Chamber and committees

The Physical Activity Task Force (PATF) recommended that all children, including those with disabilities, should have the opportunity to be physically active in their home, educational establishments and community. The task force formulated their recommendations having reviewed research and identified good practice on a worldwide basis. The PATF recognised play as an important element of physical activity, accounting for the greatest proportion of children and young people's physical activity pursuits. Membership of the PATF reflected a wide range of expertise and among those represented were play organisations, disabled groups, child health specialists and local authorities.The PATF proposed the development of policies and resources to support four broad strategic objectives, one of which involves providing supportive physical environments to enable inactive people to become active. All of these objectives will be taken into account in the development of the four implementation plans, Active Homes, Active Schools, Active Communities and Active Workplaces.

Under the new student support arrangements, introduced in 2001-02, students from the lowest income families will have up to £2,050 each year in the form of a non-repayable bursary. This will mean that these students will graduate from a four-year course with up to approximately £4,000 less debt than they would have had under the previous system.We are also providing more additional support to those students who need it most, such as students who have dependent children, particularly students who are lone parents, and young students for low income families who study elsewhere in the UK.

I am very grateful to Sheriff Principal Gordon Nicholson and his committee for the considerable commitment they have shown in completing their deliberations in this complex area of public policy, law and procedure within the 18-month timescale suggested by the Executive. The committee's consultation paper attracted over 200 replies and the committee also devoted eight days to taking oral evidence in addition to its own programme of meetings. The text of the report is undergoing final editing at present, but it will not be possible to publish the report before Parliament dissolves.

Alongside the work of Scottish Development International in promoting Scotland as a location for such activity, and the support provided directly to such enterprises through the Regional Selective Assistance scheme, the Executive is contributing to a study by Philip Taylor, University of Stirling, and Peter Bain, University of Strathclyde into outsourcing competition from India, which should help inform our consideration of this issue.

The funding offered to individual institutions is a matter for the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC). Legislation precludes ministers from directing funds to particular institutions.In 2002-03, Glasgow School of Art received just over £8 million from SHEFC - an increase of 13.4% on the £7 million it received in 2001-02.

The additional £40 million which is being made available over the next three financial years covers implementation of the whole of our coronary heart disease (CHD) and Stroke Strategy. NHS Greater Glasgow will receive support for its cardiac services Managed Clinical Network. It also has the opportunity to submit bids for initiatives which could be funded after meeting the costs of Managed Clinical Networks to support this strategy nationally and developing a national CHD database.

Improving Scotland's health is our most important challenge. Diseases such as coronary heart disease (CHD) are increasingly preventable by improvements in physical activity and diet and reductions in smoking. We are taking a comprehensive approach to health improvement that draws together activity across the whole range of the Executive's activity. Prevention is an integral part of our CHD and Stroke Strategy, and local cardiac services Managed Clinical Networks will be expected to develop prevention strategies which are in line with our health promotion framework.

Unlike breach of a bail condition, breach of a restriction of liberty order is not an offence. Breach of a restriction of liberty order is a matter for the courts under section 245F of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 and are reported to the court by the contractor appointed to monitor compliance with the order. The court decides what action should be taken based on the circumstances surrounding the breach.

Redundant employees can retrain using the Training for Work Programme, which provides short or long-term training for up to one year. Under the programme 28 redundant BAE workers are being funded to undertake short-term training as fork lift truck drivers, bus drivers, crane drivers, welders and scaffolding erectors.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33332 today. 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/webapp/search_wa.