Chamber and committees

The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including the future of cross-country rail services in Scotland.

The Strategic Rail Authority is responsible for the cross-country rail franchise. The Scottish Executive is in regular discussion with the UK Government on a wide range of issues.

Guidance on Child Witness Court Familiarisation Visits is being issued today. The guidance sets out standardsof best practice for all those who carry out pre-trial visits with the aim of helpingto reduce the anxiety and stress experienced by children when attending court. Itis the outcome of wide consultation and has the support of major justice agenciesand children’s groups. The guidance is the third document in a series on child witnesssupport and follows guidance on Interviewing Child Witnesses and Questioning Childrenin Court.

Copies have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 32531).

We are aware of two nappy launderingservices in Scotland. The Scottish Nappy Company works with East RenfrewshireCouncil and Edinburgh City Council and Cotton Bottoms offer a nappy laundering servicein north-east Scotland. In addition, Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeen Forwardwork with the Hippins Network which offers a nappy lending service allowing parentsto try different styles before buying. They also operate a scheme under which parentswho use real nappies can claim up to £30 towards the cost of kitting-out their child. 

More generally, thirteen localauthorities at present support work carried out by the Scottish Nappy Network topromote real nappies in Scotland. We are also aware of community sector projects, suchas one run by Lothian and Edinburgh Environmental Partnership.

We have recently provided resourcesto the Waste and Resources Action Programme for work on waste minimisation, includingwork on real nappies.

Results from the 2001 Censusshow that 2,163,035 persons were in employment the week before the Census whowere not full-time students. Some 123,454 (5.7%) recorded that they wereworking mainly at or from home.

Of these, 2,150 (1.7%) wereworking in information technology-related jobs.

During my recent visit to New York, Imet with representatives of the police, courts and community justice agencies.There are potentially a number of lessons to be learned, including the speed of the process, “restorative” aspects of community service, and the range ofservices available to address the problems of offending.

The Scottish Executive is working with the EqualOpportunities Commission, the Scottish Trade Union Congress and other partnersin the Close the Gap campaign to raise awareness aboutthe pay gap between women and men in Scotland.

And, as anemployer, we are leading by example. The Executive completed a gender equal payreview in April 2003 and will continue to monitor its pay and reward system toensure that it is free from discrimination.

The information requestedcan be obtained from the figures on page 140 of Road Accidents Scotland 2002,published by the Scottish Executive in 2003, copies of which are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 30447). Information for 2003 is notyet available centrally.

The information requested isgiven on page 140 of Road Accidents Scotland 2002, published by the Scottish Executive in 2003, copies of which are available in the Parliament’s ReferenceCentre (Bib. number 30447).

The information requested isgiven on page 140 of Road Accidents Scotland 2002, published by the Scottish Executive in 2003, copies of which are available in the Parliament’s ReferenceCentre (Bib number 30447). Information for 2003 is not yet available centrally.