Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government takes the view that collaboration and participation in deer management groups is the most effective way to deliver sustainable deer management. We recognise, however, that attendance and practical engagement within deer management groups needs to better represent a wider range of both public and private interests.

The Scottish Government takes the view that collaboration and participation in deer management groups is the most effective way to deliver sustainable deer management. This applies to most of the red deer range in the uplands. In the lowlands where roe deer predominate, other arrangements are likely to be more appropriate, and public authorities are more likely to play a key role in deer management.

Scottish Natural Heritage does not collect systematic data on deer management group membership or attendance. An attempt to assess attendance was carried out for the year 2009-10. This assessment indicates that 63% of landowners who are members of a deer management group, or their representatives, attend meetings.

The £24.4 million budget for Zero Waste includes support for a number of programmes, including work to develop markets for recyclate use; waste prevention and minimisation; re-use and recycling awareness; support for community recycling groups; and support for local authorities. Full details of the Zero Waste Scotland Operating Plan for 2010-11 can be found at:

http://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/document.rm?id=9643.

It is not possible to disaggregate the £24.4 million budget down to the level of beneficiaries, as the support programme delivered by Zero Waste Scotland takes a whole system approach and focuses on all waste, irrespective of where it arises or who manages it. Nevertheless, local authorities do benefit from the Zero Waste Programme outcomes.

In addition, over £30 million of the Zero Waste Fund was allocated to local authorities to assist with delivery of new and improved waste infrastructure. The Scottish Government letter dated 4 December 2009 addressed to COSLA and council chief executives, advised local authorities of the amount of Zero Waste Fund monies to be paid to them. In accordance with the concordat, this funding is not ring fenced, however the letter highlighted partnership working with COSLA and recognised the need to make good progress on recycling/composting diversion targets and to commit resources accordingly. This is in addition to the £65 million from the former ring fenced Strategic Waste Fund that was incorporated into the block grant provided to local authorities by the Scottish Government in 2010-11.

To summarise, £95.7 million was paid to local authorities during 2010-11, they also benefit from the Zero Waste Scotland Programme, as detailed above.

I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:

No decisions have been made regarding the closure of any prison within the Scottish Prison Service estate. The SPS is considering a range of options to work within the resources available to it while delivering the services required. We will work with staff and trade union partners to identify where further efficiency savings can be made and how the current prison estate can best be utilised, including addressing the levels of under-occupancy in the Open Estate.

I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

The Scottish Prison Service capital budget for 2010-2011 reflects the expected high level of spending on prison projects in the current year. The capital budget for 2011-12 is based on the planned capital project expenditure for that period which is expected to be lower. This capital provision will allow for the completion of HMP Low Moss and the final phase of the redevelopment of HMP Shotts.

I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

In 2011-12, the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) will transfer responsibility for the health and care of prisoners in custody in Scotland to the National Health Service in Scotland. This transfer will take place in November 2011 and the SPS budget has been reduced by £10 million in 2011-12 to reflect this change of responsibility. The SPS current expenditure budget for 2011-12 has also been reduced by a further £5.1 million to reflect the efficiency savings that SPS is expected to achieve in line with the Scottish Government''s efficiency targets for all public sector organisations.

This information is not available at present. Remuneration will, however, be in line with Public Sector Pay Policy Guidance for Senior Appointments, which is available on the Scottish Government website. A link to the 2010-11 guidance is attached:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/04/27100002/0.

I will write to the member as soon as the information is available and a copy will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 52172).

The Programmes of Research budget, which forms part of the level 2 Research, Analysis and Other Services budget, will fund two major programmes of strategic research: Environmental Change, and Food, Land and People. This budget will also fund: underpinning capacity and capital projects at the main research providers (MRPs); three centres of expertise, focusing on climate change, water and animal disease preparedness, and two strategic partnerships, covering research into animal science and food and drink.

We have protected the resource funding for our MRPs in 2011-12 at flat cash relative to 2010-11. The reduction in Programmes of Research budget, therefore, represents the completion of a period of significant capital investment at our MRPs in 2010-11, which will not be repeated in 2011-12, and also the relinquishing of efficiency savings that had been used to help fund capital investment in 2010-11.

The reduction in the Business Development budget affects capital schemes which form part of the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP). This includes: funding under the Food Processing Marketing and Co-operation Grant Scheme; support to help crofters improve the viability of their rural businesses through the Crofting Counties Agricultural Grant Scheme; support for capacity building through the Skills Development Scheme; support for business modernisation and quality assurance under Land Managers Options, and support for agricultural and forestry business development under Rural Priorities.

Spend on food and drink and renewables has been protected. For Rural Priorities, the £250,000 cap placed on Axis 1 business development projects earlier this year will help to spread out this funding and give more applicants a chance of success.

The draft budget will not reduce the Scottish Government''s capacity to support high quality projects.

Under the SRDP, awards are paid on project completion. The draft budget allows the Scottish Government to honour its commitment to existing projects in full.