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There is no statutory deadlinefor the approval of regional transport strategies. The Transport (Scotland) Act2005 section 6(1)(b) required the Regional Transport Partnerships to submit theirfirst transport strategies by 31 March 2007. The document Scotland’s Transport Future: Guidanceon Regional Transport Strategies states that ministers will aim to approve orreturn submitted strategies within three months.

Scotland’s TransportFuture: Guidance on Regional Transport Strategies states when considering whether to approve astrategy, Scottish ministers consider, amongst other things, how far the strategywill contribute to the Executive’s own transport objectives. The guidancestates that ministers will aim to approve or return submitted strategies withinthree months.

We are discussing theprogrammes of the regional transport partnerships with them, to see what can bedone to reduce traffic levels, and encourage modal shift and car sharing.

Scotland’s Transport Future: Guidance on Regional TransportStrategies requires that the 7Regional Transport Partnerships have due regard to the National PlanningFramework and other Scottish Executive planning policy documents.

The process of appointingthe Chair of the Scottish Commission for Human Rights is not a matter for theSPCB.  The nomination to Parliament of a chair will be made by a selectionpanel of members of the Parliament in line with Rule 3.11 of Standing Orders. Once a chair has been appointed, it will be for the SPCB to recruit the other membersof the commission.

I understand that thePresiding Officer has written to Business Managers on the Parliamentary Bureauseeking their agreement to commence the recruitment of the chair prior to thesummer recess.

The Scottish Executive is inregular contact with both the Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA) and theTay Road Bridge Joint Board (TRBJB).

The prospective discussionsthat we shall be having with those bodies on removing the tolls will include,amongst other things, matters such as the maintenance and repairs on thebridges.

Details of the repairs andmaintenance programmes have been widely publicised and can be obtained fromeither FETA or the TRBJB.

I refer the member to the answerto question S3W-308 on 8 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

The Transport Scotland Act2005 section 6(1)(a) states that each Regional Transport Partnership, beforearriving at its Regional Transport Strategy must consult its constituentcouncils, each Health Board in its area and other persons as it thinks fit.

Scotland’s TransportFuture: Guidance on Regional Transport Strategies states that meaningful and effective engagement withregional stakeholders, including community planning partners and the widerpublic should be carried out throughout the Strategy development process.

The Scottish Government alreadyhas fully developed policies on flexible and home working for its staff. The extentto which flexible and home working can be encouraged in the public sector is dependenton the nature of individual posts.

The Scottish Government supportsthe expansion of flexible and homeworking policies across the public sector butbelieve that it is for individual organisations to decide upon the policy best suitedto the needs of its staff and business environment, within the context of the existinglegal framework.

The Executive is committed toincreasing the use of microrenewable technologies and supports a coherent approachto energy policy, recognising that promoting reduced energy consumption and promotinglow carbon technologies are key to achieving sustainable economic growth. The Executive’sproposed Energy Strategy for Scotland and the introduction of a Climate Change Billin Scotland will recognise the role that microrenewables can play in achieving theseaims.