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The following information covers the financial years to 2000-01 to 2010-11. Information for 2011-12 has not yet been finalised.

(a) Information on public investment up to financial year 2010-11 is available in the latest (2011) edition of Scottish Transport Statistics which is published by Transport Scotland and available at http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/strategy-and-research/publications-and-consultations/j205779-00.htm. Information on operating subsidies for the Northern Isles and Clyde and Hebrides ferry services is contained in the Table 9.13 “Shipping Services”. Capital investment information on Piers and Harbours for these networks is contained in Table 10.6 of the 2010 edition of “Scottish Transport Statistics” on the Scottish Government’s website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/12/17120002/158. Investment in Piers and Harbours for these networks in 2009-10 was £2.1m and in 2010-11 was £4.7 million.

The Scottish Government has also provided vessel grants and loans to Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd and Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd to procure new ferries as detailed below:

2000-01 - £3.8 million

2001-02 - £2.1 million

2002-03 - £7.5 million

2003-04 - £2.3 million

2004-05 - £6.4 million

2005-06 - £6.9 million

2006-07 - £8.9 million

2007-08 - £3.7 million

2008-09 - £3.5 million

2009-10 - £6.8 million

2010-11 - £6.8 million.

(b) The Royal Bank of Scotland purchased three vessels at a total cost of £98 million as part of a joint venture with Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd, NorthLink Orkney and Shetland Ferries Ltd. The vessels were built between 2000 and 2002 and are currently leased to NorthLink Ferries Ltd.

The Scottish Government is not aware of any new evidence that suggests that Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) breast implants affect breast milk. We therefore advise that mothers who wish to start /or continue breastfeeding their babies should do so.

The situation will be kept under close review and the Medical and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MRHA) experts will continue to examine any further domestic or international evidence on this issue.

We understand that this is a worrying time for women with PIP implants and we recommend that if women are concerned about their breasts or implants, they should seek clinical advice from their implanting surgeon or GP.

The creation of a federation of colleges in Lanarkshire, and its impact, would be in the first instance a matter for the colleges concerned. Colleges have a responsibility to ensure that the public funds they receive deliver the best outcomes for learners. Ministers look to colleges everywhere to ensure that they continue to fulfil this responsibility at all times.

The minutes of any discussions which might take place between individual colleges would not routinely be held centrally. No minutes of the type described are held by the Scottish Government.

Colleges are under no obligation to report to ministers the manner in which they make individual decisions or announcements. Ministers however expect college boards of management to follow good practice at all times.

Colleges are independent employers of staff and are expected to take their own decisions on engagement with staff and trade unions. While ministers have no direct role in this area, they expect colleges to follow good practice at all times.

While we have engaged closely with college chairs and principals as we pursue the reform of post-16 education, we have had no separate discussions with these three colleges alone on the subject of a federation of colleges in Lanarkshire. I have met the various chairs and principals at events over the past few months.

Outbreaks of norovirus will incur additional costs for NHS Scotland as a result of increased length of stay for patients in hospital, additional treatment costs, ward closures, etc.

Information about these costs is not, however, collected centrally.