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Locate in Scotland (LiS) has identified the strengthening of a number of key clusters, which are crucial to the performance and development of the Scottish economy, as part of its strategic portfolio approach to inward investment. Biotechnology is one of the clusters to which LiS has been able to make a considerable contribution and it works closely with Scottish Enterprise's Biotechnology Cluster Team to maximise the opportunities available to Scotland in this sector within the £38 million Biotechnology Cluster Action Plan launched last year.

The Executive's commitment to the biotechnology sector has been further bolstered by the granting in August 2000 of planning permission for the creation of a biotechnology park at Gowkley Moss, Midlothian.

A recent addition to Scotland's biotechnology base has been made in the shape of the Japanese Kyorin Pharmaceutical Company's partnership with the Scottish Biomedical Foundation to develop compounds in the allergy and immunology field.

The Scottish Executive seeks to reduce any unnecessary bureaucratic burden affecting any company within Scotland.

The Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992 specifically prevents Ministers from directly interfering in the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council's funding of particular institutions or subject areas. The Scottish Executive's guidance to the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council sets a broad policy framework and leaves the council appropriately free to exercise its discretion through its teaching and research funding streams.

Pharmacology is within the council's Science teaching funding subject group and Pharmacy is within the Other Health and Welfare teaching funding subject group. The Science teaching funding subject group is prioritised by Scottish Executive guidance, which means that there are restrictions on transfers of council-funded places for teaching out of this priority area into other subjects.

As for all other research funding subject areas, no specific priority is attached to Pharmacology and Pharmacy by the council.

We provided an overview of our empowering communities agenda in the Social Justice Action Note published in June (copies available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, Bib no. 6978). We are further developing this agenda through practical action to support those from Social Inclusion Partnerships and Working for Communities Pathfinders involved in regenerating disadvantaged areas. This will include: work to achieve greater clarity and awareness of roles and responsibilities of those within the partnerships; ensuring adequate support to enable those from the community to be equal partners; ensuring training opportunities, such as our national skills programme Working Together Learning Together, are explored and prioritised, and facilitating the sharing of good practice, for example through promoting networking arrangements.Looking beyond these practical actions to support those working in our communities, we intend to explore much wider-ranging opportunities that will enable local people to directly influence decisions which affect their neighbourhoods.

Patients can take any unused medicines to their local pharmacy for safe disposal. We have no plans to refund prescription charges collected on returned medicines.

Tobramycin is available on the NHS in Scotland and its use as a treatment for cystic fibrosis depends on the clinical judgement of the clinician concerned. It is for each health board to determine its prescribing policy on drugs, including Tobramycin, taking into account advice from local drug and therapeutic committees.

The sale and supply of fireworks is a consumer protection matter and as such is reserved.

The UK Government undertook a comprehensive review of the controls on fireworks in 1996, which led to the introduction of the Fireworks (Safety) Regulations 1997. The 1997 Regulations control the type and size of fireworks which can be sold to the general public and prohibit the sale of most fireworks to anyone under 18 years of age. It is an offence, which can result in a fine of up to £5,000 and/or a prison sentence, to supply to the general public the more powerful types of fireworks specified in the Regulations. The Regulations also require that all fireworks intended for sale to the general public, whether manufactured here or imported, must comply with the British Standard on the safety of fireworks, BS 71124 Part 2: 1998.The UK Government is keeping this matter under review.

In better aligning demand for and supply of services, the Scottish Executive expects Best Value to be a useful tool in establishing where funds are being applied to less than optimum effect, and could be better recycled within the authority.

The consultation paper, Best Value in Local Government: Next Steps, suggests that in the absence of an incentive scheme which rewards councils for continuous improvement, the public purse might benefit from a requirement that they should redistribute at least 2% of their annual budgets this way every year.

We are currently considering comments on this suggestion.

The Executive's consultation paper, Best Value in Local Government: Next Steps, published in June 2000, invited views on the development of a long-term legislative framework for Best Value in Local Government. This includes the development of a legislative definition for Best Value.

The closing date for responses to the consultation paper was October 20. Ministers will outline their intentions by the end of the year.

The Executive has committed itself to extending the principles which already underpin Best Value in local government to the wider public sector in Scotland. To that end the then Minister for Finance, Jack McConnell, announced on 20 September our intention to introduce Best Value Reviews covering the main public spending programmes in Scotland and for this process to be overseen by a new Best Value Board. Further details will be announced shortly.