Recent research on the profileof Scottish Parliament visitors indicates that over 70% live in Scotland.The distribution of Scotland based visitors is concentrated in the central belt. Researchindicates that most people will usually travel only up to two hours for a dayout.

The tables below shows thegeographical spread of schools visiting the Parliament and schools receivingthe outreach education programme, MSPs in Schools, in the current 2006-07academic year. A community outreach programme has operated during session 2 foradult groups living in areas more remote from the Parliament.

	MSPs in Schools
Highland and Islands	25%
Mid Scotland and Fife	19%
Lothian	16%
Central Scotland	11%
West of Scotland	9%
North East Scotland	8%
South of Scotland	7%
Glasgow	5%

 

	Inward visits programme
Lothian	21%
Mid Scotland and Fife	17%
West of Scotland	17%
Central Scotland	13%
Glasgow	11%
North East Scotland	9%
South of Scotland	9%
Highland and Islands	3%

 

Whilst information on theimpact of financial and transport barriers has not been gathered across allvisitors to date, education staff have surveyed local authority schooltransport organisers to establish what improvements could be made by the Parliament to support educational visits from more remote areas.

Location is not the onlyfactor that should be taken into account in targeting education and outreachservices, including encouraging visits to the Parliament. Many of our mostdisengaged sections of the population are to be found in areas of deprivation,including areas of the central belt. The issue of monitoring the parliament’svisitor demographic and consideration of specific targeting will be consideredas part of the implementation of the recent review of visitors’ services. Inaddition a review of the education and outreach service is also underway. Itwill consider the issue of targeting schools geographically and on other basesand is due to report in April 2007. Members have recently been invited to givetheir views on the education and outreach services to help inform the finalrecommendations.

The Scottish Executive will markInternational Workers’ Memorial Day by continuing our work with the Health and SafetyExecutive (HSE), trade unions, responsible employers and with all those committedto ending the kind of tragedies that will be commemorated on that day. It is importantthat, as well as highlighting the issue of health and safety in the workplace onthis specific date each year, we ensure that the positive messages on health andsafety percolate into business and Government decisions and results in genuine improvementsin the workplace. We know that we have to engage both employers and their workers.In this respect, The Partnership on Health and Safety in Scotland (PHASS) was establishedin 2005 by the Health and Safety Commission (HSC), supported by UK and Scottishministers, with the aim of implementing the HSC’s strategy for workplace healthand safety to 2010 and beyond, in Scotland. It brings together representatives fromthe Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), Confederation of British Industry, Scotland(CBI), Federation of Small Business (FSB), local authorities, the Scottish Centrefor Healthy Working Lives, POOSH Scotland (professional organisations in occupationalsafety and health), HSC, HSE and the Scottish Executive. PHASS aims to target actionby co-ordinating effort by devolved and reserved government and to promote the benefitsto people, businesses, and Scotland’s economy, of working in a safe and healthy environment.

Under the Scotland Act 1998,energy efficiency is reserved, except for the promotion of energy efficiency otherthan by prohibition or regulation (Schedule 5, Section D5). The Executive supportsthe promotion of a wide range of energy efficiency measures including use of energyefficient light bulbs.

The recent Less Favoured AreaSupport Scheme (LFASS) payment of £40 million was a supplementary payment to LFASS2006, provided to address cash flow problems arising from changes in the timingof LFASS. The value of LFASS 2007 will be £61 million.

Support for less favoured areasis an integral part of the Scottish Rural Development Plan for 2007-2013,which is due to be formally submitted to the European Commission later this year.

Our consultation on the SustainableManagement of Waste from Business and Public Sector Organisations can be found at:

www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/08/05101728/17300.

Since the consultation, the Executiveand the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) have been summarising andanalysing responses. A summary of responses is available at:

www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/Waste/17103/managementofwaste.

Following the consultation, the Scottish Executive and SEPA have been drafting a Business Waste Framework, whichwe intend to publish in March 2007. The framework outlines the Scottish Executive’sand SEPA’s aim of encouraging the reduction, reuse and recycling of business waste.The framework will address waste data, support to encourage business waste minimisation,collections of recyclate from small businesses, planning and infrastructure, regulation,and development of markets for recycled material.

Total estimated expenditure toend February 2007 for land, compensation and scheme development for the M74 Completionis £156 million. Total estimated expenditure to end February 2007 for scheme developmentfor the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route is £19 million.

Further costs would result frompayments that would be due to consultants and contractors for the winding up ofany contracts. Remaining compensation payments for any land acquired would requireto be settled.

The Scottish Executive encourageslocal authorities to evaluate all new school buildings, however procured, to assesshow well the design and facilities are meeting the needs of users, and to take accountof and share lessons learned.

The Executive has not carriedout any investigations of the type described. Authorities have the same degree ofcontrol over the design brief and specifications as to quality, whatever the procurementmethod.

For independent general dentalpractitioners:

Information regarding the GoldenHello Recruitment and Retention Allowances and Remote Areas Allowance are containedin tables 12.1, 12.2, and 12.3 of the 2005-2006 Scottish Dental Practice BoardAnnual Report.

There have been 126 successfuland no unsuccessful claims for the Vocational Training Golden Hello.

The information requested isnot available by local authority area. Information on registrations by NHS boardarea can be found at http://www.isdscotland.org/dental.