI ministers that the powers to grant these consentsin the renewable energy zones will be executively devolved to the Scottish ministers.We are also in discussion with Her Majesty’s Government about future arrangementsin respect of other provisions in the Energy Bill concerned with renewable energyinstallations in these waters, including public rights of navigation, the creationof safety zones and powers to ensure that plans for the decommissioning of theseinstallations are approved at the time of consent.

The enactment of the Energy Billwill have no immediate impact on the Executive’s functions within the territorialsea as we already have powers to consent proposals under section 36 of the ElectricityAct 1989 within these waters. The Energy Bill contains additional powers in respectof offshore renewable energy developments beyond the territorial sea and we arediscussing with Her Majesty’s Government arrangements for the extension of executivelydevolved powers in this area.