Chamber and committees

The Executive has no plansto develop a national noise strategy. However, the implementation of the ECEnvironmental Noise Directive and the issuing of the proposed noise managementguide later this year, as described in the answers to questions S2W-5126 andS2W-5136 on 20 January 2004, should help promote a consistent approach to themanagement of noise. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

The Executive has not beeninvolved in any national noise survey since 1999-2001 when there were UK-widenoise attitude and parallel national noise incidence surveys undertaken. Thereare no plans to conduct further surveys of this type at present.

The Executive, together withthe UK Government, will be transposing the EC Environmental Noise Directive in2004. This directive requires the mapping of noise levels for all major agglomerations,roads, railways and airports initially by 2007, and the drawing up of actionplans as appropriate by 2008.

Responsibility for equalopportunities, including the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief)Regulations 2003, is reserved and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) isthe lead.

Information and guidance isavailable from DTI to allow employers in England, Scotland and Wales to familiarise themselves with the legislation.

Scottish Enterprise has providedinformation on the new regulations covering religion and belief to all of its businessadvisers and business clients. The Highlands and Islands equality forum has been tasked with engaging theprivate sector on all aspects of equality legislation and good practice issues.

he Scottish Executive has no plans to put suchinfrastructure in place itself. The intent of the Directive is to ensure thatmanufacturers and importers of electronic and electrical equipment areresponsible for securing the re-use and recycling of substantial proportions ofwaste equipment, and for the safe disposal of the residual. Throughconsultation exercises, and in discussions with the industry in co-operationwith SEPA and with UK authorities, we are encouragingbusinesses to prepare for these regulations.

TheExecutive has made no estimates of the impact of climate change on the Scottisheconomy. The Executive does, however, work in partnership with the UK Governmentto increase awareness and understanding of the challenges and opportunities presentedby climate change. Arising from this collaboration, the UK Climate Impacts Programmeis developing a tool to assist businesses and others to assess the costs of adaptationoptions. This tool is expected to be published early next year.

Also, the UK Government commissioneda research study in 2000 into the cost of adapting to climate change in key sectorssuch as water resources and flooding. A summary of the study report produced byEnvironmental Resources Management Ltd can be found on the Executive's climate changewebsite at www.scotland.gov.uk/climatechange.

The Executive wrote to localauthorities in February 2003, offering funding for school travel co-ordinators.Every authority took up this offer and has either filled or is in the process offilling the posts.

The Executive publishedguidance on how to run Safer Routes to School in 1999. We will be collecting informationon the Safer Routes to School schemes from the school travel co-ordinators in duecourse.

The Executive alreadycontributes towards the cost of the Carbon Trust’s Low Carbon Innovationprogramme which provides funding for research into fuel cells and other innovativeenergy technologies.

We have asked the ScottishEnvironment Protection Agency to monitor the involvement of the communityrecycling sector in the implementation of Area Waste Plans.

The information requested isnot held centrally. However, the Executive provides funding to the CommunityRecycling Network Scotland (CRNS) which is currently carrying out an exerciseto identify the contribution that the community sector is making to divertwaste from landfill.

Bids to the Strategic Waste Fund are assessed to ensure that they conform to the implementation plans, are in line with the relevant area waste plans and offer value for money. Grant conditions require the relevant authority to provide the Executive with quarterly reports on implementation and the extent to which targets and achievements are being met. Local authority integrated waste management plans under the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 will also need to be in accordance with the implementation plans.