- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 12 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 5 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current (a) hourly, (b) daily and (c) weekly charges are for use of the nursery facilities at Victoria Quay and what these costs have been in each year since 1997.
Answer
It is not the Scottish Executive practice to publish commercial information provided to it in confidence by suppliers tendering for Scottish Executive contracts. The contractor may choose to disclose this information.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 4 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many routes in the Highlands and Islands in which turboprop aircraft are used are currently operated by the British Regional Air Lines Group plc.
Answer
The British Regional Air Lines Group plc currently operates the following Highlands and Islands' routes with turboprop aircraft:Glasgow-SumburghGlasgow-BenbeculaGlasgow-StornowayAberdeen-KirkwallAberdeen-Sumburgh
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 4 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any commitment from British Airways regarding the continued use of turboprop aircraft at airfields in the Highlands and Islands following any take-over by British Airways of the British Regional Air Lines Group plc.
Answer
British Airways has confirmed that if the acquisition of the British Regional Air Lines Group plc is approved by the regulators, the long-term aircraft fleet requirements will be determined in line with the demands of the market and the operating environment.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 4 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what effect the possible take-over of the British Regional Air Lines Group plc by British Airways will have on air services in the Highlands and Islands and what representations or action it plans to make or take on this matter.
Answer
British Airways (BA) has confirmed that it has no plans to withdraw or reduce the Scottish services operated by the British Regional Air Lines Group plc as a result of the purchase of the full equity in the airline.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Morrison on 3 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many visitors came to Scotland through rail-based breaks in each year since 1997.
Answer
The information available is in respect of UK holiday tourists who use rail as their main means of transport to Scottish destinations. It is as follows:
Holiday Tourist Trips by Train to Scotland by UK Residents:| | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
| From Scotland | 220,000 | 230,000 | 100,000 |
| From England | 350,000 | 290,000 | 370,000 |
| From Wales | 30,000 | 10,000 | 2,000 |
| Total UK | 600,000 | 530,000 | 472,000 |
Source: UKTS
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 2 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12097 by Colin Boyd QC on 16 January 2001, how many reports relating to the illegal smuggling of tobacco were made to Procurators Fiscal by police, Customs and Excise or any body in each year since 1997.
Answer
Offences involving tobacco smuggling are investigated and reported by HM Customs and Excise. They are not separately recorded in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service system.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 2 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8563 by Sarah Boyack on 8 January 2001, what the accident rates were involving (i) fatalities and (ii) injuries on a per mile basis, differentiating between the M74 four and six-lane sections.
Answer
Over the last 3 years there were 0.30 fatal accidents on a per mile basis and 5.10 serious and slight injury accidents on a per mile basis over the 20 miles of the 4 lane section of the M74.Over the last 3 years there were 0.08 fatal accidents on a per mile basis and 3.73 serious and slight injury accidents on a per mile basis over the 64 miles of the 6 lane section of the M74.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 30 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to encourage a low cost or other operator to fly from Amsterdam to Inverness.
Answer
In conjunction with airlines it is for Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL), along with Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and local stakeholders, to assess the potential for a direct air link from Amsterdam to Inverness. HIAL has had discussions with low cost and other carriers, and the HIE network is also in discussion with an operator, about such an air link.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 30 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many flights between (a) Edinburgh and London and (b) Glasgow and London were taken by (i) ministers and (ii) staff of the Scottish Office and the Scottish Executive since 1997 and how many of those flights were made using budget or low-cost airlines.
Answer
The number of flights by ministers and officials in the period 1 January 1998 to 31 December 2000 which were arranged through the business travel agent were (a) 9,935 between Edinburgh and London and (b) 1,287 between Glasgow and London. These flights are recorded in the system operated by the business travel agent and were with selected carriers at preferred government rates negotiated in conjunction with UK government departments.Budget or low cost airlines do not accept bookings through the business travel agent's system and comparable information on total numbers of flights is not available.Flight information is available from the business travel agent's system which records each flight by the named traveller. A name search to collate and differentiate between flights by ministers and staff could be completed only at disproportionate cost.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 February 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 28 March 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been made available for biomass as a renewable energy source in each year since 1997 and what funding is planned in the future.
Answer
Support for research and development in biomass, as for all renewable technologies, is a reserved matter and is the responsibility of the Department of Trade and Industry.Of the three biomass projects awarded contracts as a result of the three Orders comprising the Scottish Renewables Obligation, only one has been commissioned so far. The level of financial support for that project from the Fossil Fuel Levy in Scotland is subject to commercial confidentiality.
