The "local community", as applied to the Local Facilities Strand of the Sports Facilities Programme, is determined through sportscotland's supply/demand model and is the appropriate catchment for a particular facility type. This varies from facility to facility and is affected by location, geography and transportation.Other strands of the programme take account of "communities of interest". For example, the National and Regional strands focus on discrete sporting groups, including disabled persons.

The current statutory notification period is determined in the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The Scottish Executive is aware however of the limited opportunity which this allows for public consideration and comment. Accordingly, assurances have been sought and gained from the biotechnology companies which will provide a longer notification period for this spring's farm evaluations. The exact period of notification has not yet been determined.

The Regulations governing the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) are extremely tight and leave little room for discretion when applying penalties. There are, however, certain circumstances under which "obvious" errors can be accepted, and Area Aid Applications can be amended after the submission date of 15 May. Officials have been pressing the EU on the extension of the obvious error concept, and also on the proportionality of sanctions. My department, along with other UK Departments and other member states, are now providing ideas for consideration by a Commission Working Group established to look at simplification of the Common Agricultural Policy.

Under the Agenda 2000 proposals, my officials participated in a number of discussions on the eligibility of oilseeds to receive aid under the Arable Area Payments Scheme. This was because we recognised that the quality control criteria was an area where a simplification of the rules would benefit producers. The European Commission rejected this, as they were anxious to foster their policy of quality improvement in order to reduce the need to import oilseeds from outwith the Community. Currently, however, my officials are taking part in a general exercise on ways of improving the administration of the CAP. We will thus again be asking the Commission to look carefully at this matter.

Following my announcement on 13 December, the Executive wrote to all Education Authorities, Further Education colleges and heads of other centres on 18 December inviting them to submit requests for review by 10 January. By 19 January, the Appeals Review team had received 3,974 returns.In order to ensure that no appeals were excluded solely because of their late submission, the Appeals Review team accepted requests for review as late as 29 January when subject teams began their work. In a few very exceptional cases, requests have been accepted beyond this date. However, at this stage in the process it is no longer possible for the team to accept more new cases.As at 21 February, 4,216 cases were included in the appeals review process, and a breakdown of these cases by Education Authority is shown in the table.

Appeals Review 2000Numbers of cases by education authority

ABERDEEN CITY	86
ABERDEENSHIRE	210
ANGUS	100
ARGYLL & BUTE	81
CLACKMANNAN	14
DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY	238
DUNDEE CITY	94
EAST AYRSHIRE	136
EAST DUNBARTONSHIRE	117
EAST LOTHIAN	67
EAST RENFREWSHIRE	100
CITY OF EDINBURGH	276
EILEAN SIAR	47
FALKIRK	77
FIFE	271
GLASGOW CITY	253
HIGHLAND	139
INVERCLYDE	69
MIDLOTHIAN	68
MORAY	67
NORTH AYRSHIRE	96
NORTH LANARKSHIRE	184
ORKNEY ISLANDS	19
PERTH & KINROSS	66
RENFREWSHIRE	137
SCOTTISH BORDERS	163
SHETLAND ISLANDS	3
SOUTH AYRSHIRE	106
SOUTH LANARKSHIRE	147
STIRLING	72
WEST DUNBARTON	43
WEST LOTHIAN	92
TOTAL	3,638
FE COLLEGES	71
INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS	507
TOTAL CASES	4,216

A consortium of independent scientists from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, the Institute of Arable Crops Research and the Scottish Crop Research Institute form the Government-approved research consortium which carries out the ecological research to inform the farm-scale evaluation programme. Their approach is to compare key indicators of biodiversity between the GM and non GM cropping systems.The scientific validity of the research programme is being overseen by a Scientific Steering Committee of independent experts in agriculture and ecology.

Recommendation 13 of the Red Tape Review is currently in progress, with two of the specific aspects of this recommendation already completed. Those which remain, specifically regarding oilseeds Regulations and proportionality of penalties, require longer-term action and European Union co-ordination. My department has been pressing the EU on these issues since the publication of the Red Tape Report, and I am pleased to inform that a Commission Working Group has now been established to look at simplification of the Common Agricultural Policy. The UK, along with other member states, are now providing ideas to this group for consideration, and these suggestions will include the complexity of oilseed Regulations and the proportionality of penalties.

