- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 October 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 14 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what involvement (a) it, (b) the Strategic Rail Authority, (c) Network Rail, (d) Transport Initiatives Edinburgh, (e) the City of Edinburgh Council and (f) Transport Scotland will have in the construction of a rail route to Edinburgh Airport.
Answer
The Scottish Executive, Strategic Rail Authority, Network Rail, Transport InitiativesEdinburgh, and the City of Edinburgh Council are all involved in theprocess of developing a rail link to Edinburgh airport, including through membership of projectSteering and Operational groups. The Executive is currently consulting on itsproposals for Transport Scotland.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 14 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve access to Edinburgh Airport and the site of the new Royal Bank of Scotland headquarters at Gogarburn; what information, including costing, is available regarding an access route to the sites from the M8 east of the M9 exit, and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.
Answer
Access to Edinburghairport and the west of Edinburgh will be improved through provision of the EdinburghAirport Rail Link, and the west Edinburgh tram. We have committed funds to both in order thatthe necessary Parliamentary powers to construct may be secured.
The Executive currently hasno plans regarding an access route from the M8 east of the M9 exit. Our policy,as set out in the West Edinburgh Planning Framework published in March thisyear, is that public transport improvements will be considered ahead of anyroad enhancement in the area.
The A8 is a local road andas such the responsibility of City of Edinburgh Council. Access to the Royal Bank of Scotlandsite would therefore be a matter for the council.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 31 October 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 14 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any assessment in respect of the effect of differences in rateable values between Scotland and England on its initiatives to extend the availability of broadband.
Answer
Discussions are on-goingbetween the Scottish assessors, who have responsibility for the valuation ofnon-domestic property in Scotland, and the network operators to agree valuations fortheir networks. Established appeal procedures exist for ratepayers if theydisagree with the rateable value assigned to their property by the assessor.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 31 October 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 14 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the Department for Transport and Industry regarding the impact on ferry services of the recommendations of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch's report on the MV Claymore and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a range of reservedissues, including the responsibilities of the Marine Accident InvestigationBranch (MAIB). The MAIB report referred to in the question makesrecommendations to be followed up by the operator of the ferry involved and bythe Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 31 October 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 14 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any representations from Her Majesty's Government in respect of the impact on competitiveness in the telecommunications industry of differences in business rates levied on fixed network operators, wireless operators and broadcasters.
Answer
We have received norepresentations from Her Majesty’s Government on this issue.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 October 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 12 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current position is with regard to the Scottish Qualifications Authority's programme on English for speakers of other languages and what the timescale is for implementing the programme in the (a) school, (b) further education and (c) higher education sector.
Answer
This is a matter for the ScottishQualifications Authority.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 October 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 12 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has regarding any increase in the use of coaches for public transport as a result of changes brought in by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the cost implications of any such increase change; what financial assistance will be made available to coach operators in respect of any such increase in usage; what effect any such change may have on fares; what assistance will be made available to local authorities for infrastructure improvements at bus stations and stops to facilitate disabled access to coaches, and what steps can be taken by local authorities to provide such infrastructure improvements on trunk roads.
Answer
The Executive does not haveany information regarding any increase in the use of coaches for publictransport as a result of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).
The DDA is a reserved matterand it is not the responsibility of the Executive to help providers to fund DDAcompliance.
The Executive will shortlybe consulting on introducing a national free off-peak bus scheme for disabledpeople. This consultation will include coach operators on the way thisconcession will be re-imbursed to operators.
Local authorities arealready putting in place through their local transport strategies plans forfacilitating disabled access to transport.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 October 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 12 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what submissions it has received and what proposals it has regarding the rail service to Dunbar in respect of both the East Coast Mainline and the Scotrail franchise.
