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The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) is responsible for setting student intake levels to courses of initial teacher education (ITE). Each year the Executive provides guidance to SHEFC on ITE, setting out our strategic objectives for teacher education and supply. We have indicated to SHEFC that the supply of teachers able to teach in Gaelic medium education is a priority and have asked SHEFC to assist in promoting provision in this area. To help SHEFC consider how the need for Gaelic medium teachers might be met, the Executive has asked local authorities to identify their requirements. Last year authorities indicated a need for around 150 newly trained teachers for primary Gaelic medium over the next seven years and around 70 for secondary Gaelic medium over the same period. We are at the moment collecting updated information from authorities about their requirements in order that this can be provided in guidance to SHEFC for session 2001-02. It will be for SHEFC to consider how these future requirements for newly trained teachers can be met.

Comunn na Gaidhlig with funding from the Executive is conducting a publicity campaign, including leaflets, a video and a Gaelic careers conference, to attract potential recruits into Gaelic medium teaching; it has also discussed with the Teacher Education Institutions their admissions policies.

Details of the basis on which these resources were allocated are set out in Scottish Executive Education Department Circular 1/2000, copies of which are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

Both the tax regime and the regulation of the oil and gas industry are reserved matters.

The Scottish Executive is fully aware of the problems facing the fabrication industry, not only in Scotland but throughout the rest of the UK and indeed Europe, and of the impact of this on employment and the economy. The Oil and Gas Industry Task Force, on which the Executive is represented, has set up a group to look urgently at these problems, which are largely structural. They arise from changes, such as the much smaller field sizes currently being exploited as the UK Continental Shelf moves towards being a mature province, and from developments in production technology, including sub-sea technology.This question was originally answered on 24 May 2000.

It is expected the report will be published in September. I shall arrange for a copy to be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.

The 1998 Comprehensive Spending Review concluded that the police service in Scotland should make efficiency savings of 1% in 1999-2000, 1.7% in 2000-01 and 2.5% in 2001-02.

Spending Review 2000 is presently examining overall funding requirements for 2002-03 and 2003-04. No decisions have yet been taken on the level of funding to individual police authorities for future years.

£433,000 was allocated to Northern Constabulary as part of the Scottish Executive's recent additional investment of £8.9 million in Scotland's police forces. It was provided primarily to allow recruitment of more police officers. The increase will be taken into account in arriving at allocations for future years.

Yes. Before the Code of Good Practice on Rural Land Ownership is launched later this year, we intend to show a copy, in draft, to the Rural Affairs Committee.

It would not be appropriate to make provision in policy directions in relation to particular organisations.

The Scottish Executive promotes the use of alternative fuels through its funding of the Energy Savings Trust's "Powershift" cleaner vehicle fuels programme and is currently reviewing funding for Powershift with particular reference to motorists in the Highlands and Islands. Powershift can provide a grant of up to 75% of the cost of converting a vehicle to LPG, which on average is around £1,500 for a private car. It is estimated that converting from LPG to petrol can save a motorist around £700 per year in fuel costs on an annual mileage of 12,000 miles. In addition the scope of the Rural Petrol Stations Grant Scheme has been extended to include for the installation of tanks and dispensers for the supply of LPG.