Chamber and committees

Officials from the Scottish Executive and the Ministry of Defence have been involved in a series of meetings to identify the constraints on windfarm development and to identify solutions. These discussions are ongoing. The Scottish Executive is also represented on the Aviation Interests Working Group which brings together the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA), the Department of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Defence and the Civil Aviation Authority.

Twice.

Guidance on how local authorities should provide for wind farms in their development plans is set out in National Planning Policy Guideline 6: Renewable Energy Developments. This guidance will be kept under review, particularly in the light of any revised targets arising from the consultation paper on Scotland's Renewable Energy Potential - Beyond 2010.

No specific monitoring is carried out on crops situated in the vicinity of GM crop trials.Separation distances are in place around GM crop trials to minimise the potential for cross-pollination. They do not reflect any doubts about safety; they are used to maintain high levels of purity in adjacent crops and are a recognised method of enabling different crops to co-exist. The Executive's scientific advisers are satisfied that neither cross-pollination involving the variety of GM herbicide tolerant oil seed rape being grown in the farm-scale trials, nor the pollen itself landing on neighbouring crops, poses a threat to human health or the environment. The harvested GM crop and any sexually compatible crops grown within the separation distances surrounding GM crop trials will not enter the human food or animal feed chain.

Yes. The Scottish Executive, on behalf of the other devolved administrations, has responded to the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission (AEBC) proposals for a public debate in advance of decisions on the possible commercialisation of GM crops. The response, which will be published on the AEBC website, makes clear that the public debate must encompass all areas of the UK and enable distinct regional views and values to be heard. Ministers have accepted the AEBC recommendation for the appointment of a steering board independent of government to oversee the debate. Appointments to the board are not the responsibility of government but will aim to reflect the need to maintain diversity and to have a balance of views and opinions from all sides of the GM debate and from around all regions of the UK. The membership of the steering board and the format for the debate will be announced, by the AEBC Chairman, in due course.

Of the 33 applications received, nine candidates were interviewed.I am not in a position to disclose personal information about individual candidates.

A total of 33 applications were received.

Ms Esther Roberton's current term of appointment will end on 31 March 2004.

The Scottish Executive publication, Rebuilding our National Health, dated May 2001, provides details of the membership, composition and role of NHS boards. NHS boards are required to focus clearly on people's experience of their local NHS system, by having mechanisms in place to ensure that:

• there is effective liaison with patients and their representative groups;
• complaints are addressed appropriately;
• patient feedback is captured and acted upon, and

the patient's voice is heard.

Working for Health -The Workforce Development Action Plan for NHSScotland, which was published on 1 August 2002, set out a number of immediate actions including the establishment of a task force on NHS Careers and Recruitment and Retention. This group will tackle immediate workforce issues, such as the recruitment of experienced health care teams from abroad to shorten waiting times and improve services in national priority areas.