Chamber and committees

I wrote to the Member on 13 June. I also understand that she has already received a full reply to the issues raised in a letter from the Chief Executive of the North of Scotland Water Authority, Alastair Findlay, dated 7 April.

Investment in the specialist services provided by Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust is a local issue and as such is a matter for the health board and Trust.

Section 58 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 provides that development to which a planning permission relates must be begun within five years of the date on which the permission was granted unless the permission stipulates a different period.

Section 61 of the Act provides that, if after the expiry of the five year (or other) period a planning authority is of the opinion that the development will not be completed within a reasonable period it may serve a completion notice stating that the planning permission will cease to have effect at the expiration of a period (not less than 12 months) specified in the notice. Such a notice has no effect unless it is confirmed by the Scottish Ministers.

Planning authorities also have powers under section 65 of the Act to revoke or modify planning permission. Where the permission relates to the carrying out of building or other operations these powers may be exercised at any time before those operations have been completed; and where the permission relates to the change of use of any land, at any time before the change has taken place. In exercising these powers authorities may be liable to claims for compensation in terms of section 76 of the Act.

Should a building or site become unsafe, there are powers under the Building (Scotland) Act 1959 to require a developer to make them safe.

The Executive has no plans to amend the planning provisions and, although the building control system is under review, there are no plans at present to extend the relevant powers.

In the year 2000, 93 students graduated from the University of Dundee School of Nursing and Midwifery in the spring of the year 2000 with a further 161 students expected to graduate in the autumn.

Approximately 25% of those students graduating in February of this year were recruited to Tayside University Hospitals Trust. The Scottish Executive has been advised by the Trust that, while it is difficult to predict what might happen in August 2000, it is likely that the recruitment situation will be similar to that in February 2000.

Public funding of medical research in Scotland comes from three main sources - the Medical Research Council (MRC), the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC), and the Scottish Executive's Chief Scientist Office. The table below shows the amounts provided (by financial year). These figures are the best estimates available at the present time.

	1993-94	1994-95	1995-96	1996-97	1997-98	1998-99	1999-2000
	£ million
CSO	10.6	10.1	10.7	10.6	9.9	10.8	Not available
MRC	33.5	33.9	31.5	39.5	36.7	36.1	Not available
SHEFC	18.1	17.8	17.9	18.2	20.3	20.0	22.5
TOTAL	62.2	61.8	60.1	68.3	66.9	66.9	Not available

NHS

Not available1

Not available1

Not available1

24.0

28.0

29.0

Not available

Note:1. It is not possible to identify NHS R&D expenditure separately until 1996-97

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a draft report on dioxins in the environment in 1994. Following substantial criticisms of the basis for its recommendations from many sources, including the UK Government, the EPA has undertaken further analysis. We understand the final report will be published in the summer. We will wait to see what the new report says, and in particular whether it has addressed any of the serious criticisms the UK raised, before commenting on its implications.

The Scottish Executive will consider the World Health Organisation's (WHO) re-evaluation of the safe level for human exposure as soon as the scientific evidence and justification for its decision are made publicly available by WHO.

The provision of local bus services is a matter for the commercial judgement of individual bus operators. If bus services cannot be run on a commercial basis local transport authorities have powers to subsidise services which meet an identifiable social need. The Scottish Executive's Transport Bill proposals, however, are aimed at the development of a partnership approach between local authorities and operators to deliver better quality services and to provide greater stability on service provision.

This information is not held centrally.

The time taken reflects extensive consultation with the Commission for Racial Equality on the membership of the group and the careful consideration given to the matter within the Executive.

The Executive recognises the need for witnesses in cases of anti-social behaviour to give evidence free from intimidation. The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 made provision for applications for Anti-Social Behaviour Orders and eviction for anti-social behaviour to be made on evidence obtained by police and local authorities witnesses, reducing the need for other witnesses to give evidence in court. We will shortly be producing an action plan following the consultation on the report Towards a Just Conclusion, which made recommendations about intimidated witnesses.