- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 18 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what conditions and criteria were set for (a) the use of and (b) the management of the funding awarded to the City of Edinburgh Council's West of Edinburgh Busways project; what checks were in place to ensure that the funds were used and managed in accordance with such conditions and criteria; what timescales were established for the construction of the project; whether it indicated that funding could be withdrawn in circumstances whereby progress was not made on the construction of the project by a specified date, and what any such specified dates were
Answer
The conditions that apply to Public Transport Fund projects starting in 2002-03 including City of Edinburgh Council's West of Edinburgh Busways project are set out in Circular DD3/2001. This is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 18647).City of Edinburgh Council expect that work on the project will commence in 2002-03 and estimate that it will be complete by the end of the 2004-05 financial year.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 01 February 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 15 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16175 by Angus MacKay on 20 June 2001, how many businesses affected by the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak have now (a) applied for and (b) received hardship relief in relation to non-domestic rates, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
The number of businesses in each local authority area, who were awarded hardship relief as at 30 November 2001, is shown in the following table. The information on the number of applications is not held centrally.
| Council | No. Cases |
| Aberdeenshire | 13 |
| Angus | 16 |
| Argyll & Bute | 32 |
| Dumfries & Galloway | 975 |
| East Ayrshire | 4 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 1 |
| East Lothian | 3 |
| Eilean Siar | 11 |
| Highland | 96 |
| Moray | 4 |
| North Ayrshire | 10 |
| Orkney | 7 |
| Perth & Kinross | 24 |
| Scottish Borders | 632 |
| South Ayrshire | 9 |
| Stirling | 6 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 1 |
| West Lothian | 3 |
| Total | 1,847 |
Source: Returns from local authorities as at 30 November 2001.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the Strategic Rail Authority regarding the transfer of three Eurostar trains which were intended to provide a service from Scotland but have now been removed to the London-Leeds line.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the Strategic Rail Authority on a wide range of issues including the train operations on the East Coast Main Line.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 13 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Borders rail line could be converted to light rail as suggested by the Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning in an interview with Radio Scotland on 16 January 2002; what investigations, including technical investigations, it has carried out into this possibility, and what discussions it has held on such a scheme.
Answer
In principle, the Borders railway could operate either light or heavy rail. However, the decision as to which option is to be operated will be a matter for the working group, led by Scottish Borders Council, which is responsible for taking forward the project.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Mike Watson on 12 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the effect a tourism tax would have on tourism numbers and the industry in general.
Answer
None.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 11 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent by (a) Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd and (b) any other organisation on marketing Inverness Airport to travellers in each year since 1997.
Answer
The amounts spent on marketing Inverness Airport to travellers are as follows:
| | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | Total |
Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd | £735,000 | £318,000 | £154,000 | £46,000 | £116,000 | £1,369,0001 |
The Highland Council | £13,332 | £8,000 | £7,500 | £7,500 | - | £36,3322 |
Inverness and Nairn Enterprise | £13,332 | £8,000 | - | - | - | £21,3322 |
Notes:1. Seventy-five per cent of the total relates to promotional discounts and the remainder covers advertising, consultants' fees, direct marketing assistance in cash to airlines and tour operators, management and staff costs.2. The expenditure by The Highland Council and Inverness and Nairn Enterprise relates to cash assistance to airlines and tour operators. No details are held centrally of support provided by any other organisations.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 11 February 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer how many responses were received following the survey of MSPs and their staff in respect of the operation of the Parliament travel contract by Carlson Wagonlit; what comments were made in their responses and, in particular, whether they were favourable, and what action is now proposed in light of the response to the survey.
Answer
Only eight responses were received following the survey of MSPs, their staff and Parliament staff. Four of the responses were favourable, but this level of response cannot be considered to be a representative sample. Comments were made regarding the delivery and prices of tickets, invoice details and telephone contact with Carlson Wagonlit. A second telephone number for Carlson Wagonlit has now been provided and the Parliament is considering other enhancements to the service.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 8 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what government schemes are available to fund basketball clubs; how these schemes operate including whether applicants to the schemes are required to find match funding, and how much financial assistance has been given for the promotion of basketball in each year since 1997.
Answer
Sportscotland operates a number of programmes through the Lottery Sports Fund which are shaped around the needs of sport in Scotland as set out in
Sport 21 and reflected in the lottery strategy Levelling the Playing Field. These programmes are application based and are open to basketball clubs in the same way they are open to other sports. Applications are considered on their individual merits and involve the applicant committing partnership funding.
Sportscotland also operates an Exchequer-funded Governing Body Development Initiative Programme. The amount of grant-in-aid received by the Scottish Basketball Association under this programme in the years since 1997 is set out in the table.
Year | £ |
1997-98 | 61,500 |
1998-99 | 66,000 |
1999-2000 | 63,000 |
2000-01 | 63,000 |
2001-02 | 78,400 |
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 8 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding is available to basketball clubs through (a) the Sportsmatch programme and (b) Awards for All Scotland scheme; why these schemes operate differently to similar schemes in England and how much funding has been awarded by each scheme in each year since 1997.
Answer
The Sportsmatch and Awards for All Programmes are open grants programmes. Applications to both programmes, from whatever sport are considered on their individual merits.The Sportsmatch Programme is operated in England, Scotland and Wales in a similar fashion although the level of resources available in each country differs. In Scotland, the programme is also linked to the priorities and targets set out in
Sport 21.
In England the programme is seen almost as a stand alone programme. The total amount of awards made under the programme in Scotland each year since 1997 is set out in the table.
Year | £ |
1997-98 | 289,855 |
1998-99 | 269,009 |
1999-2000 | 253,250 |
2000-01 | 197,821 |
2001-02 (to date) | 160,550 |
The Awards for All Programme has been operating since 1998 and is a joint programme set up to help small groups seeking Lottery awards. It involves
sportscotland, the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Scottish Arts Council and the National Lottery Charities Board, Scotland. As with the Sportsmatch Programme, the main difference in operation is the level of resources available under the programme. The funds contributed by
sportscotland to the Awards for All Programme are set out in the table below. Information on the actual awards made under the programme is held by the Awards for All Office and you should contact the office direct for details on individual awards.
Year | £ |
1998-99 | 718,714 |
1999-2000 | 888,956 |
2000-01 | 766,740 |
2001-02 (to date) | 798,545 |
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 7 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many mortgage repossessions orders were granted in Edinburgh sheriff court in each year since 1997.
Answer
The recorded figures for the number of mortgage repossession orders granted in Edinburgh sheriff court since 1997 are shown in the following table:
1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 |
536 | 633 | 625 | 357 | 356 |
