Chamber and committees

The website provides generalinformation on becoming a councillor and the new remuneration package. This information,plus specific detail about the local situation, is available from local authorities.The website was planned to be complemented by a telephone information line. Theinformation line has now been set up, the contact number is 0131 244 7039 and thisinformation will be quoted as appropriate in future publicity.

Considerable research hasbeen carried out into speeding and speed management. In particular, UKGovernment research has focussed on the effectiveness of speed cameras, roadhumps and other traffic calming techniques. Research published by the ScottishExecutive has examined driver attitudes to speeding and speeding behaviour. Examplesof Scottish Executive research are; Changing Speeding Behaviour in Scotland:An Evaluation of the FOOLSSPEED Campaign published in 2002 and TheSpeeding Driver: Who, Why and How? published in 2003. These reports can befound on the Scottish Executive website. The Scottish Executive is alsoundertaking a pilot scheme to evaluate the effectiveness of average speedcameras installed on the A77 in 2005 and is assessing their effectiveness atroad works on the trunk road network.

A number of plots of landand properties have already been sold and my officials are aware of other areasthat could be disposed of, subject to defining boundaries and agreeing therelease of land from the on-going public private partnership contract with the operatingcompany.

Land sales will comply withthe Crichel Down Rules and the Scottish Public Finance Manual and whereverappropriate will be sold on the open market.

Under existing law, a personmay prune back branches of a landowner’s hedge or vegetation overhanging his orher property but may not enter a landowner’s property without the consent of theowner. While we support in principle the need for a statutory remedy of last resortfor people unable to resolve disputes over high hedges, due to competing legislativepriorities we are not in a position to introduce legislation during this parliamentaryterm. However, we have previously indicated our support in principle for the member’sbill currently being progressed by Scott Barrie MSP and he will be carrying outhis high hedges consultation soon.

Schedule 2 of theCivil Legal Aid (Scotland) Regulations 2002 allows the ScottishLegal Aid Board to disregard the income gained as a result of a number ofbenefits when determining disposable income as part of the eligibility criteriafor civil legal aid.

Neither carer’s allowancenor pension credit is included in this schedule and so income as a result ofthese benefits will be included in the assessment of an applicant's disposableincome.

Recipients ofincome support or income-based job-seeker’s allowance qualify automatically forfree advice and assistance only on income grounds. A capital test also howeverapplies. If the applicant has more than the prescribed limit for disposablecapital (currently £1,450), they will be ineligible for advice and assistancewhether in receipt of income support or job-seeker’s allowance or otherwise.

The position withpension credit is different. An applicant in receipt of pension credit does notqualify automatically for free advice and assistance on income grounds; howeverany pension credit income they receive is disregarded in the assessment ofdisposable income. As with income support and job-seeker’s allowance, a capitaltest also still applies.

For those with noother source of income, or for whom all other income comes from benefits, theeffect of disregarding pension credit will be the same as for those receiving incomesupport and job-seeker’s allowance as their assessed disposable income will benil.

Our longer term aim is toreach a situation where all benefits are disregarded for both advice andassistance and civil legal aid. We will work towards this aim as resourcesallow.

I referthe member to the answer to question S2W-28229on 21 September 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more informationif required.

I referthe member to the answer to question S2W-28229on 21 September 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more informationif required.

The information requested isset out in the following table.

Route	Scheme	Status	Possible Construction Start	Cost (£ Million) (E = Estimated, A = Actual)
A7	Hawick Traffic Relief	Completed 12/00	N/A	3.9 A
A7	Auchenrivock	Planned	Q2 07-08	6.75 E
A76	Crossroads	Completed 11/03	N/A	2.0 A
A76	Glenairlie	Planned	Q1 07-08	15.4 E
A75	The Glen Improvement	Completed 09/99	N/A	10.1 A
A75	Barfil to Bettyknowes	Planned	Q4 06-07	2.76 E
A75	Newton Stewart	Planned	Q4 06-07	2.11 E
A75	Planting End	Planned	Q4 06-07	3.32 E
A75	Dunragit	Planned	Q4 08-09	15.4 E
A75	Hardgrove	Planned	Q4 08-09	8.42 E
A75	Cairntop	Planned	Q3 07-08	5.58 E

 

Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more informationif required.

The Dumfries Town Services project– Dumfries and Galloway Council’s only application for Bus Route Development Grantso far - has been awarded £535,000 over the three financial years 2005-06 to 2007-08.