Chamber and committees

The relevant data on the recovery and recycling of packaging waste are incomplete as some businesses have yet to submit data or are in the process of reviewing their previous estimates. It is therefore too early to say whether the United Kingdom has achieved its' packaging targets under the EC Packaging Directive. The position should be clearer towards the end of the year when a review of the data which is currently being undertaken is complete.Implementation of the directive is an ongoing process. The National Waste Strategy: Scotland identifies packaging waste as a priority waste stream. The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 transpose the directive into UK law and these are enforced in Scotland by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

The Scottish Executive, through Scottish Trade International (STI), is committed to helping Scottish exporters. STI's activities have, over the past five years, been directed by the Export Development Strategy for Scotland.The continuing need to ensure that companies in Scotland are able to realise the full benefits of trading in international markets will be a key theme of the Global Connections Strategy, which we will be publishing shortly. This will provide a focus for future international economic development activity.Official Scottish Manufactured Exports statistics are compiled by the Scottish Executive from data collected by the Office for National Statistics. They measure actual performance, and provide an estimate of the volume and value of export sales. Figures for the first quarter of 2001 showed an increase of 1.9% in real terms, in the level of manufacturing export sales compared with the previous quarter.

The Scottish Executive has regular contact with HM Treasury on a range of economic issues.UK membership of the single European currency is a reserved issue. Convergence between the UK economy and the economies of the single currency area is one of the five economic tests set out by the Chancellor, which will be assessed as part of any decision to join. Any assessment will be based on the UK economy as a whole.

The Scottish Executive is investing £26 million in 2001-02, £30 million in 2002-03 and £40 million in 2003-04. Allocations for the years beyond 2003-04 will be announced at the appropriate time. The Executive's investment will be supplemented by private sector resources invested as part of the stock transfer process, but it is not possible to quantify the extent of this investment at this time. The investment by the energy companies under their Energy Efficiency Commitment will follow from regulations to be made under the Utilities Act.

Glasgow Council and Shetland Islands Council have been offered £4.795 million and £205,000 respectively this year.

The £5 million announced on 30 July 2001 is part of the Scottish Executive's contribution to the overall programme and forms part of the overall budget of £26 million for 2001-02.

The Executive will not approve new Water Orders or amendments to existing Water Orders for the abstraction of water for public water supplies unless the water authority can demonstrate that it has achieved the economic level of leakage for that supply. The Executive has no plans to set any targets for leakage reduction; it is considered that the overall drive for operational and capital efficiencies should provide the right incentives to achieve economic levels of leakage.

A pensioner is a person who is aged 60 or over.

The grant for the heating system will cover the main living areas in the home; being the living room, the hall, the bathroom and the main bedroom(s). There will be no additional charge for this work if it exceeds £2,500, but a pensioner may pay to extend the system beyond these main living areas if he or she wishes to do so.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-17123 on 21 August 2001.