Chamber and committees

As I said in my previous answer, it is entirely for each local authority to set its own priorities, allocate funding and deliver active travel outcomes as agreed in their single outcome agreements.

The ring-fenced grant for school travel co-ordinator posts was rolled up into the local authority grant settlement in 2008-09.

The Scottish Government continues to provide local authorities with £9.09 million per year for Cycling, Walking and Safer Streets projects which they can supplement if they wish to. Also, this year we will provide £3.165 million to Sustrans and Cycling Scotland to deliver projects that will, for example, provide cycle racks and promote cycle training in schools, and other resources that tackle the school run, such as Walk to School Week material.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-27917, on 29 October 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Scottish Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/PQA/Deffault.aspx.

The Scottish Government provided funding to support the initial development of the Etisal event and the series of events that will make up Salaam Scotland. A total of £72,000, from an initial grant of £200,000, has been spent on the development of both initiatives. The remaining £128,000 has been returned to the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government provided funding to support the initial development of the Etisal event. The delivery of Etisal is a matter for the Scottish-Islamic Foundation.

No member of the Scottish Islamic Foundation has facilitated discussions between the Scottish Government and the Organisation of Islamic Conference, or the Gulf Cooperation Council.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26626, on 16 September 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Scottish Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/PQA/Deffault.aspx.

References to encouraging and supporting children to engage in active travel have not been removed from the final version of Curriculum for Excellence. I refer the member to my answer to question S3W-27970 on 26 October 2009. I believe that the final published version of the experiences and outcomes support our target of achieving 10% of journeys by bike by 2020.

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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The draft overarching statement I am encouraged and supported to travel actively and safely to and from my place of learning was simplified in the final published version of the experiences and outcomes to address concerns about the size and complexity of the curriculum as a whole. In response, the writing groups scrutinised and cross matched the experiences and outcomes across strands and curriculum areas to ensure clarity and remove duplication. The overarching statement was simplified to broaden the basis for interpretation and delivery and to allow active travel to permeate the physical activity and sport strand.

I believe that by broadening the references to active travel, as outlined in my responses to S3W-27967 and S3W-27969 on 26 October 2009, it has a higher profile in the final version of the health and wellbeing experiences and outcomes which are at the heart of Curriculum for Excellence. In addition, Health and wellbeing across learning summarises and emphasises those aspects of health and wellbeing, including active travel, that are the responsibility of everyone in the school community. The message to staff across the school community about supporting the health and fitness agenda has therefore been strengthened.

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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.