Chamber and committees

All forces currently have in place Race Relations Policies designed to ensure the fair and equitable treatment of the people and communities they serve, including refugees and asylum seekers. Moreover, the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) published A Racial Diversity Guidance Manual on 1 August for Scottish police forces to use in the fight against all forms of racism. This guidance manual complements the ACPOS Racial Diversity Strategy and sets out broad principles for the police to tackle racism, including instructions for officers on reporting, recording and investigating racist crime.

I am arranging for copies of both documents to be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Nationally, the Scottish Police College provides Equal Opportunities training for all new recruits, serving officers and support staff. The topics covered include Racism Awareness, Cultural Diversity and Cross-Cultural Communications.

In addition all forces have reviewed, or are in the process of reviewing, local training provision for Equal Opportunities and Race Awareness, with many giving a greater emphasis to asylum seeker issues.

There is no need for an investigation into the Baldovie waste to energy plant. Scottish Ministers are satisfied that the new Baldovie incinerator can operate to meet SEPA's requirements under existing and forthcoming legislation. In particular, it has been designed to meet the dioxin emission limit of 0.1 nanogrammes/m³ proposed in the draft Waste Incineration Directive at present under consideration in the EU.

In May, I was present at the signing of a good neighbour charter between Dundee Energy Recycling, Dundee City Council and representatives of the local community. The charter established a community liaison group which will meet quarterly. Technical reports on emissions, the reasons for any breach of emission limits and any measures taken as a result will be made available to the liaison group. The minute of these meetings will be made public and a comprehensive file on the plant will be held in local libraries.

The number of water meters installed in domestic properties throughout Scotland at the customer's request since the introduction of new charge levels on 1 April 2000 has been 44. The total number of households served by the three water authorities is 2.3 million.

No. Responsibility for mobile phone licences is a reserved matter. Scotland will of course receive the consequentials of UK public spending decisions under the Barnett formula.

My response to Ms Robison was mailed on Wednesday 12 July 2000.

I have written today to Professor Sir Alfred Cuschieri expressing my regret that he had not received an earlier reply to his letter about the Scottish Image Guided Microtherapy Unit at Ninewells. I explained that no discourtesy was intended, as the delay was due to an administrative oversight, which the Scottish Executive Health Department very much regretted.

In view of the recent media publicity this issue has received, I should make clear the Scottish Executive's position, which is that £2 million from the Capital Modernisation Fund has been earmarked for this project, and we have no intention of reneging on that commitment.

The source of the running costs of the project has still to be established, however. In May last year, the Trust wrote asking for confirmation that central revenue funding would be identified for the project. The reply made clear that capital funds had been earmarked by the Management Executive on the basis that the Trust would ensure sufficient revenue funding was available across the life of the project. The reply also pointed out that no additional revenue funds were available centrally. The Trust has therefore been aware of the position since May 1999, and there should have been no grounds for confusion on the issue.

The Chief Medical Officer is to meet Professor Cushieri to discuss the future development of the centre.

This is a matter for Dundee University and the Tayside NHS Trusts. The information is not held centrally.

This information is not held centrally.

The Scottish Executive has no plans to do so. The existing powers under section 93 of the Transport Act 1985 allow local authorities to establish concessionary fares schemes for eligible categories including disabled people. These powers are discretionary and decisions on the extent of such schemes including the eligibility criteria are solely for the local authorities taking account of needs and circumstances.