- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 19 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the expected contribution from the Scottish Government for the Edinburgh tram project has been (a) committed and (b) handed over to Transport Initiatives Edinburgh (TIE) or the City of Edinburgh Council.
Answer
The amount invoiced to date to Transport Scotland by the City of Edinburgh Council for the tram project is £236 million.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 19 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-11032 and S3W-11033 by Michael Russell on 16 April 2008, whether it considers that the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s (SEPA) decision to approve the Aviemore resort hotels master plan without a satisfactory flood risk assessment on 4 December 2007 complied with its requirement to adhere to statutory guidance on sustainable development and ensure that its actions enforced high environmental standards and, if so, what the reasons are for the Scottish Government’s position on this matter; which part of the guidance it considers SEPA to have complied with, and in what other instances SEPA or it has supported such an action as sustainable.
Answer
The decision by SEPA to withdraw its objection to the master plan on 4 December 2007 was an operational matter for SEPA. I understand that SEPA is satisfied that the decision was appropriate in the circumstances of the case, and ensured that the environment and human health were adequately protected. SEPA''s approach was entirely consistent with section 3 of the statutory guidance given to the agency on sustainable development.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 19 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to question S3W-9066 by Michael Russell on 25 February 2008 and question S3W-19266 by Roseanna Cunningham on 20 February 2009, whether the matters of process raised with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) by the Minister for Environment were the same matters that were raised with SEPA by an official from the Rural Directorate on 29 November 2007 and, if not, what matters of process were raised by the Minister for Environment.
Answer
No Scottish Government official contacted SEPA on 29 November 2007 to discuss the Aviemore planning applications.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 February 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 16 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many projects funded by the Climate Challenge Fund contained an element encouraging walking.
Answer
In the first year of the Climate Challenge Fund 56 projects across Scotland have been awarded funds to reduce their carbon emissions. Their details are listed on the Climate Challenge Fund website
www.infoscotland.co.uk/climatechallengefund.
Six of these projects contain elements to encourage walking or other forms of sustainable travel:
Strathdon School Path (Aberdeenshire) “ £25,000 to construct an off-road all abilities path to allow children to walk or cycle to Strathdon Primary School from local areas;
Active Leith (Edinburgh) “ £282,935 to tailor travel plans and establish an incentive scheme to encourage local residents to shop locally;
Biketown Huntly (Aberdeenshire) “ £47,318 to work through a series of community driven proposals to make Huntly a car free eco-town;
Stepping Stanes Youth Cycling Club Coach Development Project (Dumfries) “ £2,700 to encourage young people to use bikes;
Strathpeffer to Dingwall all abilities community link (Highlands) “ £12,000 for a feasibility study for the development of an all abilities cycle track, and
Recyke-a-bike (Stirling) - £182,350 to increase the availability and use of recycled bicycles.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 February 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 13 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of ministerial journeys is made on foot or by public transport.
Answer
The information sought could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
However, ministers have used public transport and have walked to and from events in recent months and plan to do so in future, when appropriate opportunities present themselves. They will continue to make travel choices based on the nature of diary engagement, the location of engagements, security considerations and what business needs to be conducted while travelling.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 13 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the Irish Residential Institutions Redress Board, said by Judge Sean Ryan, Chairperson of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, to have discharged its work smoothly and efficiently, provides a model for Scotland to emulate.
Answer
In addition to a public consultation on the possibility of an Acknowledgement and Accountability forum being established in Scotland for those who have been subject to institutional abuse, the Scottish Government is currently looking at a range of national and international models, including the Irish Redress approach. This work should be concluded by the summer when decisions will be reached on the way forward.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 February 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 12 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the health and wellbeing budget is spent on encouraging walking.
Answer
We are funding Paths to Health with £3 million from 2008 to 2011 through the physical activity part of the health and wellbeing budget.
The Scottish Government''s Take Life On communications campaign promotes the health and mental wellbeing benefits of walking, alongside messages on healthy eating and alcohol moderation. From the campaign launch in June 2008 to the present, £300,000 has been invested from the health and wellbeing budget on communications across all three of these constituent topics.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 February 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 12 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional funding is being made available to ensure a legacy of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Answer
We believe that by using the catalyst of the games, we can get more out of existing resources to deliver a legacy. In shaping our legacy ideas with our wide range of delivery partners, we are being imaginative in how we can use the games to lend impetus to existing or planned programmes. We will also explore other possible funding routes to turn what would be a good legacy into a great legacy. We have already bid for the return of £150 million lottery funds diverted from Scotland to help fund the London 2012 Games and will explore with the private sector and other potential funders possible ways in which they can support the development of community-based legacy.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 February 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 11 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of car journeys are under one mile.
Answer
The Scottish Household Survey Travel Diary collects information on the proportion of car journeys less than one mile. Results are shown in the following table:
Table 1: Proportion of Car Journeys Under One Mile
| | Driver (%) | Passenger (%) | Driver and Passengers (%) | Sample Size Drivers + Passengers (=100%)* |
| 1999 | 17.9 | 18.9 | 18.1 | 18,206 |
| 2000 | 20.2 | 18.8 | 19.8 | 18,672 |
| 2001 | 20.2 | 19.5 | 20.1 | 18,615 |
| 2002 | 19.5 | 19.4 | 19.5 | 18,036 |
| 2003 | 19.2 | 18.5 | 19.0 | 18,390 |
| 2004 | 19.3 | 19.1 | 19.3 | 18,096 |
| 2005 | 19.2 | 16.9 | 18.7 | 17,081 |
| 2006 | 17.9 | 16.1 | 17.5 | 16,977 |
Note: *Passengers account for 20%.
These are the latest figures available.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 February 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 11 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of children walked to primary school in (a) 1987, (b) 1997 and (c) 2007.
Answer
The Scottish Household Survey collects information on the percentage of children walking to school from 1999 onwards. Results for pupils aged 4-11 are shown in the following table:
| | Walking (%) | Sample size (=100%) |
| 1999 | 59.6 | 1,500 |
| 2000 | 60.9 | 2,056 |
| 2001 | 56.9 | 1,996 |
| 2002 | 63.6 | 1,888 |
| 2003 | 57.2 | 1,833 |
| 2004 | 57.6 | 1,895 |
| 2005 | 58.5 | 1,840 |
| 2006 | 58.7 | 1,808 |
| 2007 | 58.9 | 1,420 |
There is no comparable data available pre 1999.
