- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 14 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost would have been of providing the new pier at Dunoon designed only for the use of foot passengers and whether a variety of design specifications was considered and costed.
Answer
A range of designoptions was considered and costed for the project at Dunoon Pier. However, in viewof the intention to keep open the possibility of a vehicle service a passenger onlyoption was not considered. The breakwater was intended to protect the VictorianGrade 2 listed timber pier and would have been required even if a linkspan had notbeen constructed.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 14 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation has been undertaken by (a) Aberdeen City Council and (b) Aberdeenshire Council in respect of the anticipated costs to local council taxpayers of each council’s contribution towards the cost of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and what figures for the cost of the project and the level of contribution were included in the consultation.
Answer
This is a matter forAberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 14 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimated construction cost per kilometre was used in the December 2005 estimate of £295 to £395 million for the longer option for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route combined with a Stonehaven to Maryculter spur.
Answer
The estimate was notmade on a cost per kilometre basis.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 14 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what was meant by the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change when writing in the Banffshire Journal on 25 July 2007 that “indeed the structures are now in place to replace the current unfair council tax with a more just local income tax”.
Answer
The Minister for Transport,Infrastructure and Climate Change was setting out some of the key priorities andactions for the new government, including the abolition of council tax and its replacementwith a fairer local tax based on ability to pay.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 14 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will introduce legislation to implement its commitment to a local income tax.
Answer
It is my intentionto introduce legislation to abolish the council tax and replace it with a fairerlocal tax based on ability to pay in the 2008-09 parliamentary session.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 14 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what commitments were made by the previous administration to Orkney Islands Council and Orkney Ferries Limited regarding revenue and capital support for inter-island ferry services and whether the current administration has had discussions regarding these matters with either body.
Answer
The previous administrationinvited Orkney Islands Council to carry out a Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance(STAG) appraisal relating to their internal transport services given the need thecouncil had identified for significant additional capital and revenue expenditure.No funding commitments were made but it was the intention that the completed STAGwould be considered during the Strategic Spending Review. In terms of discussionsbetween the new administration and the council, Executive officials have maintainedcontact with their counterparts in the council on the progress of the STAG Reportwhich has still to be submitted.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 August 2007
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Current Status:
Awaiting answer
To ask the Scottish Executive what standard was being referred to in the commitment that “every new home and office built in Scotland will be of the highest standard” expressed in a 2006 SNP press release, entitled It’s Time for a Greener Scotland, and what practical steps ministers have taken to progress this commitment.
Answer
Awaiting answer
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 August 2007
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Current Status:
Awaiting answer
To ask the Scottish Executive what was meant by a commitment “to benchmark our building standards against the best in Europe” expressed in a 2006 SNP press release, entitled It’s Time for a Greener Scotland, and what practical steps ministers have taken to progress this commitment.
Answer
Awaiting answer
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 9 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have been identified as being in danger of not meeting the Scottish Housing Quality Standard by 2015.
Answer
I have askedAngiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Herresponse is as follows:
“Communities Scotland has received Standard Delivery Plans (SDPs) fromalmost all local authorities required to do so, setting out how they willachieve the Scottish Housing Quality Standard. Analysis of these Plans showsthat there are varying degrees of risk attached to the assumptions underpinningeach plan, but that these local authorities believe the risks are manageable.It is for local authorities to manage these risks and to determine how best tofund the investment required to meet the standard. Communities Scotland will continue to provide local authorities withfeedback on the assessment of their plans and progress in meeting the Scottish HousingQuality Standards.
Communities Scotland is working with those local authorities that haveyet to submit SDPs on developing their plans. The authorities are Stirling, Renfrewshire, Highland and Edinburgh (whose tenants voted against stocktransfer) and West Dumbartonshire, where anapplication to pursue stock transfer was rejected by the previousadministration in December 2006.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 9 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to assist local authorities that have been identified as being in danger of not meeting the Scottish Housing Quality Standard by 2015.
Answer
I have askedAngiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Herresponse is as follows:
I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-2534 on 9 August 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
