Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-05991 on 8 March 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/MAQASearch/QAndMSearch.aspx.

No, the implementation of Scotland’s Digital Future – Infrastructure Action Plan, published on 31 January 2012, will not prevent Highlands and Islands Enterprise from progressing its current broadband procurement.

The Scottish Government is working with COSLA and the Digital Programme Board to review options for funding allocations across the whole of Scotland including the potential allocation for the Highlands and Islands Enterprise broadband project.

The £10 million allocated by BDUK to the Highlands and Islands Enterprise broadband project forms part of the total £68.8 million allocated to the Scottish Government by BDUK.

The Highlands and Islands broadband project is an integral part of the Scottish Government’s approach to broadband delivery, as set out in Scotland’s Digital Future – Infrastructure Action Plan, published on 31 January 2012. The Scottish Government continues to work collaboratively with Highlands and Islands Enterprise on the ongoing development of its project and has not seen an indication that the project will fail to proceed.

We are investing £1 million to address the problems created by landslips and this will include extending the length of debris flow netting on the hillside. We are also working closely with Forestry Commission Scotland to explore options for making emergency use of forest roads and using vegetation cover to help reduce the risk of landslips. Work on the netting is expected to start in the spring.

This allocation will build on a study which will investigate the feasibility of longer term options and is expected to be completed in the summer.

Transport Scotland is arranging a series of local meetings for local communities in the coming months to explain the recent landslide at the Rest & Be Thankful, what happened, what we did and what we are proposing for the future.

Intervention 5 of the Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR) recommends a series of route management initiatives to maintain the physical condition and safety standards of the A83 trunk road between Tarbet and Kennacraig.

Information provided to the Scottish Government on the location of fibre optic broadband cables is commercial in confidence.

The Scottish Government will ensure that fibre infrastructure procured through the implementation of Scotland’s Digital Future – Infrastructure Action Plan will be truly “open access” in nature. This is a stipulation of the current Highlands and Islands broadband procurement and will be a stipulation in the forthcoming procurement for the rest of Scotland. We wish to see the deployment of interoperable, fully “open access” fibre networks as we recognise that networks with these characteristics have the potential to facilitate improved broadband access throughout Scotland.

The requirement to share infrastructure is, however, a regulatory issue which is currently reserved to the UK Government and Ofcom. The Scottish Government therefore has no jurisdiction in this regard.

The current Highlands and Islands Enterprise broadband procurement is an integral part of the Scottish Government’s approach to broadband delivery, as set out in Scotland’s Digital Future – Infrastructure Action Plan, published on 31 January. The action plan makes clear the Scottish Government’s commitment to continue to work with Highlands and Islands Enterprise to support the aims of its project. At the same time, we are ensuring that it contributes effectively and economically to the Scottish national strategy.

I last met with chief executives of NHS boards as a group on 22 June 2011. I meet frequently with individual chief executives. During the meeting on 22 June we discussed the Scottish Governments priorities for the NHS in Scotland and matters concerning the health of the population.