Chamber and committees

Total fire service GAE is distributed each year in accordance with a distribution formula agreed by the Distribution Committee of the Working Party on Local Government Finance. The formula is based on 3 indicators; namely, standardised establishments, standardised establishments per station and pensions. Standardised establishments, the primary indicator, are calculated from the approved establishment of each brigade standardised in terms of firefighter equivalents by weighting numbers in each rank according to relative average salaries. Certain elements of the formula have recently been reviewed, but no proposals for a full review have to date been put to the Distribution Committee.

Total fire service GAE was increased from £178.5 million for 1999-2000 to £186.9 million for 2000-01 to include provision for increases in pay and pension costs, increased spending on community fire safety, improvements in health and safety training and improvements in the standards of volunteer units.

The criteria used to assess applications for signage to visitor attractions, hotels and other accommodation from trunk roads and motorways is contained within the Scottish Executive Trunk Road and Motorway Tourist Signposting Policy document. A copy of this document has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Early in 1999, the Government announced the introduction in academic year 2000-01 of a scheme of loans for part-time students in higher education which was welcomed by the Cubie Committee. Scottish domiciled students on low incomes will be able to apply for a loan of up to £500 to cover course expenses. The detail of the scheme will be published shortly. Also, higher education students with a disability are now eligible to apply for the Disabled Students' Allowance. Since academic year 1998 part-time students in further and higher education who may face particular financial difficulty have been able to apply to their institution for help from the Access Funds. In addition, during 1999-2000, the further education colleges have been provided with additional funds to target at the most needy students, part-time as well as full-time.The Scottish Executive will publish its full response to the Cubie Report in the spring including its recommendations on part-time students.

The Local Consultation (New Water and Sewerage Authorities) Direction 1998 requires the water authorities to consult statutory and other bodies that represent interests in the local communities affected by the authorities' operations. It came into force on 24 August 1998 and provides the basis for local consultation and accountability by the authorities. The Executive has not judged it necessary to supplement the Direction with any additional guidance.

The allocation of resources in the Scottish Executive's programmes takes a number of rural circumstances into consideration. The Executive is currently investigating methods of identifying rural disadvantage. These will be taken into account in determining allocations in due course.

The Scottish Ambulance Service is currently undertaking a review of working arrangements at its ambulance stations to ensure their conditions fully comply with the EU Working Time Directive.Scottish Executive Health Department officials will meet with the Scottish Ambulance Service to discuss the progress and future plans of the Ambulance Service's Joint Working Party on the Working Time Directive.

The Scottish Executive has no plans to treat such students as a special case. The Executive's view is that to extend the package of support to Scottish domiciled students studying elsewhere in the UK would run the risk of the UK being held to be in breach of EU law. The Executive will, however, examine all aspects of the new support scheme as the detail is developed and will consult all those with an interest.

£13 million. It is savings made by the Scottish Prison Service in previous years.

The staff savings, prison closures and the management changes will be enough to enable the Scottish Prison Service to operate within its future baseline provision. The £13 million did not form part of this baseline and was reallocated to elsewhere in the Justice Programme.