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The ISI is a UK-wide initiative and statistics are not generally available on a territorial basis for individual ISI programmes. The ISI Centre programme is an exception, and the figures for the Scottish ISI Centres are as follows:

May 1998 - December 1999

(a) 14,620 client throughput (organisations)

(b) 6,330 businesses assisted

(c) 634 seminars/events deliveredThese figures represent activity levels of ISI Centres covering the Local Enterprise Company areas of Ayrshire, Borders, Dunbarton, Fife, Forth Valley, Glasgow, Grampian, Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and Tayside, as well as the Highlands and Islands, and Edinburgh. The ISI Centres covering Dumfries and Galloway and West Lothian were only opened in January 2000 and therefore are not included in the figures.

The Scottish Executive is actively engaged in the application of the ISI in Scotland. Officials are in regular dialogue with the ISI team at the Department of Trade and Industry, and work to ensure that Scottish policy on related matters, such as the promotion of e-commerce, takes account of UK initiatives.

The ISI is a UK-wide initiative, and consequently there have been no ISI programmes launched solely in Scotland. ISI Centres in Scotland have received almost £1.5 million in UK Government grant-aid. Total grant expenditure on the ISI Centre programme across the UK is about £10 million.

The effect of the internet on High Street business is still largely a matter for speculation. The rating system in Scotland is designed to have regard to changes in economic and trading conditions.

These matters have already been reviewed. At my request, NoSWA commissioned a review of its corporate planning process. The Authority published the report of the review in January 2000 and is implementing its recommendations. In addition, the Water Industry Commissioner has carried out a strategic review of charges in all three water authorities for the period 2000-02, which encompassed their projected capital investment programmes and revenues. This advice and the Executive's decisions on charges were also published in January 2000.

I announced my decisions on the strategic review of charges to Parliament on 26 January 2000. As I made clear then, the larger increase for the north is based on a fundamental reassessment by the authority of the investment that it needs to meet its statutory obligations. Both the Commissioner's advice and my determination on charges were published then. It is now for each authority to submit its annual charges scheme to the Water Industry Commissioner for approval.

The Scottish Business Shop Network comes under the operational remit of Scottish Enterprise. Details of the annual cost of their operation are contained in the Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Business Shop Network Evaluation Main Report: Final Report February 1999, a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. The number of Business Shops in existence changes from year to year, but up to date information is available on request from Scottish Enterprise.

I refer Mr Ewing to my answer to question S1W-4002.

The Post Office, post and regulation of postal services are reserved matters. I understand from the Post Office that the number of post offices in Scotland as at end March 1999 was 2,026 and that around 7,000 people are either directly or indirectly dependent on the operation of the post office network in Scotland. In addition, there are a number of people within the Post Office Group who have responsibilities which are partly related to the operation of the post office network and those who are employed in the retail businesses associated with post offices.The automation of the post office network, which is due for completion by the spring of 2001, will enable post offices to enhance and expand the facilities they offer. The UK Government has also given an assurance that benefit recipients who wish to access their benefits in cash at post offices will continue to be able to do so before and after the move to automated credit transfer. No estimates of job numbers for the years 2003-06 are available.

I have had a number of meetings with business representative bodies on aspects of the revaluation. Following my statement on Local Government Finance on 8 December, the Scottish Executive circulated an information leaflet outlining key facts to the main representative business organisations, who subsequently made it available to their members.In line with the Executive's policy of openness and transparency, I will continue to meet with these organisations in the run up to, and following, the revaluation and will issue further guidance.

The Regulations governing EU agricultural subsidies are reviewed regularly by Agricultural Departments in the UK on an individual and collective basis. The need for change is also discussed regularly with the EU and the other member states before revisions are introduced. The Regulations are designed to deter fraudulent activity and serious negligence. We do, however, feel that in some instances the penalties imposed by the EU Regulations appear disproportionate, especially where they are applied following inadvertent errors on the forms. We are having ongoing discussion with the EU on this matter, but whilst we have been able to secure some changes to the Regulations to allow acceptance of some errors, we do not feel that these go far enough. We are continuing to pursue the possibility that further discretion should be given to member states.