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The applications process for Rural Priorities has not been closed or suspended. Applicants and agents may still submit proposals through the online applications system.

Any applicant who has put forward a proposal will still have the opportunity to have their proposal considered in full at the next assessment round. Therefore no money or effort will have been wasted by applicants in preparing their applications.

In light of the success of the February assessment round, we are currently considering the arrangements for the next assessment round for Rural Priorities and I will make an announcement on these arrangements in the near future.

A total of £49 million in Rural Priorities funding has been allocated, over the first four assessment rounds, for spend in 2009.

The applications process for Rural Priorities has not been closed or suspended. Applicants and their agents may submit Statements of Intent or Proposals through the online applications system.

The applications process for Rural Priorities has not been closed or suspended. Applicants and agents may continue to submit proposals through the online applications system.

We are currently considering the arrangements for the next assessment round for applications which have been submitted to Rural Priorities. In light of the success of the February assessment round, it has been necessary to look again at the planned assessment rounds for the remainder of the year.

Any applicant who has put forward a proposal will have the opportunity to have their proposal considered in full at the next assessment round.

We will make an announcement on the dates for future assessment rounds in the near future.

All NHS boards have arrangements in place for dealing with requests for payments in advance to meet travel costs from any patient who is eligible for reimbursement of travelling expenses under the Patient Travelling Expenses Schemes. This will include, where considered appropriate, the costs of travel by taxi.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23342 on 11 May 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx

Procurators Fiscal refer to Victim Information and Advice (VIA) staff in their office of all cases with victims, witnesses and/or families, who are eligible for the VIA service. This service is available to victims of, and witnesses to, crimes reported to the Procurator Fiscal which involve:

domestic abuse;

racial or religious aggravation;

sexual offences;

child victims and witnesses, and

crimes where any trial is likely to involve a jury.

The service is also available to the nearest relatives in cases of deaths which may involve criminal proceedings, or where there is to be a fatal accident inquiry or significant further inquiries and to vulnerable witnesses or victims who may need additional support. Referral to VIA is made once a decision has been taken to initiate criminal proceedings.

Victim Information and Advice will provide information direct to victims and witnesses aged 12 years and over. Where a child victim or witness aged seven to 11 years lives with a parent or guardian, VIA sends information to the parent or guardian to pass on to the child. The age of criminal responsibility in Scotland is currently eight years.

Procurators fiscal have a duty to consider all pleas of guilty offered by the defence and to accept them where it is in the public interest to do so. The views of the victim may, where known, be taken into account at the discretion of the Procurator Fiscal as one factor in the process of considering whether to accept any pleas which the accused is prepared to offer. Other factors include the nature and gravity of the offences charged, the likely sentence and the effect of adjusted pleas in avoiding the attendance and testimony of witnesses.

Victim Information and Advice (VIA) staff provide information to victims of, and witnesses to, crimes reported to the Procurator Fiscal which involve:

domestic abuse;

racial or religious aggravation;

sexual offences;

child victims and witnesses, and

crimes where any trial is likely to involve a jury.

The information provided to victims includes:

dates of court hearings;

decisions made about bail;

trial verdicts;

sentencing, and

the outcome of any appeal.

Victims receive the same level of information regardless of whether they are cited to give evidence at trial.