Anthrax is a rare disease inthe UK. Experience of dealing with anthrax in domestic animals over many decadesby the State Veterinary Service has not led to suspicion of anthrax in the wildanimal population to date.

No research to determine theprevalence amongst wild animals has been conducted by the Executive.

The Scottish Children’s ReporterAdministration (SCRA) is not responsible for managing or delivering services totackle the needs and behaviour of persistent young offenders. SCRA’s overall annualgrant-in-aid has increased by over £10 million since 2001 to over £24 million thisyear. We continually monitor resourcing requirements, in discussion with SCRA management,in order to optimise the administration’s effectiveness.

Between 1999-2000 and 2001-02,our records show that we received no formal applications for funding for eitherwar memorials or commemorations.

In 2002-03, the Executive receivedan application for funding for a war memorial from the Normandy Veteran’s Associationwhich was declined. This represents 100 per cent of formal applications receivedby the Executive in that year.

In 2003-04, we received no formalapplications for funding.

In 2004-05, the Executive receivedtwo applications for funding, in respect of the Great Hearts War Memorial at Contalmaisonand the memorial to the 51st Highland Division, both of which were supported.

In 2005-06 one application wasmade with regards the commemorative celebrations of the end of World War II andin 2006-07 one application was made for funding for the National Veterans Day commemorations,both of which were supported.

In addition, Historic Scotlandhave carried out works and repairs to the Scottish National War Memorial at EdinburghCastle and to the Argyll and Sutherland Memorial at Stirling Castle. However, thiswas not in response to any formal application for funding but as part of their regularprogramme of repair and maintenance of historic monuments. Moreover, the agencyhas received no applications for funding under its Buildings Repair Grant Schemefor funding of war memorials or commemorations.

With regards to the HolocaustMemorial Day Commemorations, the Executive has received no formal applications forfunding but has taken a proactive position to find hosts for the Holocaust commemorationand have provided contributions towards the organising of commemorative events.

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-27575 on 1 September 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

We identified thedisproportionately negative impact that the behaviour of a small minority ofyoung people were having on victims, communities and their own life chances.

We remain determined toprevent that behaviour wherever possible, and confront it when it does occur.That was and is the basis for our focus on persistent young offenders.

With almost one in threeoffence referrals to Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration attributableto persistent young offenders, the intention was to encourage concernedagencies to unite to tackle repeat offending and focus finite resources in waysthat could provide most support to those young people who need it, and the mostimmediate relief to communities affected by youth crime.

A 10% reduction in thenumber of persistent young offenders would have seen 120 of the most recidivistyoung people in Scotland lifted out of a life of crime, and each of them notbeing referred in respect of an average nine offences per annum. That couldpotentially have seen over 1,000 fewer victims of youth crime in each yearsince 2003-04.

We are content that thequarterly and annual youth justice figures published by the Scottish Children’sReporter Administration represent an accurate picture of offence referralsreceived by the administration.

Minor or one-off incidencesof offending behaviour where detected and admitted may not merit theconsideration of compulsory supervision via referral to the Children’sReporter, and could also be effectively dealt with by parental action,restorative police warnings or other diversionary activity.

Annual estimates of thenumbers of young people not in education, employment or training nationally aretaken from the Annual Population Survey. For most local authorities, the samplesize of the survey for people aged 16 to 19 is too small to provide reliableestimates of those not in employment, education or training. Table 1 shows theestimates available from 2003 onwards.

Prior to 2003, the samplesize in Scotland was smaller and it was not possible to producereliable estimates of the numbers of young people not in education, employmentor training at a local level. Table 2 gives the estimates for Scotland forthe years 1999 to 2002.

