Chamber and committees

I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-3600 on 4 September 2007. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

We will establisha baseline against which progress can be measured. Our ambition for a simpler,smaller government is not only about numbers, but about removing unnecessaryduplication and establishing structures that can support and drive the deliveryof joined-up strategic outcomes. We are taking a strategic look across thedelivery landscape of Scottish public services to consider what structures willbest address the challenges and meet our strategic objectives.

As I announced on24 May 2007, we intend toachieve a simpler, smaller Government in Scotland through de-cluttering and simplifyingthe public service landscape. We have already reduced the number of GovernmentDepartments and Scottish ministers. We are taking forward our ManifestoCommitments in this area. The development of an outcome approach for local governmenttogether with clarity about the role of agencies and non-departmental public bodieswill also be crucial elements of our approach. We will provide Parliament withfurther details later this year on the detailed implications of our approach.

The Scottish Governmentwill publish in year changes to spending programmes in the usual fashion in theautumn and spring budget revisions. This will include the costs of policy announcementswith spending implications. The consequences of such announcements will also beset out in the Strategic Spending Review.

Scottish Water isfully funded to provide the strategic infrastructure required for all anticipatednew development during the current investment period.

The Provision ofWater and Sewerage Services (Reasonable Cost) (Scotland) Regulations 2006 introduceda legal basis for the calculation of the reasonable cost contribution to be madeby Scottish Water and developers towards the cost of providing local “Part 2” and“Part 3” connections to its networks. Scottish Water will provide a reasonable costcontribution towards the developers’ costs of funding “Part 2” and “Part 3” infrastructure.This reasonable cost contribution to new connections is available towards the totalcosts of both local water mains and sewers, and all other “Part 2” and “Part 3”assets.

The projected costsfor providing the necessary connections will depend on the timing of the house buildingconstruction programme and the contribution to be made to such connections by therelevant developers.

I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-63 on 1 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-2790 on 23 August 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

The information requestedis not available centrally.

Data about injuryroad accidents are collected by the police and reported to the Scottish Executiveusing the Stats 19 statistical report form. Statistics relating to road accidentsand casualties by local authority and police force area are published annually inRoad Accidents Scotland.

The road accidentstatistics system is designed to produce such information, but not to identify accident“blackspots”.

Details of accidentson the trunk road network are held by Transport Scotland on a special database which can be interrogated to identify a range of detailsincluding cluster sites and trends. Local authorities have detailed informationabout accidents on local roads which enables them to identify clusters of accidentsat particular locations.

The HITRANS surveywas focussed on ferry users rather than users of Gourock station. It cannot thereforebe used, on its own, to derive estimates of the percentage of passengers using Gourockstation who are ferry users. It can be used to derive estimates of the percentageof those using the Gourock to Dunoon ferry who arrive at or depart from Gourockby train. On this latter basis, the survey showed that 56 of the 179 passengersinterviewed on the Gourock to Dunoon service had used the train to arrive at Gourockor planned to use the train for their onward journey from Gourock. This represents31% of passengers using the service which is twice the figure used by Western Ferriesin preparing the news release it issued on  18 July 2007. This interpretation of the survey results has been endorsed by the author of the HITRANS report.

I am satisfied thatthe vehicle element of the current Cowal Ferries Ltd service on the Gourock to Dunoonroute does not generate an additional subsidy requirement. Indeed, the revenue fromvehicles carried exceeds the additional costs involved in running a vehicle, asopposed to passenger only service, using the vessels currently deployed on the route.