Seòmar agus comataidhean

I have Cabinet level responsibility for tourism and both Alasdair Morrison and I are working extremely hard with VisitScotland to support the industry at this difficult time.

No review group has been set up to look specifically at this area. The review of the commitment payment scheme in Scotland is being taken forward as part of the UK negotiations on the consultants' contract currently underway between the UK Health Departments and the British Medical Association (BMA). The Scottish Executive Health Department is fully involved in the UK negotiations.In order to ensure that any changes to the scheme are appropriate to Scottish needs, a Scottish consultation document Rewarding Commitment and Excellence in the NHS (Scotland) was published in April this year by the Scottish Executive Health Department. Responses were received from a range of sources, including NHS Trusts, Royal Colleges/Universities, the BMA, health boards and patients' representatives, and these are currently being considered by the department.

The announcement on 22 August was about the School Buildings Improvement Fund, which provides for capital grants to education authorities under the Grants for School Improvements (Scotland) Regulations 1997 for expenditure on school buildings. These resources are being distributed to authorities on the basis of the education element of the formula, which is at present used for the allocation of capital consents on non-housing programmes under section 94 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. Full details of the grant arrangements are set out in Scottish Executive Education Department Circular 6/2001, copies of which are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre. The following table shows the distribution of the grant for financial year 2001-02.School Buildings Improvement Fund

Authorities	£000
Aberdeen City	372
Aberdeenshire	528
Angus	276
Argyll & Bute	260
Clackmannanshire	114
Dumfries & Galloway	337
Dundee City	321
East Ayrshire	296
East Dunbartonshire	305
East Lothian	210
East Renfrewshire	239
Edinburgh, City of	784
Eilean Siar	106
Falkirk	321
Fife	827
Glasgow City	1,251
Highland	541
Inverclyde	225
Midlothian	214
Moray	206
North Ayrshire	333
North Lanarkshire	870
Orkney Islands	78
Perth & Kinross	298
Renfrewshire	414
Scottish Borders	255
Shetland Islands	86
South Ayrshire	276
South Lanarkshire	795
Stirling	213
West Dunbartonshire	247
West Lothian	402
Scotland Total	12,000

This a matter for the banking sector to consider, in relation to the range of new technologies available and fraud prevention procedures currently in use or being developed.

Whilst the Executive welcomes such a crime prevention initiative, the scheme relies upon the voluntary co-operation of the public and the support of the retail sector. We will be interested to see any evaluation of the effectiveness of the scheme.

In addition to the actions set out in the Biodiversity Species Action Plan for capercaillie, the Scottish Executive, Scottish Natural Heritage, Forestry Commission, Caledonian Partnership, RSPB and others have developed a bid for funding from the EU LIFE Nature programme directed at enhancing capercaillie populations within and adjacent to capercaillie Special Protection Areas (SPAs). It is also likely that there will be a large scale demonstration project targeted at undesignated sites.

I also announced in September the provision of £700,000 for the removal and marking of deer fences in Scotland through a scheme being administered by the Forestry Commission. An additional two capercaillie SPAs have also been submitted to the European Commission for classification.

Additionally, a Scottish Statutory Instrument is currently before the Scottish Parliament which will include the capercaillie on Schedule 1, Part 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This will provide capercaillie with greater protection by making it illegal to hunt the species, and will make offences punishable by increased penalties.

The most appropriate location for the Scottish Arts Council will be considered during the council's forthcoming quinquennial review and will be based on a range of criteria that will include the needs of the arts sector across all parts of Scotland.

The decline of the capercaillie population, to around 1,000 individual birds, is undoubtedly serious. If the decline continues the future of the species in Scotland would be seriously threatened. It is widely recognised that the decline is related to climatic changes, and in particular to a series of cold wet springs. There are other contributory causes and the measures described in the answer to question S1W-18767 are designed to address some of these.

I understand that SNH has received a letter from the SGA seeking grant aid for foot-packs on a twice-yearly basis in areas where capercaillie are resident. SNH is taking action to enhance the capercaillie population through the Biodiversity Species Action Plan Steering Group, and by the development of the EU LIFE Nature project and large scale management trial. These include appropriate predator control in capercaillie areas, initially focused on Special Protection Areas, along with important management measures such as fence removal and habitat management. SNH has no plans to fund foot-packs specifically for the purpose of predator control in capercaillie areas, though use of dogs in fox control has not been ruled out in areas where this method is considered appropriate.

The Executive is pleased to support the costs of preparation of the proposed Highland bid for designation as European Capital of Culture 2008. We are making available £50,000 towards those costs in both this and the next financial year. This is in addition to support being given by VisitScotland and the Scottish Arts Council. My officials also stand ready in the event that the bid partners wish to discuss the bid during its preparation stages.