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The Executive has already allocated£5 million funding to extend broadband coverage where it is currently unavailable.

We have now agreed with BT thatthey will increase broadband availability in at least 20 exchanges which have capacityconstraints, and this will extend broadband coverage to more businesses and householdsacross Scotland. This is being achieved using some of the £1.5 millionsavings from our existing BT contract.

An additional £3.5 million hasbeen allocated to support solutions for “not-spot” locations, and we are currentlyprioritising areas according to known demand as well as the costs of potential solutions.We are in discussion with the industry and are engaging with potential suppliersand broadband users in the “out of reach” clusters to ensure an appropriately designedfinal approach. Delivery will take place next financial year.

The Executive is aware of thebroadband access issue in Drimnin and confirms that it is being considered as partof our wider policy approach on the reach issue. We will consider all relevant factors,including the levels of known unmet demand as well as the cost and value for moneyaspects of providing a solution. We are not currently in a position to estimatethe specific capital and revenue costs for potential broadband users in this area.

In addition tothe money provided through the core settlement for care of the elderly, the ScottishExecutive is making additional provision through the local authority revenue settlementof 16.3 million in 2006-07 and 42 million in 2007-08 for the increased number ofolder people in Scotland. Highland Council’s share of this money is 671,000 in 2006-07and 1,730,000 for 2007-08. The distribution formulafor allocating the core settlement has been developed over several years in conjunctionwith COSLA and the distribution takes account of a number of demographic factors,including the proportion of elderly population.

In addition to this the Finance Ministerannounced in December 2006 an additional 201 million of which Highland Council willreceive 10.493 million. This was not provided for a particular purpose but in generalrecognition of a range of pressures on local authority services.

NHS Highland has been allocated atotal of 487.796 million in 2006-07, an increase of 31.012 million on the currentyear, and 513.03 in 2007-08. This money is distributed to the board on the basisof the Arbuthnott formula which is calculated each year and weighted to take intoaccount various factors specific to the population of each board area, includingthe age of its population. Any changes in the age profile of NHS Highland’s populationwill be reflected in the Arbuthnott formula and therefore impact on the level offunding the board receives.

It is however the responsibility of local authorities and NHSboards to provide appropriate service provision to meet the needs and prioritiesof their area.

The further 1 million interim fundingannounced on 16 March 2007 is to allow the service in the short term to build onthe improvements already made in reducing waiting times as a result of the additional1.9 million interim funding in 2005-06. It is expected that the Spending Review,which will take place later this year, will consider what increased resources mightbe made available to address the recommendations from the independent review ofwheelchair and seating services in relation to the longer term needs of those services.

The Executives response to the reviewemphasises the need for boards also to address the recommendations at local level.

 

The making of a Temporary TrafficRegulation Order (TTRO) under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, for whateverreason, is a matter for the local road authority concerned. There is no statutoryright of objection in the TTRO making process.

While Historic Scotland has indicatedthat it is willing to consider grant-aid for consolidation and repair of the monument,and for improving visitor interpretation, there is presently no detailed and costedscheme of works, so to offer a figure would be premature and potentially misleading.Given the importance of the site Historic Scotland is confident that if a schemewere to be agreed, resources would be found for urgently necessary work. In recentyears projects of a similar general scale have been supported through its AncientMonuments Grant scheme at castles in different parts of Scotland: for example Gylen(Argyll and Bute) and Cessford (Scottish Borders). Currently funded projects includeMoy (Argyll and Bute) and Invergarry (Highland) Castles.

Historic Scotland is expected to useits powers under the Ancient Monuments legislation pro-actively. It is not uncommonfor Historic Scotland to make it known in the course of visits of monument wardensand inspectors that support might be found for the consolidation or care of an importantmonument, even when the owner has not made a direct request for help. The grant-aidedconservation work at Moy and Cessford Castles came about after initial meetingswith the area inspector to discuss the condition and future care of the monuments.Typically, at such discussions the inspector will explain the grant applicationprocess and indicate the likelihood of a project receiving grant, although prospectiveapplicants are then encouraged to write to Historic Scotland to begin the processof formal consideration for grant.

Routinely, Historic Scotland also works with a range of communitygroups, conservation trusts and other bodies who wish to pursue the management ofkey historic environment assets which they do not themselves own, although suchbodies are required to obtain agreement from owners of sites affected by their proposalsbefore they can receive grant aid.

Information on the currenttransport projects portfolio, which is the main area of civil engineeringrelated activity within the Scottish Executive, is published on the TransportScotland website at www.transportscotland.gov.uk.

A strategic projects reviewfor all transport modes is currently in progress and consideration will be givento how information on future infrastructure programmes can best be provided to thecivil engineering industry.

Major projects which wouldbe cancelled after May 3 would of course have a highly negative impact on theinternational construction industry’s confidence in the Scottish market.

Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area and can be contacted for moreinformation if required.

I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-32425 on 23 March 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Planned expenditure on the A96during this period may be found on the Transport Scotland website at http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/defaultpage1221cde0.aspx?pageID=20.

In addition, we are currentlyundertaking a design study for a dual carriageway improvement of the A96 betweenInverness and Inverness Airport. We have also invested in a major multi-modal transportcorridor study between Aberdeen and Inverness to provide the evidence to guide future investment prioritiesfor this route.

Planned expenditure on theA9, A96, A82, A95 and A96 in each of the next four years may be found on theTransport Scotland website at:http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/defaultpage1221cde0.aspx?pageID=20.

In addition to the schemeslisted in the website a new western bypass of Crianlarich on the A82 is beingplanned for a construction start in 2009-10 at an estimated cost of £5.3million and an improvement to remove a bottleneck at Pulpit Rock on the A82 atLoch Lomond is being planned for a construction start in 2010-11 at anestimated cost of £8.4 million.

Three major maintenanceschemes with road improvements are being planned on the A9 at Slochd, Moy andCarrbridge and will include additional overtaking lanes which will be 3.5km,1.3km, and 1.7km long respectively.

In addition to the schemeswhich are currently being taken forward to construction, we are currentlyundertaking two studies on the A9. The A9 Route Improvement Strategy isconsidering the need to upgrade the A9 north of Perth and at Berriedale Braes thereis an investigation into interim and long term options for improving poorgeometry at this location. Information about studies on the A96 can be found in my reply to question S2W-32421 which is available on the Parliament’s website, thesearch facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

All start and completion datesare subject to the satisfactory completion of statutory procedures.

In addition the StrategicTransport Projects Review will consider these routes as part of the on-goingwork towards the next phase of major transport infrastructure investment.