Chamber and committees

Notes:

1. As part of modernising planning the main legislative changes to development management, including planning application procedures, enforcement, planning appeal procedures and new local review procedures took effect from 3 August 2009. The planning authority performance data returns were revised to align these returns with the new planning system. The return has a greater emphasis on the hierarchy of developments, and thresholds to distinguish between major and local developments have been revised. As such, performance data prior to 3 August 2009 is not comparable with that after 3 August 2009, except at an aggregate level.

Revisions have been made to the following categories:

(a) Minerals “ previously all mineral developments were included together. This has been separated into major developments, where site area is or exceeds two hectares, local developments, where site area is less than two hectares, and local developments subject an environmental impact assessment (EIA).

(b) Housing (previously Dwellings) “ the threshold for major developments has been revised. Major developments are now defined as 50 or more dwellings or a site area that is or exceeds two hectares (previously defined as 10 or more dwellings or a site area that is or exceeds of 0.5 hectares). Local developments are now defined less than 50 dwellings or a site area of less than two hectares (previously defined as less than 10 dwellings or a site area less than 0.5 hectares). Local developments subject to an EIA are now recorded separately.

(c) Business and Industry - the threshold for major developments has been revised. Major developments are now defined as a gross floor space that is or exceeds 10,000 square metres or a site area that is or exceeds two hectares (previously defined as 1,000 square metres or a site area that is or exceeds of one hectare). Local developments are now defined as a gross floor space less than 10,000 square metres or a site area of less than two hectares (previously defined as less than 1,000 square metres or a site area less than one hectare). Local developments subject to an EIA are now recorded separately.

(d) Other developments - the threshold for major developments has been revised. Major developments are now defined as a gross floor space that is or exceeds 5,000 square metres or a site area that is or exceeds two hectares (previously defined as 1,000 square metres or a site area that is or exceeds of one hectare). Local developments are now defined as a gross floor space less than 5,000 square metres or a site area of less than two hectares (previously defined as less than 1,000 square metres or a site area less than one hectare). Local developments subject to an EIA are now recorded separately.

The 2009-10 figures have been aggregated from two separate sets of data pertaining to the two different planning systems, and therefore contain planning applications measured on different bases “ care should be taken with these figures.

2. In 2006-07, all applications were reported against a two-month target - this is not the case in 2009-10 due to definitional changes as described in note 1.

3. Due to the aforementioned definitional changes, a further 959 applications (classed as major) have not been included in the 2009-10 figures, as they were only measured against a four-month target.

4. The Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) do not receive planning applications directly but are notified of applications which have been made to those planning authorities within the park boundaries. The CNPA may then decide to call applications in for their determination. Planning applications may therefore have already been in the system for a number of weeks before being transferred to the CNPA. The percentage of Cairngorms applications processed in under two months are lower than those of the other planning authorities due to the reasons stated above. The CPNA do not have delegation powers.

Table 1: Total Number of Speed Cameras and Road Accidents Since 1997

Notes:

1. The Scottish Safety Camera Programme started as a pilot in Strathclyde (Glasgow City area) in 2000. There are no records held centrally of the numbers of cameras in use on the road network  before that year.

2. The number of cameras include those located on the trunk road network.

3. Camera numbers are recorded per financial year and road accidents are recorded per calendar year.

Table 2 shows the number of sites where speed cameras are deployed under the Safety Camera Programme

Table 2: Number of Cameras Operating under the Safety Camera Programme in Each Local Authority Area Since 2000 “ Trunk Road Network Listed at End of Table

Note: 1. All mainland local authorities and Transport Scotland are members of the Safety Camera Programme. There are no speed cameras currently operating in Eilean Siar, Orkney Island or Shetlands Island Council areas.

Table 3 shows the number of reported injury road accidents from 1997 onwards by local authority area.

Table 3: Reported Road Injury Accidents on Scottish Roads by Year and Local Authority, 1997 to 2009

Note:

1. Figures include for accidents occurring on the trunk road network.

* 2009 figures are provisional.

Improving the Road Network (£ Million)

Improving the Road Network (£ Million)

Note: * Construction on the M74 commenced in 2008-09 (due for completion 2011-12).

The amount spent on improving public transport networks since 1997 is shown in the following table:

Improving Public Transport Networks (£ Million)

Improving Public Transport Networks (£ Million)

Note: *Responsibility for Rail was devolved to the Scottish Government in 2006.

