Chamber and committees

The following Table provides the information requested.

Number of Children Referred on Offence Grounds Aged Eight to 12 Years (Inclusive) at Receipt of the Report

	2007-08	2006-07	2005-06
Scotland	2,861	3,365	3,624
Aberdeen City	93	114	115
Aberdeenshire	99	86	68
Angus	51	49	69
Argyll and Bute	37	45	73
Clackmannanshire	61	73	68
Dumfries and Galloway	92	96	134
Dundee	79	149	218
East Ayrshire	78	100	125
East Dunbartonshire	28	20	13
East Lothian	23	23	15
East Renfrewshire	16	23	21
Edinburgh, City of	137	165	181
Eilean Siar	14	11	22
Falkirk	117	140	156
Fife	236	354	275
Glasgow	435	579	528
Highland	165	157	186
Inverclyde	38	48	56
Midlothian	47	67	51
Moray	70	74	85
North Ayrshire	117	119	149
North Lanarkshire	258	241	267
Orkney	5	9	9
Perth and Kinross	35	54	81
Renfrewshire	50	72	100
Scottish Borders	45	45	55
Shetland	6	7	10
South Ayrshire	68	88	78
South Lanarkshire	144	150	139
Stirling	84	69	87
West Dunbartonshire	61	66	109
West Lothian	76	76	87

Notes:

1. Data extracted from SCRA''s Referrals Administration Database (RAD)

2. Figures above also include children with offences dealt with by the Procurator Fiscal in the Criminal Justice System, but which were originally jointly reported to the reporter.

The Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR) has recommended 29 transport interventions over the next 20 years that will let us plan for the delivery of an efficient, integrated transport network fit for the 21st century.

The STPR has identified a hierarchy of maintaining and safely operating existing assets, making better use of existing capacity and finally adding targeted infrastructure improvements where there are strategic gaps to the road and rail networks.

Taking forward the detailed design and development work arising from this hierarchy will confirm the extent of additional trunk road.

The Strategic Transport Projects Review itself is not a funding document. It provides a robust framework of prioritised schemes, the delivery of which will be prioritised in each spending review.

An upgrade to the A801 has been included in the Strategic Transport Projects Review as part of the intervention to improve access to the Grangemouth port and freight hub.

This information is not collected centrally.

Most authorities regularly review and update guidance and information on a range of aspects of school transport, health and safety and usage which is issued to parents and pupils as appropriate.

The provision of school transport in Scotland is a local authority responsibility. In terms of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, authorities have a duty to make such arrangements as they consider necessary for the provision of school transport and in so considering to have regard to the safety of pupils. Authorities also have a general duty of care under the Schools (Safety and Supervision of Pupils) (Scotland) Regulations 1990 to take reasonable care for the safety of pupils when under their charge.

Scottish Executive Education Department Circular (No.7 of 2003), a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 29135), offered extensive guidance on all aspects of school transport, as did the more recent School Transport: Survey of Good Practice booklet issued in March 2007 which is also available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 45729).

Authorities have a general duty under the Schools (Safety and Supervision of Pupils) (Scotland) Regulations 1990 to take reasonable care for the safety of pupils when under their charge, including when travelling on school buses irrespective of whether members of the public have access. Aspects of passenger health and safety will also fall to the school bus operator.

This information is not collected centrally.

Although parents will have a very close interest in all aspects of their children''s welfare, the formal responsibilities for pupils'' welfare when on local authority provided school transport falls to the local authority and to the transport operator. Accordingly, parents have a right to expect that suitable arrangements for a safe school transport system will be made by local authorities, taking account of local circumstances.