Chamber and committees

I will announce shortly the launch of the Farm Business Development Scheme, applicable to all rural areas outwith the Highlands and Islands. This grant scheme is aimed at farmers and their immediate family members who wish to create new income-generating enterprises, or to expand existing diversified activities, either on-farm or off-farm.Similar grant assistance for farmers and crofters in the Highlands and Islands is already available under the Agricultural Business Development Scheme.

Honours are awarded by The Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister. Details of the process by which Honours nominations are processed and considered are not disclosed.

Table 1 details the number of households with incomes below 50% mean GB income. Table 2 details similar information for households with income below 60% median GB income - the agreed standard definition used in poverty analysis.

Table 1 Households with Income below 50% Mean Income, Scotland 1996-97 and 1998-99

		%	Number
1996-97	Before Housing Costs	21	450,000
	After Housing Costs	27	580,000
1998-99	Before Housing Costs	20	440,000
	After Housing Costs	26	560,000

Table 2 Households with Income below 60% Median Income, Scotland 1996-97 and 1998-99

		%	Number
1996-97	Before Housing Costs	21	450,000
	After Housing Costs	27	570,000
1998-99	Before Housing Costs	18	390,000
	After Housing Costs	24	530,000

Source: DSS Households Below Average Income.Notes: 1 Income is net equivalised household income; equivalisation takes account of the number of individuals living in the household.2 Thresholds are based on GB mean and median income.3 Estimates are based on sample counts, and are therefore subject to sampling variability.4 Caution should be exercised in drawing conclusions about changes over time due to the small sample sizes in Scotland.5 Number of households has been derived by applying the proportion from the HBAI dataset to Scottish Executive estimates of the total number of households in Scotland.

The Executive wishes to see the maintenance of key features of the present arrangements, such as national quotas, based on Relative Stability, conservation boxes and access restrictions within national 6/12 mile limits. At the same time, we want to secure improvements to make the CFP a more effective instrument for conserving fish stocks; developing the regional dimension, integrating environmental considerations and reducing discards.

The most recent annual report of the Scottish Transport Group available at 15 May 2000 showed the value of the surplus at 31 March 1999 to be approximately £120 million (net of tax). While there is no legal entitlement for Scottish Transport Group pension scheme members to share in the pension schemes surplus funds, Scottish Ministers have agreed with the Chancellor of the Exchequer that up to £100 million is to be made available for ex-gratia payments in Scotland, so that these payments are broadly equitable with the final settlement to National Bus Company pension scheme members south of the border.

I refer the Member to the answer to question S1W-12980.

The First Minister announced on 18 December that up to £100 million would be available for distribution, subject to the approval of the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Executive expects to be in a position to make ex-gratia payments in the second half of this year.

This information is not available centrally.

The Executive has received a representation from Electronics Scotland about issues in the electronics sector with regard to recruiting skilled staff. The Executive is working with industry groups and with further and higher education to help stimulate skills growth. Locate in Scotland continues to receive feedback from inward investors who feel that availability of skills is one of Scotland's greatest attributes. We expect this is an issue that Future Skills Scotland will want to address in due course.

The allocation of funding to individual institutions is a matter for the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council. The council makes its allocation on the basis of academic years. The allocation for 2001-02 academic year has not yet been published. Information for previous years is available on the SHEFC website or from the Parliament's Reference Centre.