- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 6 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the voluntary sector regarding the operation and extent of the national concessionary travel scheme.
Answer
Voluntary organisations wereincluded in the consultation, which was run between 24 October to 5 December 2005, onthe orders for the Scotland-wide Free Bus Scheme for Older and Disabled people towhich over 130 responses were received.
In addition the Royal NationalInstitute for the Blind has been involved in discussions on the needs of the visuallyimpaired in using smartcards for the Scotland-wide Free Bus scheme for Older andDisabled people.
I have also met with the ScottishPensioners Forum where discussion included the concessionary travel scheme and howit will affect older people.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 6 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it is having with local authorities and transport providers to ensure equity of access for people with nationwide concessionary travel passes.
Answer
The Confederation of PassengerTransport (CPT) and local authority representatives were included on the seven taskgroups set up to advise on the development of the Scotland-wide Free Bus schemefor Older and Disabled people. These included task groups which considered aspectsof equity of access including which coach and bus services would be eligible inthe scheme and the eligibility criteria for individuals.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 6 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have demand response travel schemes which currently are part of the concessionary fare scheme and whether these will automatically be available to anyone using the national concessionary travel scheme.
Answer
Demand Responsive Transport serviceswhich are registered as a local bus service will be included as eligibleservices in the Scotland鈥搘ide Free Bus Scheme for Older and Disabled People.
Information is not held centrally detailing the demand responsive transport services available in eachlocal authority.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 6 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive why it did not extend the concessionary fare scheme to community transport services.
Answer
The introduction on 1 April 2006 of theScotland-wide Free Bus Scheme for Older and Disabled People 2006 meets the PartnershipAgreement commitment to a national free off-peak bus scheme for older people andpeople with disabilities.
The scheme includes bus and coachservices available to the general public including those community transport serviceswhich are also local registered services.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 6 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been undertaken into the health benefits of a concessionary travel scheme.
Answer
None.
It is widely accepted thatone of the benefits of a concessionary travel scheme is that it will have apositive health benefit by enabling those eligible to travel to visit friendsand relatives, access services and generally to be more actively involved inthe community.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 6 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what training is provided to personnel on buses regarding the operation of the national concessionary travel scheme.
Answer
The Executive is producing guidancefor drivers on the operation of the Scotland鈥搘ide Free Bus Scheme for Older andDisabled People. The guidance will make clear the drivers must look after the well-beingof people who travel under the scheme. Individual training is a matter for the operatorsto take forward.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 6 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with NHS boards regarding the savings to them as a result of the national concessionary fare scheme being extended to community transport schemes.
Answer
No such discussions havebeen held with NHS boards.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 6 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to ensure, so far as practicable, equity of access to transport for which the national concessionary travel scheme is available.
Answer
The Scotland-wide Free Bus Schemefor Older and Disabled People which begins on 1 April 2006 willprovide access to card holders from anywhere in Scotland to a very wide range ofservices. The scheme will encompass bus and coach available to the general public,both local registered bus services and long distance scheduled coach services.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 3 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the procedures for requesting permission to land at airports operated by Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd, in particular in respect of flights by the CIA or by agencies to whom the CIA聽has outsourced services, are affected by NATO accords or other similar agreements and whether these procedures apply equally to military and civilian flights.
Answer
This is a reserved matter. The UK Department for Transport grants permission, under the Chicago Convention through the Civil Aviation Act 1982 and the Air Navigation Order 2005, for foreign aircraft to operate commercial civil flights in the UK where they land and take on board or discharge passengers or cargo and where payment is given or promised in respect of that carriage. Prior permission is not required where payment is not given for carriage or where no passengers are taken on board or discharged.
NATO accords do not affect the routine use of national airspace or airports. Permission for foreign military flights is the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence. No prior clearance is required for US military aircraft or civil aircraft on US Government business to land in the UK. Aircraft carrying dangerous air cargo or VIPs (e.g. senior Government officials, senior politicians and Heads of State) must be notified to the Ministry of Defence.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 3 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people aged 16 to 18 remained with foster carers in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
The numbers of looked after children aged 16 or 17 years old in foster care on the 31 March each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area, are shown in the following table. It should be noted that figures exclude children on short-term placements only and that some figures were estimated due to missing or incomplete data.
Number of Children Looked After Aged 16 and 171 by Foster Carers on the 31 March
| Local Authority | 19991 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 |
| 17 Years and Over | 16 and 17 Years Old | 16 and 17 Years Old | 16 and 17 Years Old | 16 and 17 Years Old | 16 and 17 Years Old | 16 and 17 Years Old |
| Aberdeen City | 7(e) | 12(e) | 11(e) | 15(e) | 7(e) | 9(e) | 6 |
| Aberdeenshire | 11 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 10 |
| Angus | * | 8 | 6 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 14 |
| Argyll and Bute | * | * | 0 | 5 | 9 | 5 | * |
| Clackmannanshire | * | * | * | * | * | 5 | 6 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | * | 17 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 12 |
| Dundee City | * | 13 | 14 | 17 | 14 | 17 | 17 |
| East Ayrshire | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 5 | * |
| East Dunbartonshire | 0 | * | * | * | * | * | * |
| East Lothian | 5 | 10 | 8(e) | 23 | 21 | 9 | 9 |
| East Renfrewshire | * | 0 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Edinburgh, City of | 21(e) | 29 | 35 | 27 | 28(e) | 33 | 19 |
| Eilean Siar | * | * | * | * | * | 5 | * |
| Falkirk | 14 | 11 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 14 | 18 |
| Fife | * | 14 | 20 | 18 | 22 | 23 | 26 |
| Glasgow City | 64 | 41 | 42 | 45 | 64 | 69 | 62 |
| Highland | 15 | 16 | 18 | 11 | 12 | 8 | 20 |
| Inverclyde | 0 | N/A | 5 | * | * | * | * |
| Midlothian | 13(e) | 14 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 6 |
| Moray | * | N/A | N/A | 7(e) | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| North Ayrshire | 6 | * | 7 | * | 5 | 5 | * |
| North Lanarkshire | 5 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 14 | 12 |
| Orkney Isles | 0 | * | * | * | * | 0 | * |
| Perth and Kinross | * | 8 | 7 | * | 8 | 5 | 5 |
| Renfrewshire | 7 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 7 | * |
| Scottish Borders | 5 | 15 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 14 | 10 |
| Shetland | * | * | 5 | * | 0 | 0 | * |
| South Ayrshire | 0 | * | * | 6 | * | * | * |
| South Lanarkshire | * | *(e) | 7(e) | * | 5 | 11 | 10 |
| Stirling | 6 | * | * | * | 7 | 11 | 7 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 5 | * | * | * | 8 | 6 | 7 |
| West Lothian | * | 10 | 13 | 0 | 10 | * | 16 |
| Total | 223 | 291 | 307 | 293 | 348 | 336 | 325 |
Notes:
1. For 1999, age categories differed to subsequent years.
N/A - age splits not available and no estimates provided.
(e) - data has been estimated.
Cells containing * represent small numbers that are suppressed to maintain confidentiality.
