Chamber and committees

The Executive does not currently expect to incur any direct or indirect costs as a result of the recent announcement by Consignia plc to reduce the number of jobs from its operations in Scotland.

This is a matter for the City of Edinburgh Council. However, I understand that the new bus station should be open to the public in the autumn of this year.

The list of projects which are currently under way, and their costs, is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 20557).

North of Scotland Water Authority and West of Scotland Water Authority have both given Scottish ministers an undertaking to carry out improvement works, to comply with the provisions of the new Drinking Water Directive 98/78/EC. There is currently no drinking water quality undertaking for East of Scotland Water Authority. The projects that comprise the undertakings for the North and the West are listed in the authorities annual water quality reports.There are 564 water supply zones in Scotland and the North of Scotland Water Authority undertaking should bring about compliance with the Directive in 258 of these zones at an estimated cost of £180 million. The West of Scotland Water Authority undertaking, which covers 28 zones, is estimated to cost £123 million. The cost of the individual projects comprising the undertaking is not held centrally. This is a matter for the water authorities.In addition to the undertaking programmes in the North and the West, all three water authorities are carrying out lead pipe replacements and installing orthophosphate dosing equipment, to comply with the new lead standard.

The Executive has reached agreement with COSLA and the local authorities to enhance existing concessionary travel schemes, from October 2002, so as to provide free local off-peak bus travel for elderly and disabled people. Eligible residents of the twelve authorities which comprise the Strathclyde Joint Concessionary Travel Scheme area will therefore be able to travel free of charge anywhere within that area on local bus services.

The development of local transport initiatives, including proposals to improve connections between different modes of public transport, is a matter for the relevant local authority, or in this case, the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive. However, the Scottish Executive already contributes to the funding of a bus link between Glasgow Queen Street and Glasgow Central railway stations.In addition, the Central Scotland Transport Corridor Studies are looking at ways to address, in the longer term, the problems of moving along the three transport corridors - A8, A80 and M74. This includes how best to facilitate public transport journeys across central Glasgow.

The Executive has reached agreement with COSLA and the local authorities to enhance existing concessionary travel schemes from October 2002 so as to provide free local off-peak bus travel for elderly and disabled people. The Executive is encouraging local authorities to consider whether the principle of free travel should be extended to local ferries, to ensure that elderly and disabled island residents have access to their nearest administrative centres. However, final decisions on whether to extend this enhancement to other modes in the Strathclyde area are a matter for the Strathclyde Joint Concessionary Travel Scheme Committee.

The Executive has met with COSLA and many individual authorities to discuss the introduction of free local off-peak bus travel from October 2002, and there is an agreement in place to do so on a voluntary basis by enhancing existing concessionary travel schemes. In addition, the Executive established an Implementation Working Group, comprising representation from COSLA, ATCO, SPT and the bus industry, to take forward consideration of the many detailed issues associated with the introduction of these enhancements. It is for concessionary scheme managers to enter into detailed discussions with the bus industry at a local level in order to vary existing schemes to take account of these enhancements, and I understand that SPT as administrators of the joint Strathclyde scheme have begun such discussions.

The Scottish Executive is working with partners in the financial sector and others, to encourage the development of new and alternative means to deliver financial services, as well as ensuring existing services can reach whole communities.

The functioning and accuracy of electronic information boards at key railway interchanges in the Strathclyde area, is an operational matter for ScotRail, in conjunction with Railtrack and the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive. However, railway infrastructure projects, including the provision of new electronic information boards, may qualify for financial assistance, through the Scottish Executive's Public Transport Fund. Bids under this fund would have to satisfy eligibility criteria and compete with other bids.