Chamber and committees

The information required by the Scottish Executive Education Department (SEED) to be collected through the Scottish Exchange of Educational Data (ScotXed) for the September 2002 School Census is detailed on the ScotXed website: http://www.svtc.org.uk/scotxed/.Most of this information is already routinely collected by schools and local authorities and held on existing management information systems. As a result, there is no "ScotXed questionnaire" as such, although, at the request of local authorities, SEED produced a template to assist schools and local authorities with the collection of information on the ethnic background and national identity of pupils. A number of local authorities have decided to adapt this template to collect additional information for their own internal use on main home language and religious affiliation. SEED does not collect this additional information, which is purely a matter for the local authority concerned. Accordingly, we have not included the Catholic Church or other religious institutions in consultations on ScotXed.The strategic planning for the ScotXed project is undertaken by the School Education Information Advisory Group (SEIAG), which has endorsed plans for the 2002 Scottish School Census and beyond. The SEIAG membership includes representatives of: the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland, the COSLA, the Headteacher's Association of Scotland, the Association of Head Teachers in Scotland, the Educational Institute of Scotland, the Scottish Secondary Teacher's Association, the Scottish Qualifications Authority, Learning and Teaching Scotland, and HM Inspectorate of Education. Consultations have also taken place with the Scottish Council of Independent Schools, the Scottish Parent Teacher Council and with the Scottish School Board Association who have publicly welcomed the project. Regular consultations take place with each local authority.

It is for the planning authority to assess the suitability of building design, having regard to the provisions of the development plan and other material considerations.

The Notice of Intention to Develop (NID) procedure applies where a local authority requires planning permission for a development which it proposes to carry out. Where an objection is received, the authority is required to submit details of the proposal for consideration by the Scottish ministers. There is a presumption against requiring a local authority to submit a formal planning application unless the proposal is contrary to the local plan or has attracted a substantial body of objections.However, the NID submissions can cover a wide range of local authority developments, including many that do not involve buildings (for example, car parks, roads and sewers). Details of NID submissions that relate only to buildings are not held separately and could therefore only be provided at disproportionate cost.Furthermore, not all local authority developments are notified through the NID procedure. In cases where developments are to benefit from an element of private funding, the applicant may not be the local authority and therefore the NID procedure is not appropriate. These developments are subject to normal planning application procedures. It would be difficult to identify specifically which of these applications involved local authority buildings and again this information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

The design of the extension to Aberlady Primary School was a matter for East Lothian Council to consider, having regard to the provisions of the development plan and other material considerations including public representations on the proposal. The Scottish ministers did not consider that there was sufficient justification for them to intervene.

As planning authorities are not allowed to grant themselves planning permission, they are required to submit details of the proposed development to the Scottish ministers for consideration as a Notice of Intention to Develop (NID).The Scottish ministers will normally make a presumption against calling for a formal application from a local authority where the proposed development either accords with the approved local plan for the area or has not attracted a significant body of objections. In the case of the extension to Aberlady Primary School, the proposal was considered to be in accord with the local plan and only six letters of representation were received. The detailed design matters relating to the extension of Aberlady Primary School are essentially for the planning authority, taking into account local circumstances and any relevant guidance. The Scottish ministers therefore did not consider that there was sufficient justification for intervention in this case.

The new Teacher Induction Scheme will be introduced, on target, in August. All primary probationers have now been notified of the local authority they will be working for during their probationary year. All of them have been offered one of their five choices, with three-quarters offered their first choice authority. In secondary, 95% of probationers have already been allocated to a local authorities of their choice and this process will be completed over the next few weeks.

The Executive's Flag Flying Guidelines were first issued in June 2001, following consultations with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (who were responsible, pre-devolution, for guidance on flags). The Executive's guidelines are revised from time to time to reflect changed circumstances, such as the recent sad deaths of members of the royal family. These guidelines cover all properties under the full control of the Scottish Executive and its agencies. They are freely available to managers of other public buildings, such as local government offices: they reach their own decisions on flag flying on special days.Historic Scotland apply the Executive guidelines with some minor modifications to reflect the use of their house flag for marketing and branding purposes and also the presence on certain sites of British Army flag stations. Of the agency's 330 properties, 46 are equipped with flagpoles.Since their inception the guidelines have provided for the flying of the Saltire alongside the Union flag on all main Executive buildings and agency sites equipped with two or more flagpoles. The recent change means that Historic Scotland sites with only one pole will also fly the Saltire on St Andrew's Day.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-26110.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-26110.

I have already indicated how the guidelines for flag flying on special days will be adjusted so as to ensure that, on St Andrew's Day, Historic Scotland sites with single poles will fly the Saltire. I believe that is the correct decision. We have no plans to issue guidance applying to every day of the year.