Chamber and committees

As I indicated in my earlier answer, Operation Youth Advantage is an initiative run by the British Army Career Service as part of a range of activities aimed at encouraging young men and women to consider a career in the army. Northern Constabulary and Grampian Police have both been involved in the scheme. While I understand that other police forces in Scotland have expressed an interest in participating, I made clear in my earlier answer that it is for individual police forces to decide on the extent of their involvement. As a result, the Executive has made no representations to the Ministry of Defence about extending the scheme.

The importance which the Executive attaches to the service provided by retained and volunteer firefighters was highlighted in our policy consultation paper, The Scottish Fire Service of the Future, published last year.

More specifically, the Executive has given considerable policy and financial support to the development of the auxiliary service in the Highland and Islands.Since 2000-01 the Highland and Islands Joint Board has received £8 million incapital consent, 40% of which has been to assist their auxiliary serviceupgrade programme. This involves new build or improvements to a number ofexisting identified fire stations; providing new equipment – especiallybreathing apparatus and vehicles - and an intensive training programme to bringauxiliary firefighters up to the safety standards required by the Health andSafety Executive.

Grant Aided Expenditure funding for the board has increased from £9.9 million in 2000-01 to £12.2 million in 2003-04, an increase of 22.4%. Ministers also agreed a further £1 million in 2003-04 to assist with the revenue consequences of the upgrade programme.

The report was published on 19 August 2003.Sheriff Principal Nicholson outlined the recommendations likely to be made inthe report to my predecessor prior to the election. The report was received bythe Executive in final form at the end of March, but could not be published atthat time because of the election.

The current budget of theLess Favoured Area Support Scheme is £61 million per year. An additional £2million was made available in 2003 only, in recognition both of the importanceof the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme to farmers and crofters, and of thedifficulties that they had experienced as a result of foot-and-mouth disease.

No formal representationshave been made about the budget for the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme,although some members of the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme Industry WorkingGroup have indicated that retaining the existing level of expenditure would betheir preference.

An announcement about thechanges required to adapt the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme to anexpenditure level of £61 million will be made in due course.

The Nicholson Committee intheir report on liquor licensing law recommended changes in both these areas.Its report, which was published on 19 August 2003,has been issued for consultation until 19 December 2003.

I refer the member to the answer given to S2W-1830 on 27 August 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

The Scottish Executive supports reform of the Structural Funds post-2006 to ensure they are targeted where they are most needed following enlargement of the European Union. While mountains, peripherality and sparse population are not in themselves justification for funding, recognition of the challenges faced by such communities will be important for future EU regional policy. The debate on reform still has some way to go and we remain fully engaged both at UK and Europe level to ensure that Scottish interests are taken into account.