Chamber and committees

Statistics of this kind covering enquiries, requests for advice and unsuccessful applications are not collated. Whilst some information may be retrievable from the relevant files, this would provide only an incomplete picture and would be likely to incur disproportionate costs.As indicated in previous answers, detailed records are held in relation to all licences which are issued under section 16 of the Act.

Predators of red squirrels include domestic dogs and cats, some members of the weasel and stoat family and some birds of prey. The main threats to red squirrels come from competition from grey squirrels and from habitat loss and fragmentation. Predation is not significant in the context of efforts to conserve the red squirrel. No action is therefore planned against red squirrel predators. Licences to kill or take red squirrels can be issued in terms of section 16(3) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended). In each of the last 10 years the following licences have been issued:

	Licences Issued	Animals Killed/Taken
1990-93	nil	0
1994	1	21
1995	1	23
1996	1	0
1997	1	0
1998-present	nil	0

My officials have met with industry representatives and the department is looking at detailed options along with the Deer Commission for Scotland to support carcass disposal should that prove necessary. The Executive has already approved funding for a wild venison marketing initiative within the UK through the Marketing Development Scheme and will consider further applications should the industry wish to do so.

There has been no transfer of Scottish Executive posts to Inverness since May 1999.Information on the number of staff employed in non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally.

With the lifting of the small remaining infected area around Annan, the whole of Scotland now qualifies to be treated as foot-and-mouth disease free. This means that the movement and other controls which apply to our livestock sector are much less prohibitive than previously, allowing transactions by various means. Large numbers of livestock are now being moved as a result of private sales, video sales, sales by description and through collection centres and auction markets. In addition, the Livestock Welfare Disposal Scheme - Light Lambs should absorb large numbers of light and surplus lambs. In these circumstances I do not envisage the need to provide assistance for the purchase of additional fodder.

The Executive's forthcoming quinquennial review of the Scottish Arts Council will consider and make recommendations to ministers on the most appropriate geographic location for that body.

In the year 2000-01, a total of 1,902 general dental practitioners in Scotland were eligible for consideration for commitment payments, subject to meeting the relevant commitment payments criteria. In 2000-01, an average of 139 dentists failed to meet the minimum gross earnings criteria of £25,000. An average of 45 dentists failed to meet the 10-year length of service criteria. An average of 33 dentists failed to meet both the minimum gross earnings criteria of £25,000 and the 10-year length of service criteria.In 2000-01, there would have been no additional cost of extending the scheme to such persons, as the commitment payment scheme for that year was subject to a cash limited budget of £20 million for Great Britain. The effect would have been to decrease the quarterly monies available to qualifying dentists.

Publication of the identities of applicants for licences to kill or take ravens under section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is exempt from the requirements of the Environmental Information Regulations 1992 and there are no plans to change this.

The Scottish Executive has no such plans.

Control of pests under the Pests Act 1954 does not require a licence. Under The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which provides for the protection of all wild birds, four general licences are in force in Scotland which permit authorised persons to kill a range of birds referred to as pest species by certain means in certain circumstances. Individual licence applications in respect of these species are not required, but they are required under that Act for birds not covered by the four general licences.We intend to produce a range of pest control information leaflets which will be freely available.