- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 May 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 5 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been (a) allocated to and (b) spent by each local authority in respect of creating park-and-ride sites in each year since 1999 and what monitoring takes place of the expenditure of funds allocated to the creation of such sites.
Answer
The following table shows the funding allocated from the Public Transport Fund by the Scottish Executive to each local authority and Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority towards the creation and expansion of park-and-ride sites for each year since 1999. In some cases, approximate figures have had to be given, as these elements form part of a wider programme of public transport improvements.
| Local Authority | 1999-2000(£ million) | 2000-01(£ million) | 2001-02(£ million) | 2002-03(£ million) | 2003-04(£ million) | 2004-05(£ million) | 2005-06(£ million) |
| Aberdeen City Council | | 2.500 | 2.500 | | | | |
| Aberdeenshire Council | 0.300 | 0.960 | 0.185 | | | | |
| Angus Council | | | | 0.018 | 0.025 | 0.470 | |
| City of Edinburgh Council | | | 1.7891 | 0.924 | 0.924 | | |
| East Lothian Council | | 0.1702 | | | | | |
| Falkirk Council | 0.230 | 0.120 | 1.600 | 1.000 | 1.000 | | |
| Fife Council | | | | 3.8843 | | | |
| Glasgow City Council | | | | | 0.107 | 2.608 | |
| Midlothian Council | | | | 1.000 | 1.000 | | |
| North Lanarkshire Council | | 1.260 | | | 0.155 | 0.938 | 0.014 |
| Perth and Kinross Council | | | 0.975 | | | | |
| SESTRAN4 | | | | | 2.269 | 4.384 | 4.386 |
| South Lanarkshire Council | | | | 0.422 | 0.382 | 0.262 | 0.660 |
| Stirling Council | | | | 0.002 | 1.315 | 0.625 | 0.776 |
| Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority | | | | 0.935 | 0.200 | | |
Notes:1. Includes £1.327 million for 2001-02 and 2002-03, which cannot be broken down between years.2. Total figure for 2000-01 and 2001-02. No breakdown between years available.3. Total figure for 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05. No breakdown between years available.4. The South-East Scotland Transport Partnership. The City of Edinburgh Council, Fife Council and West Lothian Council all have allocations within this award for park-and-ride schemes in their area.The Scottish Executive monitors the progress of such projects by scrutiny of the various management returns and invoices required from the recipient of grant.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 May 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 5 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what schemes it has implemented, or plans to implement, to encourage the employment of under 21s in the public transport sector and whether it will support any funding or assistance for insurance cover for public transport drivers under 21.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no specific schemes to encourage young people to gain employment in public transport. However, we welcome such initiatives on the part of transport operators and are aware of a small-scale initiative along these lines in Glasgow involving First Group, which stemmed from the Scottish Welfare to Work Advisory Task Force. The Scottish Executive has no plans to provide financial assistance to public transport operators to fund insurance cover for young drivers under the age of 21.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 4 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether support from the interim route development fund for an air link between Scotland and Shannon Airport has been rejected and what the reasons are for the position on this matter and whether the route qualified for support and, if so, on what criteria.
Answer
No application has been made for a route to Shannon Airport.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 May 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by George Reid on 4 June 2003
To ask the Presiding Officer what the current situation is regarding the Parliament's mail service and what the timescale is for renewal and implementation of the mail contracts.
Answer
The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will be considering the mail service on 17 June and the timetable for renewal and implementation of the mail contracts will be dependant on decisions taken.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 4 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how, by whom, and according to what criteria motorway lighting columns are checked and what monitoring of compliance with these criteria is carried out and by whom.
Answer
The condition of motorway lighting columns is checked by the trunk road operating companies during regular maintenance inspections. The inspection and maintenance requirements for road lighting are specified in paragraph 2.16 of Schedule 7 Part 1 of the Trunk Road Maintenance Contract, a copy of which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number. 16573), and the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges - Volume 8, TD23/99.The performance of the operating companies in complying with these requirements is monitored by the independent Performance Audit Group.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 4 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what routes have been given aid under the interim route development fund since the fund was established; what the purpose of each application to the fund was, and what sums were awarded in each case.
Answer
The four routes which have been approved so far are:Edinburgh to CologneEdinburgh to JerseyGlasgow Prestwick to Skavsta (Stockholm)Glasgow Prestwick to Girona.The applications were for the start-up of new direct air services.Details of the applications and sums awarded are commercially confidential. The scale of investment will depend on actual passenger numbers and any increase in frequencies.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 4 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether consultants were hired to deal with the implementation of the interim route development fund; if so, which consultants were hired and by whom; what the cost of each consultancy was in terms of fees and tendering process, and what specification was imposed in the agreed contract
Answer
Scottish Enterprise, which is administering the Interim Route Development Fund on behalf of the Executive, hired the following consultants to support the fund after advertising/tendering in the Official Journal of the European Communities:Aviasolutions to act as project managersYork Aviation to prepare an economic evaluation of routesBooz Allen Hamilton to prepare a strategic study.The terms of these contracts, including the fees, are commercially confidential.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 4 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will create a permanent rather than interim route development fund; if so, what the timetable for the fund's operation will be and whether any changes to the fund, in particular in the structure, qualification and funding available, will be proposed.
Answer
The Executive is currently considering the future operation and structure of the interim route development fund in Scotland.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 4 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of usage of the rail station at Glasgow Prestwick International Airport has been in each month since 1999 and what plans there are to increase the capacity or frequency of this rail service.
Answer
Information on passenger patronage at Prestwick Airport station is not held centrally. The proposed rail link to Glasgow Airport will require new infrastructure and service configuration that may create opportunities to enhance capacity and services on the Glasgow/Ayrshire line. Service frequency to and from Prestwick is a matter for Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 28 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many times (a) it and (b) each non-departmental public body has met with the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) in (i) Edinburgh and (ii) elsewhere in Scotland; whether the chairman and chief executive of the authority attended any such meetings, and what future meetings are planned with the chairman and chief executive.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the SRA on a wide range of issues. The information concerning meetings between non-departmental public bodies and the SRA is not held centrally.
