- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Mike Watson on 21 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the European Championships League final to be held in Glasgow in May 2002, (a) how much revenue it estimates that it will receive as a result of the event and on what basis any such estimate was reached, (b) how much it estimates the private sector will receive and (c) how much it estimates Her Majesty's Government will receive, all expressed also as a proportion of the total revenue estimated to be raised as a result of the event.
Answer
The Executive will receive no revenue from this fixture which is a matter for the Scottish Football Association. Any further information should be sought from them.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Mike Watson on 21 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in particular, regarding marketing Scotland through special events on (a) St Andrew's Day and (b) Burns Night.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues. The Executive is currently considering how best to develop a programme of events throughout the year within the wider Scottish Tourism Strategy to raise the profile and understanding of Burns both at home and abroad.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 15 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive under what specified climatic conditions Amey Highways and BEAR (Scotland) Ltd are expected to grit trunk roads; what the amount of salt is per square metre with which they are expected to grit trunk roads and how this amount varies under different specified climatic conditions, and how frequently they are expected to grit roads and how this frequency varies under specified climatic conditions.
Answer
Winter Maintenance Plans have been drawn up by Amey Highways and BEAR (Scotland) Ltd. The detailed information requested can be found in copies of these plans which have been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 15 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what the role and remit of the Performance Audit Group is in the monitoring of the trunk road maintenance contracts; what its membership is; what its annual budget is, and whether any contractors or consultants have been employed by the group over the past year and, if so, what payments were made to them.
Answer
The Performance Audit Group's (PAG) role is to monitor and report on the technical, financial and quality management performance of the new trunk road Operating Companies. This is very similar to the role which PAG performed in respect of the previous trunk road maintenance operators. PAG consists of personnel drawn from the Halcrow Group Ltd and PricewaterhouseCoopers. The estimated outturn cost of PAG for 2001-02 is £1.8 million. No contractors have been employed by PAG over the past year. Sub-consultants have been employed for short, specialist assignments at a cost of around £3000.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 15 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many new (a) public sector and (b) private sector homes will be constructed in Edinburgh in each of the next five years.
Answer
The Scottish Executive does not forecast new housebuilding by local authority area. Edinburgh, West Lothian, Midlothian and East Lothian Councils are currently consulting on a draft structure plan covering the period 2000-15. The plan considers the need for new housebuilding in Edinburgh and the Lothians and how much of these might be built in Edinburgh. Copies of the draft can be obtained from any of the councils. The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 provides for Scottish ministers to require local authorities to prepare local housing strategies. These will be based on an assessment of housing need and will set out local authorities' strategies for meeting this need over the following five-year period.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 15 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are expected to move residence to Edinburgh over the next five years.
Answer
The Registrar General for Scotland's 1998 based population projections assume that net migration (the balance between inflows and outflows) into Edinburgh City for the years 2000-01 to 2015-16 will be 950 people per year. Assumptions for the 2000 based population projections are currently under consideration with a view to publication in February 2002. It is likely that the assumed level of net migration into Edinburgh City in these projections will be higher than the 1998 based projections.The Registrar General's population projections are trend based projections rather than forecasts. They give an indication of how the population of Scotland will change if recent past trends continue. They cannot take account of the uncertain effects of future decisions on employment and housing.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 15 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive when it received the report by Steer Davies Gleave Evaluation of the Rural Transport Fund; what action has been taken to implement any of the report's recommendations, and, in particular, what action it has taken, or proposes to take, regarding the Rural Petrol Station Grant Scheme.
Answer
The Scottish Executive received the Steer Davies Gleave evaluation of the Rural Transport Fund in January 2001. The evaluation made a number of recommendations across a range of issues, and the Scottish Executive has responded by implementing a number of these. In particular the distance criterion for support to Rural Petrol Stations for installation of LPG tanks and dispensers has been reduced from 30 to 15 miles.The Scottish Executive is also co-operating with the work of the Scottish National Rural Partnership to improve a number of aspects of life in rural areas including those that are transport related.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 14 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what changes have been made to the formula used to determine the grant aided expenditure allocations for (a) roads maintenance and (b) winter roads maintenance following the removal of the maintenance contracts from local authorities.
Answer
The maintenance contracts awarded to private contractors were for trunk road maintenance, provision for which has always been outwith the local government settlement. The grant aided expenditure formulae for road maintenance and winter maintenance reflect local authorities' continuing responsibilities for maintaining local roads, and they are unchanged.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 14 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will give a decision on the notified planning application P/PP/75/96/LA/55 referred to it on 16 July 2001 in respect of the sports ground in North Meggetland, Edinburgh.
Answer
This notified planning application was called in for determination by Scottish ministers on 26 October 2001. Arrangements are currently in hand to set up a public local inquiry. Ministers will make a decision once they have had the opportunity to consider the Inquiry Reporter's findings and recommendations.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 11 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will clarify the role and remit of the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport with regard to VisitScotland and the British Tourist Authority.
Answer
The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport is responsible for setting strategic objectives for visitScotland. The Minister for Culture, Media and Sport within the UK Government has similar responsibility in respect of the British Tourist Authority. Westminster ministers are required to consult Scottish Executive ministers before taking decisions that will affect BTA activity in respect of Scotland.
