Chamber and committees

As part of the implementationof Moving Into the Future – An Action Plan for Buses in Scotland, we arecurrently working with stakeholders to ensure the effective operation of the currentbus regulatory regime in Scotland.

Under the Transport(Scotland) Act 2001, transport authorities have theoption of entering into statutory Quality Partnerships and developing Quality Contractswhere they consider these appropriate. To support transport authorities use of thesepowers we are reviewing the 2001 legislation and will consider what changes maybe required to simplify its operation in due course.

Beyond this, thereare no plans to re-regulate the bus industry in Scotland.

Decisions on affordable housing investment beyond2008 will depend on the outcome of the spending review process later this year.

Yes, the tenants’right to buy housing policy is monitored by the Scottish Government.

Whilst pressured areadesignations which suspend the right to buy for some tenants are granted by the Scottish ministers, they are implemented by local authorities. The Scottish Governmentmaintains an overview of all designations in place but it is for local authoritiesto manage the application of designations in their local areas.

The Scottish Governmentmonitors right to buy sales on an on-going basis, and will look in particular atsales from 30 September 2007, when tenants affected by designations beginto be eligible to buy, in order to observe the impact of pressured area designationson sales.

The Scottish Executive collects information on numbers of applicants on housinglists, but this does not include details of individual household circumstances ascollecting such a level of detail would place an excessive burden on social landlords.As part of its regulation and inspection role, Communities Scotland looks at whether or not a local authority orregistered social landlord gives reasonable preference to overcrowded householdsthrough its allocation policy, but does not collect this information routinely.

The Scottish Governmentplaces a very high priority on housing policy. We set out our immediate plans duringthe Executive Debate on Housing on 21 June, which include pursuing a new Housing Supply Task Force andimplementing the manifesto proposal for a new Scottish HousingSupport Fund.

We estimate that atleast 20,000 children will get additional funded hours of free Pre-SchoolEducation following the expansion in hours to 475 hours from August 2007. Makingthis a universal entitlement will also put local authority services which currentlyprovide 475 hours of pre-school on a proper financial footing.

Yes. Children in Glasgowwho attend partner provider settings will receive 475 hours of free pre-school educationfrom August 2007, an increase from the current level of 412.5 hours. Glasgow CityCouncil will receive an additional £1.576 million in 2007-08 and £2.364 millionin 2008-09 to cover the cost of funding the additional hours for all pre-schoolchildren. It will be for the Council to decide how the additional resources shouldbe allocated.

The Governmentdoes not comment on decisions made by individual sheriffs. Ministers respectthe independence of the judiciary.

The Government iscommitted to delivering the right of responsible access to most land and inlandwater throughout Scotland, embodied in Part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003. Together with Scottish Natural Heritage wewill continue to monitor the practical implementation of the statutory provisionsof the act. If evidence points to the need for amendment to the act, we will bringforward proposals for consideration.