Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Executive has not yet made any appointments to the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland, but will be doing so shortly. Details of the appointments will be announced publicly.

The data from the research conducted by the North Atlantic Fisheries College referred to in the question were received in February. Analysis of these data is continuing.The Executive will review all the recent research into technical conservation, including the particular trials mentioned, once the analysis is complete. The Executive has no plans to change regulations for single seine net boats in isolation.

Officials' duties relating to the bee-keeping profession in 2001 comprised the following:Agricultural Staff (18)Participation at meetings with bee-keeping associations, andDealing with general enquiries regarding notifiable bee diseases and, as required, providing assistance with the collection of varroa samples for an autumn 2001 research project (co-ordinated by the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency).Scientific Staff (3)Provision of advice to Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD) on notifiable bee diseases and bee poisoning incidents;Participation at meetings with bee-keeping associations;Provision of support in the enforcement of legislation;Diagnosis of varroa destructor in samples submitted by beekeepers and notification of results;Co-ordination of collection of varroa samples for an autumn 2001 research project, andAnalysis of bees association with suspected bee poisoning incidents and notification of results.Administrative Staff (3)Participation at meetings with bee-keeping associations;Policy responsibility for relevant orders relating to the control of bee diseases;Handling enquiries and processing applications for licences to import bees into Scotland; Liaison as necessary with SEERAD agricultural and scientific colleagues, andCo-ordination and management of SEERAD involvement in UK National Honey Programme.

The EC Birds Directive requires member states to classify the most suitable territories in number and size as Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for the conservation of bird species identified as being particularly vulnerable. Since 1979, when the directive came into force, the UK has identified over 255 sites for designation as SPAs, of which 141 are Scottish. One hundred and thirty-five Scottish sites have already been classified. The UK Government is under pressure from the European Commission to meets its obligations to classify sites under the directive but the Commission has not set formal targets in relation to the number, area of designation or timescale.

The sites currently under consideration for classification as Special Protection Area's (SPA) are:Arran MoorsCnuic Agus Cladach Mhuile (Mull eagle site)Cuillins (Skye eagle site)Glen App - Galloway MoorsLadder HillsMuirkirk and North Lowther Uplands These sites are all listed as potential SPAs in Annex D to the revised version of the Scottish Office Circular 6/1995 published in June 2000. In addition, an extension is proposed to the Forth Islands site.A decision on whether to classify any particular site as a Special Protection Area is only taken once all relevant documentation has been given full ministerial consideration. A key component of this documentation is the site consultation report, which is prepared by Scottish Natural Heritage on behalf of Scottish ministers. It is not possible to say precisely when any particular report will be received.

Actual expenditure by the Scottish Executive on the regulation of the aquaculture industry is not available, but is estimated to be about £2 million in each of these years.Details of expenditure on aquaculture regulation by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency are not held centrally.

No such representations have been made.

I refer the member to the answer to question S1W-23021 today, which confirmed that we are adopting a policy of rationalisation and compatibility of computer systems throughout NHSScotland. Rationalisation of systems and resources is necessary to achieve cost effectiveness, best use of available resources and to enable patient information to be shared with appropriate consent and under agreed protocols between NHS organisations across a Board area and across Scotland. This approach is reflected in the updated National IM&T Strategy available on www.show.scot.nhs.uk.An important element of the infrastructure required to provide the right information at the right time in the right place across the whole of Scotland is a robust telecommunications network with the capacity to cope with the millions of clinical messages exchanged each year and increasingly with the sharing of images including real time images such as are used in telemedicine. For those reasons NHSScotland are active partners in the Scottish Executive Broadband initiative in which the Highlands and Islands as well as the South of Scotland are designated as pathfinder areas.

NHSBoards have been working closely with colleagues in the Scottish Executive to update the National IM&T Strategy and are now working to take the strategy forward. A theme of the updated strategy, available on www.show.scot.nhs.uk is rationalisation of systems and the underlying infrastructure.Commitments are made in the strategy to national programmes of work to bring best practice and consistent benefits to patients across Scotland including:Electronic Clinical Communications Implementation between primary and secondary care on an all Scotland basis.Scottish Care Information programme bringing important elements of common infrastructure to enable sharing of information across NHSScotland.National systems for health screening and child care.Rationalisation of patient indexes and use of the Community Health Index as a unique patient identifier across all NHSScotland systems.National information standards covering clinical messages, security and confidentiality of patient identifiable information, electronic patient and health records and technical standards based on the Government Interoperability Framework.Collaboration to produce coherent IM&T strategies across NHSBoard areas to make best use of resources and systems across the area and compatibility with other NHSScotland areas.National contracts for telecommunications networks and services.A coherent national approach to corporate support systems such as payroll, human resources, finance and supplies.

European regulations do not create criminal offences. There are therefore no changes to EU fisheries regulations of the kind suggested in the question. Associated criminal offences are set out in domestic UK and Scottish legislation. There are essentially three sources of criminal offences in fisheries: section 30 of the Fisheries Act 1981; breaching a licence condition, and via Statutory Instrument.