Chamber and committees

This information is not heldcentrally. However, figures will be obtained from Local Road Safety Units and CyclingScotland on their training activities. I will write to the member once all the responseshave been received.

High quality cycletraining for children is provided through the Scottish Cycle Training Scheme bylocal Road Safety Units. Cycling Scotland supplementsthis with additional levels of cycle training for children and adults. It has alsoembarked on a training programme for adult cycle trainers and plans to expand futuretraining activities in response to demand for its services.

The guidance is a toolkit resourcefor use at a local level by organisers of Safer Routes to School (SRTS) schemes.Information on the number of such schemes now in place in Scotland is expectedto be available centrally by the end of July.

In addition to the guidance,the Executive is promoting Safer Routes to School schemes though provision of fundingto local authorities. The Cycling, Walking and Safer Streets (CWSS) funding allocationmay be used by councils for SRTS schemes and is currently at a record level of £8.2 million peryear. This will rise next year to £8.65 million.

We have also made available fundingfor School Travel Co-ordinators in all local authorities. Typical roles of co-ordinatorsinclude the promotion of the health and environmental benefits walking or cyclingto school, the promotion of best practice in individual schools, including SaferRoutes to School and advising on spending of CWSS allocations and co-ordinationof work across local authority departments.

This information is not held centrally at present, but will be obtained from Executive-funded School Travel Co-ordinatorswho are now in place in most local authorities in Scotland. I expect the informationto be available by the end of July.

The Department for Transportpublished an evaluation pilot schemes in November 2003. The report, Evaluation of First Yellow Bus Pilots Schemes, can be accessed via the Department for Transport’s websitewww.dft.gov.uk.

I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-7604 on 4 May 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

It is for local authorities themselvesto decide how they will fulfil their statutory duty to provide school transport. No Scottish authority chose to participate in the recent pilot schemes evaluatedby the Department for Transport.

The Executive issued revised guidance on school transport to authorities in August 2003. In addition, the Executive supports the Safer Routes to School initiative and provides funding for local authority School Travel Co-ordinators, whose responsibilities include promoting safe and healthy travel for school children and facilitating the establishment of local School Travel Teams.

Our consultation on Scotland’sTransport – Proposals for a New Approach to Transport in Scotland was completedearlier this year and the responses received placed on the Scottish Executive website. An external analysis of these responses has been commissioned andthis report has also been placed on the website.

The Scottish Executive has committed significant resources to the implementation of the recommendationsin the Expert Panel on School Meals’ report, Hungry for Success. This includesencouraging the serving of larger portions of more nutritious food, such as freshfruit and vegetables. The Executive has also committed additional funds of £2 millionover three years to provide all pupils in primaries 1 and 2 with one piece of fruitthree times a week.

Individual education authoritiesare responsible for implementation, and have been offered an additional £57.5 millionover three years to deliver initiatives under Hungry for Success. There arepositive signs of progress by authorities.

Under the Workplace (Health,Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 employers are required to provide suitablefacilities for employees who are pregnant or breastfeeding to rest. I aminformed by the convener of the Holyrood Progress Group that three first aid roomswill be available at Holyrood which can be used for rest purposes. All threerooms will be fitted with running water and chiller units to provide a suitableenvironment for nursing mothers to breastfeed and to express and store milk ifrequired.