Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the question S3W-14241, answered on 2 July 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions can be found on the Parliament’s web site, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

The cost of marketing the young persons’ concessionary fares scheme was £0.5 million in 2007-08. Marketing costs in 2008-09 will depend on the extent to which we are satisfied with the level of uptake and awareness of the scheme during the year – this is currently being analysed.

As part of the implementation of the Bus Action Plan, the Bus Service Operators Grant scheme is being reconsidered to encourage service provision that takes account of its effects on the environment. Recommendations are being considered by Ministers and the outcomes will be communicated in due course.

Under the concordat between Scottish Ministers and COSLA, since 1 April 2008, Local Authorities became fully responsible for the provision of necessary Community Transport services in their areas. Local authorities were required to honour the Scottish Government’s ongoing funding commitments to Rural Community Transport Initiative (RCTI) projects following the scheme’s closure on 31 March 2008. The RCTI budget was transferred to local authorities as part of the local government finance settlement for 2008-11.

The Scottish Government will be providing local government in Scotland with record levels of funding over the period 2008-11. The vast majority of the funding is being provided by means of a block grant. It is the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the total financial resources available to it on the basis of local needs and priorities having first fulfilled its statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities including the Scottish Government’s key strategic objectives and manifesto commitments.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-14241 on 2 July 2008. 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/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-14241 on 2 July 2008. 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/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-14241 on 2 July 2008. 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/webapp/wa.search.

No. The review will concentrate on the scheme for older and disabled people.

Budget setting is an operational matter for the respective services. We work with the police, fire and the ambulance service on an on-going basis to ensure that the highest standards of service delivery are maintained.

Fuel costs are estimated to account for 0.7% of the police and fire budgets and 3% of the ambulance budget in 2008-09. As such, while we do not underestimate the challenge of managing price increases within existing budgets, they do not represent a threat to service delivery to the extent that government contingency measures are required.

The Scottish Government has no locus with respect to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency which is an Executive Agency of the Department of Transport.

The Young Persons Concessionary Fares Scheme continues to receive sufficient funding to meet all marketing costs and reimbursement payments to participating bus, rail and ferry operators.