Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-01934 on 11 August 2011. 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/MAQASearch/QAndMSearch.aspx.

The total budget for Scotland’s second Year of Homecoming in 2014 will be determined as part of the forthcoming Spending Review. In this financial year a total of up to £200,000 will be made available to VisitScotland for activity in relation to Homecoming Scotland 2014.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-01412 on 25 July 2011. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Sportscotland is working in partnership with local authorities to support the continued development of local sports councils by encouraging integration between clubs and their local communities. However, it is for local authorities to determine the level of funding and support for local sports councils in their areas, taking into account local needs and priorities.

The Scottish Government are already taking forward electrification, as demonstrated by the official re-opening of the Airdrie to Bathgate rail link in March 2011. This provided the first direct, fully electrified route between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

The Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR), published in 2008, advised electrification of Scotland’s strategic rail network would be delivered in phases. Phase 1 and Phase 2 will complete electrification of the Central Scotland network.

Phase 1 is to be delivered as part of the Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP) which remains on schedule for completion by December 2016. While the precise details of the EGIP delivery programme and final procurement plans remain under development, the current estimated cost for the total project is £1.08 billion.

Phase 2 electrification is planned to follow the completion of Phase 1. An initial feasibility study for Phase 2 routes has been completed with the next stage of the design process being to undertake option selection studies. Transport Scotland are working with Network Rail to establish the scope for these studies. Detailed costings for Phase 2 electrification are not currently available but the project remains within the STPR estimate of £250 million to £500 million for each phase of electrification.

The average number of days taken for an invoice to be paid by the Scottish Executive and its Executive Agencies from the date of receipt in 2010-11 was 6.5 days.

Information on payment performance by local authorities is not collected by the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Executive and the bodies that use the Scottish Executive system paid 94.7% of invoices within 10 days during 2010-11. Information on payment performance of bodies outwith the Scottish Executive is not held centrally.

During 2010-11 the Scottish Executive paid 94.7% of all invoices within 10 days of receipt. We do not maintain this information on a per supplier basis.

The implementation is being taken forward as set out in Obesity Route Map published in 2010. The Action Plan published in 2011 sets out more detail on the individual actions being taken forward and timeframes for these.

The actions set out in the Route Map are not predicated on additional resources. Rather it is intended to underpin national and local government decision making on the effective allocation of existing and future resources to the prevention of obesity, both nationally and locally. That may require a level of re-prioritisation of investment to support both the short and medium term across the areas of action set out in the Route Map. However, it was estimated in the Obesity Route Map that up to
£200 million between 2008-11 was allocated by the Scottish Government for actions either directly or indirectly tackling obesity.