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: S2W-13318

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2005
Current Status: Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 20 January 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any part of the funding spent on quality assurance schemes within VisitScotland would be more effectively deployed in marketing, in particular through increasing funding for Events Scotland.

High-quality in every aspectof Scottish tourism is vital to ensure that the expectations of our visitors arefulfilled during their visits to Scotland. That is why the Executive has given VisitScotland anadditional £3 million over two years to work with the tourism and related sectorsto widen and enhance the impact of its current voluntary Quality Assurance schemes.

In 2004-05 EventScotland hasa budget of £3 million and this will rise to £5 million in 2005-06 as it strivesto secure a viable portfolio of events to attract visitors to Scotland. VisitScotlandwill use the many opportunities that arise from hosting major events to promoteall that Scotland has to offer as a great place to visit throughout theyear.

Question reference: S2W-13316

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2005
Current Status: Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 20 January 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a ministerial statement regarding the future viability, without further public funding, of eTourism Limited.

Visitscotland.com continues toact as a highly-effective shop window for Scottish tourism. The joint venture continuesto generate significant business for the tourism industry in Scotland, with over£23 million worth of business generated since its inception.

Due to the nature of the jointventure, it was always anticipated that it would take a number of years for visitscotland.comto become profitable. However, as a shareholder in the company, VisitScotland hasreported that it is currently performing well against business plan targets andis projected to achieve profitability in the next three to four years.

Question reference: S2W-13351

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2005
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 19 January 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent representations it has made to Her Majesty"s Government regarding payment to the Executive of income from the Crown Estate Commission in respect of salmon farming.

Question reference: S2W-12615

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 November 2004
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 19 January 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the relocation of its Central Inquiry Unit to Kinlochleven, whether the unit will move into the premises occupied presently by Database Direct and, if so, when it first considered taking occupancy of these premises.

Question reference: S2O-04899

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 January 2005
Current Status: Answered by Euan Robson on 13 January 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what the rationale is for the provision of free drinking water for school children and whether the provision of free milk would give better nutritional value.

The Scottish Executive is fully committed to improving the health and diet of young people. As part of this we aim to ensure that all schools take on the recommendations made by the Expert Panel on School Meals, one of which was that fresh free drinking water should be made available in all schools.

Nutritional opinion on the merits of increasing milk consumption, other than low fat milk, is equivocal. However, drinking water or low fat milk is a healthier alternative than sugary drinks.

Question reference: S2W-12855

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 December 2004
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 23 December 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a calculation of the savings which it expects Scottish Natural Heritage to deliver through "a reduction in time spent travelling between offices", as referred to in Building a Better Scotland: Efficient Government Securing Efficiency, Effectiveness and Productivity.

Question reference: S2W-12854

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 December 2004
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 21 December 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a detailed breakdown of the savings it plans to achieve in the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Scottish Natural Heritage, as referred to in Building a Better Scotland: Efficient Government Securing Efficiency, Effectiveness and Productivity.

Question reference: S2W-12858

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 December 2004
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 20 December 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what the running costs will be of the proposed Centre for Confidence and Well-Being; whether the Chief Executive and/or the directors will be remunerated and, if so, what the details are of the proposed remuneration and/or expenses; how much funding the centre will receive from (a) the Executive and (b) other sources in each of the three years referred to in the Executive"s news release of 1 December 2004, and in what ways the centre is necessary for the purposes it has been ascribed.

The Centre for Confidence and Well-Being launched on 2 December is an independent organisation and the remuneration of its chief executive and directors, its running costs and sources of private funding are matters for it.

The Scottish Executive has agreed to provide up to £150,000 a year for three years for projects that the centre will deliver. Full details have yet to be agreed with the centre but priorities will include research into confidence and well-being and training for health care, education and social work professionals. Scottish Enterprise has agreed to provide up to £50,000 per annum for three years to support similar work. This will complement work that the Executive and others are already undertaking to improve confidence across Scotland.

Question reference: S2W-12853

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 December 2004
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 20 December 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what investment it has made since 1999 in the economy and infrastructure of Nairn.

The Scottish Executive channels support for business and skills development through Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). Since April 1999, £4,486,096 has been approved by HIE through its local enterprise company, Inverness and Nairn Enterprise, to assist projects in the Nairn district. These include the expansion of Claymore Dairies, the modernisation of sawmills, and the new Nairn Community Centre. Nairn will also benefit from investment in the surrounding area. The Scottish Executive also allocates funding to local authorities who may investin infrastructure supportive of the local economy.

Question reference: S2W-11629

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 October 2004
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 17 December 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will break down the figure shown in table 8.02 of Draft Budget 2005-06 into (a) motorways and (b) trunk roads, detailing the total amount paid on each motorway and trunk road project for (i) 2002-03 and (ii) 2003-04; how much it estimates it will spend on such projects in each case in 2004-05, and what plans it has for motorway and trunk road projects in (1) 2005-06, (2) 2006-07 and (3) 2007-08.

