Seòmar agus comataidhean

Beattie Inclusiveness Projects started at varying times throughout year 1 and were managed at that time by individual Careers Services Companies. There is currently no separate figure for young people entering into work under the projects, but 1,038 young people engaged with the projects in the Scottish Enterprise area have been identified as entering employment and training. There is no figure available for the pan Highlands and Islands project.

Beattie Inclusiveness projects are managed and delivered by Careers Scotland. Working in partnership with local agencies (statutory and voluntary), they aim to help young people (16 to 24 years) with additional support needs progress to education, training and employment. Inclusiveness projects are Scotland-wide (12 projects - Scottish Enterprise; one - pan Highlands and Islands Enterprise). New Futures Fund projects are managed by the Enterprise Networks and delivered through a range of agencies (statutory and voluntary) who specialise in working with specific client groups but who do not have an employability dimension. They target people (16 to 34 years) seriously disadvantaged in the labour market who are not job ready or not seeking work but who can move in that direction with the right support. New Futures Fund projects are Scotland-wide (72 projects - Scottish Enterprise; nine projects - pan Highlands and Islands Enterprise).

The National Research Register (NRR), a UK-wide research database, records that there are 66 research projects in the UK on the causes of allergies. Details of these projects are available from the NRR, a copy of which is in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 17404).

The Chief Scientist Office (CSO), within the Scottish Executive Health Department, has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health and health care needs in Scotland. The CSO is not currently directly funding any research projects on the causes of allergies. The CSO is primarily a response mode funder and would be pleased to consider proposals for research into the causes of allergies which would be subject to the usual peer and committee review.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-30165 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-30165 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

General support for local authority expenditure on concessionary travel is provided through the general Grant Aided Expenditure formula based on shares of retirement age population. The additional resources to fund the enhanced concessionary travel arrangements introduced on 30 September were allocated by the same mechanism.

The number and location of visits undertaken by Scottish Executive ministers will be dependent upon the invitations received by each minister and other engagements and meetings requiring the attendance of ministers.

No. General policy on the sale of fireworks is reserved to the Department of Trade and Industry. The Department of Trade and Industry are currently undertaking a review of the legislation and my officials are liaising closely with them on this. Additionally, I am also aware that COSLA have set up a Fireworks Task Group and we will consider their findings, once published, in order to determine what if any action can be taken by Scottish ministers.

No. The sale and supply of fireworks is a consumer protection matter and therefore reserved. The Department of Trade and Industry is currently considering what action can be taken within the existing legislation to address problems with fireworks. A COSLA Fireworks Task Group is also looking at this issue.