Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-40493 on 18 March 2011. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx

As a result of project approvals from the Affordable Housing Investment Programme in 2010-11 and in previous years, the Highland and Islands and Argyll and Bute have the following commitments.

(a) Argyll and Bute – committed funding of £5.154 million with 129 site starts anticipated in 2011-12 and 38 housing completions.

(b) Highlands and Islands - committed funding of £30.636 million with 190 site starts anticipated in 2011-12 and 600 housing completions. These figures include new build, rehabilitation and off the shelf properties.

In addition to this, the Innovation and Investment Fund (2011-12) will also make available an additional £50 million across Scotland to provide new affordable homes. This funding will be divided among:

council house building (at least £20 million);

registered social landlord building (at least £20 million), and

an innovative funding competition open to all providers for all forms of affordable tenure (up to £10 million).

Bids under this funding mechanism are to be submitted by 31 May 2011.

The Scottish Government intends to undertake further consultation during this Parliament to produce proposals for a fairer local tax based on ability to pay. No legislative proposals will therefore be brought before this Parliament on this subject.

2010

Clyde Marine Ltd

Cowal Ferries Ltd

Highland and Universal Securities Ltd

Western Ferries (Clyde) Ltd.

One bidder, Highland and Universal Securities Ltd, has since withdrawn from the tendering process. The closing date for receipt of tenders is 28 March 2011. A contract will be in place by 30 June 2011 for a new town-centre to town-centre Gourock-Dunoon ferry service.

The figures in these tables represent total revenue figures for the period 2008-12 and Aggregate External Finance for the period 1999-2008. The local government finance settlements changed from 2008-09 when the vast majority of the former ring-fenced funding streams were rolled-up into the settlement allocations. Allocations to individual local authorities of the former ring-fenced grants paid out under the previous administration are not available for the years up to and including 2006‘07. In order to make a comparison between 2007-08 and 2008-09, the 2007-08 figures are presented in table 1 as a constructed baseline (including the ring-fenced funding) and in table 2 as the actual published figures (without the ring-fenced funding). As a result of the addition of the ring-fenced grants from 2007-08 in Table 1, it should be noted that the figures for 2007-12 in table 1 are comparable and those for 1999-2008 in table 2 are comparable. It follows that figures for 2007-12 in table 1 are not comparable with those for 1999-2008 in table 2 since they are constructed on a different basis.

Table 1 Scottish Government Revenue Funding to Local Government 2007-12

Note: *The 2011-12 figures are taken from the Local Government Finance (Scotland) Amendment Order 2011.

Table 2 Scottish Government Revenue Funding to Local Government 1999-2008

We have therefore been encouraged by the news that a private operator plans to run a service on a commercial basis between Campbeltown and Ballycastle. This service is due to start in May 2011 and we wish the company every success. Notwithstanding this, we remain supportive of the provision of a subsidised service and will continue to consider the timing of further work to re-establish the service.

The Scottish Government has provided an extra £15 million to local authorities and an extra £4 million to Transport Scotland to cope with the impact of the severe winter weather on the road network in Scotland, including the Highlands and Islands.

A national Roads Maintenance Review will be carried out as a priority, looking at how the Scottish Government can work more closely, more effectively and more efficiently with local authorities and learn from best practice.

Transport Scotland collates information on reported personal injury accidents on trunk roads in Scotland and this database is updated periodically, as data provided by the Police is checked and verified. The year-end figures for 2010 have yet to be finally verified.

Internal Air

These data are not held centrally. Internal air services are provided and funded by Shetland Islands, Orkney Islands, Western Isles and Argyll and Bute Councils.

External Air

The Scottish Government supports the Air Discount Scheme (ADS) which since 2006 has provided discounted fares on eligible routes to people whose main residence is in Orkney, Shetland, the Western Isles, Islay and Jura, Caithness and North-West Sutherland. In addition, the Scottish Government supports lifeline Public Service Obligation (PSO) air services between Glasgow and Barra, Campbeltown and Tiree, which cannot be provided commercially. Total funding from 1999-2000 to 2009-2010 is outlined in the following table.

Table 1

Internal Ferry

Table 2: Shetland Islands Council provides and funds internal ferry services in Shetland. Payments made in the financial years 1999-2000 to 2009-10 are as follows:

Table 3: Orkney Islands Council provides and funds internal ferry services in Orkney. Payments made in the financial years 1999-2000 to 2009-2010 are as follows:

External Ferry

Data on Scottish Government support for ferry services are not broken down by island group.

The following tables detail the basic subsidy payments made to support ferry services in the Clyde and to the Hebrides and to the Northern Isles. The figures do not include capital expenditure.

Clyde and Hebrides ferry services

Table 4: Caledonian MacBrayne/CalMac Ferries Ltd/Cowal Ferries for Clyde and Hebrides ferry services. Payments made in the financial years 1999-2000 to 2009-10 are as follows:

Note: CalMac Ferries Ltd took over the contract from Caledonian MacBrayne from 1 October 2007.

Northern Isles ferry services

Table 5: P&O Scottish Ferries Ltd for the Northern Isles ferry services 1999 to September 2002

Note: The grant figures relate to payments made in the calendar year.

Table 6: NorthLink Orkney and Shetland Ferries Ltd for the Northern Isles ferry services 2002-03 to 2005-06

Note: The grant figures relate to payments made in the company''s operational year, which is October to September. The contract terminated on 5 July 2006, so the payments for 2005-06 relate to the period October 2005 to June 2006.

Table 7: NorthLink Ferries Ltd for the Northern Isles ferry services 2006-07 to 2009-10

(Note: The new contract started on 6 July 2006. The grant figures relate to payments made in each financial year, so the payments for 2006-07 relate to the period July 2006 to March 2007.)

Table 8: Shetland Line (1984) Ltd for the Northern Isles Lo-Lo contract 2008-09 to 2009-10

Note: The new contract started on 1 June 2008. The grant figures relate to payments made in each financial year.