Chamber and committees

Crimes and offences recorded by the police in which an air weapon was alleged to have been used in Scotland over each of the past ten years are given in the following table.

Year		1991	1992	1993			1994	1995	1996			1997	1998	1999			2000
Number of recorded crimes and offences		1,192	1,159	1,036			1,005	1,139	1,060			783	666	612			570
Number as % of all recorded firearms crimes	62		59		58	56		66		64	66		68		59	61

The above information is not collected centrally by age. However, information has been available since 1994 on the number of crimes and offences cleared up by the police in which an air weapon was alleged to have been used and an accused was identified, and this is given in the following table.

Age	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000
Total	332	340	352	307	278	236	250
15 or under	176	182	180	132	122	98	101
16-20	91	101	108	127	98	90	98
21 or over	65	57	64	48	58	48	51

Firearms policy and legislation are reserved matters. The Scottish Executive is represented on the Firearms Consultative Committee, the independent statutory body established to keep under review the working of the provisions of the Firearms Acts and to make recommendations to the Home Secretary for improving their working. The committee's annual report for 2001 is due to be submitted to the Home Secretary shortly and will thereafter be laid before the UK Parliament.

The information requested is not held centrally. The Executive commissioned a literature review of research, policy and practice relating to translating, interpreting and communication support services across the public sector in Scotland earlier this year. The final report will be published shortly but will not provide detailed information about the availability of qualified interpreters by language.

The latest figures from Scottish Healthcare Supplies show that for the period from June 1999 up to the end of September 2001 a total of 710 digital hearing aids were drawn off the central contract.Digital aids became available via the central contract in June 1999. Since then, the proportion of the total hearing aids issued each year that were digital aids is as follows: June 1999 to December 1999 0.5%January 2000 to December 2000 0.6%January 2001 to September 2001 1.4%

The Executive is providing substantial additional resources to NHSScotland. The allocations given to NHS Boards increased on average by 5.5% in 2001-02 and will increase on average by 6.9% and 7.8% in 2002-03 and 2003-04. It is for NHS Boards to decide how to deploy these funds on the basis of their assessment of local needs and priorities for investment. In determining local priorities, NHS Boards take account of national priorities and guidance.

The First Minister took account of the views of the Lord Advocate before making a nomination to the Prime Minister.

Question S1W-19393 was answered today.

The Scottish Executive has accepted the definition of institutional racism as set out by Sir William Macpherson in the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report. The Executive welcomes the definition in Dr Raj Jandoo's report which was formulated for the purposes of his report; it is straightforward and entirely compatible with the definition adopted by Macpherson.

The A8000 is a local road and therefore the responsibility of City of Edinburgh Council. I understand that a public exhibition of the council's plans was held in Kirkliston on 4 and 5 December, and will move to South Queensferry and Edinburgh over the next two weeks. Progress thereafter will depend on the public reaction to the plans and the necessary Compulsory Purchase and Roads Orders.

Details of the audit procedures exercised in relation to the New Opportunities Fund's Scottish Land Fund are a reserved matter for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Can I invite the member to write to Stephen Dunmore, Chief Executive of the New Opportunities Fund.

No Natural Heritage Areas have been created under the Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991. Following the introduction of the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000 there is no intention to designate any Natural Heritage Areas.