Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S3W-02473

Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 14 August 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions took place with (a) Caledonian MacBrayne and (b) Western Ferries regarding the need for a new pier at Dunoon and the specification for the facility.

Responsibility forthe Dunoon Pier development rests with Argyll and Bute Council. I understand thatthere were full discussions between the council, the appointed consultant and thetwo principal ferry operators regarding the need for the new linkspan at DunoonPier. The linkspan was designed to accommodate a range of possible vessels, includingthose operated by both Caledonian MacBrayne and Western Ferries. Once the linkspanwas built both companies undertook successful berthing trials of their vessels.

Question reference: S3W-02508

Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 14 August 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that a reasonable estimate of the proportion of the costs of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route attributable to the Stonehaven Fastlink would be the length of the fastlink as a proportion of the length of the overall route, giving a range of 11.5/46 or between £73.57 million and £98.75 million and, if not, what it considers would be a reasonable formula for assessing the proportionate cost of this additional section.

No. It is not appropriateto attribute costs to the Fastlink or any other individual section of the AberdeenWestern Peripheral Route (AWPR) in such a way as the cost will be affected by factorssuch as the number of bridges, complexity of drainage, amount of earthworks involved,cost of compensation for land and the like.I also refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-1812 on 17 July 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Question reference: S3W-02468

Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 14 August 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive why the new pier at Dunoon was constructed to facilitate vehicle as well as passenger traffic.

Question reference: S3W-02502

Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 14 August 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution is estimated to be made by (a) Aberdeen City Council and (b) Aberdeenshire Council towards the cost of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and how each contribution has been calculated.

Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council will contribute 9.5% each to the costof the construction of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route. Thecost of constructing the Fastlink to Stonehaven and the maintenance of the entirescheme will be met by the Scottish Government.

The contributionsof Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils to the cost of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route were agreed in 2003 when it was agreed thatthe scheme would be taken forward in partnership. The percentage contributions wereattributed to the local and strategic elements of the road.

Question reference: S3W-02506

Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 14 August 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what estimated construction cost per kilometre was used in the December 2005 estimate of £295 to £395 million for the longer option for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route combined with a Stonehaven to Maryculter spur.

Question reference: S3W-02474

Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 14 August 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions took place with (a) Caledonian MacBrayne and (b) Western Ferries regarding the need for a new rail-ferry interchange at Gourock.

There have been regulardiscussions over a long period of time between the Scottish Executive, TransportScotland and a wide range of stakeholders regardingGourock Transport Interchange. Caledonian MacBrayne has been consulted on the projectas the work has progressed. Western Ferries has no direct interest in the developmentsite. There have been no direct discussions with Western Ferries on the need forthe Gourock Transport Interchange.

Question reference: S3W-02538

Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 27 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 14 August 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive why significant investment for housing refurbishment and regeneration is not being made available to residents of Clydebank, given that such investment is being provided to neighbouring areas in Glasgow, and what steps the Executive is taking to address the issue.

I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

Housing refurbishmentin Glasgow is mainly as a result of Glasgow Housing AssociationLtd’s work towards bringing its stock up to the Scottish Housing Quality Standard(SHQS).

Communities Scotlandrequires West Dunbartonshire Council to develop its standard delivery plan, demonstratinghow it will ensure that all of its stock meets the SHQS, following ministers’ rejectionof the council’s application to pursue partial stock transfer in December 2006.It has always been for councils and Registered Social Landlords to determine howbest to fund the investment required to meet the Standard by 2015.

In terms of regeneration,Communities Scotland is planning to increase the level of housing investment inClydebank, but the supply of land is a critical factorin this. Difficulties in securing land has been a significant inhibiting factorin securing additional investment in the town over the last few years. CommunitiesScotland will continue to work with the council andlocal partners to resolve these difficulties.

Question reference: S3W-02529

Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 27 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 14 August 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to address a shortfall in investment in rented and affordable housing in East Dunbartonshire.

The Scottish Governmentfully acknowledges the need for a comprehensive and strategic investment programmeto address the requirement for more affordable housing in East Dunbartonshire.

Communities Scotland will invest approximately £6 million in 2007-08 in East Dunbartonshire which is the highest amount of investmentin recent years and will provide 80 new homes in the area.

Communities Scotland is also working closely with the council and housingassociations, through the Strategic Housing investment Plan process, to identifya five year programme to meet housing need identified within the Local Housing Strategy.A major factor in this approach will be to secure a flow of land and additionalfunding (through commuted sums) from private developers through the council’s affordablehousing planning policy.

Question reference: S3W-02531

Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 27 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 14 August 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional investment is required in West Dunbartonshire over the next seven years to ensure that its housing stock meets the Scottish Housing Quality Standard by 2015.

I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

The level of investmentthat West Dunbartonshire Council needs to make to achieve the Scottish Housing QualityStandard (SHQS), and how this will be funded, will be set out in the Council’s standarddelivery plan for achieving the standard. We expect that the plan will be readyin December 2007 for submission once preparatory studies have been completed bythe council. All Standard Delivery Plans are required to be assessed by CommunitiesScotland by March 2008.

Registered SocialLandlords (RSLs) in West Dunbartonshire intend to invest approximately £8.4 millionin achieving the SHQS. This is based on information provided in standard deliveryplans, self assessments and estimates of spend by national RSLs operating in thearea.

Since the SHQS wasintroduced in 2004 it has been, and it continues to be, for RSLs to determine howbest to use their resources to fund the investment required to meet the SHQS.

Question reference: S3W-02532

Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 27 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 14 August 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the current level of financial support to West Dunbartonshire, if maintained over the next seven years, would enable the council and other registered social landlords to meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard by 2015.