Chamber and committees

Each local authority is responsible for its own library service, and for determining the level of resources allocated for this service. This includes the purchasing of books. Supply to retail outlets is a commercial issue between the publishers and the retailers.Scottish Enterprise has participated in a joint printing programme with the Scottish Arts Council to support new developments in the distribution of printed publications. There are no other plans for a programme to support publishing in Scotland.

Scotland's publishing and literary sectors have always been central to the external perception of Scotland. The National Cultural Strategy recognises this and the Executive is working with the Scottish Arts Council and the National Library of Scotland to build on this proud inheritance. The Scottish Arts Council currently supports the Scottish Publishers Association through a grant of £114,000 each year; 16 literary magazines throughout Scotland are supported to a total of £100,000 per year; £130,000 is disbursed annually to established and emergent writers and over 60 grants are awarded annually in the Grants to Publications scheme with a budget of £100,000 in 2002-03.

The Scottish Executive believes that it is crucial that writers resident in Scotland are able to achieve publication. The Scottish Arts Council Literature Department will allocate a total of £440,000 in 2002-03 to Scottish based writers, individual publishing organisations, literary magazines and the Scottish Publishers Association.

The Executive was notified of the council's intention to adopt the plan on 24 July 2002. A Direction was issued on 14 August deferring adoption of the plan to allow more time for the Executive to consider the plans contents. Following such consideration, it was decided, on 12 September, to cancel the direction. It is now for the council to decide how to proceed and the approval of the Scottish ministers is not required. This is in line with the Executive's general policy that local planning matters are primarily the responsibility of planning authorities.

The Executive wishes to ensure that children are freely able to raise genuine matters of concern. Education authorities have a duty of care to their pupils and should always take appropriate action in relation to this duty. At the same time authorities should take steps to protect individual teachers against malicious complaints. Allegations of physical violence by teachers, in the first instance, are matters for education authorities and the police in the first instance. All such cases should be thoroughly investigated in relation to the subsequent disciplinary issues. The Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers is currently considering revised disciplinary procedures which will ensure that appropriate investigations are carried out in ways which protect the legitimate interests of both teachers and children.

This is a legal issue and as such it is a matter for the courts to decide whether Railtrack can be sued whilst it is in Railways Administration.

The Scottish Executive acknowledges that market forces and the consolidation of retail bookselling have caused large-scale competition in the bookselling trade.The supply and selling of books published in Scotland is a commercial issue between the publishers and the retail outlets. However, Scottish Enterprise is currently engaged in a study to evaluate the potential of building a more active network of literary agents in Scotland to provide better access to market for Scottish writers through local publishers.Statutory responsibility for local libraries, the level of resources allocated and the service they provide, lies with local authorities.

The Scottish Executive fully recognises the importance of the publishing industry in Scotland. Not only because of the economic impact of the sector, but because of its potential to feed high-value intellectual properties into other creative sectors such as film, TV and electronic games. Through the Scottish Enterprise "Creative Industries" cluster it is working closely with organisations, such as the Scottish Arts Council and the Scottish Publishing Association, in a wide range of areas from assistance with developing new overseas markets to developing into e-business.

Minerals planning within the Executive is the responsibility of a branch within the Planning and Buildings Standards Group of the Development Department. This branch has recently been established to focus more effectively on minerals planning issues although the staff involved (one professional planner and one policy officer) have been involved in minerals planning for several years. No information is held centrally on specialist minerals planning officers employed by local authorities.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-28493 on 16 September 2002.