Chamber and committees

There is no national guidance for the timing of a response from public bodies to correspondence from MSPs and other elected members. However, the Scottish Executive would expect all public bodies to have agreed and published standards to responding to letters from the public, or their representatives.

In the case of complaints about NHS services, we would expect NHS boards to reply within the 20 working day limit as prescribed by the NHS Complaints Procedures.

Following the outcome of the Spending Review in 2004, officials wrote to the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority to indicate that its grant in aid allocation would rise from approximately £6.6 million in 2005-06 to approximately £6.9 million in 2007-08. In addition, ministers have indicated that capital funding of £8.973 million will be made available for the construction of a new headquarters building for the park authority. The authority is expected to meet its objectives including the enforcement of byelaws from within the resources available.

My predecessor Lewis Macdonald indicated to the Convener of the Park Authority that ministers would make additional funds available to the extent that there were additional and previously unforeseen enforcement costs falling on the authority which could not be contained within the approved budget for 2005-06.

There are currently 27 local authorities that have introduced byelaws prohibiting the consumption of alcohol in designated public places. The local authorities are:

Aberdeen City Council

Angus Council

Argyll and Bute Council

Clackmannanshire Council

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

Dumfries and Galloway Council

Dundee City Council

East Ayrshire Council

East Dunbartonshire Council

East Lothian Council

East Renfrewshire Council

Falkirk Council

Fife Council

Glasgow City Council

Highland Council

Inverclyde Council

Midlothian Council

Moray Council

North Ayrshire Council

North Lanarkshire Council

Perth and Kinross Council

Renfrewshire Council

South Ayrshire Council

South Lanarkshire Council

Stirling Council

West Dunbartonshire Council

West Lothian Council.

We have previously indicated that we recognise the contribution the report makes to the debate on improvement and modernisation of the fire and rescue service in Scotland. We will have due regard to the report’s recommendations, and representations made to us by stakeholders, in reaching a decision on the future of emergency fire control rooms.

Trade unions had the opportunity to comment on the 2004 Mott MacDonald report The Future of Fire Service Control Rooms in Scotland commissioned by the Scottish Executive. The Fire Brigades Union submitted its comments in response to that consultation exercise. We have indicated our intention to consult further with stakeholders following our consideration of the issues raised in response to the report.

All stakeholders were given the opportunity to comment on the 2004 Mott MacDonald report The Future of Fire Service Control Rooms in Scotland commissioned by the Scottish Executive. We have indicated our intention to consult further with stakeholders following our consideration of the issues raised in response to the report.

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-20191 on 10 November 2005. 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 S2W-20189 on 9 November 2005. 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 S2W-19867 on 3 November 2005. 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.