Seòmar agus comataidhean

The DETR Transport 10 Year Plan makes reference to a number of capital schemes, including a new Rail Modernisation Fund which is to be administered by the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority. The procedures and criteria for the Fund have yet to be developed.

I refer the member to the answer I gave to question S1W-9018.

As the Minister for Finance announced on 18 July, the Scottish Executive is currently considering its spending priorities in the light of the UK Government's Spending Review, with a view to presenting a draft Budget to Parliament by the end of September. I will thereafter determine priorities for transport investment.

No; awards have already been made from the Public Transport Fund for projects in Glasgow totalling £17.5 million. Glasgow City Council and West Dunbartonshire Council were awarded a total of £12.6 million for bus priority measures in the City and the SPTA were awarded a total of £4.9 million for Partick station and train rolling stock improvements. It is a matter for local authorities and the SPTA to determine which projects to bid for and to date neither the City Council nor SPTA have chosen to make a bid for the Glasgow Crossrail project. Local authorities and the SPTA were invited to submit bids to the next round by 7 August 2000.

Information at the level of detail requested is not available centrally.

Crime and the fear of crime reduce the quality of life for many older people although they are less likely to be victims. We have established partnerships led by local authorities and the police to tackle crime and community safety at local level and we encourage older people and their representatives to be part of that process.

In May, the Deputy First Minister announced that he was providing Scotland's police forces with an extra £8.9 million to enable them to recruit more than 300 extra police officers. This and our ongoing commitment to the funding of CCTV and other community safety projects will contribute significantly to making our communities safer for everyone including older people.

The Scottish Executive will continue to support the work of the National Archives of Scotland, and to encourage local councils and other public bodies to make proper arrangements for their records.

The National Archives of Scotland itself is appropriately funded. The Scottish Executive has made available additional resources to allow the National Archives of Scotland to fulfil the extended responsibilities that fall to it under the new constitutional arrangements, and for refurbishment work on General Register House.Archives at a local level are a local responsibility.

The Scottish Executive has taken note of the report, An Archival Account of Scotland. The summary of responses to the consultation paper on freedom of information, An Open Scotland, published in May, noted that Scottish public authorities would be encouraged to operate efficient records management practices and that the possibility of national archives legislation would receive separate consideration.

Conservation and archive courses are available in England, Ireland and Wales. A distance learning course is also provided by the Society of Archivists.The Keeper of the Records of Scotland is currently involved in a joint investigation with Glasgow University of the viability of an archive training course in Scotland tailored to Scottish needs.