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The recentlypublished Government Economic Strategy (GES) sets out the Government’s centralpurpose of creating a more successful country with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable growth.The GES recognises that an efficient transport system is one of the keyenablers for enhancing productivity and delivering faster, more sustainablegrowth.

The ScottishGovernment is committed to enhancing rail services and infrastructure across Scotland, ensuring the provision of a safe and reliableservice that supports economic growth and delivers wider social inclusion andenvironmental aspirations. The transport links to south-west Scotland are being considered within the Strategic TransportProjects Review, as part of the nationally strategic transport corridor linkingGlasgow to Ayrshire and Stranraer.

There is general recognitionthat NHS Ayrshire and Arran does not have a full Parkinson’s disease serviceat present. The board has therefore set up a Parkinson’s Disease Group, which includespatient representatives, to look at the improvements which could be made to existingservices, including the development of a clear care pathway. This is linked to developmentof the board’s general neurological services following completion of its neurologicalneeds assessment.

The overarching objectiveof the Scottish Government is to promote economic growth across the whole of Scotland and for the benefit of all. We have committed supportof £435 million over the next three years to regenerate communities across Scotland. There is no specific funding available for the regenerationof seaside towns as tourism destinations. However, the government is working closelywith the tourism industry in implementing the Tourism Framework for Change strategyand its ambition to increase tourism revenues by 50% in the decade to 2015.

Currently the ScottishGovernment funds four partners support projects, they are:

The Women’s Service – Edinburgh

Working with Men Project – Edinburgh

Women and Children’s Worker – West Lothian

Women’s Services Worker– Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Stirling.

We are currently indiscussions with Crimestoppers Scotland about funding for next financial year.

The CrimestoppersScotland call centre is managed by the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA)and the costs of employing staff and providing accommodation are met from the SPSA’sGrant-In-Aid provided by the Scottish Government. The cost and management of thecall centre is therefore an operational matter for the SPSA.

I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-7306 on 12 December 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

The decision by StenaLine not to relocate their ferry operation from Stranraer to Cairnryan has meantthat timetable plans which were in development to cater for this change in operationwill not now be implemented.

P&O Ferries alreadyoperate from Cairnryan.

I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-7306 on 12 December 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-5475 on 1 November 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I announced in Parliamenton 6 June 2007 that thanks to increasing amounts of moneybeing confiscated from criminals through the Proceeds of Crime Act, the ScottishGovernment will establish a new approach to reinvesting that money to benefit Scotland’s communities and especially those hardest hit by crime.We are working with several organisations throughout Scotland to draw up specificproposals on how to reinvest the proceeds of crime in ways that will most benefityoung people. Once this process is complete and the new arrangements are finalised,a further announcement will be made.