Table 1: Proportion and Numberof 16 to 19-Year-Olds Not in Education, Employment or Training by Local AuthorityArea 2003 to 2005

	Mar 2003 to Feb 2004		Jan 2004 to Dec 2004		Jan 2005 to Dec 2005
	Proportion	Number NEET	Proportion	Number NEET	Proportion	Number NEET
Scotland	13.7%	35,000	13.2%	35,000	14.0%	36,000
Aberdeen City	*	*	*	*	*	*
Aberdeenshire	*	*	*	*	*	*
Angus	15.1%	1,000	*	*	15.3%	1,000
Argyll and Bute	12.6%	1,000	*	*	*	*
Clackmannanshire	*	*	*	*	*	*
Dumfries and Galloway	*	*	*	*	*	*
Dundee City	*	*	*	*	*	*
East Ayrshire	13.7%	1,000	17.5%	1,000	14.0%	1,000
East Dunbartonshire	8.5%	1,000	*	*	*	*
East Lothian	*	*	*	*	*	*
East Renfrewshire	10.1%	1,000	*	*	*	*
Edinburgh, City of	*	*	*	*	*	*
Eilean Siar	*	*	*	*	*	*
Falkirk	*	*	*	*	*	*
Fife	*	*	*	*	*	*
Glasgow City	19.0%	6,000	22.1%	7,000	25.8%	8,000
Highland	*	*	*	*	*	*
Inverclyde	17.7%	1,000	18.5%	1,000	14.8%	1,000
Midlothian	19.6%	1,000	15.6%	1,000	20.1%	1,000
Moray	*	*	*	*	13.3%	1,000
North Ayrshire	17.9%	1,000	20.5%	1,000	11.1%	1,000
North Lanarkshire	21.9%	4,000	*	*	21.2%	4,000
Orkney Islands	*	*	*	*	*	*
Perth and Kinross	*	*	*	*	*	*
Renfrewshire	*	*	*	*	*	*
Scottish Borders	13.9%	1,000	*	*	12.0%	1,000
Shetland Islands	*	*	*	*	*	*
South Ayrshire	15.9%	1,000	19.5%	1,000	11.9%	1,000
South Lanarkshire	*	*	*	*	*	*
Stirling	11.9%	1,000	16.3%	1,000	15.0%	1,000
West Dunbartonshire	16.6%	1,000	19.2%	1,000	16.2%	1,000
West Lothian	*	*	*	*	*	*

Source:Annual Scottish Labour Force Survey 2003-04 Annual Population Survey 2004 and2005.

Notes:

* -estimate withheld as below reliability threshold

1. Numbers(other than proportions) rounded to the nearest thousand.

2. Proportionsare calculated on unrounded figures.

3. Totalsmay not equal the sum of individual parts due to rounding.

 

Table 2: Proportion and Numberof 16 to-19 Year Olds not in Education, Employment or Training, Scotland1999 to 2002

Year	Proportion	Number
1999	14.9%	37,000
2000	15.0%	38,000
2001	15.4%	38,000
2002	14.0%	35,000

Source:Labour Force Survey combined quarters.

Notes:

1. Numbers(other than proportions) rounded to the nearest thousand.

2. Proportionsare calculated on unrounded figures.

Information on appeals and Decisionsof the Scottish Information Commissioner, including those concerning the Executiveare published on the Commissioner’s website: http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/appealsdecisions/index.htm.

As of 31 July 2006 the websiteshows 75 outstanding investigations and 33 where a decision has been issued concerningthe Executive.

Information on the number and percentage of requests dealt with by the Scottish Executive within the 20 working-day time period during 2005 is available in a report on information requesthandling in the Scottish Executive. This report is available in the Scottish Parliament’sReference Centre (Bib. number 39491) and on the Freedom of Information pages of the Scottish Executive website http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/04/monitor2.The Executive will be publishing the report for requests received during the firstsix months of 2006 once the figures for this period have been analysed.

An applicant may request aninternal review if dissatisfied with the way in which a Scottish publicauthority has dealt with a request for information, including the applicationof exemptions. Information on numbers ofinternal reviews requested of the Scottish Executive during 2005 is available in a report on information requesthandling in the Scottish Executive. This report is available in the Scottish Parliament’sReference Centre (Bib. number 39491) and on the Freedom of Information pages of the Scottish Executive website: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/04/monitor2.

The Executive will bepublishing the report for requests received during the first six months of 2006once the figures for this period have been analysed.