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The Business Gateway service provides a first stop access point, across all Scotland, to information and assistance on all forms of business support available for businesses and individuals who wish to start a business. These services are available to all, including disabled entrepreneurs.

Support is also available from Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) for those businesses and sectors that have growth potential and are of national and regional significance. Scottish Enterprise and HIE focus their support on the areas where they can have the most economic impact.

Public bodies are required to assess the impact of their policies and services on different equality groups, including disabled people, and to aim to reduce or eliminate unfair impact on any particular group. The Disability Discrimination Act (2005) also requires public bodies to take steps to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people.

Guidance on Community Service, which has replaced the National Standards for Community Service from 1 June 2009, maintains the requirement that community service work placements should not be used in situations which are likely to deprive others of the opportunity for paid employment. It is for each community service scheme, in each local authority, to ensure that this requirement is met, based on the service managers'' assessment and taking into account the local circumstances and needs in each case.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28366 on 5 November 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28366 on 5 November 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28366 on 5 November 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Management of regional parks is a matter for the relevant local authorities.

Reports commissioned by VisitScotland since 2002 indicate visitor numbers (expressed as tourist days) and the estimated local economic contribution from these visits for the Clyde Muirshiels Regional Park which was formally designated in 1990, as follows:

Year	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
No. tourist days (thousands)	1,626	1,691.2	1,750.6	1,312.6	1,210.2	1,228.4	1,221.3
Estimated contribution to local economy (£ million)	76.7	80.16	84.19	65.0	61.4	65.08	67.5

 

Both the Pentland Hills and Fife (Lomond Hills) Regional Parks were formally designated in 1986. I am not aware of any data on the local economic contribution attributable to these Parks, or for the Loch Lomond Regional Park (designated in 1988), the management of which has been taken over by the National Park Authority as part of the larger Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.

Official statistics on business closures, derived from VAT/PAYE de-registrations data, are released annually by the Office for National Statistics.

The VAT/PAYE de-registrations data cannot specifically distinguish businesses operated by disabled people. Therefore rates of closures of businesses operated by disabled people, as opposed to that of business overall, are not available.

The Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations (PSVR) 2000 is reserved to Westminster. This legislation sets out that all new buses have had to be accessible since 31 December 2000. All other buses must be fully accessible by 1 January 2017 at the latest and all coaches by 1 January 2020 at the latest.

None of the accessibility regulations for buses and coaches, which are reserved to Westminster, cover the carriage of mobility scooters. This is because scooters are outdoor vehicles generally intended for use as an alternative to public transport for short trips.

The Road Vehicles (Authorised Weight) Regulations 1998 (as amended) is reserved to Westminster. This legislation specifies a maximum authorised weight limit of 18,000kg for a two axle coach and 26,000kgs for a three axle coach.