Chamber and committees

The Scottish Executive's virus protection system has been enhanced to cope with the "Iloveyou" virus and all its known variants and clones.

The Executive continue to liaise with other Government agencies regarding all IT security issues including viruses but is not directly responsible for the physical protection of their IT systems.

At least one teacher in 80% of primary schools in Scotland has undertaken some training in delivering enterprise education. There are currently no plans to make enterprise education available to all primary schools in 2000-01. The curriculum in Scotland is not prescribed by statute but enterprise education can be delivered as part of a number of areas of the curriculum including, in particular, Environmental Studies.

Although the Scottish Executive itself does not publish estimates for the number of new businesses in Scotland, a number of measures are used by the Executive to monitor the business birth rate in Scotland including bank statistics and VAT registration statistics.

We have a number of positive measures in hand to encourage and increase the level of entrepreneurship in Scotland, including initiatives targeted at school pupils. The Education for Work and Enterprise agenda covers a wide range of school-based and other activities which are designed to raise awareness of the role of enterprise and entrepreneurship. For example, Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire Business Partnership has supported a range of enterprise activities designed to support the 5-14 curriculum. These include a "Mini Enterprise" programme for primary schools in Lanarkshire. In addition, the Achievers International programme supports the development of entrepreneurial skills through the innovative use of information technology.

Scottish Enterprise has also published a discussion paper detailing the progress made under the Business Birth Rate Strategy since its launch in 1993, and we are continuing to work with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise in improving their support for enterprise and business creation.

Of the eight task forces set up or continued by the Scottish Executive, only the Knowledge Economy and the Digital Scotland Task Forces have aims which include encouraging economic development. However in neither case would it be appropriate to link the activities of the task forces directly with particular numbers of jobs created or safeguarded.

The Executive were very heavily involved in the establishment of the National Centre in 1998. It came into being following an initiative by Brian Wilson MP who was then Minister for Education and Industry at the Scottish Office. The Executive continues to support the centre through core funding. There are no immediate plans to offer further financial support. Officials are in regular contact with the centre management to discuss on-going strategic and operational matters. It is anticipated that the good working relationship which exists between the Executive and the centre will continue.

This information is not held centrally.

No change in the remit is necessary. Under the existing remit, the commission will take account of such issues in its review of what the existing law actually is, and in its recommendations for improving its clarity and consistency.And, as is usual, the commission will prepare and issue a discussion paper before drawing up its recommendations. Local communities, individuals and businesses will therefore have the opportunity to make their views known as part of the process.

No. The designation of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) is the responsibility of SNH, which has a statutory duty under section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to notify land which, in its opinion, is of special scientific interest.Under the 1991 Act, in exercising its functions, SNH has a duty to take "such account as may be appropriate" of the interests of local communities and the need for social and economic development. However, where SNH is notifying an area of land as an SSSI and the scientific case for that land has been established, it is appropriate that SNH take no account of other factors.I am currently considering what future changes to the SSSI system may be desirable to ensure that we secure the protection of the natural heritage in a way which is effective and which takes account of communities' views.

Historic Scotland has investigated the concerns raised by the Ness District Fishing Board in their submission to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. A written response was submitted to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency which was taken into account by them in determining the application for a discharge consent. The discharge consent was issued by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on 1 March 2000.