Chamber and committees

Under thePlanning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006, Strategic Development PlanningAuthorities (SDPAs) will have a duty to prepare Strategic Development Plans fortheir areas. It will be for each SDPA to set their own strategic objectives, inlight of this requirement and national planning policy and advice. The ScottishGovernment is, however, keen to engage with SDPAs at an early stage in the planpreparation process to discuss the implications of national planning policy andadvice for each area.

Carbon emissions fromall sources, including transport, are published annually in Greenhouse Gas Inventoriesfor England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (GHGI). The most recent publicationcovers emissions between 1990 and 2004, a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 42395). The next publication will cover1990 to 2005 and, whilst a precise date is yet to be confirmed, is expected to bepublished in September 2007.

The Executive is alsoundertaking work to produce a Carbon Balance Sheet for transport in Scotland. In addition to the data from the GHGI, this will reportthe incremental carbon emissions impact of all significant policies, projects andprogrammes implemented since 2004. It is anticipated that a first version of thiswill be published during 2008.

The promoter has indicatedto the Scottish Executive that no discussions have taken place with Network Railregarding the maintenance of track and signalling for the Waverley railway line. However, The Scottish Executive understandsthat early discussions between the promoter and Network Rail’s predecessor Railtrackdid take place in 2002 where indicative maintenance costs were presented to thepromoter by Railtrack. At this stage of the project the partner who might undertakethe development has not been identified and need not be Network Rail.

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 the validity of the original estimated maintenancecosts of track and signalling, and by what mechanism these costs would be met.

As this is anoperational matter for Scottish Water, I have asked the Chief Executive toreply to your enquiry directly.

In June 2007,Network Rail’s GRIP Stage 1 report into the proposed electrification of the Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh Waverley line was publishedby Transport Scotland. The report summaries the key issues byengineering discipline, provides a high level programme and estimates of likelycosts to +/- 50% quality. It estimates the cost of electrifying the core routeat £124.9 million, with the total package (which includes electrifying theadditional three diversionary routes, as detailed in the report) beingestimated at £264.9 million. Electrification of the Edinburgh to Glasgow line is now being considered as part of the wider work of improvingreliability, reducing journey times and providing capacity for the expectedcontinuing growth in rail passenger numbers on this route. The results of thiswill be reported in September.

As this is anoperational matter for Scottish Water, I have asked the Chief Executive toreply to your enquiry directly.

The provision in thecost estimate for fencing the new track shall ensure that the boundaries of thenew track are secure to the appropriate railway fencing requirements.

With the exceptionof very small areas, all of the land required for the M74 completion scheme hasnow been acquired.

The review consideredthe costs of each of the major projects based on the latest information for eachproject which are derived from Transport Scotland’s regular project monitoring. To ensure consistency of monitoring the estimatesare based on the out-turn costs at the anticipated date for construction.

The review consideredthe risks of each of the major projects based on the latest information for eachproject and the extent to which risks had been or could be mitigated successfully.