Chamber and committees

The following table containsthe minimum, maximum and mean discounts granted between 1979 quarter 2 and 2006quarter 1 to tenants who purchased their home through right to buy, broken downby local authority. The data have been adjusted to 2005 prices.

Discounts Given to TenantsPurchasing their Home through Right to Buy (at 2005 Prices)

Local Authority Area	Right to Buy (Old Terms)			Right to Buy (Modernised)
	Mean (£)	Minimum (£)	Maximum (£)	Mean (£)	Minimum (£)	Maximum (£)
Scotland	22,066	22	153,000	12,840	1,541	20,540
Aberdeen City	26,830	61	74,970	14,134	9,000	15,405
Aberdeenshire	20,509	1,369	73,425	12,582	4,503	17,945
Angus	19,256	1,948	49,929	11,162	1,948	15,899
Argyll and Bute	21,953	3,516	61,677	13,215	10,424	15,000
Clackmannanshire	21,814	680	59,327	n/a	n/a	na
Dumfries and Galloway	18,153	218	44,000	11,765	9,602	15,000
Dundee City	22,218	1,502	61,677	12,602	6,840	15,000
East Ayrshire	18,426	2,886	62,852	11,738	6,000	19,065
East Dunbartonshire	25,946	1,481	105,800	14,126	11,014	15,000
East Lothian	27,095	842	111,606	14,955	14,685	15,405
East Renfrewshire	23,607	1,852	58,800	13,954	13,363	14,685
Edinburgh	26,815	291	153,000	13,067	7,129	15,000
Eilean Siar	16,777	1,474	41,890	9,140	9,140	9,140
Falkirk	20,803	1,270	107,935	12,332	6,853	15,000
Fife	18,566	22	91,047	12,742	4,212	15,405
Glasgow	26,031	765	97,500	13,517	1,541	15,405
Highland	19,684	789	76,700	13,448	7,910	20,540
Inverclyde	21,002	1,243	52,259	n/a	n/a	na
Midlothian	26,338	3,937	84,586	13,020	7,393	15,000
Moray	19,870	2,450	63,000	11,999	8,800	15,537
North Ayrshire	18,481	168	55,803	12,539	8,615	16,946
North Lanarkshire	21,001	91	63,146	12,722	7,049	15,000
Orkney	18,431	4,712	40,484	n/a	n/a	na
Perth and Kinross	21,397	3,858	65,104	13,279	8,800	15,405
Renfrewshire	23,600	578	56,880	12,372	6,280	15,405
Scottish Borders	18,772	1,597	71,957	12,668	8,504	15,214
Shetland	22,876	3,499	51,691	14,685	14,685	14,685
South Ayrshire	21,248	1,572	73,290	14,103	9,252	15,097
South Lanarkshire	21,743	1,058	59,915	12,248	1,849	15,405
Stirling	23,318	1,657	84,000	13,602	11,259	15,405
West Dunbartonshire	24,591	2,645	70,488	12,932	6,530	15,405
West Lothian	20,157	27	111,606	14,400	12,180	15,000

Source: ScottishExecutive Development Department Analytical Services Division Housing Statisticsbranch.

Notes:

1. For this analysis, the amount of each discount wasconverted to 2005 prices using the UK GDP deflator. The GDP deflator is a measureof inflation across the whole domestic economy.

2. Cases where no discount was granted have been excludedfrom the analysis.

3. In some localauthorities, there have not yet been any sales under modernised right to buy. Thisis indicated by n/a (not applicable).

4. By definition,the maximum and minimum discounts represent data outliers, or atypical extreme values.They are therefore not representative of the data as a whole. If the lowest andhighest 1% of cases with a discount greater than 0 are excluded from the data, theminimum discount under the old terms is £9,477, and the maximum is £42,834. Themean is almost unchanged at £21,569.

5. Right tobuy sales are subject to modernised terms as of 30 September 2002.

The External Liaison Unitreport on the “Our Voice in Europe” Youth Forum was completed on 19 September 2006.

The Scottish Executive has provided£1,275,000 to the SCHOLAR programme since 2001 in order to help the programme getestablished. There are no plans to provide further support. The expansion of theprogramme is a matter for Heriot-Watt University and its partners.

The protection of intellectualproperty rights (IPR) in overseas markets is a matter for the IPR owner.

There are no new fundingarrangements for Scottish Enterprise.

 

Scottish Enterprise producedan operating plan that outlines its spending plans and operational activities forthe current financial year. A copy of the plan can be viewed on the ScottishEnterprise website at : www.scottish-enterprise.com/what_we_do/operating-plan.htm.

Support for craft sectorbusinesses is available as part of the generic business support programmesprovided by the enterprise networks and Scottish Development International.

When I meet the majorretailers, I emphasise how seriously the Executive views the importance ofmaintaining a sustainable food chain with healthy trading relationships betweensuppliers and retailers. I also recommended that the Competition Commission’scurrent inquiry should address the importance of encouraging collaborativetrading relationships within the supply chain for groceries so that thecommercial viability of primary producers and processors is not undermined byshort-term price pressures brought to bear by retailers.

Number of Scottish studentsstudying in foreign universities under the Erasmus programme and the percentageof participating UK students that were Scottish: 2002-03 to 2004-05

Year	Number of Scottish students	Number of UK students	Percentage of UK students that were Scottish
2002-03	385	5250	7.35%
2003-04	565	5490	10.26%
2004-05	605	5345	11.36%

Source:Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

Note: Numbershave been rounded to the nearest 5 to protect confidentiality but percentagesare based on unrounded counts.

The data above includesstudents from all UK Higher Education Institutions.

Prior to academic year2002-03, data was not returned to the Scottish Executive with regard tooutgoing Erasmus students although information was provided relating to thenumber of incoming Erasmus students.

The Scottish Executive engageswith the Scottish Diaspora to further Scotland’s interests for the long-term benefit of our economyand society. We aim to encourage the diaspora’sactive participation and engagement in promoting Scotland as a great country tovisit, live, learn, work, do business and invest.

Officials do not have any links with the Scots AustralianCouncil at this time. We are in the processof identifying appropriate Scottish associations and diaspora groups in order toeffectively target them with information on modern Scotland.

TheExecutive is undertaking a range of activities to promote modern Scotland in Australia. Forexample, building on the links established during the Commonwealth Games, we haveworked with The Scottish Book Trust to support a series of events at the MelbourneInternational Arts Festival later in October.

We are keen to developfurther the strong links between Scotland and Australia. The First Minister signed a Sister State Agreement with thePremier of the State of Victoria during his visit to Australia in March this year. An action plan to take forward cooperationbetween Scotland and Victoriais in preparation.

The Scottish Executive received£35 million in respect of 2002-03 and £57 million in respect of 2003-04 to balanceany change in the cost of council tax benefit subsidy.