We anticipate that approximately 180,000 households will qualify in this first year of the scheme.£24,000,000 is available to fund the reduction scheme over three years from April 2001 including the cost of implementation and administration of the scheme. It is not possible, at this stage, to break down spending by local authority.

The affordability consultation report details changes made to the Executive's original proposals to address the affordability of water and sewerage charges. This report may be obtained from the Parliament Reference Centre, the Executive Library and the Executive website at:http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/environment/conreport3.pdf.The main provisions of the scheme are set out in the Domestic Water and Sewerage Charges (Reduction) (Scotland) Regulations 2001 and supporting guidance which is held by the Parliament Reference Centre (Bib. no. 13187).

An Outline Business Case covering the Scottish Ambulance Service's recommendations has been received and is being considered by officials in the Health Department. It is anticipated that a decision on whether the service may proceed to develop a Full Business Case will be taken before the end of July.

Any aid provided to the industry has to meet the requirements of EC State Aid guidelines. The measures I announced on 8 March, however, included an additional £1 million for collaborative research into more selective fishing gears. This has already benefited several vessels which have undertaken trials using these gears. It is expected that more fishermen will benefit as further trials are undertaken. Arrangements for implementing the remaining measures in the £27 million package are also being worked up as a matter of priority.

We work closely with MAFF on a range of issues. A co-ordinated approach tends to be the preferable option in fisheries since Scottish fishermen fish off the coast of England and English vessels fish in the Scottish zone. For example, recent proposals for technical measures to protect juvenile haddock will apply to all UK vessels fishing in the Scottish zone of British fishery limits.

The information is not available in the form requested. Local authorities and communities are able to apply for support to a wide range of grant schemes administered by the Scottish Executive. Information on these schemes, including a guide to grants for the voluntary sector, is available through the Scottish Executive website under the relevant topic. Many non-departmental public bodies run grant schemes that are open to authorities and communities and details of these may be obtained from the bodies directly. Details on lottery schemes are similarly available from the distributors themselves.

This information can be found in the water authorities' published annual accounts. Copies of their accounts as laid before the Scottish Parliament and, pre-devolution, the Westminster Parliament, back to 1996-97 are held in the Parliament's Reference Centre. Bib. Numbers are as follows:

Water Authorities' published accounts	Parliament's Reference Centre - Bib. numbers
	NoSWA	ESWA	WoSWA
1996-97	97515	12833	12836
1997-98	12832	12834	12837
1998-99	4005	12835	4004
1999-2000	8790	7898	7925

For information on Chief Executives' salaries etc for 2000-01, I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-7989 on 18 July 2000.

Other than in respect of Public/Private Partnerships, none of the water authorities have disposed of or entered into partnership agreements in connection with any assets in excess of £10 million, for which ministerial approval is required. Information about Public/Private Partnerships is provided on the Scottish Executive's website at www.scotland.gov.uk/pfi.

Research conducted by the water authorities concluded that savings in excess of £100 million each year could be secured through collaboration. The Scottish Executive believes that bringing the operations of the authorities under a unified management structure in a single authority is the most appropriate way of securing those savings. The Executive expects additional savings through the rationalisation of services that unification entails, although these have not been quantified.

All three water authorities maintain asset inventories or registers. Most are available for public inspection by arrangement with the authorities. There are certain assets for which some details could not be disclosed for reasons of national security.