- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 7 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive which routes on the ScotRail network are profitable.
Answer
Under the Franchise Agreement, the costs associated with the operation of rail services are transparent and full information on revenue levels is obtained by the Scottish Executive. However, financial information on profitability of individual routes is not available, as it is commercially confidential.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 6 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the fare revenue raised under the previous ScotRail franchise was (a) re-invested in services, (b) paid to National Express Group and (c) used for any other purposes, shown in cash terms and as a percentage of total revenue raised.
Answer
This information is not held by the Scottish Executive.
Under the franchise, the total costs of operating the services and the revenues collected across all the routes were aggregated. In aggregate, the revenue collected under the first franchise was insufficient to cover operating costs. Therefore, subsidy required to be paid to National Express Group in addition to the revenue raised.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 6 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was paid to National Express Group under the previous ScotRail franchise.
Answer
The ScotRail franchise payments made to National Express Group under the previous franchise are detailed in the table below:
| Year | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 |
| £ Million | 288.63 | 280.18 | 270.00 | 248.57 | 214.26 | 230.08 | 251.67 | 133.29 |
This information was collated from the Strategic Rail Authority Annual Report 2004-2005. It should be noted that the figure for 2004-05 is for the half year until the franchise ended.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 6 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how much will be paid to FirstGroup plc under the First ScotRail franchise.
Answer
The Scottish Executive will pay First ScotRail approximately £1.9 billion in ScotRail franchise payments over the seven year life of the franchise. However, this franchise payment is linked to performance and as such is subject to variation.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 6 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how much will be invested in the First ScotRail franchise by (a) it, (b) FirstGroup plc and (c) any other sources.
Answer
The Scottish Executive will make franchise payments amounting to approximately £1.9 billion to First ScotRail over the seven year life of the franchise.
Under the terms of the Franchise Agreement for operating rail services in Scotland, First ScotRail are committed to spending £40 million of capital expenditure over the seven years of the franchise. £17 million is due to be spent in the first 18 months of the franchise, of which £3.3 million has been spent to date.
Additionally, a significant investment is being made in staff numbers and staff development. Approximately 400 additional staff have been employed in the Franchise to date, with more planned. First ScotRail are investing at least £1 million per annum in staff training and development.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 6 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how much subsidy ScotRail received (a) in total and (b) for each individual route, in each year since 1990.
Answer
To ask the Scottish Executive how much subsidy ScotRail received (a) in total and (b) for each individual route, in each year since 1990.
| Year | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 |
| £m | 288.63 | 280.18 | 270.00 | 248.57 | 214.26 | 230.08 | 251.67 | 218.59 |
This information was collated from the Strategic Rail Authority Annual Report 2004-05. The subsidy costs are not broken down on a route by route basis.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 6 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the fare revenue raised under the First ScotRail franchise has been (a) re-invested in services, (b) paid to FirstGroup plc and (c) used for any other purposes, shown in cash terms and as a percentage of total revenue raised.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has received excess revenue share from the First ScotRail franchise in respect of the franchise year ending in April 2005. Under the Franchise Agreement, First ScotRail Limited retain the remaining revenue. This in addition to the subsidy they receive covers their operating costs and profit.
The sum received by the Scottish Executive was used to lower the subsidy paid to the franchisee.
Information on the revenue raised under the ScotRail franchise is commercially confidential.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 5 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications for the tendering of Northern Isles ferry routes will be of the European Commission's Decision of 15 July 2005 on state aid.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-18445 on 5 September 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 5 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the European Commission's Decision of 15 July 2005 on state aid means that there is no obligation on ministers to put out to tender island ferry routes that carry less than 300,000 passengers per year.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-18445 on 5 September 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 5 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the European Commission's Decision of 15 July 2005 on state aid means that some or all of the ferry routes operated by Caledonian MacBrayne will be exempt from tendering.
Answer
The European Commission “Decision on the application of Article 86(2) of the Treaty to State aid in the form of public sector compensation granted to certain undertakings entrusted with the operation of services of general economic interest”, announced on 15 July 2005, provides an administrative framework which exempts certain state aids from notification to the European Commission. It does not, however, exempt public authorities from any other requirements in relation to State aids rules nor exempt them from the requirements of sectoral state aid rules. This means that, in relation to the Clyde and Hebrides, and Northern Isles ferry services, the Scottish Executive is still required to comply with the terms of the maritime state aid rules (the Maritime Cabotage Regulation) and, in particular, the requirement to act in a non-discriminatory way in respect of all community shipowners when concluding public service contracts or imposing public service obligations relating to the provision of cabotage services.
