Chamber and committees

Yes. A total of three public local inquiries has been commissioned to address unresolved objections to Stopping Up Orders under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997. These affected Philipshill Road and Glen Road, East Kilbride (2001); Tryst Road, Cumbernauld (2002), and the footpath between Neidpath Avenue and Beauly Place, Coatbridge (2002).In addition, South Lanarkshire Council has commissioned two public hearings in 2002 to address unresolved objections to Local Authority Traffic Orders made under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. These affected various streets in Cambuslang, and Queen Street and Kirkwood Street in Rutherglen town centre.South Lanarkshire Council and East Renfrewshire Council also jointly commissioned a public local inquiry in 2000 under The Compulsory Purchase by Public Authorities (Inquiry Procedure) (Scotland) Rules 1998 into proposals for the construction of the Glasgow Southern Orbital road.

Under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, local roads authorities have a general duty to secure the expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic. This general duty is met by the local authority making traffic regulation orders for reasons which can include the restriction of parking on certain roads.

The aim of the Scottish Welfare to Work Task Force Construction Sub-group is to increase the number of long-term unemployed people entering the Construction Industry through an employer-led welfare to work access model, tailored to the needs of Scotland. The group has not set specific targets of numbers into work. Its role is to develop and test the access model, with a view to implementation across Scotland using local partnerships.The objectives of the Sub-group are:

• Research and evaluate various construction industry initiatives throughout the country and specifically in relation to Glasgow;
• Increase awareness of Welfare to Work programmes and their potential contributions within the sector;
• Develop a generic access model for training welfare to work clients in Scotland;
• Connect key players to Jobcentre Plus (CITB, employers, training providers, Local Enterprise Companies and Development Companies) and to support the development of local partnerships, and
• Ensure that the mechanism is in place to implement employer-led routeways through these partnerships.

It intends to complete it's objectives by December this year.

Both the Scottish Executive and the Scottish Construction Licensing Executive have consulted the Department of Trade and Industry on the launch of the Scottish Construction Licensing Scheme.

The use of cash retentions is a common practice that has, for decades, been a feature of standard conditions of contract widely used in the construction industry. Whilst retentions are at times unpopular with contractors, they do provide some comfort to clients by providing an incentive for contractors and suppliers to comply fully with their obligations, or to fund the making good of defects. However, cash retentions are not a matter in which the Scottish Executive has any regulatory authority.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-27983.

Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which takes the lead on funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing organisations.The data requested is not available as Jobcentre Plus does not collect details of New Deal clients into jobs by sector.

The Scottish Welfare to Work Task Force Construction Sub-group has not developed a New Deal scheme. Working closely with employers, CITB, local authorities, Scottish Enterprise and local training providers, it has agreed a generic construction industry access model for the long-term unemployed, and those disadvantaged in the labour market. It is intended that this could be used across the country in areas with skills shortages. Discussion is on-going to identify a suitable pilot area. At this time, it is likely that this will be in Glasgow.The model will make use of national and local welfare to work training funds.

As with the Scottish Welfare to Work Task Force itself, the Construction Sub-group is an unpaid advisory group. It seeks to provide a co-ordinated employer led approach to helping the unemployed take up jobs in the construction sector, drawing in expertise from all areas, local and national, including trainers, funders and employers.

The decision on whether a Public Appointments Committee should be established is entirely a matter for the Parliament.