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Responsibility for the provision of cycling infrastructure rests with the local authorities. They receive a block allocation for expenditure on a number of services including transport. It is for the local authorities to allocate resources in accordance with locally determined priorities. Information about the level of spending by local authorities on cycling projects is not held centrally.However, cycling projects are eligible for support from the Public Transport Fund which was announced in 1998 in the Scottish Transport White Paper to assist local authorities to provide key value for money developments to their public transport network. It is open to all of Scotland's local authorities and Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority to bid for support from the fund.So far, three Public Transport Fund Competitions have taken place with 53 projects receiving funding totalling over £95 million. During this time, eight bids for projects for improved cycling facilities have been received; all have been successful and received support from the fund. The projects and allocation is listed in the table.In May 2000, I announced that local authorities had been allocated additional capital consents, totalling £5.2 million, to take forward work on implementing safer routes to school schemes. It is for individual authorities to take decisions on the specific measures to be implemented in their areas having regard to local needs and priorities. Measures could, however, include capital expenditure on cycle projects related to safer routes to school schemes.In addition, there are occasionally funding opportunities from other sources such as the Millennium Commission which provided resources for the development of the National Cycle Network. However, these are not administered by the Scottish Executive

Authority	Project	Total Award (£ million)	Allocation 2000-01 (£ million)
Dumfries & Galloway	Dumfries Transport Initiative1	£1.063	£0.3
Midlothian	Sheriffhall Cycle Bridge	£0.802	£0.802
East Renfrewshire	Cycling and Walking Facilities	£0.450	-
Dumfries & Galloway	Stranraer Integrated Transport Package1	£0.943	-
East Ayrshire	Cycling and Walking in Kilmarnock	£0.670	-
Argyll and Bute	Cycleways in Helensburgh and Lomond	£1.900	-
Perth and Kinross	Cycle Commuter Routes	£0.200	-
Renfrewshire	Integrated Transport Improvements1	£0.268	-

Notes:1. Project also includes other public transport measures.

This is a matter for Sir Anthony Campbell and not for the Lord Advocate or the Scottish Executive. Sir Anthony Campbell will conduct his inquiry independently of the Lord Advocate and the Scottish Executive. Lord Hardie has stated that he will co-operate with the inquiries.

The Central Heating Working Group is considering the question of priority need and a report will be published shortly. No estimate of the kind described at (b) has yet been made. Funding will be administered by local authorities, Scottish Homes and a managing agent for each of the three sectors of the stock. They will be responsible for monitoring and auditing.

The Executive is not aware of any such formal assessment in Scotland. I understand that the possible significance of flooding for health will be covered in an expert review Health Effects of Climate Change in the UK, which is due to be published by the Department of Health in early 2001.

Regulation of financial services is a reserved matter. The Scottish Executive is working with the Scottish financial institutions to encourage the promotion of more inclusive products and practices.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The information requested is not held by the Scottish Executive.

The Executive has no plans to review its current procedure of providing information requested in certain parliamentary questions by letter and lodging a copy of the letter in the Parliament's Reference Centre. However, in consultation with the parliamentary authorities, we will give consideration to whether, and if so how, these responses might be placed in the wider domain.

The vast majority of Scottish Executive grant support to local government for expenditure on services, including home care and other social work provision for older people, is not ring-fenced or hypothecated. It is for each local authority to establish its priorities and set its budget consistent with meeting its statutory requirements and Scottish Executive policy. Following from the 2000 Spending Review, substantial additional resources have been provided for the next three years to enhance and improve care services for older people. We are discussing with local authorities what we expect to be achieved from these extra funds and shall issue detailed guidance early this year.

The report concerned was produced by the Ambulance Service Association and is based on statistical evidence from Ambulance Services in England and Wales between 1991-92 and 1994-95. In Scotland the occupational health and safety service strategy Towards a Safer Healthier Workplace, which was published in December 1999, makes clear that NHS in Scotland organisations must develop policies aimed at reducing costs associated with OHSS issues, including, sickness absence, injury benefits claims, and early retirement costs due to illness, accidents and injury.Our aim is to provide security of employment and to retain experienced officers in useful employment within the service.