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Crohn''s disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) is currently funding three projects relating to IBD at a total cost of £492,000. The Scottish Government is not, however, currently funding research looking specifically at the incidence of Crohn''s disease.

The Register of Paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease, based at the Institute of Child Health within the University of Liverpool, aims is to establish incidence figures and trends for all patients under the age of 16 who are newly diagnosed with IBD from 47 selected centres in Scotland, England and Wales. One of the aims of the register is to promote research projects.

The Information Services Division (ISD) of NHS National Services Scotland collects data on Crohn''s disease relating to the number of people who are discharged from hospital with a diagnosis of Crohn''s disease. As these data do not include people with the condition who are being managed outwith hospital, they cannot shed light on any trends in its incidence.

ISD is developing a Long Term Conditions Information Programme which will underpin a systematic approach to the management in Scotland of conditions such as Crohn''s disease.

Under the new rural priorities element of the Scotland rural development programme it is possible for farmers and other land managers to apply for funding to carry out activities contributing to flood management. However, at the first assessment round no proposals were approved which address this specific outcome.

The Scottish Government encourages the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Scottish Water to work cooperatively with others involved in flood management. We intend to introduce a bill which seeks to establish a framework of duties to ensure that flood management planning is coordinated across a catchment.

Under the new rural priorities element of the Scotland rural development programme it is possible for farmers and other land managers to apply for funding to carry out activities contributing to flood management. However, at the first assessment round no proposals were approved which address this specific outcome.

We will introduce a bill to establish a framework within which local authorities can involve stakeholders, including farmers, in managing flood risk.

The likely savings arising from the contract will reflect the Scottish public sector working collaboratively within the framework of the procurement reform agenda. The estimated £5 million savings per annum will therefore be a direct result of combining public sector demand.

Information gathered from market sources has indicated that specifying specific quantities of renewable electricity can lead to reduced competition. The upturn in demand for renewable electricity has resulted in reduced quantities being readily available leading to an increased risk that few, if any, suppliers could meet a large demand from the Scottish public sector.

The national contract tender contains provisions to ensure that access to renewable electricity is not dependent on the renewable supplies available from any particular supplier at the time of submitting their tender. Innovative contract terms will ensure that other sources of supply can be accessed as necessary.

The Scottish ministers'' high level output specification (HLOS) was published in July 2007 and specified ministers'' requirements for the rail network from April 2009 to March 2014. The HLOS makes clear that Network Rail require to pursue continued improvements to operational and financial performance, including improved resilience. The public funding available to support the HLOS includes an appropriate element for the continued maintenance of the Scottish rail network.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15736 on 10 September 2008. 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/webapp/wa.search.