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We recognise the acute shortageof affordable homes that exists in many areas of Scotland and are committed to improvingthe supply and affordability of housing. We are developing a range of initiativesto achieve this objective and will be pursuing these over the coming months.

Any proposal to build a new nuclearpower station in Scotland would require consent from Scottish ministers. Given our position on energy policy, our generating capacity,our multiplicity of energy sources and our strong alternative strategies, such anapplication would be unlikely to find favour with this administration.

The information requested isgiven in the following table. The table also presents data on deaths from pulmonaryembolism as the overwhelming majority of these are likely to be the consequenceof venous thromboembolism.

Deaths in Hospital bySelected Cause, Scotland, 2003-05

Cause of Death	2003	2004	2005
All deaths in hospital	34,159	32,722	32,772
of which as a result of
(a) venous thromboembolism1	97	101	89
(b) pulmonary embolism2	327	268	276

Notes:

1. ICD 10 codes: I80, I82(excl. I82.0), O22.3, O22.9, O87.1, O87.9.

2. ICD 10 codes: I26, O88.2.

Where clinically possible, cliniciansare encouraged to prescribe generically. In2006, the cost of prescribed branded drugs for which a generic equivalent was usuallyavailable was £10,843,438. This figure does not include the cost of modified releasepreparations or antiepileptic drugs where generic substitution might not be clinicallyappropriate. In some instances, branded drugs will need to be dispensed where thegeneric equivalent is temporarily in short supply.

The cost shown relates to prescribeditems dispensed in the community by community pharmacists and dispensing doctorsand excludes medicines dispensed by hospitals and hospital-based clinics. The costgiven is that before the addition of any pharmacy fees and deduction of any drugmanufacturers discount and patient charges.

We recognise the acute shortageof affordable homes that exists in many communities, whether urban, rural or island,and are committed to improving the supply and affordability of housing through targetedinvestment and by removing barriers to provision. We are taking stock of the widerange of action needed to achieve this objective and in so doing will take fullaccount of the varying needs of different types of community.

The Executive has been workingwith Irvine Bay Urban Regeneration Company and local partners, including North AyrshireCouncil, Communities Scotland and Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire, to assist in thedevelopment of comprehensive proposals for the regeneration of the Irvine Bay areaof North Ayrshire. These proposals will focus on both retaining the existing populationand also attracting new people to the area, by creating a vibrant area with a strongeconomy, a high quality of life and an enhanced environment.

The distribution of NationalLottery funds is a matter for the lottery distribution bodies: Scottish Arts Council,Scottish Screen, sportscotland, the Big Lottery Fund and the Heritage Lottery Fund.The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Executive.The Department for Culture, Mediaand Sport (DCMS) maintains an electronic database of national lottery awards. Detailsof the total awarded to each country, each constituency area and each local authorityarea for each lottery good cause can be obtained through the DCMS website at http://www.lottery.culture.gov.uk/search.asp.

It is estimated that lotterydistributors in Scotland will lose approximately one year’s worth of income overthe period to 2012.

The previous Scottish Executivewrote to the UK Government asking that they look seriously at alternative fundingstreams to the National Lottery to fund the additional cost of the 2012 Olympics.Having reviewed the position, I would fully endorse this and will be working tovigorously pursue this.

There is no assessment for thefirst five years but it is estimated that up to 25,000 jobs will be created in theWest of Scotland by 2030 following the completion of the M74.

We expect the M74 Completionscheme to be complete and open to traffic in 2011.

It is for developers to proposethe location of wind farms. Subsequent applications for planning permission or forconsent under the Electricity Act are subject to consultation requirements and authoritiesdetermining an application must fully consider all material issues relevant to theproposals, including local authority development plans and relevant guidance. Consequently,consultees’ responses including any views of Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park Authorityand representations from members of the public are considered as part of the overalldetermination process.