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The scale of the total reduction in the Scottish Government budget for 2011-12 has required tough decisions to be taken about expenditure across government and careful consideration of pressures and priorities in all portfolios. Taking into account these pressures, we have considered all areas of expenditure, the scope for efficiencies and the contribution that spending programmes make to sustainable economic growth and the delivery of portfolio priorities. In order to reduce the level of spending across the Finance and Sustainable Growth portfolio, we have taken the following difficult decisions on Transport:

With a few notable exceptions such as the Forth Replacement Crossing, on capital spend we will prioritise existing projects over new. Expenditure on road improvements has been reduced. In 2010-11, the level three budget line for road improvements included preparation for major projects and this has been moved to capital works.

The spending to be reduced in this budget line includes deferring some of the work to further expand the Traffic Scotland infrastructure and the small trunk road improvement schemes which have completed their statutory process will be held in readiness to be taken forward at the earliest possible opportunity.

The UK Government has reduced Scotland''s budget by £1.3 billion in 2011-12 - cuts of around £500 million to our resource budget and £800 million to our capital budget. As a result, we have had to take tough decisions, including a reduction in the Support for the Freight Industry budget. This has led to the closure of the Freight Facilities Grant scheme to applications for projects which will incur expenditure after 31 March 2011.

The scale of the total reduction in the Scottish Government budget for 2011-12 has required tough decisions to be taken about expenditure across government and careful consideration of pressures and priorities in all portfolios. Taking into account these pressures, we have considered all areas of expenditure, the scope for efficiencies and the contribution that spending programmes make to sustainable economic growth and the delivery of portfolio priorities. In order to reduce the level of spending across the Finance and Sustainable Growth portfolio, we have taken the following difficult decisions on transport:

With a few notable exceptions such as the Forth Replacement Crossing, on capital spend we will prioritise existing projects over new. Expenditure on maintenance of the motorway and trunks roads network, including Network Strengthening and Improvement has been reduced.

The Capital Maintenance budget available for trunk roads is the combined total for Network Strengthening and Improvement, which has been reduced, and structural repairs which has been increased. The total available funding has therefore been reduced from £71 million to £45 million. We will manage the decrease in funding by re-prioritising the structural maintenance programme and focus on maintaining the safety and condition of our trunk roads allowing essential road repair works to be carried out.

The following small trunk road improvement schemes which have completed their statutory process will be held in readiness to be taken forward at the earliest possible opportunity:

A95 Lackgie Improvement

A702 Candymill Bend and Edmonstone Brae

A737 Head Street Roundabout.

The Support for Ferry Services budget line is used to fund essential ferry services which transport people, vehicles, freight and livestock to and from Scotland''s island and remote mainland communities. The vast majority of funding is distributed via long-term contracts with ferry operators.

Operating costs have risen since the last spending review and funding has been increased to the level needed to maintain the existing provision of lifeline services at affordable fares.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Board catering surveys are issued to all patients and they are analysed on a regular basis. The board monitors the patient views of catering services in a number of ways e.g., through the clinical quality indicators (CQIs) framework, food tasting audits and an instant feedback mechanism called how are we doing? Catering Supervisors monitor all these comments on a regular basis.

Catering services have continually adapted menu formats on the basis of patient and parent comments received, and also based on observation of particular dish uptake and associated waste should specific dishes be unpopular.

Previous catering satisfaction surveys circulated have generated a relatively low percentage response rate (last circulation returned 34% of surveys issued) compared with a 57% overall board return. Overall, 90% of patients rated the Yorkhill catering service as good compared to 84% for the overall board response (board response based on average of all sites). It is intended to issue the 2010 catering survey in child suitable formats, acknowledging the age ranges of patients.

This information is not collected centrally.

The information requested is not collected centrally. Section 28B of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 requires every education authority to publish their admission criteria for schools. It is for the authorities to set out the details and reasonable verification arrangements and the Scottish Government has no locus to intervene in these matters.

The majority of meals served to patients at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill, are prepared at the Western Infirmary. Yorkhill locally prepares chilled patient and staff meal components and call-order children''s snack choices, which are alternative options to those offered within the standard menu.

Arrangements are in place at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children (Yorkhill) to ensure that all children on admission to hospital who have special dietary requirements are assessed by a dietician. Food suitable for children''s dietary needs is available during working hours, seven days a week and the children are able to select meals once they have seen what is on offer. Rotating menu plans are available so that parents are aware of the choices in advance. A special feeds unit also prepares special feeds and supplements for infants and children with complex nutritional problems where a child''s nutritional needs or requirements are altered by their disease or medical condition.

Food tasting audits were undertaken in 2009 which focused on children''s views of catering services, including popular choices. Feedback indicates the need for a very flexible catering provision for children given the patient age ranges, eating preferences and, in some cases, highly specialist dietary requirements being catered for. Catering services are continually adapting menu formats on the basis of patient and parent comments and are maintaining ongoing dialogue with patients, parents and carers.