Seòmar agus comataidhean

Broadcasting is a reserved matter. We attach considerable importance to the role that regional broadcasting and programming play in nurturing local culture and identity. We have made our views clear in discussions with the broadcasters, Ofcom and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Recommendations in Potential Adaptation Strategies for Climate Change in Scotland identified priorities for a climate change adaptation strategy in Scotland. The study recognised that an adaptation strategy to climate change in Scotland did not require a fundamentally different framework to that already existing. Therefore, rather than publishing a strategy at this time, we are working with the UK Government to consider how the proposed UK Framework for Climate Change Adaptation might be developed to inform our approach to climate change adaptation in Scotland.

In parallel, we are progressing those study recommendations which were directed specifically at the Scottish Executive: the need for a partnership approach between the Executive and stakeholders; the role of the Scottish Executive as educators and facilitators, and the need for strategic oversight from the Scottish Executive. One of the ways in which we are taking these forwardis by funding development of a Scottish Climate Change Impacts Partnership (SCCIP)to provide a forum at strategic and local levels to address climate change impactissues. A further recommendation concerned the need for the Executive and localauthorities to have further discussions on flood risks and land use planning. These took place during the preparation of Scottish Planning Policy 7 – Planning and Flooding - which was published in February 2004.

Following consultation with stakeholders, we have developed a scheme under the national envelope provisions which will be called the Scottish Beef Calf scheme. I will be bringing forward regulations relating to the scheme, shortly. Farmers and crofters have been kept informed of our intentions.

This will involve a flat rate payment for calves born in Scotland to beef-bred animals, with a higher rate payable for the first 10 animals. It is intended to support the supply of quality Scottish beef and safeguard the environment.

The first payments will be made after one year’s worth of claims have been received. I expect the first payments to be made in February to March 2006.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

The available information for HM Prison Aberdeen in 2003-04 is as set out in the following table:

Pay Band	Staff Turnover Number in Each Pay Band	Recorded Number of Days Absence by Pay Band
A	1	11
B	1	9
C	2	637
C+	8	561
D	1	149
D+	2	1,697
E	1	42
E+	0	64
F	0	3
G	0	0
H	0	0

 

Information on the number of children (aged under 16) discharged, with an alcohol related or drug misuse diagnosis from acute hospitals, mental illness hospitals and psychiatric units is presented by NHS board area of residence in table 1 and table 2. Information for 2003-04 is provisional.

Provision of this information for each hospital would involve very small numbers in each case, and could potentially identify individuals.

Table 1

Scottish Hospitals Discharge Records For Children Aged Under 16 with an Explicit Diagnosis of Alcohol Related Conditions by Area of Residence; 1999-2000 to 2003-04

Area of Residence	Discharge Period
Number	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04
Total	837	841	805	726	625
Argyll and Clyde	86	84	63	54	47
Ayrshire and Arran	99	84	98	107	92
Borders	23	24	28	36	27
Dumfries and Galloway	26	29	19	15	13
Fife	49	47	45	39	38
Forth Valley	32	33	26	29	29
Grampian	119	125	108	101	98
Greater Glasgow	114	116	119	86	45
Highland	46	62	56	56	58
Lanark	80	56	75	64	53
Lothian	73	65	74	53	46
Orkney	6	8	8	8	6
Shetland	6	5	4	6	6
Tayside	69	80	62	49	31
Western Isles	2	15	14	15	24
Scotland	830	833	799	718	613
Other/Not Known	7	8	6	8	12
Percentage of All Discharges
Total	0.7	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.6
Argyll and Clyde	0.9	0.9	0.7	0.6	0.5
Ayrshire and Arran	1.0	0.9	1.1	1.2	1.0
Borders	0.9	1.0	1.2	1.6	1.2
Dumfries and Galloway	0.8	0.8	0.6	0.5	0.5
Fife	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5
Forth Valley	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.5
Grampian	1.0	1.1	1.0	1.0	0.9
Greater Glasgow	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.3
Highland	1.0	1.6	1.4	1.3	1.2
Lanark	0.6	0.5	0.6	0.5	0.4
Lothian	0.4	0.4	0.5	0.3	0.3
Orkney	1.9	2.7	2.8	2.9	1.7
Shetland	1.2	1.1	0.8	1.2	1.2
Tayside	0.8	0.9	0.7	0.6	0.3
Western Isles	0.4	3.0	3.0	2.8	4.0
Scotland	0.7	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.6
Other/Not Known	0.7	0.9	0.6	0.8	1.3

Notes:

1. Includes acute hospitals, mental illness hospitals and psychiatric units (excludes maternity hospitals).

2. Information on hospital discharges relates to episodes of in-patient or day case care rather than individual patients. Transfer cases have been included. The same patient may account for several hospital admissions during the course of a year (or across years) and will be counted each time in the table.

