Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer I gave to question S1W-2768

The Scottish Executive welcomes the report prepared by the Commissioner for Public Appointments in response to complaints she had received concerning the appointment of Dr Harold Mills as Chairman of Caledonian MacBrayne.

The Executive will be acting on the constructive criticism Dame Rennie Fritchie has made and the Minister for Finance announced on 13 December that a consultation paper on future public appointments in Scotland will be issued. This is aimed both at widening the range of people who are selected for public appointment and ensuring that the process used commands the confidence of the public.

The Commissioner concluded that Dr Mills was appointed on merit; that there was no suggestion of improper conduct; and that the appointment process was generally conducted with diligence and fairness. In these circumstances there is no case for the process to be reopened and I understand that the Commissioner is of the same opinion. I have full confidence in Dr Mills' abilities to provide the strong Chairmanship which the company needs.I have arranged for a copy of the Commissioner's report to be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

The Executive welcomes the establishment by Scottish Enterprise of a Project Steering Group to promote the opportunity to operate a direct ferry service from Scotland to the Continent. The Executive would expect the Steering Group to examine the potential costs and benefits of establishing a viable service, including the effects it might have on the Scottish economy as a whole.

It is not possible to calculate the total cost of this prosecution.

The Scottish Executive has not made any estimates of the impact of regulatory factors on either job loss or job creation decisions but it recognises that regulations can have implications for the competitiveness of business and the economy and is committed to minimising the burden on business. Any new Scottish legislation or regulation, and any consultation papers on regulatory proposals that have an impact on business, are required to be accompanied by a Regulatory Impact Assessment. This structured document shows the expected compliance cost to business, particularly small firms, set alongside the benefits of non-regulatory alternatives. No legislative or regulatory proposal that has an impact on business will proceed without a Regulatory Impact Assessment that clearly demonstrates the worth of the proposed regulation.

The report has taken longer to complete than the Scottish Tourist Board expected. They now believe that it will be available during the week beginning 20 December. As it will not now contain commercially sensitive information, I have asked the Chairman of the STB to place a copy of the full report in the Parliament's Information Centre as soon as it becomes available.

No. Local authorities are autonomous corporate bodies; and they have powers to appoint officers on such reasonable terms and conditions as they think fit and similarly to terminate contracts of employment. In doing so they are, of course, required to comply with employment law; and their accounts are subject to audit by the Accounts Commission; but they are not answerable to the Scottish Executive, except where statute specifically provides so.

It has been possible to book accommodation using the Ossian database since August 1999. Pre-payment using e-commerce will be piloted during the first quarter of 2000. The full system will then be available to all ATB members who wish to use it. TICs will also be able to provide a booking and payment service to their customers. Each ATB is responsible for their own TIC connection schedules, therefore timescales for delivery in each area will vary.

The Oil and Gas Industry Task Force, of which I am vice-chair, has agreed to establish an Oil and Gas Fabrication Support Group to address the difficulties faced by all the fabrication yards in the UK. The Group had a preliminary meeting on 20 December to discuss how to manage the changes that face the industry. The Scottish Executive will play its full part in this Group, which will also involve the Department of Trade and Industry, local enterprise agencies and training and export agencies.

The UK Government has indicated its commitment to maintaining a network of post offices throughout the country. The UK Government has also given an assurance that those benefit recipients who wish to collect their benefits in cash at post offices will continue to be able to do so.