Chamber and committees

The following tables show the number of permanent full time equivalent staff employed in the fisheries section of the Environment and Rural Affairs Department in each of the last three years, broken down by pay band and area of responsibility.

Table A

Permanent Staff by Band as at 1 April 2002

	All Staff	Band A	Band B	Band C	Senior Civil Service
Total Fisheries Group	52.4	13.0	27.4	9.0	3.0
Head of Group and PS	2.0	1.0	0	0	1.0
Freshwater	19.9	3.5	11.4	4.0	1.0
Sea Fisheries	30.5	8.5	16.0	5.0	1.0

 

Table B

Permanent staff by band as at 1 April 2003

	All Staff	Band A	Band B	Band C	Senior Civil Service
Total Fisheries Group	50.8	13.5	26.3	8.0	3.0
Head of Group and PS	2.0	1.0	0	0	1.0
Freshwater	22.3	5.0	12.3	4.0	1.0
Sea Fisheries	26.5	7.5	14.0	4.0	1.0

 

Table C

Permanent Staff by Band as at 1 April 2004

	All Staff	Band A	Band B	Band C	Senior Civil Service
Total Fisheries Group	55.1	15.0	28.1	10.0	2.0
Head of Group and PS	2.0	1.0	0	0	1.0
Freshwater	21.6	5.5	11.1	5.0	0
Sea Fisheries	31.5	8.5	17.0	5.0	1.0

Levels of carbon dioxide emissions in Scotland by source are reported in the publication Greenhouse Gas Inventories for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: 1999-2001 a copy of which has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 32027) and is also available on the Executive’s climate change website at www.scotland.gov.uk/climatechange.

The period 1999-2000 to 2003-04 covers the transition between cash and resource budgeting and accounting which makes it difficult to compare expenditure data on a like for like basis. However, by excluding non-cash items such as cost of capital and capital depreciation, it is possible to present figures in a comparable way so as to demonstrate trends in expenditure.

To allow such a comparison, it is necessary also to exclude any exceptional items of spending. The Table below sets out details of spending by the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department on this basis and notes the year on year percentage changes for each of the Department’s Level 2 groups of spending.

£ Million

	Outturn	Outturn	Outturn	Outturn	Plans
1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04
Cap Market Support	335	341 (+2%)	330 (-3%)	353 (+7%)	397 (+13%)
Rural Development	87	80 (-8%)	106 (+32%)	120 (+13%)	141 (+18%)
Agricultural, Biological Science and Others	83	84 (+2%)	88 (+5%)	93 (+5%)	119 (+28%)
Fisheries	33	32 (-4%)	35 (+11%)	41 (+15%)	48 (+17%)
Natural Heritage	39	41 (+6%)	53 (+28%)	55 (+4%)	65 (+18%)
Environmental Protection	19	21 (+9%)	27 (+32%)	44 (+62%)	86 (+95%)
Research and Sustainable Action	2	2	3 (+50%)	5 (+71%)	7 (+38%)
Water Services	216	209 (-3%)	211 (+1%)	182 (-14%)	181 (-1%)
Total SEERAD	814	809 (-1%)	854 (+6%)	892 (+4%)	1,044 (+17%)

Notes:

1. Provision for CAP Market Support spending is agreed annually with theUK Treasury and is outside the Scottish Block.

2. Numbers shown for fisheries expenditure exclude the exceptional provision made for Decommissioning and Transitional Aid Schemes.

3. Figures for Natural Heritage spending in 2003-04 exclude exceptional provision for transfer of Pensions liabilities.

A key aim of A Science Strategy for Scotland, published by the Scottish Executive in August 2001, is to ensure that enough people study science to a standard which will enable the future needs of the country to be met. However, the Executive does not have a policy in connection with the numbers of people taking particular degrees except in a few well-defined areas. My answer to question S2W-8365 answered on 7 June 2004 is also relevant. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’swebsite, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

The world’s first commercial wave energy project - in Islay - received support under the Scottish Renewables Obligation. More recently, the Executive has contributed over £2 million towards the establishment of the wave test facility at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney. Discussions with our funding partners to extend the Centre to accommodate tidal projects are at an advanced stage.

The Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland (FREDS), which I chair, recently published a report identifying the way ahead for marine energy in Scotland. Three members of the sub-group which produced this report have since been among the partners which have formed the consortium based UK Centre for Marine Renewable Energy, which will drive forward some of the key tasks identifiedby the report.

Following the FREDS marine energy report, the DTI announced a £50 million UK fund for marine renewables. We will work closely with DTI colleagues on the details of this scheme. We will also consider how best the Executive can support marine developments from within our own renewables programme budget.

I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

The following table gives details of the average total build cost of homes approved for construction through registered social landlords and other bodies by Communities Scotland, and its predecessor organisation, in each of the last 10 years.

Average Total Build Cost Of Houses Approved For Funding 1994-95 to 2003/04 (£ million)
1994-95	0.051
1995-96	0.054
1996-97	0.056
1997-98	0.056
1998-99	0.059
1999-2000	0.061
2000-01	0.066
2001-02	0.071
2002-03	0.074
2003-04	0.079

Note: these figures relate to the average total build cost and not the average grant provided.

There are no plans to acquire these statues. Phase 1 of the Parliament’s Art Strategy is now complete and decisions on the nature of phase 2 will be considered by the SPCB next year.

I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive, Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

The information requested is not held centrally.

The information requested may be available from the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.

I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive, Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

The information requested is not held centrally.

The information requested may be available from the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.

New scientific information generated by the Fisheries Research Service in partnership with the Scottish fishing industry has been made available to the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). The ICES Advisory Committee on Fishery Management is scheduled to publish advice on monkfish for fisheries managers on 22 October. By way of immediate action, we have secured around 705 tonnes of monkfish quota in international swaps with other member states during the course of this year and we will continue to pursue this avenue in the coming weeks.