Table 2

Scottish Hospitals Discharge Records For Children Aged Under 16 with an Explicit Diagnosis of Drug Misuse by Area of Residence; 1999-2000 to 2003-04

Area of Residence	Discharge Period
Number	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04
Total	49	58	79	57	48
Argyll and Clyde	6	10	9	3	2
Ayrshire and Arran	10	8	21	9	8
Borders	4	-	2	2	5
Dumfries and Galloway	1	3	-	1	-
Fife	-	3	5	3	8
Forth Valley	-	1	2	2	1
Grampian	7	3	4	7	3
Greater Glasgow	6	9	18	14	6
Highland	2	2	2	-	1
Lanark	4	8	2	2	6
Lothian	5	7	10	8	4
Orkney	-	-	-	-	-
Shetland	-	-	-	1	-
Tayside	2	3	3	3	3
Western Isles	-	-	-	2	1
Scotland	47	57	78	57	48
Other/Not Known	2	1	1	-	-
Percentage of All Discharges
Total	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.0
Argyll and Clyde	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.0	0.0
Ayrshire and Arran	0.1	0.1	0.2	0.1	0.1
Borders	0.2	-	0.1	0.1	0.2
Dumfries and Galloway	0.0	0.1	-	0.0	-
Fife	-	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.1
Forth Valley	-	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Grampian	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.0
Greater Glasgow	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.0
Highland	0.0	0.1	0.1	-	0.0
Lanark	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0
Lothian	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.0
Orkney	-	-	-	-	-
Shetland	-	-	-	0.2	-
Tayside	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Western Isles	-	-	-	0.4	0.2
Scotland	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.0
Other/Not Known	0.2	0.1	0.1	-	-

Notes:

1. Includes acute hospitals, mental illness hospitals and psychiatric units (excludes maternity hospitals).

2. Information on hospital discharges relates to episodes of in-patient or day case care rather than individual patients. Transfer cases have been included. The same patient may account for several hospital admissions during the course of a year (or across years) and will be counted each time in the table.

Tables based on figures provided by planning authorities showing a breakdown of this information have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 35167).

These tables indicate the total number of applications received, approved and refused by planning authorities for all housing developments. Data on the number of houses per application is not held centrally and therefore is not included in the tables.

The information provided in the following table details the total number of planning applications received by planning authorities in the financial years since 1999. The actual number of planning permission appeals determined by the Scottish Executive Inquiry Reporters Unit (SEIRU) is only around 1-2% ofapplications received. Of these, the number of appeals accepted (successful) isaround one-third with the number of appeals rejected (unsuccessful) around two thirds in each of the last five financial years.

Year	Planning Applications Received	Planning Permission Appeals Accepted	% of Total Planning Applications Received	Planning Permission Appeals Rejected	% of Total Planning Applications Received
1999-2000	42,651	197	0.46	366	0.86
2000-2001	40,925	214	0.52	399	0.97
2001-02	44,269	214	0.48	350	0.79
2002-03	47,228	228	0.48	423	0.90
2003-04	51,330	242	0.47	451	0.88

 

Although broadcasting is a reserved matter, we engage regularly with Ofcom to discuss different aspects of broadcasting in Scotland, including the review of public service broadcasting.

Through the Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland (FREDS) we are working in partnership with academia and industry to help promote and accelerate the development of a range of renewable energy technologies. FREDS plans to consider Scotland’s research and development potential specifically, and its capability to help contribute to the development of our renewable energy opportunities.

We contributed £2.125 million towards the capital costs of establishing the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney, which is promoting and enabling the research and development of marine technologies. We are also investing, through Scottish Enterprise, £150 million over 10 years in the Energy Intermediary Technology Institute in Aberdeen, which will focus on research and development for emerging and innovative technologies. Furthermore, with the support of the Executive, the Carbon Trust funds the research and development of innovative low carbon technologies.

Broadcasting is a reserved matter. We submitted a response to phase one of Ofcom’s review of public service broadcasting (PSB) in July 2004. This submission is publicly available on the PSB Phase 1 consultation responses page on Ofcom’s website at www.ofcom.org.uk.