- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 07 April 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 23 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation there was with stakeholders, including organisations representing passengers and rail employees, prior to the announcement of the decision to extend the current franchise agreement with First Scotrail
Answer
The extension was the activation of a contractual provision which has existed since the franchise was let, following extensive consultation and competition in 2004.
The extension was granted in furtherance of the key objectives of the National Transport Strategy and Scotland''s Railways, both of which were themselves subject to widespread consultation.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 07 April 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 23 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps were taken to renegotiate some of the terms of the rail franchise as part of the negotiations leading to the extension of the franchise and what the substantive changes are.
Answer
The revenue share provisions in the contract have been re-set and a profit cap inserted for the first time. Benchmarks have been tightened and a range of new initiatives have been secured for best value and over £70 million has been captured for re-investment.
I will arrange for a copy of the amendment agreement which triggered the extension, with any commercially sensitive material properly excised, to be put in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre shortly.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 07 April 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 23 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date its decision to extend the current franchise agreement with First Scotrail was published on (a) its and (b) Transport Scotland’s website.
Answer
A press release was issued and published on the Transport Scotland website on 3 April 2008. A link to the Transport Scotland website is available through the Scottish Government internet site at
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Transport.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 07 April 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 23 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the decision to extend the rail franchise without a consultative process is consistent with the national transport strategy.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-11683 on 23 April 2008. 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: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 22 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date (a) ministers and (b) planning officials were made aware of planning application from Laurel Grant Ltd to the Cairngorms National Park Authority (Ref 06/431/CP) which could only be implemented with the co-operation of Aviemore Highland Resort, specifying the dates on which each minister was notified by officials.
Answer
Government planning officials, as part of their territorial liaison responsibilities, were aware in December 2007 that the Laurel Grant Ltd application, among others, was to be considered by the Cairngorm National Park Authority on 11 January 2008. Laurel Grant Ltd subsequently wrote to Scottish ministers on 5 February 2008 in connection with their proposed development. Consideration of, and decision on, the planning application were for the Park Authority.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 22 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how a request from the First Minister to ask for his views on a development application to be drawn to the attention of planning officials is handled where the application is not in the First Minister’s constituency and what safeguards are in place to ensure that the normal procedures and arrangements for dealing with applications under planning legislation are not departed from when such a request is made.
Answer
Scottish Government ministers are acutely aware of their planning responsibilities and discharge their functions fairly and responsibly having regard to the Scottish Ministerial Code and all relevant planning legislation.
Paragraphs 6.7 - 6.12 of the code are particularly relevant to the handling of a planning application. The code is available on the Scottish Government website:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2003/08/17996/25267.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 22 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the First Minister has asked for his views to be notified to officials in respect of any development applications under planning legislation since his appointment and, if so, how, in what way, on how many occasions and in respect of which application.
Answer
The First Minister has done so on one occasion, when he received representations from MSPs relating to the handling of planning applications made by Aviemore Highland Resorts Ltd. A note of the discussion between the First Minister and the Minister for Environment was circulated to officials. A copy of this note was released under Freedom of Information and can be found on the Scottish Government''s website:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/FOI/Disclosures/2008/02/Aviemore/Planning.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 22 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any minister sought to intervene in support of the planning application from Laurel Grant Ltd to the Cairngorms National Park Authority (Ref 06/431/CP) to secure an earlier decision or to expedite the handling of this application by any agency under the direction of the Scottish Government and, if so, whether the intervention took the form of letters, emails, or meetings.
Answer
No.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 22 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministerial intervention secured an earlier response from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency or a speedier decision regarding the planning application from Aviemore Highland Resorts Ltd (Ref 07/445/CP) when compared with timescales for the handling of other similar applications and, in particular, the planning application from Laurel Grant Ltd to the Cairngorms National Park Authority (Ref 06/431/CP) and, if so, whether it is satisfied that all applications are treated even-handedly.
Answer
The Scottish Government neither intervened nor influenced the outcome of the Aviemore Highland Resort or Laurel Grant planning applications. In the case of Aviemore Highland Resort planning applications ministers responded to representations by seeking reassurances that the planning process was not being impeded unreasonably by agencies of central government. No representation or concerns had been raised with respect to the Laurel Grant planning application. The planning system seeks to ensure that all applications are treated even-handedly and that informed decisions are reached.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 21 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was allocated to West Dumbartonshire from the Fairer Scotland Fund in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09 and how much will be allocated in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11, also showing the real-terms annual percentage changes.
Answer
The Fairer Scotland Fund (FSF) was introduced on 1 April 2008, and replaced seven previous funding streams. This was, in part, in response to a recommendation by the previous administration''s Finance Committee to simplify and better co-ordinate funding streams aimed at tackling poverty and deprivation. The member was of course Convenor of the Finance Committee at that time.
For the amounts allocated to each local authority area under each of these funding streams I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-8601 on 13 February, 2008. 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 .
Allocations of the FSF were based on an assessment of need. The FSF is allocated on a transparent, objective methodology, using the most up-to-date evidence available from the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) 2006. A similar method of allocation was used in the past to distribute the funding streams the FSF has replaced.
The FSF is ring-fenced within the Local Government Settlement (LGS) in 2008-09 and 2009-10. In 2008-09 West Dunbartonshire''s allocation will be £5.946 million and in 2009-10 £5.507 million. In 2010-11 the FSF will be rolled up into the LGS. It will be the responsibility of each local authority to allocate funds on the basis of national priorities and local needs. Using the latest GDP Deflator tables, the annual percentage change in real terms between 2008-09 and 2009-10 is -10%.
