Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-31528 today. 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/search_wa.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-31528 today. 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/search_wa.

The protocol, announced on 11 November, applies to all new PPP/PFI projects with immediate effect. It deals with staff who join the Project Company after transfer of the undertaking and who, until now, could have faced less favourable terms and conditions than those enjoying protection under TUPE regulations. Scope for this two-tier workforce has been eliminated by the protocol. The protocol was drafted with regard to the Cabinet Office statement of practice, and operates in tandem with existing guidance. It applies equally to all groups of staff within the Project Company. Use of the protocol will be a condition of funding for all projects in the future.In addition, the Scottish Executive announced on 26 November that ministers intend to seek the power to direct local authorities in Scotland to protect the terms and conditions, including the pension rights, of workers transferred to other contractors on a similar basis to the one to be afforded to English and Welsh ministers through the Local Government Bill being published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. The precise means of achieving that will be discussed with the UK Government, since some of the issues concerned are reserved to the UK Parliament.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The general principle, reflected in section 52 (1) of the Scotland Act, is that statutory functions are normally conferred on the Scottish ministers collectively and are then exercisable by any member of the Executive. This reflects the principle of collective responsibility under which the Scottish Executive operates. However, certain statutory functions are conferred upon the First Minister alone, and these are as follows:Keeper of the Scottish Seal; appointment and removal of Scottish ministers and junior Scottish ministers;functions relating to the appointment and removal of judges and the Scottish Law Officers;functions under the Interception of Communications Act 1985 and the Intelligence Services Act 1994;functions relating to the Universities of Scotland, andcivil service management functions in relation to the staff of the Scottish Administration.

The Executive does not have such a target. However, it does wish to see an increase in the long-term growth rate of the Scottish economy and believes it has the policies in place to do so, within the context of a stable UK macro-economic framework.

The information requested is contained in Chapter 8 of the A80 Final Report of the corridor plan to 2010 available at: www.cstcs.co.uk. We hope to be able to announce decisions on the way forward later this year, taking account of the consultants' recommendations and the subsequent comments we have received during the consultation period.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-30960 on 6 November 2002. 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/search_wa.

An upgraded A80 would still form part of the trunk road network.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-28852 on 13 September 2002, which explained that the significance of the Executive's use of Capita in a more limited role related to the differing arrangements which applied for the registration of learning providers. 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/search_wa.