- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 24 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussions with Ferrovial about transport issues other than airport provision.
Answer
There have been no meetingsbetween the Scottish Executive and Ferrovial about transport issues other thanairport provision under the new administration.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 24 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the latest estimate is of the cost of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and the benefit to cost ratio associated with the project.
Answer
The cost estimate inheritedfrom the previous administration is in the range £295 million - £395 million.This is based on the risks as currently identified but we will continue tomonitor this in light of prevailing tender prices for roads contracts. Thefinal costs will not be known until tenders have been returned and the contractcompleted. The benefit to cost ratio is approximately 5:1.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 20 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what principles it considers should be applied when charging for water and sewerage services between 2006 and 2010.
Answer
Ministers previously set theirprinciples of charging for 2006-10 in their statement of policy regarding chargesof 28 September 2005. This is available at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/1057/0022138.pdf.We now expect to consult on chargingprinciples for the forthcoming period 2010-14 in the autumn.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 20 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the question from the Chairman of the Water Industry Commission in respect of Scottish Water: “Are ministers prepared to guarantee that some £200 million per year will be forthcoming from the public purse for a long-term capital programme, or are they ready to see direct borrowing from capital markets?”.
Answer
The Scottish Executive willensure that Scottish Water has access to the funds it requires to enable it todeliver its regulatory settlement.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 20 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of interest was recorded when tenders were invited to provide a ferry service between Campbeltown and Ballycastle.
Answer
Fourteen expressions of interestwere received in respect of the 2005-06 Campbeltown and Ballycastle tendering process.Eight of these companies completed a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire, of whichfour met the pre-qualification criteria set and were invited to submit a full tenderproposal. Unfortunately the four companies involved did not follow their initialinterest up by submitting a tender within the deadline set.
It was agreed early in 2006 thatefforts should continue, as part of a negotiated procedure, to identify a suitableoperator for the route. Procurement rules allowed for this on the strict understandingthat any contract signed complied fully with the key terms set out in the 2005 tender.Two companies expressed continued interest in providing the service on that basis.However, in October 2006 the Northern Ireland administration withdrew their financialsupport for the project and no further progress was made at that time.
Discussions on this subject haverecently been resumed with the Northern Ireland Executive as a result of discussionbetween the First Minister and the First Minster of the Northern Ireland Executive.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 20 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the expected form and content of scrutiny by the European Commission of a single bundle tender for Calmac ferry services.
Answer
The principle of bundlingroutes together for tendering purposes was recognised by the EuropeanCommission in a December 2003 Communication (“Communication from the Commissionto the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and SocialCommittee of the Regions on the interpretation of Council Regulation (EEC) No3577/92 applying the principle of freedom to provide services to maritimetransport within member states (maritime cabotage”). The Communication notesthat grouping public service routes into a single bundle is “not contrary toCommunity law provided that it does not lead to discrimination” and indicatesthat “the most appropriate size of bundles should be decided by taking accountof the best synergy to be made in meeting essential transport needs”.
The Commission has taken aninterest in the arrangements for ferry subsidies in Scotlandover a number of years. This included the issuing of a “pre-infraction letter”in June 2005, relating to the Commission’s view that the subsidy arrangementsfor the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services did not comply with Community lawbecause no public tender or equivalent procedure had been used in the award ofsubsidy.
The latest approach from theCommission was in late May 2007. The Commission has asked a range of detailedquestions about our support for ferry services subsidy arrangements relating tothe Clyde and Hebrides network, the Gourock – Dunoon route and the NorthernIsles services. the Scottish Executive and the UK Government are working together to prepare a fullresponse to the questions and will discuss the issues raised with theCommission, as appropriate.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 20 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, following the transport strategic spending review, it is satisfied with the (a) accuracy of the cost of and (b) assessment of risk involved in the electrification of the Glasgow to Edinburgh rail line
Answer
The Review related to the currentinherited projects committed for funding, as set out on the Transport Scotland website
www.transportscotland.gov.uk/projects.
Transport Scotland is leadingwork to provide firm proposals for the most cost-effective ways to improvereliability, bring down journey times and provide capacity for the expected continuinggrowth in rail passenger numbers between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Electrificationis one possible option for achieving this and the costs and risks of such a projectwill be fully considered.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 20 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in line with the terms of amendment S2M-3837.2 by Fergus Ewing, it (a) acknowledges the importance of aviation in the prime aim of growing the Scottish economy, (b) will seek to remove barriers to further success in aviation policy, (c) will audit and review the Air Route Development Fund and its efficacy thus far, with a view to refining and widening its terms, (d) will consider its extension to air freight traffic and to less frequent and seasonal services and (e) will work with Scotland’s airports and carriers to deliver a competitive economic environment, which should include the provision of appropriate and sufficient infrastructure for Scottish airports.
Answer
The Scottish Executiveacknowledges the importance of direct air connections in making Scotlandeasier and more attractive for business, investment and inbound tourism. Weintend to promote and encourage the maintenance and expansion of Scotland’sinternational air connections which avoid the need for travellers to useconnecting flights and reduce reliance on UK internal flights.
An evaluation of theeconomic benefits arising from the Route Development Fund (RDF) will be carriedout over the next 12 to 18 months. The mechanism to assist the development ofdirect international air links is currently being revised in view of EuropeanUnion Guidelines on start-up aid for new air services. Airport operatorssupport the continuation of the relationship with the Executive on thedevelopment of new direct international routes which benefit the Scottisheconomy and business.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 20 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to extend the water and sewerage charges exemption scheme for charitable and voluntary organisations.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-326 on 8 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 20 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of public subsidy would be required to provide a ferry service linking Campbeltown to Ballycastle.
Answer
The level of subsidy requiredwould depend on a range of factors, including the level of service that was specified,the availability of vessels suited to the route and fuel costs - an important elementin the running costs of the service.
