- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 21 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent under the modern facilities at stations scheme, broken down by project and date of expenditure, since the inception of the scheme; how much remains to be spent, and what future projects are planned, broken down by date and cost.
Answer
The modern facilities at stations scheme is the responsibility of the Strategic Rail Authority.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 19 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33304 by Lewis Macdonald on 5 February 2003, whether the figure of 1.4 million lorry miles removed from roads was an estimated figure; if so, on what basis the figure was calculated and what the actual number of miles removed from roads has been.
Answer
The 1.4 million lorry miles figure referred to in the previous answer was the actual number, based on data collected from the companies concerned as part of the Scottish Executive's Freight Facilities Grant monitoring programme.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 19 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what effect the recent announcements by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) will have on any construction of rail links to Edinburgh and Glasgow airports; what funding the SRA has indicated that it will provide for such projects, and when any such funding will be made available.
Answer
Scottish ministers are considering the consultants' report on options for rail links to Glasgow and Edinburgh airports, published on 12 February. The SRA were members of the study's steering group. Final decisions on the options have not been taken by ministers, and funding requirements have therefore yet to be established.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 07 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 19 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive who has responsibility for closure of the Erskine Bridge as a result of adverse weather or road traffic circumstances; with whom that organisation is required to consult, and to whom it notifies its decision.
Answer
The operating company, Amey Highways Ltd, manages and maintains the Erskine Bridge as part of the A898 trunk road. On receipt of adverse weather reports from the Met Office or for road traffic circumstances, Amey liases with the police, who have the legal power to close the bridge, the Toll Collector, APCOA Ltd, and the National Driver Information and Control System (NADICS). If a decision to close the bridge is taken, the information is passed to the Executive, APCOA, NADICS and the media.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 18 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to the Civil Aviation Authority regarding the economic impact on travellers and the cost of flights from Scotland as a result of the increased landing charges at Heathrow Airport.
Answer
The Scottish Executive does not plan to make representations to the Civil Aviation Authority about landing charges at Heathrow Airport.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 18 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will process Anglo-Scottish freight facilities and track access grants, given that the Strategic Rail Authority has announced that there will be no new grants of this type in 2003-04.
Answer
The Scottish Executive will continue to process Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) applications where they relate to facilities or traffic flows within Scotland. We will also continue to process applications which involve traffic flows between Scotland and England where the FFG funded capital expenditure is limited to Scotland. Out of 15 rail FFGs awarded since August 1997, 12 have required FFG funded capital expenditure in Scotland only.Similarly Track Access Grant (TAG) applications with flows entirely within Scotland will not be affected, but cross-border applications may be affected. We will work with the SRA to minimise the impact in Scotland of their decisions on FFG and TAG applications relating to facilities or traffic flows in England.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 6 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been (a) committed and (b) spent in respect of route development for direct airlinks.
Answer
A total of £6.8 million has been allocated to the Interim Route Development Fund. This includes £1 million from Scottish Enterprise and £300,000 from Highlands and Islands Enterprise. Payments under the fund will be made only once services start.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 6 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether route development funding for direct air links will be focused on low-cost or scheduled flights; which airports are being considered for such links, and what the reasons are for the position on this matter
Answer
The Interim Route Development Fund is intended to promote the creation of new air services from Scotland which provide the maximum benefit in terms of business links, inward investment and in-bound tourism, whether those services are low-cost or full service scheduled flights. It is potentially available to services operating from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Glasgow Prestwick and Dundee airports together with those that are operated by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 6 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what the future of freight facilities and track access grants is in Scotland, given that the Strategic Rail Authority has announced that there will be no new grants of this type for 2003-04.
Answer
The freight facilities and track access grant schemes, as administered by the Scottish Executive, will continue to be available in Scotland. We remain fully committed to encouraging the modal shift of freight from road to rail and water. This is demonstrated by the increase in the freight facilities grant budget from £6.1 million in 1999-2000 to £14.4 million in 2003-04. The track access grant budget for 2003-04 is £1 million.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 5 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many awards granted for freight facilities grant and track access grant schemes in 2001-02 depended upon an element of funding for Anglo-Scottish flows from the Strategic Rail Authority and what the economic and environmental benefit of such awards has been.
Answer
None.
