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Our manifesto committed us to assisting new and current exporters by developing Virtual Trade Centres as an online support tool to provide information and advice for Scottish companies looking to expand overseas. The Scottish Government recently announced the launch of Scottish Development International’s Virtual Trade Centre. The first in a range of services to be delivered through www.sdi.co.uk is an online diagnostic tool to encourage and assist companies seeking to access international markets.

This will help businesses make the most of their current skills and expertise in exporting and direct them to the services and advice that they need to expand further. It will allow new exporters to identify and quickly take their first steps towards moving into international markets as well as help existing exporters to grow their activity.

Under this government the number of national, devolved public bodies has already been reduced from 199 to 145. On present plans, this will reduce further to around 113. We are continuing to look for opportunities to simplify and streamline the public bodies landscape to reduce costs and bureaucracy and improve service delivery.

The Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006 introduced the most fundamental reforms in the planning system in over 60 years. This was followed by a programme of culture change and secondary legislation to support modernisation of the system.

Whilst we continue to encourage further improvement to performance of the planning system, key improvements to date include:

Delivery of the National Planning Framework which sets out a strategy for Scotland’s long-term development and clear priorities for the improvement of strategic infrastructure;

Significant progress has been made in updating development plans and working towards a new generation of development plans;

Key changes implemented to the development management system providing improved engagement and processing of major planning applications;

Progress has been made on processing times for planning applications, planning appeals and development plan examinations whilst more minor cases are reviewed locally rather than by Scottish Government, and

The successful introduction of the ePlanning programme in Scotland has supported more efficient processes and availability of planning information to stakeholders.

The new Export Support Initiative, which has been supported by the Scottish Government with £2.5 million, will accelerate the international development of at least 100 companies which currently have zero, or low level exports, and have the potential to reach £0.5 million over a five year period.

Officials have met with more than 80 companies over a four week period and the first 50 companies who will participate in the Initiative have been recruited. The next step is to begin a series of export review activities that will reflect on where their export ambitions lie, what they want to achieve and how they will go about this.

The recruitment of the next 50 companies is underway.

The cost of preparatory work undertaken on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, to the end of June 2011, is approximately £113 million.

Similar to other trunk road projects this has included scheme development, environmental impact assessment, consultation with statutory and non-statutory bodies, publication of statutory documentation, public local inquiry, topographical surveys, ground investigations, and acquisition of property by voluntary agreement.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26029 on 13 August 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

The cost to date associated with the provision of legal services on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route is approximately £1.13 million. This cost covers the provision of legal services in relation to the public local inquiry, current legal challenges against the project, complaints to International bodies (e.g. Aarhus Convention) and other planning appeals. The cost excludes staff costs incurred by Transport Scotland and the Scottish Government.

No such discussions have taken place. There is no precise timescale in place as yet for disposal of these investments and the Scottish Government continues to monitor developments through engagement with HM Treasury and the banks to ensure that discussions on this issue take place at the appropriate time.

Transport Scotland, on behalf of Scottish ministers, manage the ScotRail franchise contract. The contract contains an obligation for ScotRail to plan for special events to ensure extra carriages are provided on services to meet the exceptional demand. ScotRail provides additional and/ or strengthened services for the special event from within its existing resources.

The process to renew the contract for rail passenger services in Scotland will consider the issue of the rolling stock used on particular routes.

The passenger fleet is leased from rolling stock companies and, with the exception of the new Class 380 Units, which will remain in Scotland, the leases will expire at the end of the franchise. The new contract will be let with sufficient time for the new operator to secure its fleet.