Chamber and committees

The Home Office decision refers only to financial support for the National Neighbourhood Watch Association an independent organisation which operates in England and Wales and which has no equivalent in Scotland. The Home Office will continue to provide support and advice for local schemes under the neighbourhood watch movement. Local neighbourhood watch schemes in Scotland are set up and supported by the police and the Executive provides support by way of free publicity materials. The question of the use of the Neighbourhood Watch logos by local schemes is currently being pursued by the Home Office with a view to taking action to assert Crown copyright to protect the name and standing of the neighbourhood watch movement.

I refer the member to my answer to the answer given to question S2W-9087 on 28 June 2004. 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/search_wa.

I refer the member to my answer to the answer given to question S2W-9087 on 28 June 2004. 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/search_wa.

I hope to make an announcement shortly.

The Scottish Executive seeks to pay every invoice promptly. I amtherefore today setting a target that by December 2004, over 98% of undisputed invoiceswill be paid consistently within 30 days of receipt or within the terms of specificcontracts. This level of performance is comparable with that achieved by other largeorganisations.

I recently announced our intention to ensure that, by the end of 2005, every community in Scotland has access to broadband services. We are currently developing plans to deliver this.

“Short term” is defined as one to three years in paragraph 3.1 of the summary of the recommendations contained in the A9 Dunblane to Perth Junction Strategy Study, which was placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre on 26 May 2004 (Bib. number 32605). However, as with similar trunk road improvements, any proposals would be subject to the availability of funding and other competing priorities on the network.

The findings of the A9 Dunblane to Perth Junction Strategy Study will generally be implemented through a series of works packages procured by BEAR Scotland Ltd. However, as with similar trunk road improvements, all proposals will be subject to the availability of funding and other competing priorities on the network.

Considerable effort is being undertaken within the Executive to ensure that all supplier invoices are processed promptly. For example, the use of the Government procurement card for low value ad hoc purchases means that suppliers who are paid by that method receive payment rapidly, as if they have been paid by credit card. The Executive is also progressively identifying and eliminating elements of invoice processing which currently delay payment of some invoices.

No late payments have resulted in interest being added to unpaid bills over the last three years or in the current year, and the Executive is not aware of any current liability for such interest payments.