Chamber and committees

It is the responsibility of authorities and schools to ensure that programmes and materials on sex and relationships education are consistent both with national guidance and with the ethos of the school. A Scottish Framework for Nursing in Schools, published in 2003, sets out the role of school nurses in supporting schools to promote a positive approach to sexual health and relationships.

The Executive is committedto practices that will ensure that the widest range of individuals and groups whowill be affected by our policies are able to inform the development of thosepolicies. We are particularly keen to ensure that we reach those who havetraditionally been excluded, such as young people and minority ethniccommunities. The recent wide-ranging consultations on Smoking in Public Places,Anti-Social Behaviour and the McInnes Review of Summary Justice are just a fewexamples of our successes in doing so.  Several major projects designed tofacilitate wider participation are also underway, such as Dialogue Youth and ProjectScotland.I also refer the member tothe answer to question S2W-19806 on 4 November 2005.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/webapp/wa.search.The steps detailed in that answer are intended to find other innovative ways offacilitating participation and to spread that good practice across theExecutive.

The Executive has long beencommitted to developing effective civic participation and is working hard toachieve this. Recently, it has set up a dedicated Civic Participation PolicyBranch to co-ordinate development of the Executive’s policy, supported by a Civic Participation Steering Group which provides a strategic view and co-ordinates Executiveactivity. A Civic Participation Network for Executive Staff has also been established tocascade good practice across the Executive and provide feedback to the steeringgroup. We are also working to ensure a range of training and information-sharingopportunities for Executive staff, both internal and external. The GoodPractice Guidance on Consultation for Executive Staff is currently being reviewedand will, amongst other things, take account of recent developments, follow-uprecommendations in the research report which we published in August, and bemade easier to use.

The concept of city regions, as used in the National Planning Framework and Smart Successful Scotland, assists in developing effective economic development policies which recognise the relationship between cities and their regions.

However, our city regions face different opportunities and needs. These are recognised in, for example:

the new city region plans for our four largest cities, which replace structure plans;

the support for realising different city region visions provided through the Cities Growth Fund, and

Scottish Enterprise’s Operating Plan, which includes a diverse set of actions to promote competitive place and which allow Local Enterprise Companies to address local opportunities and needs.

 

The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) was responsible for specifying and re-letting the East Coast franchise. I understand that the development of Musselburgh Parkway did not form part of the SRA’s specification for the new franchise.

The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the South East Scotland Transport Partnership (SESTRAN), City of Edinburgh Council, operators and others on a range of transport issues, including the transport needs of south east Edinburgh.

The Executive will continue to work in partnership with these organisations in identifying opportunities for transport improvements.

As a result of successful bids to the Executive’s Public Transport Fund, City of Edinburgh Council and Midlothian Council respectively were awarded funding for the provision of bus-based park and ride sites at Straiton and Todhills, due for completion in the current financial year.

The Executive will continue to work in partnership with regional transport partnerships, transport authorities and operators across Scotland to identify further opportunities for investment in park and ride provision.

Cycling Scotland hasdistributed over 1,500 sets of its Ready Steady Bike course materials, includingto school travel co-ordinators in each local authority. Cycling Scotland doesnot have a central record of the number of children who have been trained throughuse of the resource.

The Scottish Executive has regular contact with First ScotRail on a variety of issues including staffing levels and their planned improvements.

The franchise agreement requires First ScotRail to increase staffing levels, so that there should be a conductor or ticket inspector on each service. The roles of these individuals include customer care duties. First ScotRail is in the process of recruiting further staff to cover customer support, additional ticket checks and barrier staff.

The franchise agreement also commits First ScotRail to on-going staff training including customer care training.

Every local authority in Scotland now has at least one school travel plan co-ordinator in post.

 The Transport (Scotland) Bill currently being considered by Parliament includes provisions for the drawing up of regional transport strategies. Each strategy will need to consider the current and future provision of transport within the region and set out practical and affordable plans for its improvement. School travel needs should be included in this consideration, particularly where this impacts on regional rather than purely local travel. The Scottish ministers will issue, later this year, guidance to regional transport partnerships on the development of regional transport strategies.