Chamber and committees

Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) will be local initiatives with local businesses and local authorities working in partnership to address the needs of the businesses in the area concerned. It is possible that a BID project plan could include proposals to address the problems caused by derelict and abandoned buildings, although this would be for each individual BID board to determine themselves.

My officials, along with officialsfrom VisitScotland and senior staff from area tourist boards, are in the processof meeting all Scottish local authorities to explain the background to the new tourismnetwork, to secure their support for our overall tourism ambition and its deliverylocally, and to discuss any views which local authorities have about the plans.Meetings have taken place with 22 authorities. Those with the remaining 10 authorities,including Dumfries and Galloway, will take place during June, mostly in council offices.

I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

Unless a previously agreed fundingarrangement is in place, Registered Social Landlords who have received council housing through stock transfer can access Housing Association Grant which is the mainmechanism used by Communities Scotland to fund the provision of low-cost affordable housing.

I intend to lay before the Parliament this autumn Scottish Statutory Instruments that will address the transfer of assets.

However, the project to developthe new network is exploring mechanisms to ensure that assets built up locally byarea tourist boards can be in general retained for use in that area under the new network.

No. The next water investmentprogramme, Quality and Standards III, will be based upon an eight-year timeframe,2006 to 2014. This is being done to facilitate better business planning, securecompliance with longer term legislative requirements, and assist Scottish Waterto plan and deliver the investment programme more efficiently. Local authority developmentplans, on the other hand, are based upon different timeframes which are driven bythe broader requirements of the planning process and the particular circumstancesof local areas. However, the investment requirements for Quality and Standards IIIare being informed by the development requirements identified by planning authorities.

Assistance to new tourism businessesfor help with the costs of “brown signs” is a matter for local authorities. In certaincases, local enterprise companies can also provide assistance as part of the start-upcosts of a new business.

The proposed cycle and footbridgeis part of Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Dumfries Southern SectorAccess Strategy project, which was awarded an overall total of £1.785 millionin 2001 from the Public Transport Fund. Estimates at the time indicated thatthe bridge would cost £650,000. As is the case for all projects supported bythe Public Transport Fund, discussions will need to be held with the council ifindividual elements are, for whatever reason, unable to be implemented on time.

Any additional powersrequired by a harbour authority beyond those in the original establishing legislationof the port would be conferred by a Harbour Order under the Harbours Act 1964. Suchan order would be required for the purposes of reconstituting a harbourauthority.

The proposed cycle andfootbridge is part of Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Dumfries Southern SectorAccess Strategy project, which was awarded an overall total of £1.785 million in2001 from the Public Transport Fund. Estimates at the time indicated that thebridge would cost £650,000. As is the case for all projects supported by thePublic Transport Fund, discussions will need to be held with the Council ifindividual elements are delayed or unable to be implemented.

Navigable waters arereferred to in the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 as such navigable waters (whether the sea,a river or other waters) as may be specified in a particular order or scheme.