Seòmar agus comataidhean

Yes. The ScottishGovernment response to each Regional Transport Strategy will be publishedon the Executive website. It will be a matter for each individual Regional TransportPartnership to decide whether and how to publish the response it receives.

I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-2433on 14 August 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 80% emissionstarget proposed is in line with the manifesto commitment and sets out the ScottishGovernment’s level of ambition. We are setting in place research, immediate engagementwith stakeholders and a formal consultation in order to inform the nature and levelof the target for the proposed Scottish Climate Change Bill.

The ScottishExecutive does not consider the use of biometric systems by educationauthorities to be necessary. Section 8 of the Schools (Health Promotion andNutrition) (Scotland) Act 2007 will require educationauthorities to take reasonable steps to protect the identity of pupilsreceiving free school lunches. This can be achieved in a number of ways and itis up to local authorities and schools to determine the best system locally. If an authority decides to use biometricsystems in its schools then we would expect them to follow best practice whenit comes to data protection and to consult parents.

The Scottish Government hasnot participated in discussions on the development of the economic partnershipagreements between the European Commission and the African, Caribbean andPacific countries. This is an issue that I will consider raising in futurediscussions with UK Ministers.

The Scottish Executivetreats these allegations very seriously and has stated its opposition to renditionflights. Civil Aviation is a reserved matter and so is the responsibility of theUK Government but attempts to commit or to conspire to commit torture are crimesunder Scots law and it is for the police to investigate allegations of such offencesand for the procurator fiscal to decide whether to bring proceedings. However, theappropriate authorities can only act on the basis of evidence. To this end, I haveinvited civil liberties organisations to present me with any evidence they may haveabout Scottish airports being used for extraordinary rendition flights. If suchevidence is there it will be considered by the appropriate authorities.

The Scottish Government is committedto equality and to ensuring that the specific needs of particular communities areaddressed.

In preparing a community safetystrategy, community safety partnerships are encouraged to undertake a communitysafety audit and to consult the community, including members of equality groups,to enable them to be actively involved in setting priorities. Public bodies involvedin community safety partnerships are also subject to duties to promote gender, disabilityand race equality.

We will continue to encouragethe involvement of all of our citizens in making Scotland a safer and stronger place.

The Executive has already issuedguidance to the wider Scottish public sector on how, and under what circumstances,environmental criteria can be specified in public contracts. The Executive has beenworking with external stakeholder bodies to produce Scottish specific guidance onincluding social criteria in public procurement activity which will be issued assoon as a final version has been agreed. The Executive is also involved in pilotprojects looking at incorporating “social clauses” into contracts. All Executiveguidance on social and environmental issues in public procurement can be found onthe Executive’s website.

The procurement process complieswith European competition rules. The tender has still to be submitted and the awardwill be subject to the tender demonstrating value for money.

There have been no detailedcost estimates made of dualling the A9, A96, or A77. Any future investment inthese routes will emerge from the StrategicTransport Projects Review which is due to report in summer 2008. Details of the current investment programme, includingthe costs of building the M74 and the Aberdeen Western peripheral route, areavailable on the Transport Scotland website http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/defaultpage1221cde0.aspx?pageID=20.

Assessment of the costsassociated with constructing a new Forth crossing is being made as part of the ForthReplacement Crossing Study. Transport Scotland is currently considering thedraft reports from the study and will make its recommendation to Cabinet toallow ministers to make a decision in summer 2007.