To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to increase the powers of the police to deal with ticket touting.

Ticket touting can in certain circumstances already lead to an offence in Scotland under section 55 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. The Government are currently considering whether existing powers under the 1982 Act are adequate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to introduce legislation to make ticket touting illegal.

A review of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 is already under way arid the Government are currently considering whether the existing powers under this Act relating to the activity of ticket touting are adequate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will commission a study into ticket touting at major sporting events.

I have no plans to do so at present.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will discuss ticket touting at major sporting events when he next meets the chief constables of Strathclyde and of Midlothian and the Borders.

I have no plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will discuss ticket touting when he next meets the chairman of the Scottish Sports Council.

I have no plans to do so