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The information requested is not available in the format requested. Available data are shown in the following tables:

Proportion of Scottish secondary school pupils who were regular smokers by sex and age; 1994 to 1998

Age	1994	1996	1998
Boys
Aged 12	2	5	3
Aged 13	11	8	9
Aged 14	15	21	14
Aged15	20	30	25
Total	11	14	11
Girls
Aged 12	3	4	4
Aged 13	10	10	11
Aged 14	21	21	19
Aged 15	23	30	27
Total	13	14	13

Notes:

1. Regular smoking is defined as smoking at least one cigarette a week.

2. Percentages are rounded to nearest whole figure.Source: Smoking, drinking and drug use among young teenagers in 1998, conducted by the Office for National Statistics on behalf of the Scottish Executive Health Department.

In addition to the range of services provided by the Enterprise Networks, the Scottish Executive is investing over £16 million over this and the next two years in the establishment of the Scottish University for Industry. The Scottish UfI will be a broker, connecting people and businesses who want to improve their skills with the people who can offer them the learning they need, delivered how, where and when is most convenient to them.The Scottish UfI will pay particular attention to the needs of small and medium-sized businesses. It will help in directing employers to existing courses and materials and, where there are gaps, commission new learning materials. The Scottish UfI, which we will launch next autumn, will give small businesses a cost-effective and convenient new way to build their skills base. It will make high quality flexible learning opportunities accessible to owner managers and employees at the times and places that suit them best.

The Executive is involved with Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and private sector partners, in the development of an e-commerce strategy for Scotland. The strategy will aim to increase awareness of the importance of e-commerce; to support an infrastructure which is e-commerce friendly; to co-ordinate enterprise network activities in order to create a climate where e-commerce may flourish; and to help managers and the workforce to acquire the necessary skill set to undertake e-commerce.

The strategy is expected to be finalised, and an implementation plan drawn up, early next year.Scotland will also benefit from actions being considered by the UK Government as a result of the Ecommerce@its.best.uk report launched by the Prime Minister in September. The Executive will ensure that the Scottish e-commerce strategy takes account of relevant recommendations in the UK report.

We understand the importance of interest rates to Scottish businesses, but it is important to take account of the whole environment in which businesses operate. UK policy is set with a view to achieving the overall economic conditions for sustained growth and the avoidance of short-term instability.Competitiveness is determined by a variety of factors, including investment in skills, innovation and productivity. The Scottish Executive is determined to work in partnership with business and trade unions to ensure that Scotland is properly equipped to meet the challenges of a highly competitive global environment.

It is not possible to estimate future savings if all drugs were written and dispensed generically as it cannot be known with certainty for which drugs a generic equivalent will be available and at what price. In addition in some cases a generic product may be inappropriate for clinical reasons. However, during financial year 1998-99, savings of about £5.8 million could have been made in the FHS drugs bill, if all prescribed items, where a generic form exists, had been dispensed as a generic.

An appropriate balance between schoolwork and play is a vital component of a rounded curriculum. Schools and pre-school centres have been given advice on the benefits of play as part of a balanced curriculum. Schools are also encouraged to provide pupils with experience of, and access to, a wide range of games and sports through the formal curriculum and through extra curricular activities. HMI reports comment on the delivery and breadth of the curriculum as well as on school ethos which includes an appraisal of school atmosphere and the extent to which pupils are positive and gaining pleasure from their work in school.

The cost to the NHS in Scotland of making nicotine patches available on prescription can not be stated with any degree of confidence as it would depend on a number of factors which are currently unknown. For example the take up rate among smokers and the conditions on which prescriptions would be available would have a major influence on the eventual cost.If all smokers who have said that they want to give up were given the recommended course of treatment of around eight to twelve weeks the cost could be up to £130 million for the first year.However, in practice the cost could be expected to be lower than this.

I refer to the answer given to question S1W-2296.

I refer to the answer given to question S1W-2296.

Salmon stocks, as measured by annual catches, continue to decline throughout the range of the species. This has led to advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) urging caution in the exploitation of both early-running multi-sea winter (MSW) salmon and later running one-sea winter (1SW) salmon. In the circumstances, alteration of the fishing season as suggested would lead to increased exploitation of a diminishing resource, and therefore the Scottish Executive have no plans to extend the autumn fishing season.