Chamber and committees

Scottish Ministers recognised that the effective project management required clear lines of responsibility in the management and governance of the tram project and the need to distinguish City of Edinburgh Council’s role as project owner and TIE Ltd’s responsibility for delivery, with TS role as principal funder.

No representations from the City of Edinburgh Council were received regarding the decision to remove Transport Scotland officials from the management board of the Edinburgh Trams project in 2007.

Transport Scotland, with the agreement of ministers stepped down from the Edinburgh trams project board following the July 2007 meeting.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-05883 on 6 March 2012. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Alex Neil as Minister for Housing and Communities, last met with Edinburgh Tenant’s Federation on 13 January 2010. As Minister for Housing and Transport I regularly meet with Registered Tenant Organisations’ Regional Network representatives from across Scotland. Edinburgh Tenant’s Federation were invited to meet with Scottish Government officials in December 2011 but have yet to take up that offer.

On the 22 August 2011, I gave the keynote address at the fourth annual event for regional network committee members. The event was held in Atlantic Quay, Glasgow and I met many of the 60 tenant representatives who attended it. On 29 November 2011, I met the nine Chairs of Registered Tenant Organisation Regional Network. The meeting took place in Victoria Quay, Edinburgh.

The Scottish Government seeks to reflect the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child wherever possible in the development of national policy and legislation. We believe that the proposed children’s legislation, along with wider policy development, will help us to make major improvements in the practical realisation of children’s rights. As outlined in my answer to S4W- 05889 on 6 March 2012, the Scottish Government will provide more detail of its legislative proposals in the spring of this year.

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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

The Scottish Government is already accountable to the Scottish Parliament for executive action to ensure the implementation, within devolved competence, of relevant international obligations, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. In order to achieve this, we take steps wherever possible to reflect the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in policy and legislation.

All of our ongoing activity to give furtherance to the Convention is being delivered within the context of our wider commitment to respect and realise human rights for the people of Scotland.

Human rights are at the heart of the Scotland Act and are universal in nature. Like everyone else in Scotland, children enjoy all of the rights recognised internationally by signatories to the European Convention on Human Rights. The Scottish Government has no power to act in ways that breach Convention rights. Legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament is not law if it is incompatible with those rights. These fundamental protections are entrenched and cannot be modified or removed by either the government or the parliament.

The public sector equality duty in the Equality Act 2010 came into force on 5 April 2011. This duty requires Scottish public authorities to have “due regard” to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations. It covers the relevant protected characteristics of age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

Through the recent Scottish Government consultation on the proposed Rights of Children and Young People Bill we obtained a range of views, some of which focussed on the potential extension of duties to other public bodies. We are currently considering next steps following that exercise.

We are currently giving careful consideration to the 123 consultation responses received and the issues arising from these. The Scottish Government’s response to the consultation will be published in spring 2012 and this will detail whether any legislative proposals will be amended as a result of the consultation exercise.

No review was undertaken.

The Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment Alex Neil announced on 14 September 2011 that the Scottish Government will help oversee the final delivery of the Edinburgh Tram Project. A team of experienced project managers from Transport Scotland now fill key senior roles in the new governance structure with City of Edinburgh Council, bringing the professional approach that has seen major projects such as the M74 completed ahead of schedule and under budget.