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A developer is carrying out a phased development at Anniesland Village Business Park which aims to create or safeguard up to 480 jobs by mid-2002.

The Scottish Executive maintains a strong interest in the development of new approaches to local service delivery, and expects Scottish local authorities to do the same. It is important for local authorities to consider all options for securing local services, on the grounds that what matters is what works.

I understand that Camden Borough Council has a street population strategy, which aims to minimise the impact of street activity in the borough. This includes reducing rough sleeping by at least two thirds, but also aims to reduce begging, street drinking and street trading. Our approach to rough sleeping in Scotland is to find solutions by involving those who have experience and knowledge of the problems. We are not targeting particular groups, such as beggars-we are addressing the underlying reasons for their situation.

The Scottish Executive welcomes discounted fare initiatives such as the Fair Travel Scheme in Moray, which is a joint initiative between Stagecoach Bluebird and Moray Council. It is a matter for individual local authorities and public transport operators to consider whether similar schemes might be set up elsewhere in Scotland.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-14782.

The Scottish Executive encourages all local authorities to consider innovative forms of service delivery such as the development of "one-stop-shops". It has provided practical encouragement to this kind of innovation through the Modernising Government Fund (MGF). This has awarded £2 million towards the "Wired West Lothian" project, which is one of a series of MGF supported initiatives that promote inter-agency working and the use information and communications technology (ICT) to provide more joined up services to the public.MGF projects are scheduled to run until March 2002. All of the projects will be monitored, with regular updates and results published on the Scottish Executive's 21st Century Government website. This way all local authorities will benefit from the good practice that results from the projects.The Executive has also established the Central Local 21st Century Government Forum, which includes representatives of West Lothian Council. This has been set up to endorse and promote new models of service delivery across local authorities.In addition the Executive has also agreed to consider whether there are unnecessary barriers to the development of service solutions such as one-stop shops within constraints on local authority trading and, if so, how best to deal with them.

The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the United Kingdom Government on a wide range of issues, including cross-channel rail freight services.

The Scottish Executive is committed to tackling smoking and will make funding available for this purpose to the end of the current Spending Review period i.e. 2003-04. Funding beyond that date will be considered as part of the next Spending Review.

Capital allocations are designed to meet both routine expenditure (such as maintenance and the replacement of vehicles) and the cost of large projects.Strathclyde's allocation for 1999-2000 included £3.528 million for major work at the Saltcoats and Kirkintilloch stations as well as Phase 3 of the force's Traffic Complex. In addition, the force received £1.060 million to help with millennium compliance costs, leaving £5.144 million for routine expenditure.In 2000-01, £3 million was set aside for the completion of Phase 3 of the Traffic Complex, leaving £6.076 million for routine capital expenditure, an increase of over 18% on the previous year's figure for similar costs. The allocation of resources is an operational matter for the Chief Constable, in consultation with the Joint Police Board, to decide upon. Given the increase in resources for routine expenditure, however, any impact on operational performance is likely to have been beneficial.

Yes. The Executive's Programme for Government highlighted our intention to legislate for a duty of Best Value on local authorities. I intend to make further announcements regarding our proposals in this area following the Easter recess.