The Scottish Executive Health Department has just received the Scottish Ambulance Service business case containing their proposals for change. Although there is no specific timetable for consideration, I have asked officials to make recommendations to me as soon as possible in 2001.

Information at the level of detail requested is not recorded comprehensively. Taking a strict interpretation of EU business as business to be discussed at a subsequent Council of Ministers meeting or a meeting involving one of the EU institutions, examples of formal bilaterals are as follows:

Meetings with Germany, France, Ireland, Denmark and the Commission in the course of negotiations between the EU and Norway on fisheries last month.

Meetings between Sarah Boyack and Noel Dempsey on 23 September 1999 in Ireland and on 22 March 2000 in Edinburgh to discuss EU environment policy.

The meeting on 1 December between Scottish Executive officials and French officials to discuss the twinning arrangements with the Czech Republic.

The meeting in Copenhagen in February 2000 at official level with Denmark to discuss the requirement on EU Member States to comply with the Council Regulation on maritime transport and community guidelines on island cabotage.

In addition, a whole range of informal bilaterals involving Ministers and officials of other member states take place on an ongoing basis at the margins of meetings and at specifically arranged venues to discuss issues of mutual interest. Officials from Scotland House in particular meet colleagues from other member state administrations in the normal course of their duties. The Scottish Executive is also involved in many multi-lateral meetings.

The number of households that will qualify for assistance under the proposed scheme will depend on the charges levied by each of the water authorities in the coming year and the level at which any cap is set. As the charge levels have yet to be set and proposals for the scheme are still out to consultation it is not presently possible to identify the actual number of households that will qualify. It is however anticipated that at least 100,000 households throughout Scotland will receive assistance under the proposed scheme.

Latest available figures on paper manufacturing imports are from the 1996 Scottish Input-Output Tables. During 1996 the paper industry imported 46.6% (£403million) of its intermediate purchases from the rest of the UK (26.4%) and the rest of the world (20.2%). Intermediate purchases include all goods and services required for the production process.

Data are not held centrally on the quantity of imports in tonnes.

The Scottish Executive set out its support for manufacturing industry in Created in Scotland - the way forward for Scottish Manufacturing in the 21^st Century, published in March 2000. Progress on this support is published on the Scottish Executive website. The Scottish Executive and the Enterprise Network are in regular contact with individual companies to provide support to enable companies become more competitive. Scottish Enterprise and the Forest Industries Development Council published in October 2000 a strategic framework for action for the forest industries cluster in Scotland.

Information on the current local authority basis is available for 1996 and 1997 and is given below. The figures for total employment represent the average number of full and part-time employees on the payroll during the year and include working proprietors.

1996

Unitary Authority	No. of Units	Total Employment (000)
Aberdeen City	19	2.4
Dumfries & Galloway	4	0.2
Dundee City	7	0.1
East Dunbartonshire	8	0.2
Edinburgh, City of	17	0.6
Falkirk	9	0.3
Fife	12	1.7
Glasgow, City of	29	0.9
Inverclyde	5	0.1
North Ayrshire	6	0.5
North Lanarkshire	17	0.7
Renfrewshire	7	0.3
South Lanarkshire	14	0.6
West Lothian	8	0.5
Rest of Scotland3	43	2.5
TOTAL	205	11.8

1997

Unitary Authority	No. of Units	Total Employment (000)
Aberdeen City	17	1.9
Dumfries & Galloway	4	0.2
Dundee City	9	0.2
East Dunbartonshire	7	0.2
Edinburgh, City of	20	0.6
Falkirk	7	0.3
Fife	14	2.3
Glasgow, City of	22	0.6
Inverclyde	4	0.1
North Ayrshire	6	0.5
North Lanarkshire	14	0.6
Renfrewshire	12	0.2
South Lanarkshire	17	0.8
West Lothian	7	0.5
Rest of Scotland3	41	2.5
TOTAL	201	11.6

Source: Scottish Production Database.

Notes:

1. Totals may not sum due to rounding.

2. Figures relate to Standard Industrial Classification 21 - "Manufacture of pulp, paper and paper products".

3. Data for "Rest of Scotland" has been aggregated together to prevent disclosure of data relating to individual units.

Latest available figures on paper manufacturing imports are from the 1996 Scottish Input-Output Tables. The total value of imports by the paper manufacturing industry was £403 million in 1996. This includes both imports from the rest of the UK (£228 million) and imports from the rest of the world (£175 million). Figures include imports of all goods and services required for the production process.

Data are not held centrally on the quantity of imports in tonnes.

Latest available figures on the export of paper products are from the 1996 Scottish Input-Output Tables. Scotland exported £1,118 million of paper products in 1996 - 49% to the rest of the UK and 51% to the rest of the world.

Data are not held centrally on the quantity of exports in tonnes or on exports to Europe.

The Scottish Executive and the Enterprise Network are in regular contact with companies in the paper sector and provide a range of support as appropriate.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11987.