The spending totals shown in Table 8.02 of Draft Budget 2005-06 comprise the entire motorway and trunk road programme for the years shown. Table 8.10 provides a more detailed breakdown of the categories of spending on all road improvement schemes and capital construction projects. The expenditure shown in the following table provides a further breakdown of expenditure on motorway and trunk road projects costing more than £3 million in 2002-03 and 2003-04 and planned expenditure in 2004-05. Expenditure on motorway and trunk road projects individually costing less than £3 million is not broken down but is given as a total.

£000s	2002-03 Budget	2003-04 Budget	2004-05 Budget
(a)motorways
M74 Completion	10.302	17.118	22.670
M74 Maryville-Fullerton	0.002	0.009
M77 Ayr Road Route-residual land compensation	0.070
M77 Fenwick-Malletsheugh	3.605	2.900	1.570
M8 Baillieston-Newhouse and associated improvements	0.007	3.805	1.850
M8 Newbridge-Edinburgh City Bypass-residual land compensation	0.105
M80 Stepps-Haggs (phase 1)			1.099
M80 Stepps-Haggs (phase 2)			1.115
M80 Stepps-Haggs (phase 3)			1.099
(b) trunk roads
A1 Bowerhouse-Spott	5.105	0.095	0.143
A! Haddington-Dunbar	16.460	20.275	3.626
A1 Howburn-Houndwood	3.804	1.526	0.049
A1 Spott Road-Oswald Dean		0.069	0.019
A68 Pathhead-Tynehead		0.009	0.316
A68 Soutra-South Oxton		0.013	0.223
A7 Auchenrivoch		0.050	0.311
A7 Glenmayne-Yair		0.028	0.316
A7 Hawick Traffic Relief	0.299	0.002
A720 Dreghorn-Lothianburn	0.180	0.010
A720 Edinburgh City Bypass Phase 2	0.018
A74(M) Residual land purchases	0.618
A75 Cairntop-Barlae	0.281	0.323	0.275
A75 Dunragit re-alignment	0.140	0.279	0.205
A75 Hardgrove-Kinmount	0.083	0.106	0.177
A75 The Glen	0.059
A76 Glenairlie		0.011	0.246
A77Drummockloch-Innermessan		0.049	0.320
A77 Haggstone climbing lane		0.063	0.320
A78 Ardrossan-Stevenston	0.976	14.386	20.385
A8 Baillieston-Newhouse maintenance project	1.985	17.176	3.361
A80 Auchenkilns	1.390	4.655	9.351
A830 Arisaig-Kinsadel	5.381	0.593	0.366
A830 Arisaig-Loch Nan Uamh	0.155	0.397	0.300
A876 Kincardine Bridge		0.025	1.400
A9 Ballinluig		0.060	0.521
A9 Helmsdale Phase 1	0.609	1.106	2.520
A9 Helmsdale Phase 2		0.632	0.200
A90 Aberdeen Western Peripheral route		0.687	5.737
A90 Forfar grade separation (Kirriemuir and Glamis)	3.888	0.603	0.235
A90 Glendoick interchange	0.100	0.057	0.050
A90 Inchmichael	0.141	0.205	0.235
A90 Inchture	0.607	0.841	0.238
A90 Kinfauns	0.044	0.054	0.050
A93 Preston-Balfarg	0.668	1.431	0.100
A96 Blackburn-Kintore bypass	0.791	0.158
A96 Coachford climbing lane	0.146	0.569	2.050
A96 Fochabers and Mosstodloch bypass	0.327	0.360	0.200
A96 Newtongarry climbing lane	0.677	0.968	0.016
A985 Kincardine Eastern Link Road	1.323	9.761	5.105
Small schemes under £3 million	19.998	25.304	36.267

Notes:

1. It should be noted that the figures quoted above show actual expenditure for previous years and anticipated expenditure and are not in real terms at 2004-05 prices.

2. Further expenditure may be brought forward for projects in 2004-05.

The following major projects are planned to be taken forward between 2005-06 and 2007-08: M74 Completion, M8 Baillieston-Newhouse and associated improvements, M80 Stepps-Haggs, A90 Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, the new Upper Forth crossing at Kincardine, A96 Fochabers and Mosstodloch Bypass. In addition there are a number of schemes planned on the A77 to improve access to the ferry port at Stranraer, together with schemes arising from route action plans on the A68, A7, A75, A76, A9, A90 and A96. Expenditure on all these projects and their construction start dates is subject to the satisfactory completion of the statutory procedures for each scheme.

A830 Arisaig-Loch Nan Uamh and A9 Helmsdale Phases 1 and 2 are being taken forward in addition to the trunk road programme to take advantage of potential funding from the Highland and Islands Transitional European funding. Construction is programmed to start subject to the satisfactory completion of statutory procedures.