- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 April 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 7 May 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether targets will be set for reducing average journey times between Glasgow and Edinburgh by (a) rail and (b) motor vehicles.
Answer
We have no such targets.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 08 April 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 7 May 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial incentives and penalties are being considered in the context of the renewal of the Scottish rail passenger franchise to ensure that passengers receive better value for money rail services.
Answer
The next Scottish rail passenger franchise will be subject to the Strategic Rail Authority's performance regime.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 08 April 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 7 May 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether consideration has been given under the renewal of the Scottish passenger rail franchise to more than one provider delivering services throughout Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is considering a range of options for taking the Scottish passenger rail franchise forward after 2004 to ensure the best value for money. The Executive believes that what is needed is more rather than less integration of Scottish rail services, and that letting the next franchise to more than one operator could lead to fragmentation of services.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 08 April 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 7 May 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what efforts will be made to encourage tenderers for the renewal of the Scottish rail passenger franchise to come forward with innovative schemes to improve the rapidity and reliability of rail services, especially on the Edinburgh to Glasgow route.
Answer
The refranchising process will provide an opportunity for all tenderers for the renewal of the Scottish rail passenger franchise to come forward with innovative schemes in their bids to improve the rapidity and reliability of all rail services, including on the Edinburgh to Glasgow route.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 08 April 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 7 May 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what policy initiatives are being considered to reduce the costs to passengers of rail travel between Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Answer
Where ticket prices are not regulated by the Strategic Rail Authority they are for the Train Operating Company to determine. However, the process for the letting of the next Scottish passenger rail franchise will give bidders the opportunity to come forward with ways of reducing the costs to passengers of all rail travel, including that between Glasgow and Edinburgh.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 08 April 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 7 May 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what its options are in regard to ensuring greater consistency in public transport fares throughout Scotland.
Answer
Across all modes of public transport the underlying principle is that fares should reflect journey costs, be paid by those making the journeys and be determined by transport operators. However, the Scottish Executive's Rural Transport Fund provides support for certain scheduled bus and ferry services that would otherwise not operate or operate at considerably higher fares, while the Executive also provides subsidy support for lifeline air and ferry services in the Highlands and Islands.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 25 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what training and job search assistance will be given to rail workers whose jobs are in jeopardy following the decision by Consignia plc to rationalise its transport operations and restructure its parcels operations.
Answer
I understand that no decision has been taken on this matter by Consignia, and there is no indication of whether redundancies of rail workers might result. In the event of such redundancies, the local enterprise network and other relevant organisations would be able to assist those made redundant with appropriate training.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 23 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21801 by Lewis Macdonald on 1 February 2002, what action it has taken to encourage operators such as Consignia plc to continue to use rail for the transportation of mail.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-24621.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 23 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what direct and indirect costs it expects to incur resulting from the decision by Consignia plc to reduce the number of jobs from its operations based in Scotland.
Answer
The Executive does not currently expect to incur any direct or indirect costs as a result of the recent announcement by Consignia plc to reduce the number of jobs from its operations in Scotland.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 23 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what efforts it is making to ensure that letters and packages are freighted from Scotland to England by rail rather than road to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Answer
The Scottish Executive administers the Freight Facilities Grant scheme in Scotland which aims to encourage the transfer of freight from road to rail and waterborne modes of transport, by helping companies invest in the facilities needed to compete in financial terms with road transport. The opportunities to take advantage of this grant scheme are available to manufacturers and logistics companies throughout Scotland. The decision about whether to carry freight by road or rail is a commercial matter for individual companies to make.
