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The consultation period on the Review of Strategic Planning closed on 31 October. We have received over 250 responses and an independent consultant has been appointed to analyse these responses. He will report at the end of January next year and his report will be published. A seminar will be held in January to provide initial feedback to consultees. I intend to announce conclusions in the spring.The timetable for any changes to the arrangements for strategic planning will depend on the conclusions reached and, in particular, on whether primary or secondary legislation is required to implement the outcome of the review.

The police have reported a number of incidents across Scotland linked to the 11 September atrocities. But it is too early to say whether there is an increasing trend in racist incidents. I have made absolutely clear that racist attacks have no place in today's Scotland and will not be tolerated.

Through Historic Scotland, the Scottish Executive is currently consulting on the proposal to abolish the Historic Buildings Council of Scotland as part of the Review of Public Bodies and also on the proposal that, if the council were abolished, expert advice would continue to be sought from external sources, but in a more focussed, more inclusive and less institutional way.

Through Historic Scotland, the Scottish Executive is currently consulting on the proposal to abolish the Historic Buildings Council of Scotland as part of the Review of Public Bodies. Historic Scotland is the part of the Scottish Executive which supports Scottish ministers in carrying out their statutory responsibilities for the protection and presentation of Scotland's built heritage. Historic Scotland is directly accountable to Scottish ministers and the checks and balances applied are the same as with any other equivalent Executive agency.

Consultation on individual Public Transport Fund Bids is a matter for the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority (SPTA) as the promoting authority for this project.I understand that to date SPTA has consulted with industry partners, the statutory rail bodies, local authority officers, emergency services and rail user groups in the area. In addition a presentation of the full outline of the proposals was held for these organisations plus Glasgow City Council Planning officials on 3 September 2001.

A new leaflet will be available in November. Eaga are contracted to publicise the programme and will be doing so through a variety of media and by working with the many organisations who have access to the client group to develop referral mechanisms and strategic partnerships. A series of multi-agency seminars are planned over November and December and a series of media events will be undertaken over that time. A major promotional campaign will begin in February 2002.

The working group, which was chaired by Professor Allen Hutchinson, has now presented its report to the Chief Medical Officer in England. Arrangements for publication of the report will be announced in due course.

It is for the Scottish Ambulance Service to consult on proposals for operational changes. I understand that the service, in preparing the case for priority based dispatch, has consulted widely within NHSScotland, including clinicians, patients and patient representatives. The Scottish Executive has now asked the service to develop its proposals to the stage of a full business case. This will include proposals for the implementation of priority-based dispatch, including arrangements for any further consultation which the service proposes to undertake.

We have introduced a number of measures which have simplified the system of student financial support. We have aligned the levels of support in both sectors so that students in comparable circumstances will receive the same rate of maintenance support, which will be subject to a contribution from their parents or spouse above the same income threshold. The process of applying for student support for students in higher education has also been simplified. The Student Awards Agency for Scotland has established an electronic link with the General Register Office which removes the need for most applicants to submit original birth certificates. A system of sample checking income details has reduced the volume of supporting documentation that students and their families have to provide. The agency is also developing a system which will eventually allow student support applications to be made via the internet and to be processed almost automatically. In addition, we are integrating the two existing systems of support for pre-registration nursing students.The student support system in higher education will also become more simple over the next few years as new students increasingly fall within the new arrangements introduced this year and the various pre-existing schemes fall out of use.

The report highlighted six issues to be addressed by the Executive. Progress has been as follows:

Most telecommunications developments have been removed from the scope of the General Permitted Development Order (GDPO) and brought within full planning control. This work has taken priority over reducing the complexity of the GPDO itself.

The pro-forma for collecting development control performance data from local authorities has been revised. Performance against the revised targets will be measured from 1 October 2001.

Work is on-going to revise the Town and Country Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Regulations 1987. Work on this theme is also continuing as part of more general initiatives to modernise the planning system.

A consultation paper on a new building standards system was issued in July 2001. It recommends that local authorities should make access to the building standards and planning systems as closely linked as possible, and that for certain small, simple projects joint planning/building warrant applications be considered. Responses are requested by 31 October 2001, with final proposals for a new system due next spring.

As far as the issue of trunk roads and development control is concerned, all the action points from the Audit Report have been or are being acted upon.

Planning Advice Note 40: Development Control has been revised and has been well received.

The progress that has been made on these issues has been achieved in the context of the main thrust of the Executive's planning agenda this year which has included the review of strategic planning, a proposed consultation exercise on public involvement in the planning system and the preparation of a policy statement on design and quality.