Chamber and committees

Scottish ministers are responsible for appointing members of the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. These appointments are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Standards under procedures set down in the Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies.Appointments to the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for Scotland are the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Scotland and Scottish ministers have no involvement in such matters.

Her Majesty the Queen appoints Lords-Lieutenants in Scotland, as in England and Wales. When a Lord-Lieutenant retires, the Prime Minister consults the First Minister before giving advice to Her Majesty on the appointment of a replacement.

Scottish parliamentary elections are reserved. The cost of administering local government elections is met from local authorities' own budgets. The Scottish Executive is meeting the costs associated with the local government element of training for elections staff and publicity and voter awareness campaigns in the run up to the elections in May 2003.

The information requested cannot be separately identified from prosecutions for other offences involving animals in the data held centrally.

The full list of currently endangered species of animals and plants can be found on the "Red List" approved by the International Union of Conservation for Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). Full details of the species listed can be accessed on the website at: www.redlist.org.

Administration staff of the sheriff courts are civil servants employed by the Scottish Court Service. Under the authority delegated to him by Scottish ministers, the Chief Executive of the Scottish Court Service has responsibility for deciding the remuneration level, and other terms and conditions of employment, of all Scottish Court Service staff. The pay system and general pay levels used by the Court Service are determined following negotiation with the relevant trade union.

Administration staff of the Court of Session are civil servants employed by the Scottish Court Service. Under the authority delegated to him by Scottish ministers, the Chief Executive of the Scottish Court Service has responsibility for deciding the remuneration level, and other terms and conditions of employment, of all Scottish Court Service staff. The pay system and general pay levels used by the Court Service are determined following negotiation with the relevant trade union.

Subsidies for rail services are given to the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority by the Scottish Executive, in the form of a Special Rail Grant, and by the 12 local authorities which make up the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority, in the form of revenue support. The Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority has statutory responsibility for bus services in its area and receives financial support for this from its constituent local authorities.

In 1999 there was agreement amongst the relevant ministers that all members of the Inner House of the Court of Session should be made members of the Privy Council. The purpose of this recommendation was to address the prevailing shortage of Scottish judges on the Privy Council and to provide more Scottish judges to assist in dealing with any devolution issues which might be referred to the Privy Council under the provisions of the Scotland Act 1998.The first new appointments of Inner House Judges to the Privy Council were agreed by Her Majesty in March 2000 and the names were announced in a press notice issued by the Office of the Prime Minister. Subsequent appointments have been made as and when new Inner House Judges have been appointed.

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport sponsors the BTA, and consults the Scottish Executive closely on all relevant aspects of the sponsoring role. In addition staff of both VisitScotland and the BTA regularly meet to discuss how best the BTA can promote Scotland overseas and other relevant issues. The activities which the BTA undertakes to promote overseas tourism to Scotland include public relations and advertising, press promotions, participation at exhibitions, information services for the public, and advice and market intelligence to the tourism trade.