YOUNG Scottish rock musicians who dream of becoming the Primal Scream, Simple Minds, or Wet Wet Wet of tomorrow can breathe easy. The Government is not going to take away your dole money and make you swop your band rehearsals for a dull day-job after all.

In a U-turn, Ministers in Scotland have decided that musicians, film-makers, designers, photographers, craftspeople, painters, and novelists aged between 16 and 24 will be free to continue trying to make a name for themselves rather than lose their dole money and have to go back to college or take a job.

Scotland is leading the way with this scheme under welfare to work, and it understood that a similar approach is being considered South of the Border by the Department of Employment.

The threat to ''rock on the dole'' and creative lifestyles played a major part in the criticism which rained down on the Government earlier this year from stars such as Damon Albarn of Blur and Jarvis Cocker of Pulp. It was partly blamed for a public fall-out between New Labour and its big-name ''luvvy'' friends.

Now the Scottish Office has acknowledged that time spent on the dole early in a creative career is often vital to help people improve their skills.

If musicians and the rest satisfy a basic competence test, they will be allowed to continue to develop the talent they hope will make them their living. They will not have to undertake formal training.

Scottish Office Industry and Education Minister Brian Wilson is lining up a number of well-known names to act as ''mentors'' for youngsters joining the new ''creative industries'' welfare-to-work option in Scotland.

Simple Minds lead singer Jim Kerr, ex-Runrig frontman Donnie

Munro, and Benny Gallagher of Gallagher and Lyle fame are among the first to agree to help the would-be stars of tomorrow.

Speaking to The Herald from a Brussels rehearsal studio last night, Mr Kerr welcomed the Scottish Office plan as ''a fantastic idea'' which he was glad to be supporting.

Allowing creative youngsters to continue receiving state support while they hone their skills was vital to protect against ''the poverty of imagination'', he said. ''That's what happens when people don't feel able to create or aren't able to create.

''When I started Simple Minds, it was dole money rather than gigs that kept us going for a year until we got a record deal. Back then, practising with a band while you were on the dole was seen as something you did before you grew up and got a real job, whereas now we see the revenue these sorts of creative people bring in. This is serious stuff.''

The scheme, which will be formally announced soon, has been put together partly in response to concerns which Scottish Arts Council director Seona Reid voiced to Mr Wilson after reading a Herald article explaining how welfare-to-work could hit people working in the creative industries.

The SAC urged the Minister to implement a scheme to provide some form of research and development funding to let creative individuals develop their ideas and talents. Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet held discussions with civil servants

Mr Wilson admitted the Scottish Office had acted as a result of the advice it had received, adding: ''What started off as a problem has been turned into a great opportunity for the young unemployed who want to pursue a creative career.''