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Scottish University for Industry administers the Capital Modernisation Fund (CMF) support for learning centre development on behalf of the Executive. There are no specific targets aimed at ensuring a diversity of organisations receive CMF. Individual applications are judged on their own merits in relation to the overall objectives of the scheme; these include geographic coverage, provision in socially excluded areas and addressing sectoral or other gaps. The scheme is promoted widely to a variety of organisations, including intermediaries, and all promotional literature makes it clear that any organisation is eligible to apply.The criteria for the selection of projects to be funded by the New Futures Fund are a matter for Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise within the broad guidelines set out by the Scottish Executive. With regard to projects funded through the New Opportunities Fund and the National Lottery these are matters for the organisations concerned.

The number of patients admitted to hospital in each of the last three years with a diagnosis related to a firearms¹ incident are shown in the table

	Year ending 31 Dec:
Treated in:	1999	2000	2001P
NHS Glasgow	30	36	42
NHS Scotland	140	138	136

^P Provisional.Notes:1. includes incidents involving handguns, rifles, air guns and unspecified.

The available information is given in the table. Other crime categories, such as possession of an offensive weapon and robbery, may also involve firearms. However, the numbers of such cases cannot, from the information held centrally, be separately identified from the total numbers of prosecutions and convictions for these crime categories. Data for the year 2001 are not yet available.Persons proceeded against in Scottish courts for specified firearms offences, 1999-2000

Main crime and result	Year
	1999	2000
Possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life or commit crime
Persons proceeded against	19	20
Of which had a charge proved	12	12
Reckless conduct with firearms
Persons proceeded against	56	50
Of which had a charge proved	39	42
Miscellaneous firearm offences1
Persons proceeded against	213	161
Of which had a charge proved	170	143
Total
Persons proceeded against	288	231
Of which had a charge proved	221	197

Note:1. Includes other offences under the Firearms Act 1968 (as amended) and section 50(5) of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982.

The number of planning applications referred to the Scottish ministers since 1 May 1999 totals 830. A breakdown by monthly receipt is given in the following table:Cases Notified to the Scottish Ministers since May 1999:

	1999	2000	2001	2002
January	-	15	19	12
February	-	34	28	25
March	-	25	27	-
April	-	31	32	-
May	8	34	25	-
June	22	35	25	-
July	26	40	18	-
August	25	22	19	-
September	25	24	17	-
October	29	22	23	-
November	16	20	19	-
December	25	31	32	-
Total	176	333	284	37

It is for chief constables to determine how best to adhere to the Lord Advocate's guidance. Whilst the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland continues to provide forces with comprehensive guidance on all national policing issues concerning racial diversity. The Commission for Racial Equality in Scotland are also aiming to publish, for consultation, their draft Statutory Code of Practice and associated guidance for devolved public bodies in Scotland, including police forces, in early May. The code will provide practical guidance to bodies on how to fulfil both their general and specific duties and will be supported by examples of best practice.

The following table gives the number of firearms covered by certificates in Scotland and in Strathclyde on issue at 31 December 1999 and 31 December 2000. Figures for 2001 will not be published until autumn 2002. The information held is not broken down below force level.

Firearms on certificate		1999	2000
Scotland	Possessed	62,421	58,862
	Authorised to be purchased/acquired	11,272	9,934
	Total	73,693	68,796
Strathclyde	Possessed	11,314	10,857
	Authorised to be purchased/acquired	1,937	1,513
	Total	13,251	12,370

Note: The recorded totals in the table, may include an element of double counting in that two or more individuals may each hold a certificate that allows them to possess the same firearm.

The information requested is not held centrally.

Funding for the police, which is currently at record levels, is allocated in total to each force. It is for police authorities, in consultation with chief constables, to set budgets for individual forces. Once a budget has been agreed, the use of that budget to meet the operational needs of each force is a matter for individual chief constables.

The caries prevention scheme is open to all registered six- and seven-year-olds in Scotland. In the period April 2001 to January 2002 payments under the scheme amounted to £1.15 million; and it estimated that a further £250,000 will be paid in the remainder of the financial year. In the financial year 2002-03, the scheme is expected to cost around £1.5 million. The financial resources for the scheme are allocated through the General Dental Services budget.

Planning applications, notified to the Scottish ministers, are recorded by planning authority area. Since 1 May 1999, 830 have been referred, but it is not possible to accurately identify these by parliamentary constituency. This is because the information on the planning application form is not always sufficiently precise to do so.