The number of journeys undertaken by each method is shown in the following table:

Journeys via each method of Transport (000)

Journeys via each method of Transport (000)

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/12/22091243/154.

2. The following tables provide figures on capital spending on improving the cycle network from 1999-2000 to 2010-11 in both (a) cash and (b) real terms (Table 1) and how many bicycle journeys (measured in millions of kilometres) have been undertaken in each year since 1997 (Table 2).

Table 1. Capital Spending on Improving the Cycle Network from 1999-2000 to 2010-11

Notes:

# = Real terms figures calculated using UK GDP deflator (Source HM Treasury)

* = 2010-11 figure is an estimate based on June 2010 UK Budget forecast.

The total funding in the table above includes allocations to:

Local authorities for Cycling Walking and Safer Streets for 1999-2000. Between 1999-2000 and 2007-08 an average of 20% was spent on cycling projects from this grant. In 2008-09 this percentage increased to 36%;

Sustrans to extend and maintain the National Cycle Network from 2001-02;

Transport Scotland, for the Trunk Road Cycling Initiative from 2006, and

Smarter Choices Smarter Places Programme funding for cycling interventions from 2008-09.

Table 2. Bicycle Traffic Estimates “ Scotland, 1998 - 2008 (Million Vehicle kms)*

*Source: Department for Transport (published in Scottish Transport Statistics No 28. 2009 edition).

For journeys on official business undertaken by bicycle the rate payable is £0.20 per mile. The travel and subsistence system only holds expenses data since 2005. Details of amounts paid in bicycle allowance for staff employed by different public bodies since 2005 are as follows:

Information about the rates paid by other publicly funded bodies is not held centrally.

The Scottish Government has approved an expenditure of £60,000 for the initiative.

The invitation to tender will specify the range and geographical spread of the participants but it will be up to the contractor to suggest how these participants will be identified and engaged.

The specific aim of this debate will be:

to identify options to provide greater protection for young drivers, involving youth groups, the police and advanced driving experts in the process.

Money already allocated from the 2010-11 budget is as follows:

Young Driver''s Debate - £60,000

NHS Injury Data Collection Pilot - £7,000

Seatbelt campaign promotional materials - £6,670

Young people safety pilot - £32,500.

Cash Terms

Total of £60 Conditional Offer Fines Paid by Drivers Speeding or Failing to Obey a Red Traffic Signal by Cameras

*Provisional unaudited figures.

Real Terms

Total of £60 Conditional Offer Fines Paid by Drivers Speeding or Failing to Obey a Red Traffic Signal by Cameras

*Provisional unaudited figures.

Notes:

1. 2000-02 Strathclyde Safety Camera Partnership Pilot “ Glasgow area only

2. 2002-03 Fife and North East Safety Camera Partnerships established. Strathclyde SCP expands to cover 4 local authority areas.

3. 2003-04 Dumfries and Galloway and Lothian and Borders Safety Camera Partnerships established. Strathclyde expands to cover all 12 local authority areas.

4. 2004-05 Northern Safety Camera Partnership established

5. 2006-07 Central Scotland Safety Camera Partnership established

6. *Denotes provisional figures.

The information requested on electricity generation from wind farms is not held centrally in the format requested. Scottish renewable electricity statistics for wind and wave power from 2000 onwards are collated by the UK Government Department of Energy and Climate Change and detailed in the following table. These statistics are also available from the Scottish Government website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk.

Wind and Wave Generated Electricity as a Percentage of Total Generation

Total generation is the amount of electricity generated in Scotland by the major power producers and other generators. It includes generation from nuclear fuel, coal, oil, gas, hydro and other renewables (for example, landfill gas and wind power). Wind and wave statistics cannot be published in a disaggregated form because to do so could disclose data that relate to individual companies.

The Scottish Government''s Travel and Subsistence rules state that staff incurring car parking fines for illegal parking whilst on official business will not be reimbursed from official funds. As such the electronic Travel and Subsistence claim form that is utilised to submit and process claims does not include a separate code for claiming this expense.

Exceptionally, in cases where a car parking fine is issued as a result of a member of staff being unavoidably detained on official business for reasons beyond their control consideration may be given to reimbursing the cost of the fine, which could be claimed through a miscellaneous cost code or against parking costs. Counter signing officers would need to be prepared to defend this decision to internal auditors. In addition, the Travel and Subsistence team carries out regular audit checks of claims submitted and these checks have not disclosed any such payments.

However, the number of claims actually settled, if any, could only be obtained by printing off and manually examining each individual claim form and associated receipts.