Answer
Rail services to Dunbar areprovided by Great North Eastern Railway (GNER) under the East Coast Main Linefranchise (ECML). The Scottish Executive has not received any detailed project proposals fora local rail service to Dunbar either under the ECML or ScotRail franchise. Anysuch proposal should be developed at a local level and I understand from myrecent meeting with Mr John Home Robertson MSP and representatives of EastLothian Council and Rail Action Group East of Scotland (R.A.G.E.S) thatconsideration is being given to compiling such a proposal.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 October 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 12 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4716 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 12 April 2000, what costs were incurred by each local authority in respect of school transport in each year since 1998.
Answer
The information requested isset out in the following table. 2001-02 is the latest financial year for whichinformation is available.
Net Revenue Expenditure by LocalAuthorities on School Transport
(£000 at Outturn Prices)
| | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 |
| Aberdeen City | £1,851 | £1,856 | £2,257 | £2,451 |
| Aberdeenshire | £8,001 | £9,810 | £9,711 | £9,952 |
| Angus | £1,363 | £1,494 | £1,517 | £1,689 |
| Argyll and Bute | £3,526 | £3,750 | £3,665 | £3,604 |
| Clackmannanshire | £627 | £623 | £643 | £683 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | £2,285 | £2,551 | £2,630 | £2,689 |
| City of Dundee | £628 | £646 | £876 | £645 |
| East Ayrshire | £2,886 | £2,982 | £3,001 | £3,164 |
| East Dunbartonshire | £1,509 | £1,701 | £1,955 | £2,120 |
| East Lothian | £1,276 | £1,311 | £1,373 | £1,663 |
| East Renfrewshire | £1,504 | £1,507 | £1,623 | £1,738 |
| City of Edinburgh | £2,524 | £2,812 | £3,153 | £3,398 |
| Eilean Siar | £1,615 | £1,697 | £1,818 | £1,846 |
| Falkirk | £2,005 | £1,112 | £1,155 | £2,385 |
| Fife | £5,164 | £5,934 | £6,275 | £6,622 |
| City of Glasgow | £5,003 | £6,241 | £7,216 | £8,301 |
| Highland | £6,613 | £7,158 | £7,163 | £7,891 |
| Inverclyde | £774 | £881 | £1,085 | £772 |
| Midlothian | £939 | £1,043 | £1,071 | £1,153 |
| Moray | £1,824 | £2,437 | £2,049 | £2,264 |
| North Ayrshire | £2,368 | £2,403 | £2,454 | £2,498 |
| North Lanarkshire | £4,599 | £5,041 | £5,401 | £5,933 |
| Orkney Islands | £905 | £1,048 | £1,019 | £1,073 |
| Perth and Kinross | £3,254 | £3,577 | £3,701 | £3,791 |
| Renfrewshire | £2,200 | £2,410 | £2,229 | £2,603 |
| Scottish Borders | £2,303 | £2,403 | £2,880 | £3,063 |
| Shetland Islands | £1,097 | £1,098 | £1,389 | £1,408 |
| South Ayrshire | £1,859 | £2,049 | £2,061 | £2,073 |
| South Lanarkshire | £5,061 | £5,483 | £5,329 | £6,338 |
| Stirling | £1,589 | £1,727 | £1,814 | £1,820 |
| West Dunbartonshire | £988 | £1,126 | £1,047 | £1,262 |
| West Lothian | £1,979 | £2,634 | £2,666 | £3,100 |
| Scotland | £80,119 | £88,545 | £92,226 | £99,992 |
Notes:
1. The figuresrepresent net revenue expenditure on home to school transport, covering directprovision (including salaries and wages), fares paid by authorities, contracthire and other forms of transport.
2. Thefigures are reported by authorities in their annual Local Financial Returns(LFR 1).
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 October 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 11 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding or other support will be made available to Northlink Ferries, Forth Ports plc and any other appropriate organisation seeking to create a ferry link between the Northern Isles, Aberdeen and Rosyth.
Answer
No organisations haveapproached the Scottish Executive seeking funding or support for such a service. Ifthey were to do so, we would consider with them what support we might be ableto offer taking into account the funding sources and constraints mentioned in the answer given to question S2W-3444.
All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility forwhich can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
