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Under the terms of our concordat with local government, local authorities will provide free school meals to all P1 to P3 pupils from August 2010, if the evaluation of the current trial is positive and the necessary legislation is passed by the Parliament.

The Scottish Government is committed to introducing an alternative funding mechanism to the traditional costly standard form of PFI, in the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT). We have already stated that PPP could continue as one of several delivery options open to public sector bodies whilst the SFT is being developed. Where PPP is to be used, the preferred option is for procuring bodies to follow the non-profit distributing (NPD) model. This provides for capped equity returns thus ending the very high gains seen in the standard PFI model via the secondary market. The NPD model was piloted successfully in the Scottish schools projects and is now being developed in the health and transport sectors.

The standard form of PFI developed across the UK has not been used in Scotland for any projects which have commenced from May 2007 onwards. Whilst the Scottish Futures Trust is being developed we are now using as a preference, the non-profit distributing (NPD) model of PPP. Since May 2007, only one NPD project has commenced, the Tayside mental health development in Perth.

In taking the Scottish Futures Trust forward we will take the appropriate professional advice. We have every intention of introducing a body that is legally competent.

Responsibility for the operation of the Forth Road Bridge, including the management of traffic on the crossing, is a matter for the Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA) in the first instance.

I understand that FETA is convening a working group to discuss the issue of crossings by high-sided vehicles and other unusual loads during high winds. That group will include representatives from the City of Edinburgh and Fife Councils, Lothian and Borders and Fife Constabularies, and Transport Scotland.

Average journey time information for the Forth Road Bridge is not available. However, the Scottish Government and FETA collect data on traffic flows.

There are a variety of factors that can impact on traffic flows on the Forth Road Bridge, including school half-term, and other seasonal factors.

While it would be premature to come to conclusions about changes in traffic flows due to the abolition of bridge tolls, initial analysis shows that overall average weekday traffic flows across the bridge have increased by around 1% from pre toll levels. Indications are that northbound only traffic flows increased by almost 3%, with southbound traffic flows showing a slight decrease over the same period.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9454 on 26 February 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at .

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-1064 on 5 March 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at .

This information is not held centrally. It is for NHS boards to commission and provide services, including assistive technology services, that best meet the needs of their local populations.

However, the wheelchair and seating services project team will look at the way in which wheelchair waiting times information is gathered throughout Scotland, and will work with the service managers to introduce a unified approach to the collection of meaningful and transparent data.

Following the Scottish Orthotic Services Review, a short-life working group, the Scottish Orthotic Review Recommendations Implementation Group has been established and a national project manager has been appointed. The project manager will work closely with NHS boards to introduce a unified approach to the collection of meaningful and transparent data.

I will shortly meet with the Royal College of Speech Language Therapists to discuss their Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) in Scotland campaign, when the future delivery of AAC services will be discussed.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-10167 on 4 March 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at .