To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget for its Environment and Rural Affairs Department was in each of the last five years, broken down by issue and detailing year on year percentage increases and decreases.

The period 1999-2000 to 2003-04 covers the transition between cash and resource budgeting and accounting which makes it difficult to compare expenditure data on a like for like basis. However, by excluding non-cash items such as cost of capital and capital depreciation, it is possible to present figures in a comparable way so as to demonstrate trends in expenditure.

To allow such a comparison, it is necessary also to exclude any exceptional items of spending. The Table below sets out details of spending by the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department on this basis and notes the year on year percentage changes for each of the Department’s Level 2 groups of spending.

£ Million

Notes:

1. Provision for CAP Market Support spending is agreed annually with the UK Treasury and is outside the Scottish Block.

2. Numbers shown for fisheries expenditure exclude the exceptional provision made for Decommissioning and Transitional Aid Schemes.

3. Figures for Natural Heritage spending in 2003-04 exclude exceptional provision for transfer of Pensions liabilities.