Seòmar agus comataidhean

Nineteen planning applications were called by Scottish ministers during 2007. Of these, three had been notified to Scottish ministers because of local authority interest.

Of the 19 applications called-in, planning permission was granted in two cases and refused in one case. One application was withdrawn, and one call-in direction was revoked. The remaining 14 cases are still under consideration.

Yes. The role and remit are set out in Historic Scotland''s Framework Document 2004.

Yes. Historic Scotland achieved nine of the ten key performance targets set by Scottish ministers in 2006-07. In relation to listed building and conservation area consent cases, 99.57% were resolved within 28 days against a target of 97%.

Any comments made by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing in connection with this issue were made solely and appropriately in her capacity as constituency MSP.

The recommendations from the Gypsies/Travellers Strategic Group have helped to inform the Scottish Government''s National Statement and Action Plan on Race Equality.

The evaluation of the Gypsies/Travellers Site Grant was a survey on the use made by local authorities of the £2 million grant made available in 2005-06 and 2006-07. Its finding will help to inform decisions about future grant awards.

Local authorities are responsible for the provision of official Gypsies/Travellers Sites in their area. In 2005-08 the Scottish Government is providing grant funding totalling £3.5 million to assist local authorities to improve their facilities for Gypsies/Travellers. Over the period 2008-11 £1 million per year will continue to be made available. In 2008-09 and 2009-10 the grant will continue to be ring fenced within the local government settlement. The ring fence will be removed in the third year.

The proposals within Firm Foundations: the Future of Housing in Scotland are intended to promote a housing system which meets the accommodation need of all of Scotland''s communities, including minority groups. The proposals will be subject to an Equality Impact Assessment as they are translated into individual policies.

In 2007 the Scottish Government wrote to all Scottish local authorities to remind them of their responsibilities under accounting codes of practice, best value guidance, grant conditions and statute to maintain accurate records of all common goods assets held.

The Improvement Service for Local Government is currently considering ways to support authorities to improve all aspects of asset management, including the record keeping of the assets they hold for the common good.

Some planning applications by local authorities are notified to Scottish Ministers under the terms of the Town and Country Planning (Notification of Applications) (Scotland) Direction 2007, which is contained within Scottish Executive Planning Circular 5/2007: Notification of Planning Applications. There are no set criteria for the circumstances in which Scottish ministers will call in planning applications, but some general guidance is published in paragraphs 24-27 of Circular 5/2007 and further advice, more specific to local authority developments, is in paragraphs 40-43 of Planning Advice Note (PAN) 82: Local Authority Interest Developments. Both Circular 5/2007 and PAN 82 are available on the Scottish Government's website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Planning.

Where any planning application has been called in by Scottish ministers, planning legislation requires that it be determined in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

The Scottish Governmentstrategy in this and related areas was setout in the action plan for health and safety in Scotland,which was published in May and will contribute to theSmart Successful Scotland agenda, a robust strategy to deliver long-term, sustainableeconomic growth. Companies that have a good track record on health and safety tendto be the most progressive and successful. Further information about the plan canbe found at http://www.iosh.co.uk.The Scottish Government also works closely with otherorganisations such as the Health and Safety Executive, the STUC and employers organisationsto support approaches that address the promotion of health and safety in the workplace,most notably through the Partnership on Health and Safety in Scotland (PHASS) whichis chaired by the Health and Safety Commission.

An important element of the strategyis the Healthy Working Lives (HWL) programme which offers advice to employers inthe public and private sectors on ways to improve the health and wellbeing of theirworkforce. Employers are encouraged to participate in the related award scheme whichrecognises and rewards good practice. Criteria for the Award include actions topromote good mental health. At the first Healthy Working Lives Awards ceremony on15 January, the public sector was well represented amongst those gaining awards.The Scottish Government itself holds the silverlevel of the Scotland Health at Work award (the previous version) and is workingtowards obtaining the gold level of the new award.