Our recent consultation paper on the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) addressed a number of issues, including the matter of qualifying renewable energy technologies. We will take decisions on these issues once we have completed analysing the many responses received.

109 contracts have been awarded under the Scottish Renewables Obligation since 1994. These are listed in the table. We do not hold any information regarding the cost of each scheme.

Energy Type	Location/Local Authority	Size (MW)
Biomass	Westfield (Fife)	9.8
Biomass	Burnside Farm, Brodick, Arran (North Ayrshire)	2
Biomass	Morayhill Energy Plant (Highland)	12.9
Energy from Waste	Baldovie (Dundee City)	8.3
Energy from Waste	Westfield (Fife)	14.7
Energy from Waste	(Glasgow City)	15
Energy from Waste	Dargavel (Dumfries & Galloway)	7.2
Hydro	Russell Burn, Applecross (Highland)	0.53
Hydro	Loch Poll, Assynt (Highland)	0.23
Hydro	Sheildaig, Gairloch (Highland)	2.1
Hydro	Inverbroom, Ullapool (Highland)	3.17
Hydro	Cuileig (Highland)	3
Hydro	Novar, Evanton Ross-shire (Highland)	0.92
Hydro	Ardtornish, Morvern, by Oban (Highland)	0.66
Hydro	Duror, Lochgilphead (Highland)	0.69
Hydro	Garrogie, Loch Mhor, Inverness-shire (Highland)	1.94
Hydro	Garry Gualach, Fort William (Highland)	0.78
Hydro	Stanley Mills, Perthshire (Perth and Kinross)	0.99
Hydro	Auchtertyre, Tyndrum (Stirling)	0.59
Hydro	Strath Melness, Sutherland (Highland)	0.3
Hydro	Slattadale, Achnasheen, Ross-shire (Highland)	1.45
Hydro	Locheil Estate, Achnacarry (Highland)	1.32
Hydro	Loch Arkaig, Locheil, Inverness-shire (Highland)	5.47
Hydro	Little Wyvis, Strathpeffer, Ross-shire (Highland)	0.63
Hydro	Glen Tarbet, Strontian, Argyll (Highland)	0.83
Hydro	Inverpolly, Lochinver, Ross & Cromarty (Highland)	0.95
Hydro	Urlar, Aberfeldy (Perth and Kinross)	0.98
Hydro	Westfield Mill, Blairgowrie (Perth and Kinross)	0.43
Hydro	Glen Kinglas HEP (Argyll and Bute)	0.6
Hydro	Ben Glas Hydro Scheme (Stirling)	0.9
Hydro	Allt Fionn HEP (Stirling)	0.9
Hydro	River Nith (Dumfries and Galloway)	0.5
Hydro	Glen Trool (Dumfries and Galloway)	1
Hydro	Dyce (Aberdeen City)	0.62
Hydro	Beochlich, Loch Awe (Argyll and Bute)	0.95
Hydro	Antermony Loch, Milton of Campsie (East Dunbartonshire)	0.08
Landfill Gas	Summerston (Glasgow City)	2.78
Landfill Gas	Dalmarnock (Glasgow City)	11.85
Landfill Gas	Springburn (Glasgow City)	11.85
Landfill Gas	Greengairs Phase 1, Airdrie (North Lanarkshire)	1.89
Landfill Gas	Greengairs Phase 2, Airdrie (North Lanarkshire)	1.89
Landfill Gas	Greengairs Phase 3, Airdrie (North Lanarkshire)	1.96
Landfill Gas	Greengairs Phase 4, Airdrie (North Lanarkshire)	1.96
Landfill Gas	Auchinlea, Bellside, Cleland (North Lanarkshire)	1.69
Landfill Gas	Dalmacoulter, Airdrie (North Lanarkshire)	0.96
Landfill Gas	Tarbothill (Aberdeen City)	2.2
Landfill Gas	Wellbank Gas to Energy (Angus)	0.9
Landfill Gas	Dunlop Power (East Ayrshire	2.4
Landfill Gas	Garlaff LandFill (East Ayrshire)	1.3
Landfill Gas	Kaimes Landfill Site (Edinburgh City)	2.4
Landfill Gas	Greenoakhill Landfill Site (Glasgow City)	3.9
Landfill Gas	Bonnyrigg Power (Midlothian)	2.2
Landfill Gas	Auchencarrod Landfill (West Dumbartonshire)	2
