- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 20 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide any additional resources beyond the total amount currently committed to meet the shortfall in the funding package for the Waverley railway line.
Answer
As announced in mystatement to Parliament the Scottish Government’s commitment towards the Waverley railway line is £115 million in 2002 prices.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 20 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive by how much the funding package proposed by the Waverley Railway Partnership is insufficient to deliver the project and whether Scottish Borders Council and Midlothian Council, working with developers, are responsible for filling the funding gap.
Answer
Transport Scotlandis continuing a due-diligence review of the Borders railway as it prepares to takeon the role of Authorised Undertaker for the railway, a role that it is assumingat the behest of the previous administration.
The Scottish Government’scommitment towards the Waverley railway line remains at £115 million in 2002 prices, adjusted for inflation.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 20 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to provide a road environment that caters for the needs of international visitors.
Answer
The Scottish Governmentis very aware of the need to ensure a safe environment for all road users, includinginternational visitors. Roads are designed to national standards and these standardshave been developed through research, which often includes information from internationalauthorities. The majority of road signs are designed to similar standards to thoseadopted abroad and drivers are therefore presented with information that is readilyunderstood. In addition, the opportunity is often taken to provide safety messagesin a variety of languages.
Transport Scotland has operational responsibility for this matter and canbe contacted for more information.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 20 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what figures were used in calculating the present value of (a) benefits and (b) costs to determine the benefit to cost ratio for the Waverley railway line to Tweedbank, giving the respective values concerned, and whether these figures represent current assessments of benefits and costs.
Answer
The figures used incalculating the present value of (a) benefits and (b) costs to determine the benefitto cost ratio for the Waverley railway line to Tweedbank can be found in the Promoter’sOutline Business Case which can be accessed at the following website:
http:/www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/committees/waverlyRB/docs/wr04-bc-00.htm.Transport Scotland is continuing a due-diligence review of the Borders railwayas it prepares to take on the role of Authorised Undertaker for the railway, a rolethat it is assuming at the behest of the previous Administration. This exercise,amongst other things, shall assess whether the figures in the Promoter’s OutlineBusiness Case represent current assessments of benefits and costs. Therefore, untilthis exercise is complete, it is not prudent to speculate on the current validityof the figures used to determine the benefit to cost ratio for the Waverley railway line to Tweedbank.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 20 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many road safety blackspots it has identified.
Answer
The Scottish Governmentdoes not hold this information on a national basis.
In relation to thetrunk road network Transport Scotland undertake approximately 100 accident investigationand prevention schemes annually. These schemes can be either at accident clustersites or as part of a route accident reduction plan.
Transport Scotland has operational responsibility for this matter and canbe contacted for more information.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 20 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a clear and comprehensive risk management strategy is in place for the Waverley railway line project and whether ministers, or a designated person, are responsible to the Parliament for ensuring that this condition of funding is met.
Answer
The promoter is activelyaddressing the ministerial funding condition of ensuring that a clear and comprehensiverisk management strategy is in place, and has appointed a designated person responsiblefor ensuring that this condition of funding is being met.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 20 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the assumptions underlying the business case for the Waverley railway line continue to hold, in light of disparities between housing projections in strategic planning documents submitted by Scottish Borders Council and housing growth projections included in the council's business case for the Waverley line.
Answer
Transport Scotlandis continuing a due-diligence review of the Borders railway as it prepares to takeon the role of Authorised Undertaker for the railway, a role that it is assumingat the behest of the previous administration. Until this exercise is complete, itis not prudent to speculate on whether it considers that the assumptions underlyingthe business case for the Waverley railway line continue to hold, including thehousing elements.
- 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 20 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost has been of flights taken by (a) ministers and (b) officials on official business since May 2007.
Answer
The amount paid bythe Scottish Executive between 1 May and 31 July 2007 for flights taken byministers was £8,248.
The amount paid bythe Scottish Executive between 1 May and 31 July 2007 for flights by Scottish Executive officials on officialbusiness was £329,484. Some of this expenditure relates to flights taken outwiththe period 1 May to 31 July 2007 where the flights were paid for in advance.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 20 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what payments were made to each of the top five bus operators in respect of the concessionary travel scheme for each of the past three years.
Answer
Transport Scotland can report that the following payments were made to therespective bus operators during 2006-07 as follows
| First Group | £52,805,978.15 |
| Stagecoach | £38,469,287.35 |
| Lothian Buses | £18,961,643.15 |
| Arriva | £5,242,062.37 |
| Travel Dundee | £4,533,985.07 |
| Total | £120,012,956.09 |
Transport Scotland has no information relating to previous years.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 20 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many journeys were claimed for by each of the top five bus operators under the concessionary travel scheme in each of the last three years.
Answer
Transport Scotland can report that payments were made in respect of thefollowing journeys made, to the respective bus operators during 2006-07 asfollows:
| First Group | 56,165,239 |
| Stagecoach | 31,224,402 |
| Lothian Buses | 24,798,717 |
| Arriva | 5,599,652 |
| Travel Dundee | 5,586,214 |
| Total | 123,374,224 |
Transport Scotland has no information relating to previous years.
