Wednesday 25 January 2012 SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE Finance Margaret McCulloch (Central Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Scottish Futures Trust regarding the hub initiative since 2007. (S4W-05029) Alex Neil: Scottish ministers and Scottish Government officials meet regularly with the Scottish Futures Trust to discuss a wide range of issues, including the hub initiative. Scottish ministers approved Scottish Futures Trust’s five year corporate plan for 2009 to 2014, which set out its mission, objectives and core activity, including delivering hub, and Scottish Government officials sit on the National Programme Board for hub. Governance and Communities Jamie Hepburn (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Executive what statutory obligations there are on registered social landlords to meet registered organisations that represent their tenants. (S4W-05047) Keith Brown: The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 requires social landlords to have in place a tenant participation strategy that includes arrangements for landlords to consult their registered tenant organisations (RTOs) on a range of housing and related matters. The act does not specify how social landlords should consult their RTOs. In September 2002 the Scottish Executive issued guidance for landlords on the preparation of tenant participation strategies. This guidance suggested a variety of methods for landlords to consult and engage with RTOs, including public meetings, conferences, seminars, tenants’ forums, and special taskforces of tenants and housing officers to review policy or management of services. Landlords should, in consultation with their RTOs, agree their consultation arrangements and publish these as part of the tenant participation strategy. Neil Findlay (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will release details of the allocation of funding from the £10 million Housebuilding Infrastructure Loan Fund, broken down by project. (S4W-05098) Keith Brown: The assessment process for applications for the Housebuilding Infrastructure Loan Fund is currently being finalised. We aim to make announcements on the outcome of the applications in February. Health and Social Care Margaret McCulloch (Central Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to progress community-based facilities in NHS Lanarkshire that are being explored under the hub initiative. (S4W-05028) Nicola Sturgeon: It is expected that the South West hubco which will support the NHS Lanarkshire area will be formed in October 2012. NHS Lanarkshire however, do have proposals for three projects which they wish to be advanced under the hub arrangements and are currently developing their proposals which will be submitted as a programme Initial Agreement to the Scottish Government Capital Investment Group for their March 2012 meeting. The projects were identified as being part of Tranche 2 of NHS Lanarkshire’s Picture of Health when the board set out its Capital Programme in March 2008. A project board has been established to provide governance and leadership for the delivery of these projects which are: East Kilbride Community Health Centre Kilsyth Community Health Centre Wishaw Community Health Centre. Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the findings of the investigatory group on waiting times in NHS Lothian, how it will ensure that NHS boards will not offer patients short-notice surgery appointments in England. (S4W-05042) Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government received an assurance from NHS boards that they do not send patients to England at short-notice. The current guidance makes clear that offers of treatment to patients should be fair and reasonable. However, the guidance was drawn up some years ago and the Scottish Government is currently refreshing it so that there is no possibility of misinterpretation. Transport Scotland Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-04534 by Keith Brown on 10 January 2012, how much money has been allocated to the Gourock-Dunoon ferry service in each of the last five financial years and how much is anticipated in the current financial year. (S4W-04981) Keith Brown: Please see the information in the following table: Financial Year Amount Operator 2007-08 £2,270,000 Cowal Ferries Ltd 2008-09 £3,130,000 Cowal Ferries Ltd 2009-10 £3,040,000 Cowal Ferries Ltd 2010-11 £3,163,000 Cowal Ferries Ltd 2011-12 (forecast) * £3,775,182 Cowal Ferries Ltd/Argyll Ferries Ltd (from 30 June 2011) Source: David MacBrayne Ltd and Transport Scotland. Note: *Included in this amount is the grant for the last three months of Cowal Ferries Ltd (April-June 2011) redundancy costs, grant for the first six months of the contract (30 June to end December 2011) to Argyll Ferries Ltd and the estimated grant for the remainder of the Financial Year for Argyll Ferries Ltd. Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-04537 by Keith Brown on 10 January 2012, how much has been allocated to the road equivalent tariff scheme in each of the last five financial years and how much is anticipated in the current financial year. (S4W-04982) Keith Brown: The following table details the Scottish Government spend on the Road Equivalent Tariff scheme since it started in October 2008. Financial Year RET spend 2007-08 N/A 2008-09 £1,700,000 2009-10 £6,500,000 2010-11 £6,500,000 2011-12 (forecast) £6,500,000 Source: David MacBrayne Ltd and Transport Scotland. Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Executive from what budget the road equivalent tariff scheme is funded. (S4W-04984) Keith Brown: The Road Equivalent Tariff scheme is funded from the “Road Equivalent Tariff” budget line. Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reintroduce new passenger and vehicle vessels under the public service obligation contract with Argyll Ferries Limited. (S4W-05026) Keith Brown: A public service contract for the delivery of ferry services between the town centres of Gourock and Dunoon was awarded by the Scottish Government to Argyll Ferries Ltd, with the new service coming into operation on 30 June 2011. The contract was tendered in line with the Decision of the European Commission (Decision (2009) 8117) following its in-depth State Aid investigation of subsidies paid for the provision of ferry services in Scotland. The Decision included the stipulation that subsidy for the Gourock to Dunoon service should be for passengers only, with any vehicles carried at the commercial risk of the operator. Whilst we would have preferred a vehicle service to have continued, none of the bids proposed this. The passenger ferry service provided by Argyll Ferries Ltd has improved significantly in recent months and an improvement plan was published on 22 January 2012. We will continue to monitor performance and work with the operator and other interested parties to ensure that the passenger ferry service is the best it can be. The government therefore has no plans to introduce new passenger and vehicle vessels to the route. Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the European Commission regarding the public service obligation contract with Argyll Ferries Limited since 1 July 2011. (S4W-05027) Keith Brown: The public service contract with Argyll Ferries Ltd was awarded by the Scottish Government in line with the requirements of EU maritime cabotage and State Aid rules and the parameters set by the Commission’s Decision on subsidies paid for the provision of ferry services in Scotland. There has therefore been no need for further contact with the Commission other than to inform them of the outcome of the tendering exercise, which was done following the award of the contract to Argyll Ferries Ltd on 7 June 2011. .