- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 17 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to paragraph 2.10 of the Appendix to Annexe A of The new trunk road contracts, what its position is on the separate designations of roads for the purposes of determining the responsibility and funding available for the maintenance of trunk roads.
Answer
I refer the Member to the answer given to Question S1W-20533, in response to publication of the Auditor General's report.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 17 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any submission it made to the consultation exercise by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) on the use of national symbols on vehicle registration plates in Scotland; when any such submission was made, and what feedback it has received since.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including vehicle number plates. The Executive welcomes the DVLA consultation and has made clear the view of Scottish ministers that people should have the freedom to display national symbols provided there are no overriding safety implications.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 17 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to paragraph 2.10 of the Appendix to Annex A of Audit Scotland's The new trunk road contracts, whether unit costs for maintaining the whole road network are likely to rise, even if it achieves lower unit costs for the trunk roads, and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-20533 on 29 November 2001, in response to publication of the Auditor General's report.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 17 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to paragraph 2.10 of the Appendix to Annex A of Audit Scotland's The new trunk road contracts, whether any objectives of it and local authorities in respect of social inclusion, decentralisation of services and rural development have been compromised and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-20533 on 29 November 2001, in response to publication of the Auditor General's report.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 13 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to paragraph 2.40 of Audit Scotland's The new trunk road contracts of November 2001, (a) what problems were identified, (b) which such problems remain unresolved and (c) whether its Development Department (i) is confident that improvements are being made and (ii) expects to see the delivery of better value for money in respect of the quality of service provided by (1) Amey Highways Ltd and (2) BEAR Scotland Ltd.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-20533 on 29 November 2001, in response to publication of the Auditor General's report.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 13 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to paragraph 2.37 of Audit Scotland's The new trunk road contracts, what specific resources (a) Amey Highways Ltd and (b) BEAR (Scotland) Ltd have lacked "for full operations in some areas" and what remedial action has been taken to date by (i) it and (ii) the contractor in respect of each such lack of resources.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-20533 on 29 November 2001, in response to publication of the Auditor General's report.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 13 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to paragraph 2.37 of Audit Scotland's The new trunk road contracts, what specific difficulties in fully meeting operational requirements Amey Highways Ltd and BEAR (Scotland) Ltd have each experienced and what remedial action in respect of each difficulty has been taken to date by (a) it and (b) the contractor.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-20533 on 29 November 2001, in response to publication of the Auditor General's report.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 09 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 12 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has to determine and influence the future delivery of rail services in Scotland and what use it has made of these powers in the context of consultation and negotiation with the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions.
Answer
On 31 March 1998, Henry McLeish MP, then the minister responsible for Transport at the Scottish Office, announced in the House of Commons that a range of important responsibilities for the operation of railways in Scotland would be transferred to the Parliament and Scottish ministers. These responsibilities were to be delivered within the revised GB regulatory framework, which was subsequently implemented in the Transport Act 2000.The responsibilities have been transferred to the Parliament and the Scottish ministers through provisions in the Transport Act 2000 and Orders made under sections 30 and 63 of the Scotland Act 1998. The Scottish ministers are now responsible for issuing to the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) Directions and Guidance for the franchise providing passenger rail services that start and end in Scotland. They have the power to issue Directions and Guidance for Scottish sleeper services provided by the same franchise, to issue advice to the SRA on other cross-border services, and to fund the SRA to enable it to pay for the franchise providing Scottish passenger services. They also have responsibility for the administration of freight facilities grants and track access grants in Scotland, working within the rules of the schemes agreed at GB level for these subsidies, and for appointing the Chair of the Rail Passengers' Committee for Scotland. The reports of that committee and of the Rail Passengers' Council will be laid before the Parliament. The Parliament has legislative competence over the provision of grants for passenger rail services. It also has competence over the rail responsibilities of Strathclyde PTA/E and of any new such bodies which might be established in Scotland, subject to these falling within the overall framework of the new railway regulatory structure. The final provision of the rail devolution settlement to be implemented will give the Parliament legislative competence over the promotion and construction of railways in Scotland. Ministers' regular meetings with the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions take place within the context of all of these powers.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 12 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its Development Department has on any occasion (a) stepped in to remedy any default in respect of non-compliance by any operating company with any aspect of its trunk road maintenance contract, (b) recovered any costs incurred by taking such action from the operating company and (c) claimed an additional 12.5% in addition to any such costs from the operating company as permitted by the terms of the contract outlined in paragraph 2.24 of Audit Scotland's The new trunk road contracts and, if so, whether it will give specific details of each occasion.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-20533 on 29 November 2001, in response to publication of the Auditor General's report.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 12 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the financial sanctions taken against the companies operating the trunk roads maintenance contracts referred to in paragraph 2.36 of Audit Scotland's The new trunk road contracts, what the value of each sanction was; in respect of which contractor each sanction was taken, and what the reasons were for taking such sanctions and not terminating the contracts.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-20533 on 29 November 2001, in response to publication of the Auditor General's report.
