Chamber and committees

There are no consequences onlocal authorities to fund the Scotland-wide Free Bus Scheme for Older and DisabledPeople as it is funded by the Scottish Executive through Transport Scotland. Whenthe Scheme was being set up, a fair split of resources was agreed with the Conventionof Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) which ensured that the funding available tolocal authorities to support bus services was protected. Nevertheless, we will ofcourse continue to monitor the provision in respect of bus services over time.

The Scotland-wide Free BusScheme for Older and Disabled People is being run by Transport Scotlandusing resources withdrawn from the local government finance settlement whichwere previously used for funding the free local off-peak bus schemes andadditional resources allocated centrally. The resources withdrawn from the settlement are the subject of an agreement withCOSLA which ensures that local authorities continue to be resourced forconcessionary travel on modes other than bus and that resources used forsupported bus services are protected. Accordingly,there is no need or justification for local authorities to cut bus services tohelp fund the scheme.

This is a matter for thelocal authorities. The information requested is not available centrally.

I acknowledge Ms Grahame’sinterest in this matter. She will be pleased to learn that we are arranging aScottish food fortnight in the Members’ Restaurant starting on the 4 ofSeptember to coincide with Scottish Food Fortnight campaign for 2006 and weintend to advertise this to members in early June.

Scottish Water does not categoriseits non-domestic customers by reference to the nature of their business or to theirstatus in the eyes of HM Customs and Revenue. The information sought therefore isnot held by either the Scottish Executive or Scottish Water.

The Regulations which establishedthe water and sewerage charges exemption scheme (the Water and Sewerage Charges(Exemption) (Scotland) Regulations 2002) specify the criteria that ScottishWater must apply in administering the scheme. A copy of the Regulations is availablein the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 20440).

The water and sewerage chargesexemption scheme was established originally for four years with effect from 1 April 2002 to assistthose organisations that had previously been in receipt of relief and which werelikely to be most affected by its withdrawal. The statutory criteria for qualifyingfor exemption were set with that objective in mind. The Executive extended the scheme from 2006-10, to allowmore time for those organisations to prepare to pay for the services that they consume.The Executive has no plans to revise thescheme.

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-25269 on 8 May 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be found at www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

The functions of the SecurityService, Secret Intelligence Service and Government Communications Headquartersare reserved. It has been established practice for the Scottish Executive not tocomment on operational matters relating to these organisations since the Executive’sinception in 1999.

The Security Service, SecretIntelligence Service, Government Communications Headquarters and the armed forcesare all subject to the rule of law. Evidence of criminal offences committed by membersof these organisations is subject to investigation and prosecution in line withestablished procedures.

The practice of not commentingon operational matters related to the Security and Intelligence Services, as referredto in my answer to S2W-24499, exists because it has been deemed in the public interestnot to risk jeopardising the work carried out by these organisations by revealing,even inadvertently, potentially sensitive information or investigative techniques.

All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facilityfor which can be found at www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

The Wilson Doctrine is a matterfor the Prime Minister.

Authority to authorise interceptionof communications for persons located in Scotland, for the purpose of preventingor detecting serious crime, has been transferred to Scottish ministers but the relevantlegislation, the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA), is reservedto Westminster.

Section 65 of RIPA provides forany person who is aggrieved by any conduct to which the Act applies to complainto the independent Investigatory Powers Tribunal if they believe that the conducttook place in relation to them or their property in challengeable circumstances.