Chamber and committees

The ScottishGovernment understands that provision of educational materials and reliableinformation is particularly important for people with long-term conditions, andfor their families and carers. Developing a co-ordinated approach to theavailability of such materials will be an important aspect of the long-termconditions action plan which we are developing in partnership with the LongTerm Conditions Alliance Scotland.

The majority ofcare for people with long-term conditions is provided through primary careteams, with access to specialist care when needed. NHS boards and their communityhealth partnerships (CHP) are responsible for providing services for theirresident populations according to need. CHPs are expected to complete the long-termconditions toolkit issued in February 2007 in order to ensure that servicesprovided for people with long-term conditions are integrated, both withinhealth and with social care, responsive and of high quality.

There is also aclear role for the voluntary sector in providing information and support,whether for specific long-term conditions or more generally through the LongTerm Conditions Alliance in Scotland.

The ScottishGovernment would like as many teams as possible to base a training camp in Scotland prior to the 2014 Commonwealth Games. We will buildon work already being done to ensure as many Scottish facilities as possibleare used as training camps in the lead up to the London 2012 Games.

Furtherinformation on how we intend to ensure that all parts of Scotland benefit from the Commonwealth Games will bepublished for consultation within the first 100 days of winning the bid.

The Scottish Governmenthas a very clear commitment to ensuring that the whole of Scotland benefits from the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

We will work withrelevant agencies and local authorities to ensure that, Scottish businesses arewell-placed to bid for contracts arising from the games, that visitors to the gamesare encouraged to travel to other parts of the country, and that youngsterseverywhere are inspired to take up sport.

Furtherinformation on how we intend to deliver a lasting legacy from the 2014Commonwealth Games will be published for consultation within the first 100 daysof winning the bid.

It is a statutoryresponsibility of local authorities to provide adequate sporting facilities intheir area, maintaining existing facilities and building new facilities asdictated by the needs of the community.

The ScottishGovernment would like as many teams as possible to base a training camp in Scotland prior to the 2014 Commonwealth Games. We will buildon work already being done to ensure as many Scottish facilities as possibleare used as training camps in the lead up to the London 2012 Games.

The ScottishGovernment continues to work in partnership with stakeholders to pursue theaction plan, which provides a focus for maximising the opportunities forgrowth, jobs and sustainability offered by the expansion of the biomass sectorin Scotland. Good progress is being made. Forexample, the Scottish Biomass Support Scheme is providing a significant kickstart to the biomass sector by supporting around 75 projects from a wide rangeof organisations, from the supply side through to boiler and plantinstallation.

All costs were met by the UK Government. Based on the Economic Report on Scottish Agriculture, the total compensation payments made to Scottish farmers and crofters for animals culled during the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease outbreak was £189.713 million. No payments were made for economic losses.

The following is the original answer (published on 21 November 2007); see below.

 

All costs were met by the UK Government. Based on the Economic Report on Scottish Agriculture, the total compensation payments made for animals culled during the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease outbreak was £189,713 million. No other payments were made for economic losses.

Following extensiveconsideration it is now clear that the terms of the Financial Guidelines formanagement agreements do not provide Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) with any basison which to make payments that compensate for loss of subsidies not linked to productionsuch as single farm payments. The concessionary payments sought by land managerswould not secure specific additional public benefit. On that basis, expenditureof public money for the purpose of making such concessionary payments could notbe justified. SNH will inform land managers who have raised concerns about thisissue with them as soon as possible. They will also be willing to advise on RuralDevelopment Contract options under the Scotland Rural Development Programme.

A breakdown of figuresis not available but the UK Government did pay Scottish businesses, for examplehauliers, vets and valuers, for their work in relation to the 2001 outbreak of foot-and-mouthdisease. No compensation was paid to businesses for economic losses and no paymentswere made by the then Scottish Executive.

The number of undergraduatedegree places accepted by students wishing to study chemistry at Scottish universitieswere (a) 338 in 2004-05, (b) 395 in 2005-06, (c) 443 in 2006-07 and (d) 476 in 2007-08.