Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Executive supported 106 communitytransport projects in 2005-2006 under the Rural Community Transport Initiative,Urban Community Transport Initiative and Rural Demand Responsive Transport Initiative.To date, the Executive has awarded grant to 86 community transport projects in2006-07, 58 in 2007-08 and 34 in 2008-09 under these schemes. These numbers willincrease as further rounds of the Rural Community Transport Initiative will be heldin each of these years.

I refer the member to theanswers to questions S2W-24996 and S2W-24998 on 27 April 2006. All answers towritten parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website,the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

The information requested isnot collected centrally.

The information requested isnot collected centrally.

No comparisons have beenmade. The most important principle is to meet the needs of the individual childor young person in the most appropriate setting, whether that is in amainstream school, a special school, a specialist school like Struan House or acombination.

I recognise however thatthere is a need to evaluate educational provision for pupils with autisticspectrum disorder (ASD) in these settings and that is why Her Majesty'sInspectorate of Education are conducting a specific inspection of educationalprovision for children and young people with ASD across Scotland. Theinspection began in April 2005 and will conclude shortly with a report due inlate summer.

In 2003, the Executivecommissioned the Scottish Council for Research in Education (SCRE) to examinethe impact of the policy that requireseducation authorities to, wherever possible, mainstream pupils with specialeducational needs (SEN). The research assessed how education authorities implementedthe new duty and the impact of the mainstreaming policy, and examined the waysin which different policies and practices impacted on parents, teachers, andpupils with SEN, including pupils with autistic spectrum disorder, and theirpeers.

The findings were publishedin the Impact of the Presumption of Mainstreaming Research report on 13 January 2006, acopy of which is available at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/01/05142243/0andhttp://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/01/12121142/0.

I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard,Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), to answer. Hisresponse is as follows:

Articles 3, 4, 5 and 6 of theDirective have been implemented using existing Scottish building legislation andalso guidance. The SBSA are currently out to public consultation on proposals thatwill build-on the implementation of these articles. This consultation commencedon 1 March 2006, has a duration of 12 weeks and is accessible from theSBSA website www.sbsa.gov.uk.

For implementation of Articles7, 8 and 9, there is a public consultation proposed for May 2006, which will havea duration of 12 weeks and will be accessible from the SBSA website.

I have asked Dr. PaulStollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), toanswer. His response is as follows:

It is proposed that assetratings are adopted for the purpose of implementing Article 7.

To rely solely on the use ofoperational ratings would make it very difficult to compare the energyperformance of the “built form” of different buildings. To allow the option ofeither an asset or an operational rating would again make it very difficult tocompare the energy performance of the “built form” of different buildings.Neither of these two approaches would be useful to prospective owners and tenants,nor visitors to buildings.

To require both asset andoperational ratings would be considered as over-implementation of theDirective.

I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard,Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), to answer. Hisresponse is as follows:

The SBSA works closely with theOffice of the Solicitor to the Scottish Executive (OSSE) on all matters concerningScottish building legislation.

Proposals for the descriptionand characterisation of “public building” will appear in the forthcoming publicconsultation on Articles 7, 8 and 9. This consultation is proposed for May 2006,will have a duration of 12 weeks and will be accessible from the SBSA website www.sbsa.gov.uk.

I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard,Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), to answer. Hisresponse is as follows:

The SBSA works closely with theOffice of the Solicitor to the Scottish Executive (OSSE) on all matters concerningScottish building legislation.

A property owner (unless suitablyqualified) could not be described as an independent expert in terms of Article 10of the Directive. Any part of the certification process that does have input froman unqualified or non-accredited individual, will be subject to the scrutiny ofa verifier or local authority, acting as the independent accredited experts.