- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 15 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22493 by Cathy Jamieson on 2 February 2006, what its response would have been if the allegations did not pertain to civil aircraft.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has nothingto add to the answer to question S2W-22493. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 15 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the prison population has been in each month in each of the last seven years.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is asfollows:
The information is asfollows:
| Month | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 |
| April | 6,159 | 6,183 | 5,914 | 6,256 | 6,435 | 6,525 | 6,948 |
| May | 6,061 | 6,058 | 5,894 | 6,250 | 6,599 | 6,394 | 6,909 |
| June | 6,029 | 6,032 | 6,034 | 6,286 | 6,644 | 6,482 | 6,938 |
| July | 5,972 | 6,045 | 6,003 | 6,298 | 6,567 | 6,588 | 6,837 |
| August | 5,945 | 5,952 | 5,953 | 6,260 | 6,497 | 6,665 | 6,868 |
| September | 6,052 | 6,012 | 5,853 | 6,200 | 6,487 | 6,666 | 6,838 |
| October | 6,021 | 6,007 | 5,817 | 6,205 | 6,484 | 6,618 | 6,731 |
| November | 6,029 | 5,999 | 5,730 | 6,174 | 6,484 | 6,623 | 6,679 |
| December | 5,845 | 5,835 | 5,656 | 5,976 | 6,325 | 6,548 | 6,598 |
| January | 5,859 | 5,659 | 5,644 | 5,920 | 6,237 | 6,547 | 6,483 |
| February | 6,116 | 5,904 | 5,951 | 6,151 | 6,411 | 6,807 | 6,749 |
| March | 6,241 | 5,996 | 6,136 | 6,239 | 6,514 | 6,973 | 6,774 |
Note:Average Prison Population.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 15 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the staff costs have been for (a) HM Prison Kilmarnock since it opened in 1999 and (b) the Scottish Prison Service in total in each year since 1990.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is asfollows:
(a) SPS does not hold theinformation.
(b) The informationrequested is contained in SPS Annual Reports which are published on the SPSwebsite at www.sps.gov.uk.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 15 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive when the capital costs of constructing the Erskine Bridge were recouped by the revenue from tolls on the bridge.
Answer
The costs of constructing theErskine Bridge were met from the then Scottish Office Transport programme. Tolling revenuehas not been offset against the construction costs, but has funded the on-goingmaintenance, management and operation of the bridge.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 15 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the ministerial statement by the Minister for Transport and Telecommunications on 1 March 2006, when it estimates that it will be in a position to announce whether a new crossing over the Forth will be necessary and, should such a crossing prove necessary, what its design would be, how much it would cost and how its construction would be funded.
Answer
The Executive will not be ina position to make an announcement on the need for a replacement crossing of the Forth until the Forth Estuary Transport Authority has concluded a number ofconcurrent technical investigations and the Executive has completed its earlyconsiderations for a replacement crossing as part of the strategic projectsreview. The scope and form of any such replacement crossing, its cost andfunding mechanism will not be determined until later in the process.
Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for moreinformation if required.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 15 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the rationale was for giving responsibility to the Forth Estuary Transport Authority to manage the Forth Road Bridge, given that there already existed an arrangement whereby motorways and trunk roads were the Executive's responsibility and local roads were local authorities' responsibility.
Answer
The Forth Estuary TransportAuthority is the successor body to the Forth Road Bridge Joint Board, which wasoriginally set up under private legislation to manage the construction andoperation of the bridge. The new authority was created with the ability to fundroad and public transport improvements which would improve travel across the Forth.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 15 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the ministerial statement by the Minister for Transport and Telecommunications on 1 March 2006 (Official Report c. 23596), in what ways extra revenue raised by bridge tolls is being invested in local transport improvements.
Answer
Toll revenues at the Tay Road Bridge coveressential maintenance and operational costs, and cover debt servicing costs. Thereis no additional revenue for other transport improvements.
At the Forth Road Bridge,decisions on projects that the Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA) mightfund are a matter for FETA. The authority has, or is already contributing to anumber of projects, including the upgrading of the A8000; extension of theFerry Toll Park and Ride facility on the north side of the bridge; a feasibilitystudy into a cross Forth commuter ferry service, and construction of a new linkroad to Rosyth ferry port.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 15 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to assist in the delivery of a new railway station in Mossend, identified as being desirable in Glasgow and the Clyde Valley Joint Structure Plan 2000.
Answer
The Scottish Executive willwork with local and regional transport planners developing proposals for newtransport projects ensuring that the proposals meet Scottish TransportAppraisal Guidance criteria. The promotersof new stations are advised to take account of the
New Stations Guidancepublished by the Strategic Rail Authority in 2004. We have not been asked toassist with the delivery of a new railway station in Mossend.
Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for moreinformation if required.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 15 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the decision by the Forth Estuary Transport Authority to install new toll booths on the Forth Road Bridge at a cost of £5 million was taken before the completion of the Tolled Bridges Review.
Answer
Yes. Responsibility for thetoll plaza, booths and systems is a matter for the Forth Estuary TransportAuthority. Works started on the upgrade in July 2005.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 15 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-21585 and S2W-21874 on 22 December 2005 and 23 January 2006 by Cathy Jamieson and Colin Boyd QC respectively when it states that “no specific, credible information supporting such an allegation has been brought to the attention of the police” in relation to allegations that US agencies have used Scottish airports as refuelling stops for flights engaged in the process of “extraordinary rendition”, whether this indicates that the Executive itself has not received any “specific, credible information supporting such an allegation” and, if so, how this is its position when it has not had any discussions with Human Rights Watch or Amnesty International about their allegations that extraordinary rendition has taken place and whether it discounts Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International as credible sources of information in this area.
Answer
The police are responsible forconducting investigations into criminal offences and the police will act if andwhen there is information to justify such action. At present, no credible and reliableinformation has been presented to the police to justify an investigation by them.
