Chamber and committees

We understand the importance of interest rates to Scottish businesses, but it is important to take account of the whole environment in which businesses operate. UK policy is set with a view to achieving the overall economic conditions for sustained growth and the avoidance of short-term instability.Competitiveness is determined by a variety of factors, including investment in skills, innovation and productivity. The Scottish Executive is determined to work in partnership with business and trade unions to ensure that Scotland is properly equipped to meet the challenges of a highly competitive global environment.

The cost to the NHS in Scotland of making nicotine patches available on prescription can not be stated with any degree of confidence as it would depend on a number of factors which are currently unknown. For example the take up rate among smokers and the conditions on which prescriptions would be available would have a major influence on the eventual cost.If all smokers who have said that they want to give up were given the recommended course of treatment of around eight to twelve weeks the cost could be up to £130 million for the first year.However, in practice the cost could be expected to be lower than this.

I refer to the answer given to question S1W-2296.

I refer to the answer given to question S1W-2296.

Salmon stocks, as measured by annual catches, continue to decline throughout the range of the species. This has led to advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) urging caution in the exploitation of both early-running multi-sea winter (MSW) salmon and later running one-sea winter (1SW) salmon. In the circumstances, alteration of the fishing season as suggested would lead to increased exploitation of a diminishing resource, and therefore the Scottish Executive have no plans to extend the autumn fishing season.

The details of the contract between The National Stadium plc and AR Ltd are a matter for the two parties concerned. One of the conditions attaching to the further financial contributions of all the co-funders' is that a new management structure is put in place. The role of TNS in the future management of the stadium is therefore an element in the ongoing negotiations and discussions.None of the Scottish Executive's contribution of £2m to the rescue package will be paid over until the co-funders' pre-conditions have been met. The co-funders' money will be used to help pay off debts to Queen's Park Football Club's creditors.

Only to the extent that the role of The National Stadium generally is being reviewed as part of putting in place a new management structure for the ongoing stadium operation.

The Scottish Executive wishes to see new management arrangements which reflect the fact that the construction phase of the project is virtually complete and that the project is now mainly a marketing and management operation. We also wish to see a fully developed business plan which demonstrates that the stadium operation is commercially viable on a long term basis.

It is for Queen's Park Football Club plc and The National Football Stadium plc to decide what information it wishes to make publicly available about its financial position.

The Enterprise networks provide a comprehensive range of business support services to help business formation, survival and growth. We keep under constant review existing arrangements for business support in Scotland to monitor the effectiveness of services and to identify ways of improving efficiency and service delivery. We will continue to work with SE and HIE to improve the quality and consistency of business support services, for example, through implementing the recommendations of the Review into Business Support in Scotland concluded earlier this year. The Parliament's Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee is currently undertaking an inquiry into business support services at the local level including examination of the co-ordination of services. The Executive will study the Committee's findings and conclusions with keen interest in considering whether further improvements are required in our business support arrangements.