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In 2004-05, NHS Orkney received a general allocation of £28.86 million from which funding for GP out-of-hours services, the new consultant contract, European Working Time Directive compliance and the implementation of Agenda for Change will be derived.

Air: Total flying hours contracted 1,800

Sea: Total available patrol days 1,264

Land: Total available British Sea

 Fishery Officer enforcement days 8,850

Based on these inputs, I have set the following targets for the financial year 2004-05:

Aerial Surveillance

- per cent of hours flown on task 83%

- cost per hour flown on task £1,236

Marine surveillance

- uptake as a % of available patrol days 98%

- cost per effective patrol day £5,277

Sea Fisheries Inspectorate

- per cent of total tonnage landed into 80%

Scottish ports checked against logsheet

- cost per catch inspection £122

Cases for Prosecution

- cases for prosecution to be reported

 within six weeks of offences being detected 96%

- number of cases where court proceedings are taken or

the imposition of a PF fine, as percentage of offences 94% reported to prosecuting authorities

Efficiency

- cash-releasing efficiency gain as a % of the total 1.0%

 running cost budget

The Chief Executive will be directly accountable to me for the achievement of these targets, which will be reported in the Agency's Annual Report.

 A comparison with actual performance in 2003-2004 is attached for reference.

Agency Performance Measures and Targets

Notes:

* - out-turns expressed in resource terms.

· - provisional out-turns expressed in resource terms.

On fisheries the Council adopted the conclusions of the Commission’scommunication on Environmentally Friendly Fishing Methods. The textsupports the simplification and improvement of the EU’s technical conservation regulationsto help to optimise catches of target species (reducing by-catch and discarding)and minimise the impact of fishing on marine habitats. The Commission has also beenasked to give a high priority to schemes promoting environmentally friendly fishing,develop pilot projects for reducing discarding and to explore the potential forfinancial and non-financial incentives for using more environmentally friendly fishingmethods. The Executive believes these measures can make a contribution to securinga more sustainable marine environment.

The Council also reached agreementon a Regulation setting the maximum level of fishing effort for Western Waters.Fishing effort was allocated on the basis of kilowatt/days which member states willbe allowed to share among their fleets. The new regime should ensure that fishingeffort is not increased and that no major shifts in fishing effort occur. The Executiveis content with the new Western Waters arrangements and supports the measures putforward.

Finally there was an exchangeof views regarding the establishment of a Community Fisheries Control Agency. the Executive believes that there is a need to promote more consistent standards ofcontrol and enforcement across the EU. However, the agency should be a small technicalbody, concentrating on training and joint enforcement operations. The Council welcomedthe Commission’s proposal, which will now be discussed at a technical level.

On agriculture, the Council held a public debate following the Commission’spresentation of an Action Plan for Organic Food and Farming. The UK joined othersin welcoming the plan while stressing that expansion of the organic sector wouldhave to be driven by consumer demand. The UK would play its part in further discussion but would wantto ensure that requirements laid on the organic sector were economically realistic.

The Commission updated the Councilon continuing World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations under the Doha DevelopmentAgenda and on its negotiations for a trade agreement with the Mercosur countries.The UK endorsed the efforts of the Commission to work for progress on both frontsand, on the WTO, emphasised the value of securing progress before the summer break.We re-iterated the benefits that a Doha deal could bring to the world economy and especiallyto developing countries.

The German Minister presenteda memorandum to the Council on renewable resources, following a conference heldlast month in Bonn. Delegations welcomed the German paper, noting the growingimportance of renewables. The Commission said it would submit a biomass plan bythe end of 2005.

The Council had a brief exchangeof views on the Commission’s report on the operation of the beef labelling regulations.There was general agreement that the regulations had done much to support consumerconfidence in beef and that major changes were not needed. Further technical discussionwill take place at official level.

The Commission reported on continuingnegotiations with trading partners over the rice tariff and with Russia on itsrequirements for certificates covering animal and animal product imports.

Delivery of Service:

To achieve 93% of the performance targets set in the Schedules to the Service Level Agreement.

To achieve 85% of the milestones agreed for Research and Development projects.

To achieve an output of 1.3 publications per scientific member of staff.

To produce 22 information leaflets and 10 major articles in the industry press.

Quality of Service:

To submit the scientific work of the Marine Ecosystems Programme to a peer review during 2004-05, and to put in place an agreed action plan to implement recommendations by the end of March 2005.

To achieve accreditation by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service of the monitoring programmes for five new areas of work by March 2005.

Efficiency Targets:

93% of costs to be recovered from external customers (other than those agreed to be undertaken at marginal or shared costs).

To restrict administrative staff costs to a maximum of 18% of the total staff costs.

To achieve a research vessel utilisation of 96%, operating at a daily cost of £12,150 for Scotia and £2,960 for Clupea.

To achieve cash releasing efficiency gains to the value of 1% of FRS’ budget.

These targets should provide a sound basis for evaluating performance by establishing a time series for certain indicators and by requiring external scrutiny by accreditors and scientific peers.

Attached for reference is a table showing the comparison with performance in

2003-04.

Agency Performance Targets and Measures 2003-05

Further funding has been made available through Sure Start Scotland to support families with very young children and Communities Funding to help disadvantaged parents in deprived areas into work.

On fisheries, the Council reachedpolitical agreement on the Regulation establishing regional advisory councils (RACs).The creation of RACs is a key element in the continuing reform of the Common FisheriesPolicy; the regulation represents an important step towards greater regional managementof Europe’s fisheries and it reflects the important work that has been undertakenby the North Sea Commission’s Fisheries Partnership. RACs will now bring togetherfishermen, scientists and all those with an environmental or economic interest infisheries, to advise on the fisheries management issues within their designatedareas. The Council of Ministers decided to establish seven RACs, including thosefor the North Sea; the North Western Waters; and the widely disbursed Pelagicfisheries (mackerel, herring, blue whiting and horse mackerel). The Regulation providesRACs with the operating principles and guidelines that are necessary to performtheir work, and also provides each RAC with Community financial assistance for start-upand operating costs. Discussion at Council concerned the appropriate level of fundingand the requirement for RACs to work transparently, in public. A compromise agreementon these issues was reached – and supported by the United Kingdom.

The Council also reached a politicalagreement on amending the current Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG)Regulation (2792/1999), in order to further specify the detailed rules regardingstructural assistance for the fisheries sector. The amendment was technical anddetailed, and limited in its scope. It was proposed to clarify arrangements, especiallyfor the benefit of new member states, and also to support implementation of theCommunity’s recently agreed strategic framework for aquaculture. Discussions inCouncil centred on proposed changes to the regulation concerning circumstances forsocio-economic assistance, support for environmentally friendly fishing methods,the appropriate level of private contribution rates, compensation for shellfishfarmers and available assistance to vessels affected by stock recovery plans. TheUnited Kingdom raised concerns that interventions could lead to unfaircompetition and, with the support of others, secured a compromise agreement thatensured any such interventions would only apply either in exceptional circumstancesor within specified set limits.

Both the regulations will nowbe adopted without further discussion, at a later date, following the translationof the political agreements into all Community languages.

Under any other business, theUnited Kingdom provided written information and a statement to Councilon Net Benefits, the UK Cabinet Office’s recent report to government on thefuture of the fishing industry and the Commission reported the development of increasedenforcement activity by Canadian authorities in the NAFO (North Atlantic)regulatory area.

There was no substantivediscussion on agriculture matters.