Chamber and committees

My officials wrote to Heads ofTransportation of Scottish local authorities on 23 May 2006 to advise them thattwo reports, Review of Demand Responsive Transport in Scotland and Howto Plan and Run Flexible and Demand Responsive Transport, would be publishedon the Scottish Executive’s website on 25 May 2006.

We have drawn local authorities’attention to guidance in consultants’ reports. I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-29835 on 24 November 2006. All answers towritten parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the searchfacility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

For the Inverkeithing to Edinburgh Airport service, Fife Council has been granted a maximum allocation inBus Route Development Grant funding of £672,000 over the three year life of theproject. Within that maximum, the actual cost and phasing of payments will dependon the performance of the service.

The Bus Route Development Grantguidance states that, as projects should be identified in conjunction with the busoperator(s) whom it is intended will run them, the services should not be tendered.

We have no current plans to publishoperator specific figures with regard to financial or passenger information. Suchinformation is commercially in confidence and it would not be in the public interestfor it to be disclosed.

The duty of Best Value requireslocal authorities to make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the performanceof their functions, which includes their passenger transport functions. Statutoryguidance has been issued by Scottish ministers to local authorities explaining whatthey are expected to demonstrate in fulfilling this statutory duty. The guidancecan be accessed at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2004/04/19166/35250.

The requirement on local authoritiesto invite tenders for subsidised transport services was repealed by s60(3)(c) of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003. The act requires that local authoritiessecure Best Value in the performance of their functions, and guidance issued unders2(1)(b) of the act requires that a local authority conducts its business in a mannerwhich demonstrates appropriate competitive practice. The guidance also providesthat the authority is responsive to the interests of suppliers such as the voluntaryand not for profit sectors, and is prepared to award contracts after competitionwhere that represents Best Value. The guidance can be accessed at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2004/04/19166/35250.

The curriculum reviewwork to date has shown that space can be found in the curriculum for wider learningexperiences such as first aid, but the nature of these will be for education authoritiesand schools to decide.

The Scottish Executive is publishingtoday a short consultation on proposals to amend the law on compellability of spousalwitnesses.

Copies of the consultation havebeen placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 39933).

TheExecutive is promoting and supporting brownfield regeneration in a number ofways. For example,

The Executive’s planning policy gives priority to the re-useof previously developed land, where appropriate, in preference to greenfield development; and

TheExecutive has a number of funding streams, including the Vacant and DerelictLand Fund, which support the remediation and reuse of brownfield land.

CommunitiesScotland and Fife Council have been very proactive in identifying sites in the council’sownership for transfer to local housing associations and in the last two years13 brownfield sites in Fife have been transferred.

The study will addressconcerns raised in the Scottish Parliament about the retention of tolls on the Tay and Forth Road Bridges.

Wewill engage independent consultants to carry out a detailed study of theeconomic, social and environmental costs and impacts of retaining or removing the Tay and Forth tolls.The study will focus on the impacts of the tolls on the economy and local communities in Fife and Dundee; willalso examine wider impacts, on the Lothians and nationally, and will follow theprinciples set out in the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance. Tenders willbe invited with a view to appointing suitable consultants by the end of thesummer.

Theappointee’s study will be informed by the findings of Phases One and Two of theTolled Bridges Review, and by an analysis of evidence submitted to ministers inthe course of this study. From today all interested parties are invited tosubmit any factual evidence they wish to provide in support of the retention orremoval of tolls from the Tay and Forth Road Bridges. Submissions should be sent to the ScottishExecutive at [email protected]by 17 August 2006. I am also writing directly to members, relevant localauthorities and other major stakeholders in the next few days to confirm this invitationto participate in the study. Details of the review will be available on theExecutive’s website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Transport/Road/TollBridge.

We expect a first reportfrom the consultants later this year.

The Executive is representedon the Dalgety Bay Forum and participated in the discussions on the 4 April, resultingin the recommendation to Fife Council to place signs at the Dalgety Bay beach toadvise members of the public of the potential for exposure to radioactive materials.