Chamber and committees

Following their approaches to me and my predecessor I am arranging to meet Karen Gillon and David Hughes, the Royal Burgh Standard Bearer. I have received no other representation on this matter.

Local Government representatives have been present at all meetings of the Induction Implementation Group (which was established in July 2001 to develop in partnership the Teacher Induction Scheme). In addition, during February and early March each local authority will meet representatives from the Scottish Executive Education Department to discuss in detail how the Scheme will operate in their area.

There is no recognised Scottish governing body for horse racing. Consequently, no approach has been made to sportscotland for the recognition of horse racing as a sport. Horse racing has not been identified separately in the Executive's tourism strategy, although individual race courses feature in the promotional activity of relevant area tourist boards.

The information is not available in the form requested. Definitive information and figures on class sizes will only be available once the results of the September 2001 School Census have been validated. However, in order to gauge the progress made by local authorities in meeting the Programme for Government commitment to reduce P1-P3 classes to 30 pupils or less, Scottish Executive officials have made enquiries of education authorities. Due to pupil movements within the school year, the figures change constantly, but they give a provisional picture in advance of validated data being available through the School Census results.Officials have identified a total of 13 classes that did not comply with The Education (Lower Primary Class Sizes) (Scotland) Regulations 1999. In each case, action is being taken by the education authority to resolve the problem. Of the other P1-P3 classes with more than 30 pupils 61 had 2 teachers present in the classroom and 17 had "excepted pupils", as defined in the relevant regulations. These figures contrast with 939 P1-P3 classes of over 30 pupils in 1998 - the year before the class size programme began.

>I will raise this at the next Parliamentary Bureau meeting on Tuesday 12 March 2002. In the interim, you may wish to discuss the matter with your Business Manager.

It is not practicable to provide the information in the detail requested. In particular, detailed records are not kept of the other participants in, or sponsors of, events such as conferences or seminars that are attended by ministers or officials. Partners or staff of Arthur Andersen or Andersen Business Consulting may be involved as members of other organisations, or advisors to them, and detailed records are not kept of contacts with them in that capacity.Direct contacts with Arthur Andersen or Andersen Business Consulting about contracts or other services provided or offered to the Scottish Executive, including meetings, conferences and presentations, are subject to strict public procurement rules and rules governing the acceptance of hospitality.

In dealing with fingerprints at a crime scene the presumption is that any marks discovered may be evidential and must be treated accordingly. All actions involving the processing of fingerprint lifts and impressions must therefore be fully documented and audited and Scenes of Crime Officers must be in a position to be able to recall the precise location of any mark found. Current practice allows this to be done by making contemporaneous notes, a sketch or photograph of the location.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-22713.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21577.

Guidance on personnel management practices is included in the current central Government guide for departments on non-departmental public bodies.