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The ScottishGovernment, VisitScotland, Scottish Enterprise and Perth and Kinross Council are committed to working with tourism businesses inthe area to grow tourism there, as part of the shared ambition to increase Scotland’s tourism revenue by 50% over the decade to 2015.VisitScotland and the council are both represented on the Perthshire AreaTourism Partnership and work closely together to deliver the Partnership’sTourism Strategy and Action Plan for the Perthshire area. This close workingrelationship between VisitScotland and Perth and Kinross Council is set out in their Partnership Agreement, which,along with associated funding, commits VisitScotland to delivering a portfolioof marketing activity and services to visitors. In addition, ScottishEnterprise has identified Perthshire as one of the key areas in Scotland for tourism growth, and it too works closely withtourism businesses in the area.

The Scottish Governmenthas not made an assessment of the trials by Perth and Kinross Council on visual stimulus modification and educational attainmentas this was a local project funded by the council.

NHS health boardsin Scotland are in the process of implementing the recommendationsin Health for all Children 4: Guidance on Implementation in Scotland that:

all children shouldbe screened by an orthoptist in their pre-school year, between the ages of fourand five years and that once this is in place, vision screening on school entryshould cease

vision screening insecondary school should continue at a single point only, unless already discontinued

that NHS boards andlocal authorities should make arrangements for any child undergoing assessment foreducational under achievement or other school problems to have a visual acuity check,and

NHS boards shouldensure that vision screening is undertaken in schools for children with hearingimpairment.

I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-1841 on 15 August 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the member to the answerto question S3W-2276 answered on 7 August 2007. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website the search facility forwhich can be found at:http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Information on thenumber of unused classrooms in local authority primary schools is not held centrally.In 2006, 1,510 P1, 1,378 P2 and 1,428 P3 classes had more than 18 pupils.

We are consideringin detail the numbers of teachers needed in order to reduce all P1 to P3 classesto 18 or less and allow all pre-school children access to a teacher. We have announcedthe first steps towards this, with funding for the employment of an additional 300teachers and the increase of 250 training places from this August.

We will be announcingfurther steps in due course, to a timetable that ensures that we can protect thequality of the teachers entering the profession and takes into account the capacityof the system to provide training places. Clearly, the most important issue is toensure the best possible educational outcomes for our children.

It is for local authoritiesto consider the detailed accommodation requirements of their schools in the lightof local circumstances and declining school rolls projected for coming years.

We have made available£40 million of additional capital resources to authorities this financial year toallow a start to be made on the accommodation requirements.

The information requestedis not held centrally.

The Scottish Government’s sportstrategy, Reaching Higher identifies quality facilities as one of the four nationalpriorities to achieve increased participation and improved performance. The strategycalls on local authorities to develop a strategic approach to the provision andmanagement of sports facilities.

We have madeclear our commitment to introduce a presumption against the closure of rural schoolsand shall be considering further the detailed implications of taking that forward.We shall also take thisinto account in our consideration of decisions on any rural school closure proposalswhich may require ministerial consent.