Chamber and committees

The options for a longer termstrategy for red squirrel conservation are wide ranging and complex. Full detailsof these options are contained within the Red Squirrel Action Plan. I have askedScottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to publish the plan on their website and expectit to be available soon. As I stated in my previous response to the MSP, the actionplan is being considered as part of the SNH Species Framework for Action, whichis currently being developed.

Two grey squirrel control officershave been appointed to work in the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway, inwoodlands identified as priority areas for red squirrel conservation. They havebeen tasked with raising awareness of the squirrel pox virus amongst landowners and the public, offering training to land managers in live trapping andhumane methods of despatch of grey squirrels and carrying out control wheresuch assistance is required.

I share the concerns of thoseworried about the level of returns being made by many milk producers but I cannotintervene directly in the market.

When I meet the major retailers,I emphasise how seriously the Executive views the importance of maintaining a sustainablefood chain with healthy trading relationships between suppliers and retailers.

We have already delivered accessto every Scottish community, as defined using census output areas. This was achievedthrough our £16.5 million Broadband for Scotland’s rural and remote areas project.

However, we recognise that thereare still some households or businesses who remain without access. The Executiveis working with independent technical consultants to examine this issue as wellas the viability of potential solutions. This work will complete later this yearand appropriate action will be outlined thereafter.

The Executive has invested £16.5million (including support from the European Regional Development Fund) implementinga Scotland-wide project which has delivered broadband access to every Scottish community.A separate figure for broadband investment under this project in Tayside is notavailable, but investment in the East of Scotland amounts to £2.7 million.

As at 31 March 2005, 58,850children (74%) and 168,233 adults (55%) were registered with a NHS dentist inTayside.

In addition, patientsaccessed NHS dentists in Tayside for 5,305 single treatments or courses oftreatment in 2004-05.

The outcomes of location reviewssince 1999 are set out in a table on the Executive’s relocation website. The numbersof posts dispersed from Edinburgh, in terms of the civil service and public service,to each local authority to date are as follows: Glasgow has received 400; ScottishBorders has received 218; North Ayrshire has received 140; Aberdeen has received50; Falkirk has received 26; Dundee has received 30; West Lothian has received 104;West Dunbartonshire has received 12; East Ayrshire has received 12; Highland hasreceived 239; Argyll and Bute has received 12, and Dumfries and Galloway has received17 posts.

The next meeting of the CrossParty Group on Fair Trade will be in October or November 2006.

The criteria by which Scotlandwill measure itself against to achieve Fair Trade Nation status has alreadybeen agreed. Following our discussions with the Welsh Assembly Government, membersof the Cross Party Group on Fair Trade were given the opportunity to comment onthe criteria selected both at the meeting on 15 June 2006 and throughsubsequent email exchanges. The final criteria announced by the First Ministeron 3 July 2006 reflects the views of group members.

The Scottish Executive has committedfunding for a five year programme of work being undertaken by the Moredun ResearchInstitute to monitor the impact of squirrel pox virus. A separate research tenderis due to be published shortly to commission work on the transmission routes ofsquirrel pox virus. Evidence from the study would be used to inform red squirrelconservation policy development and implementation.