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Railway safety is a matter which is reserved to the UK Government.

There is no significant difference in the safety of either a passenger or freight railway as both come under the same safety approvals process and both modes run on a shared infrastructure throughout the vast majority of the network.

There are a few lines which are designated freight only and whilst the level of safety will be similar to the rest of the network, there may be some variance on technical specification. This variance reflects the different operational requirements required on a freight only line. For example passenger routes are designed to accommodate a higher density of traffic and higher speeds than a freight only line where there is usually a lesser requirement for either traffic density or speed.

Similarly passenger trains and freight trains have similar standards of safety but are built to the most appropriate technical standards that reflect their operational requirements. For example the weight, braking and suspension characteristics of a passenger train permit it to travel at higher speeds than a heavy freight train on a given piece of track.

Transport Scotland’s Strategic Transport Projects Review is considering a range of land-based transport interventions for the period 2012 to 2022, primarily road and rail based. This includes looking at the scope for further enhancements to the rail network to improve rail routes.

We have no current plans to designate the A977 as a trunk road.

Rail services in this area will be examined as part of the Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR) which is expected to report to ministers in the summer.

In examining the longer term needs of Scotland’s national strategic transport network, Transport Scotland’s Strategic Transport Projects Review is considering extending passenger access to Rosyth and possible links to Dunfermline.

Transport Scotland will also continue to review and consider options for improving the rail network across Scotland.

As part of the Strategic Transport Projects Review, Transport Scotland has been engaging with a range of key stakeholders through focused Reference Groups with senior representatives of organisations with considerable knowledge, experience and understanding of the transport issues involved. These include representatives from regional transport partnerships within the local authority sector as well as the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA).

The initial findings of the review will be delivered to ministers in the summer of 2008. An announcement will be made in Parliament later in the year.

Transport Scotland’s Strategic Transport Projects Review is examining the longer term needs of Scotland’s national strategic transport network. This includes consideration of the rail network on the strategic transport corridor between Edinburgh and Perth.

The Strategic Review of the Delivery of Legal Aid, Advice and Information (published by Scottish ministers in 2004) considered the question of financial eligibility for criminal legal assistance. The review was not persuaded that there should be universal eligibility for criminal legal aid, and did not propose a general principle that the state should meet privately funded costs on acquittal. The Review considered that the general principle of ability to pay should be applied and that a contributory system would be consistent with that principle. It proposed that under such a system, where costs were met in part through a contribution by the accused person, that contribution should be refunded in the event of an acquittal.

We have no current plans to introduce such a system but will consider it further as part of a broader consideration of financial eligibility rules for publicly funded legal assistance.

Transport Scotland is currently undertaking the multi-modal Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR) which will provide an indicative program of transport investments between 2012 and 2022 to deliver against the government''s central purpose of increasing sustainable economic growth. The STPR will consider the importance of effective transport links in the Rosyth and Dunfermline area.

The recent freedom of information disclosures on the Stirling project related to ministerial consideration of notified planning applications. I understand that ministers were not personally involved in the planning applications for the Clackmannanshire Schools PPP project.