Chamber and committees

I have written to HIE''s Chief Executive, Sandy Cumming, asking him to respond to you directly on this issue, providing further detail of these indicators.

The Small Business Rates Relief Scheme:

The Small Business Rate Relief Scheme was replaced in 2008-09 with the Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS). The two schemes have a number of key differences and are not directly comparable in terms of costs.

The level of assistance SBBS provides is more generous and offers business rates relief of up to 100 per cent on business (non-domestic) rates to small businesses, while the former scheme offered relief of up to 50 per cent. Costs of both schemes depend on a range of factors, such as take-up of the scheme and number and nature of business properties.

Notes:

1. 2007-08 Non-Domestic Rate Income Audited return.

2. 2008-09 Non-Domestic Rate Income Mid-Year Estimate return.

3. 2009-10 Non-Domestic Rate Income Provisional Contributable Amount return.

Skills Development Scotland (SDS):

SDS did not exist in 2007-08. Funding for 2008-09 and 2009-10 is as follows:

Business Gateway:

The Business Gateway (BG) did not operate in the Highlands and Islands prior to 1 April 2009. Information on the funding allocations for the local delivery of the BG throughout Scotland is an operational matter for local authorities.

Campbeltown-Ballycastle Ferry:

Note: No decision has yet been on the introduction of this service.

Road Equivalent Tariff:

Note: The figures given above are the allocations as given in the 2007-08 spring Budget Revision of January 2008 and do not necessarily represent sums actually spent.

Scottish Co-investment Fund, Scottish Venture Fund, Scottish Seed Fund:

The Scottish Government has not directly allocated funding for the Scottish Co-investment Fund, the Scottish Venture Fund or the Scottish Seed Fund to be spent in the Highlands and Islands area in the period 2007-08 to 2009-10. However, under these schemes, which are administered by Scottish Enterprise, there have been investments in companies based in the Highlands and Islands area. Information on this activity is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise.

I will write to the chief executive of Scottish Enterprise asking him to provide you with this information.

In April, KSB once again ran their annual month long National Spring Clean campaign. The 2009 campaign has proven to be a great success, with a record level of almost 58,000 people volunteering to participate in clean-up events across Scotland. Coastal clean-up events proved to be very popular, with 80 such events involving a total of 8,665 volunteers talking place. Overall, enough litter was collected across Scotland to fill almost 29,000 wheelie bins. While many groups already take part in voluntary clean ups organised by KSB during the rest of the year, National Spring Clean provides an opportunity for schools, youth clubs, environmental organisations, voluntary groups, community gatherings and businesses to play an important part in a bigger, coordinated campaign.

KSB, through the two beach award schemes, the Blue Flag and the Seaside Award, also encourages beach managers to provide information about beach litter and its impacts at all award beach information boards to raise public awareness of the problems.

Through the Scottish Bathing Water Litter Grant Scheme we are also tackling the litter problem at bathing waters and their beaches. The grant scheme, administered by KSB on our behalf, aims to encourage communities to carry out clean-ups of beaches close to bathing waters, or to run litter prevention campaigns or support and promote community action with a focus on reducing marine and coastal litter pollution. The 2009-10 grant application deadline is the end of June 2009. Further information is available on the KSB website http://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/.

COPLAR provides practical guidance on the discharge of duties imposed on Scottish local authorities and other duty bodies by the act to keep specified land clear of litter and refuse.

COPLAR was published by Scottish ministers in December 2006 following a revision of the litter and fly tipping provisions of the act. COPLAR helps to explain who has a duty to clean public places, what their responsibility is, how individuals can tell if a place is clean, and what to do if you don''t think public places are of an acceptable standard in terms of litter and fly tipping.

Major amendments to the code included a greater focus on beach cleansing standards and guidance on issuing fixed penalty notices. Further information, including an electronic copy of COPLAR is available from http://www.littercode.co.uk/.

This website is operated by the independent environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful.

However that the duty to clean beaches extends only to above the high water mark and litter from ships and marine installations is the responsibility of the UK Government.

The Marine (Scotland) Bill includes proposals for a new system of marine planning including new powers to define Scottish marine regions for which a local marine plan should be prepared in consultation with stakeholders. The proposals also include provisions for the co-ordination of plans covering the terrestrial and marine environment. These proposals provide an opportunity for better consideration of beach and marine litter issues where necessary.

KSB carries out surveys of all award winning beaches each summer for cleanliness in line with the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse (COPLAR).

There are four standards of beach cleanliness. These are: cleanliness grade A (no litter or refuse), cleanliness grade B (predominantly free of litter), cleanliness grade C (consistent distribution of litter and refuse) and cleanliness grade D (heavily littered with significant accumulations). Beaches should achieve at least a grade B at all times. When they drop below this standard they must be returned to at least a grade B within a set timescale. Further information about the cleanliness standards and the timescales is available from the COPLAR website operated by KSB www.littercode.org.

Police officers and designated local authority officers have the power to issue fixed penalty notices to those who litter. However, as independent bodies, whether local authorities empower officials to issue notices and whether police forces exercise their powers, is entirely up to them. They are encouraged to do so by the Scottish Government.

The Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse (COPLAR) provides practical guidance on the use of the litter enforcement powers contained in the act. COPLAR website, operated by the independent environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB), provides guidance on the issuing of fixed penalty fines. The information can be found at http://www.littercode.org/index.asp?pg=41.