Chamber and committees

The Executive received 291 responses to the consultation paper. These are currently being considered.

The current operating budgetfor all of the Area Tourist Boards taken together shows an expected deficit of justunder £2 million in the current financial year. Funding for the VisitScotland networkoffices next year will come from local authorities, VisitScotland itself, Europeanfunds and tourism businesses. Although businesses will no longer pay membershipfees, income is expected to be generated from the sale of a range of products andservices available across the network.

The tourism network project teamis on target to produce a first draft business plan for the tourism network by 31 December 2004. Theinitial indications are that, once efficiencies to be gained from network integrationare achieved, the tourism network will be sustainable.

The Executive has no plans tosupport dairy farmers to obtain value from bull calves. This is essentially a commercialmatter.

On 8 December, I announced details of the consultation exercise on the final service specification for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services. The consultation will provide an opportunity for individuals and organisations with an interest to make their views known on the issue. The closing date for responses is Wednesday 16 March 2005 and I would encourage all those with an interest to make their views known through this process. Following the consultation exercise and further discussions with the European Commission, the Executive will announce its proposals for these vital lifeline ferry services.

No staff are currently employed directly by HITRANS, WESTRANS, SESTRAN or NESTRANS.

One person works for HITRANS and is engaged as a consultant.

Four people work for WESTRANS and are employed by Renfrewshire Council.

SESTRAN sub-contracts its secretariat function which is delivered by the equivalent of 1.5 staff.

Two people work for NESTRANS and are employed by Aberdeen City Council.

Decisions on Legislation are a matter for Parliament and the relevant Committees. The Policy Memorandum and the Explanatory Notes for the Transport (Scotland) Bill which led to the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 are silent on the matter.

The Executive’s proposals for regional transport partnerships are set out in Part 1 of the Transport (Scotland) Bill 2004, presented to Parliament on 27 October 2004. Section 1(1)(a) proposes to place on the Scottish ministers a duty to “divide Scotland into regions for the purposes to this Part of this Act”. As drafted, this would require all local authorities to be members of one or more regional transport partnership. The Executive launched a consultation exercise, also on 27 October 2004, which seeks views on, amongst other things, the boundaries of the proposed transport partnerships.

The consultation paper Scotland’s Transport Future: Proposals for Statutory Regional Transport Partnerships published on 27 October 2004 restated the Executive’s commitment to creating a strong regional transport partnership (RTP) in the west of Scotland. Specifically, it is stated in paragraph 41 that in the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Area “public transport functions are already delivered at regional level and it is intended that this should continue to the be the case in a new RTP in the region.”

Section 10(7) of the Transport (Scotland) Bill 2004 would, as drafted, give powers to the Scottish ministers to transfer by order, subject to Parliamentary approval via the affirmative resolution procedure, all SPT’s existing powers including those concerning bus services to the new transport partnership.

As indicated in the White Paper, Scotland’s Transport Future, the purpose is to encourage development of high-quality services and infrastructure at a local level.

It is intended that the Regional Transport Partnership in the West of Scotland will continue to manage, develop and monitor rail services in its area. It will do so on behalf of the Scottish ministers through the new transport agency.