Chamber and committees

I am arranging for a copy of the Chief Agricultural Officer's letter to be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Efficiency savings in administering the Crofters Etc. Building Grants and Loan Scheme (CBGLS) mean that workloads throughout the nine Area Offices in the Highlands and Islands may reduce in total by the equivalent of five to seven posts. We aim to avoid compulsory redundancies and will explore ways of achieving this e.g. by redeployment of staff to other work.

The Executive recognises that CBGLS plays a significant role in retaining population levels in the crofting areas. The overall financial benefits available under CBGLS have not been reduced. Rather, the recent adjustments have allowed them to be extended more widely.

The rates for grant/loan in 1990 and at present for new houses are:

	Grant	Loan
Up to 15 May 1990	50% of the cost of eligible work up to a maximum of £8,700	Up to a maximum of £13,500
From 16 May 1990	50% of the cost of eligible work up to a maximum of £11,500	Up to a maximum of £17,500
From 1 January 2000	£11,500	Up to a maximum of £17,500

Using the GDP deflator the current maximum assistance of £29,000 would be worth £22,230 at 1990-91 prices.

There has been no reduction in financial support under the Crofters Etc. Building Grants and Loans Scheme. The changes to the scheme which I made recently will widen access to assistance and therefore make it possible for more people in crofting areas to provide affordable housing for their families.

In the course of the current spending review I will examine all aspects of Rural Affairs Department expenditure including the Crofters Etc. Building Grants and Loan Scheme.

There are currently a total of 35 Gaelic-speaking students on Initial Teacher Training courses. Of these, 14, including nine post-graduate students, graduate this year. This represents a cost of approximately £290,000.

In addition, in 1999 the Scottish Executive funded a Gaelic Medium Subject Specialist Teachers Course for secondary teachers. This was run by Sabhal Mor Ostaig at a total cost of £66,000. This year and next similar GMST courses will be run. Their costs will be in the same region but the precise amounts will depend on teacher numbers.

The latest data is in respect of 1997. Estimates for the next three years are not held.

Local Authority	Tourism Employment: 1997
Aberdeen City	9,863
Aberdeenshire	5,582
Angus	2,989
Argyll & Bute	3,845
Clackmannanshire	786
Dumfries & Galloway	4,481
Dundee City	4,638
East Ayrshire	2,368
East Dunbartonshire	1,712
East Lothian	2,271
East Renfrewshire	1,301
Edinburgh City	20,559
Eilean Siar	687
Falkirk	3,228
Fife	8,742
Glasgow City	24,722
Highland	10,247
Inverclyde	2,583
Midlothian	1,503
Moray	2,503
North Ayrshire	3,844
North Lanarkshire	5,485
Orkney	509
Perth & Kinross	6,387
Renfrewshire	4,896
Scottish Borders	2,289
Shetland	839
South Ayrshire	4,709
South Lanarkshire	6,591
Stirling	3,554
West Dunbartonshire	2,602
West Lothian	2,787
Total	159,102

Source: Annual Employment Survey.

Notes:

Excludes self-employed, estimated at 17,000.Includes all employment: full time, part time, seasonal, year-round.

No.

The Executive does not hold information centrally on the remuneration packages of all persons holding publicly funded positions. The publication Appointments to Non-Departmental Public Bodies, updated in February 2000, gives the names and remuneration of Chairs and Board members of executive and advisory non-departmental public bodies, nationalised industries, public corporations and NHS bodies in Scotland. The publication is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. The names and remuneration of the Chief Executives and Chief Officers of most public bodies are published in the body's annual accounts.

All businesses who are members of an Area Tourist Board will have access to the Ossian system and will be encouraged to use the e-commerce facility available after June 2000.

Dealings with the United Nations remain a reserved matter for the UK Government. Niche markets such as walking and climbing which take advantage of Scotland's spectacular environment and particularly its mountains are a vital element of the country's tourism product. In line with A New Strategy for Scottish Tourism the Scottish Tourist Board will seek to promote these activities while emphasising the conservation of the environment on which they depend.The Scottish Executive has been pursuing for some time the sustainable development of mountain areas as encompassed in Chapter 21 of Agenda 21. Initiatives such as the formation of the Glenmore Working Group, the commitment to the Rothiemurchus Concordat, projects carried out by the members of the Cairngorm Partnership and our recent commitment to establishing national parks are contributing to fulfilling the UK Government's undertaking.

There are no plans to introduce such an ombudsman.