Landfill Gas	Greengairs Phase 5, Airdrie (North Lanarkshire)	2.2
Landfill Gas	Greengairs Phase 6, Airdrie (North Lanarkshire)	2.2
Landfill Gas	Riggend Power (North Lanarkshire)	1
Landfill Gas	Drumshangie Power (North Lanarkshire)	1
Landfill Gas	Kilgarth (North Lanarkshire)	1
Landfill Gas	Binn Landfill (Perth & Kinross)	1.9
Small Wind	Meall Mor (Argyll & Bute)	1
Small Wind	Shell Fish Farm (Argyll & Bute)	0.3
Small Wind	Torrs Hill Wind Farm (Dumfries & Galloway)	0.8
Small Wind	Little Kilmain (East Ayrshire)	1
Small Wind	Myres Hill A (East Renfrewshire)	0.6
Small Wind	A'Mhoine (Highland)	1
Small Wind	Melvich Wind Farm (Highland)	1
Small Wind	Crofting Power - Forrs (Highland)	0.9
Small Wind	Burgar Hill (Orkney Islands)	0.6
Small Wind	Bu Farm (Orkney Islands)	1
Small Wind	Powdykes (Orkney Islands)	0.3
Small Wind	Thorfin Wind Farm (Orkney Islands)	1
Small Wind	Pole Hill (Perth & Kinross)	1
Small Wind	Tresta (Shetland Islands)	1
Small Wind	Hamari Field (Shetland Islands)	1
Small Wind	Burradale Wind Farm (Shetland Islands)	0.9
Small Wind	Arnish Moor (Western Isles)	1
Wave	Islay (Argyll & Bute)	0.2
Wave	Machiar Bay (Argyll & Bute)	0.3
Wave	(Shetland Islands)	1.5
Wind	Benan Hill (South Ayrshire)	4.5
Wind	Kiam Hill (North Ayrshire)	5.1
Wind	Stronachullin (Argyll & Bute)	3.8
Wind	Dun Law (Borders)	8.9
Wind	Black Hill (Borders)	5.1
Wind	Meikle Carewe (Aberdeenshire)	5.7
Wind	Bisset Moss (Aberdeenshire)	6.4
Wind	Beinn An Tuirc, Carradale (Argyll & Bute)	6.39
Wind	Cnoc Donn Arnicle, Carradale (Argyll & Bute)	6.39
Wind	Deucheran Hill, Kintyre (Argyll & Bute)	6.17
Wind	An Suidhe, Loch Awe/Fyne (Argyll & Bute)	6.17
Wind	Eredine Forest, Loch Awe/Fyne (Argyll & Bute)	6.17
Wind	Roughside Hill, Peebles (Borders)	6.17
Wind	Emly Bank, Peebles (Borders)	6.17
Wind	Ark Hill (Angus)	5.1
Wind	Hagshaw Hill (s10), Douglas (South Lanarkshire)	2.12
Wind	Hagshaw Hill (s15), Douglas (South Lanarkshire)	4.06
Wind	West Garty, Helmsdale, Sutherland (Highland)	5.13
Wind	Helmsdale, Helmsdale, Sutherland (Highland)	4.3
Wind	Bendealt, Evanton, Ross-shire (Highland))	3.79
Wind	Meall an Tuirc, Evanton, Ross-shire (Highland))	3.37
Wind	Beinn Ghlas, Taynauilt (Argyll & Bute)	3.37
Wind	Largie, Kintyre (Argyll & Bute)	6.39
Wind	Laggan, Islay (Argyll & Bute)	1.28
Wind	Carsphairn, Kirkcudbright (Dumfries & Galloway)	4.21
Wind	Carsphairn, Kirkcudbright (Dumfries & Galloway)	4.21
Wind	Port Patrick, Wigtownshire (Dumfries & Galloway)	3.37
Wind	Beinn Mholach (Western Isles)	4.5
Wind	Barbae (South Ayrshire)	6.4
Wind	Stronachullin (South Lanarkshire)	8.6

The definition suggested, which was in use prior to new regulations introduced on 1 January 2000, was found to be unenforceable because it required every single mesh in the net to be measured - an impossible task in practice.Nephrops have previously been observed escaping through the meshes in the belly of the net. The potential effect of the current regulations on the extent of escapes has not been quantified.The Executive is prepared to consider an approach to the Commission with a view to reviewing the European Regulations covering mesh size if evidence emerges that nephrops stocks may be at risk.