Chamber and committees

Transport Scotland considers the following criteria for siting new variable message signs (VMS) along the trunk road network:

Distance from the junction (to allow decision making time for driver);

Road alignment and visibility of variable message sign messages;

Speed limit of the road;

Existing verge width;

Any nearby lay-by or other safe parking area that could be utilised for access for maintenance;

Availability of nearby power supply;

Existing services in verge;

Existing equipment locations to allow grouping of equipment and maintenance access where possible;

Visual backdrop in area (example trees or bridge) that might reduce negative visual impact of VMS;

Surrounding properties, and

Existing vehicle restraint systems (safety fences).

This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0423-01.htm

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-4401 on 26 September 2007. 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/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The Scottish Government''s relocation policy was launched on 28 January 2008 in conjunction with the report on the review of asset management. The relocation policy can be accessed at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/govt-locations/location-policy/asset-management.

Achieving efficiency and best practice asset management are the key drivers of the new policy and within that context there are undoubtedly opportunities to be realised to recognise the benefits that relocating can bring to different parts of the country.

The delivery of the terms and conditions of this grant is an issue for the Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs). The Scottish Government discussed the impact and as a result developed the grant with incremental reductions, to achieve the mainstreaming of travel planning within the RTPs.

I am delighted that RTPs have either made the travel plan officers permanent members of staff or have raised travel planning as a priority within existing functions and processes.

The Healthcare Environment Inspectorate will concentrate their activities on NHS acute hospitals. The Care Commission inspects care homes against the relevant legislation and the National Care Standards. There is a statutory requirement on care home providers to have appropriate procedures for the control of infection and the management of clinical waste. The commission will expect care homes to demonstrate that they have an appropriate policy on infection control. This may be the Scottish Government''s Infection Control in Adult Care Homes published in 2005. The National Care Standards also require that there are systems in place to control the spread of infection.

There have been a number of meetings between representatives of the Scottish Government and/or Transport Scotland with the Confederation of Passenger Transport UK over the last 12 Months, where the issue of the reimbursement of concessionary fares would have been discussed. Most of these have been in the context of the on-going review of the Scotland Wide Free Bus Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled People. It would be premature to consider releasing any records from these meetings prior to the conclusion of the review report, as this could be seen to be prejudicial to its outcome.

This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0312-01.htm

The additional cost of the third corridor to accommodate multimodal traffic, which was part of the original proposal announced in December 2007, were put at between £450 million and £580 million in 2016 outturn prices.

The new proposals come within an outturn price range of £1.7 billion to £2.3 billion, an average saving of around £1.7 billion on the previous estimate of £3.2 billion to £4.2 billion.

This has come principally from:

1. the reduced cost for the new bridge, which with the use of the existing bridge for public transport, has allowed the full functionality originally announced for the crossing in a narrower structure [25% price reduction], and

2. a reduction in the extent of road construction through the use of Intelligent Transport Systems [50% price reduction].

The overall reduction to the base costing from these elements is 35% within a total reduction of 44%. The remaining savings come from refinements in risk and optimism bias which has been possible as a result of the additional survey, investigations and design which have been undertaken.

The quoted range of outturn prices for the project represents the estimate of the cost for the delivery of the project by the most efficient procurement means. The choice of procurement options other than a publicly funded design and build contract would increase the cost above this level and reduce the certainty of delivery.