In our project-based approach, we aim to concentrate our efforts on the highest priority services; i.e. those services which have the maximum impact on the maximum number of people and where an improved service would deliver the greatest benefit to the citizen. The Modernising Government Fund has supported joined up working and funded bids which meet the Scottish Executive's key modernising priorities for the public sector. Where common themes and projects arose, we combined these into natural project groups.

The monitoring carried out to date by the Performance Audit Group has shown that Amey Highways Ltd are complying with their contractual obligations with regard to winter maintenance on trunk roads in the South of Scotland.

We now have enabling legislation in place in the Electronic Communications Act 2000 to allow us to amend existing legislation where that does not allow for the use of electronic communications or data storage. Some perceived barriers are not barriers after all but are being considered on a case-by-case basis. For instance, the data protection legislation is not generally a barrier to electronic delivery provided that the requirements of the legislation regarding appropriate consents and storage of information are met.

Local Authorities, through COSLA, have given an undertaking to match the Executive's commitment to online services by 2005.The Central Local 21^st Century Government Forum agreed that councils should be invited collectively to propose an approach, targets and a timetable for making available electronically the public services they deliver.This consultation exercise was carried out in October 2001 and councils have agreed that a standard definition of services and electronic channels should be endorsed and that an online database should be set up to monitor council progress in delivering services electronically. The structure and content of this database is being developed.

Local authorities through COSLA, have given an undertaking to match the Executive's commitment to delivering services online by 2005. Each local authority has identified e-advocates at both Senior Officer and Elected Member level who are accountable for the delivery of their Council's 21^st Century Government Strategy.Eight of these e-advocates, along with the Chief Executive of COSLA, are represented on the Central/Local 21^st Century Government Forum which helps to drive the Modernising Government and Information Age Government agendas across all local authorities.

I am grateful for the opportunity to correct a minor inaccuracy in the report of the Digital Scotland Task Force, which was repeated in the Executive's response to that report. The agreement reached by the European Council at the Lisbon Summit, and announced by the Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair was to provide electronic access to the main basic public services by 2003, not to all basic public services as stated in the report of the Digital Scotland Task Force. The list of the 20 main basic public services agreed by member states was published as an annex to the communication e-Europe 2002: Impacts and Priorities. Most of that list are reserved matters. We are working on all those which fall within the remit of the Scottish Executive and a number are already available electronically.

Information Age Government in Scotland: A draft common Framework was published in draft in December 2000. The framework is currently being revised following consultation and will be published shortly.

All higher education institutions and further education colleges have access to the SuperJANET network. The funding councils' priority continues to be promoting widespread take-up and application of the extensive range of information services available through the network. The councils' policy is to identify new data sources of potential value to the further and higher education sectors and to seek to arrange access to them through the network.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21292.

A number of the recommendations have been implemented and action completed. Others have been taken forward through the development and implementation of various related initiatives including the Digital Inclusion Strategy, the Broadband Strategy, the Information Age Government Strategy and the 21^st Century Government Action Plan.