- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 January 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 30 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce a statutory obligation on local authorities to ensure the provision of free, impartial and independent (a) legal advice and information and (b) debt management advice and information throughout Scotland.
Answer
There are no plans to introduce a statutory obligation on local authorities, but through our work on the community legal service and national debtline we are working to improve access to free, impartial, quality legal and money advice throughout Scotland. My colleague Jim Wallace has set up a working group to bring forward proposals on how a community legal service can be established in Scotland and is reviewing the law on diligence, which will include consideration of a debt arrangement scheme. I will be piloting our plans for a National Telephone Debt line later this year and I am also pursuing with CoSLA how the money and debt advice services provided by local authorities can be improved.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 January 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Morrison on 30 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether increased funding will be made available to Visitscotland, the British Tourist Authority or any other relevant organisation to market the Highlands as a tourist destination following the coverage generated by Madonna's wedding and, if so, how much.
Answer
The tourism marketing organisations have flexibility to meet emerging, new priorities within the budgets available to them. No additional funding is being made available specifically for this purpose.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 29 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make additional funding available to Lothian and Borders police to meet any additional policing burden which will result from the Global Forum for Law Enforcement and National Security Conference in Edinburgh in June 2001 and, if so, what funding will be allocated.
Answer
It is for the Chief Constable in consultation with his joint police board to determine priorities within the budget set for the force. Funding is allocated to forces in total and is not earmarked by the Executive for specific purposes.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Morrison on 26 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to promote the Highlands and Islands as a venue for weddings and as a tourism destination following the publicity generated by the wedding of Madonna and what budget will be made available for this purpose.
Answer
The STB and the Highlands of Scotland Tourist Board (HOST) are working effectively together to take advantage of the recent positive publicity generated by Madonna's wedding. The main responsibility for marketing the area lies with HOST. I understand that HOST intends to further develop its successful website
www.highland-wedding.com. HOST is also preparing proposals for a campaign entitled "Romance in the Highlands".
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 August 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 24 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent from the sums allocated from the Scottish Public Transport Fund annually since 1997.
Answer
The Public Transport Fund (PTF) commenced in 1999-2000. Table 1 sets out the sums allocated and the amount of consent used in respect of those projects supported under the first round of the fund. Projects receiving support from the second round of the PTF did not commence until 2000-01 and details of the amount of consent used will not be available before May 2001. Those projects which were awarded funding from the third round of the fund, which I announced in November 2000, do not commence until 2001-02. The total resources available for the PTF also include residual commitments from the previous Government's Transport Challenge Fund which are set out in table 2.
Table 1 - Public Transport Fund Projects
Authority | Project | Award for 1997-98 (£m) | Consent Used in 1997-98 (£m) | Award for 1998-99 (£m) | Consent Used in 1998-99 (£m) | Award for 1999-2000 (£m) | Consent Used in 1999-2000 (£m) |
| Aberdeen | A96/A956 Bus Priority and Park & Ride | - | - | - | - | £1.000 | £1.000 |
| Aberdeenshire | Ellon Park & Ride | - | - | - | - | £0.300 | £0.260 |
| Clackmannanshire | Alloa Town Centre Transport Interchange | - | - | - | - | £0.300 | £0.300 |
| Dumfries & Galloway | Dumfries Transport Initiative | - | - | - | - | £0.400 | £0.300 |
| Dundee | Bus Priority and Real Time Information | - | - | - | - | £0.475 | £0.475 |
| East Lothian (on behalf of South East Scotland Transport Partnership) | South East Scotland Travelticket | - | - | - | - | £0.075 | £0.028 |
| Edinburgh | Crossrail | - | - | - | - | £0.500 | £0.095 |
| Eilean Siar | Eriskay Causeway | - | - | - | - | £0.900 | £0.900 |
| Falkirk | Railway Station Access Programme | - | - | - | - | £0.230 | £0.160 |
| Glasgow | Bailleston to Faifley Bus Priority* | - | - | - | - | £1.300 | £0.505 |
| Highland | Corran Ferry Replacement | - | - | - | - | £0.265 | £0.265 |
| SPTA | Partick Interchange | - | - | - | - | £2.000 | £0.000 |
| West Dunbartonshire | Bailleston to Faifley Bus Priority* | - | - | - | - | £0.750 | £0.433 |
| West Lothian | Forthtrip Express | - | - | - | - | £0.270 | £0.270 |
* Joint project
Table 2 - Transport Challenge Fund Projects
Authority | Project | Award for 1997-98 (£m) | Consent Used in 1997-98 (£m) | Award for 1998-99 (£m) | Consent Used in 1998-99 (£m) | Award for 1999-2000 (£m) | Consent Used in 1999-2000 (£m) |
| Angus | A92 Dundee to Arbroath | £1.000 | £0.509 | £1.000 | £0.861 | - | £0.630 |
| Argyll & Bute | A848 Salen to Tobermory | £3.000 | £2.615 | - | £0.385 | - | - |
| Edinburgh | CERT | £4.000 | £2.262 | £6.000 | £3.096 | £3.750 | £3.795 |
| Highland | A890 Achnasheen to Glencarron | £3.000 | £3.075 | - | - | - | - |
| Scottish Borders | A698 Kelso By-pass | £4.000 | £3.991 | £2.500 | £2.500 | - | - |
| Aberdeen City | Lang Stracht Bus Priority and Park and Ride | - | - | £2.400 | £2.318 | £2.900 | £0.724 |
| East Renfrewshire | Glasgow Southern Orbital Road | - | - | £1.500 | £0.584 | £1.000 | £0.180 |
| Edinburgh | A90 Echline - Barnton Bus Priority | - | - | £1.200 | £0.224 | - | £0.642 |
| Falkirk | Falkirk Orbital Road | - | - | £0.500 | £0.500 | £2.500 | £0.998 |
| Fife | A90 Ferrytoll Park and Ride | - | - | £0.900 | £0.409 | £1.800 | £0.981 |
| Midlothian | A701 Straiton - New Milton | - | - | £1.000 | £0.650 | £0.700 | £0.100 |
| South Lanarkshire | Garrion Bridge | - | - | £0.500 | £0.138 | £1.150 | £0.297 |
| SPTA | Larkhall - Milngavie Rail Link | - | - | £0.800 | - | £4.200 | - |
| Stirling | All Change Point at Forthside | - | - | £1.200 | £1.200 | £2.800 | £1.880 |
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 October 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 22 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to promote direct airlinks from Inverness to European destinations.
Answer
It is for Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL), along with local stakeholders, to assess the potential for direct air links from Inverness to European destinations. HIAL also has the discretion to offer start-up rebates for new services. However, decisions on developing new air links are for the commercial judgement of airlines.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 October 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 22 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take regarding the level of landing charges at Inverness Airport.
Answer
This is a matter for Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd which operates Inverness Airport.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 06 October 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 22 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it holds regarding the level of landing charges for cruise liners at Scottish ports.
Answer
The level of harbour dues for ships, passengers and goods at Scottish ports and harbours is a matter for the port or harbour authority concerned. Information on the level of charges is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 December 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 22 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10876 by Sarah Boyack on 1 December 2000, whether it will detail, for each air route within the Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd area, the reasons or criteria according to which each route is or is not subject to a public service obligation.
Answer
The criteria used for the assessment of the current PSO routes were the same in each case and are contained within Article 4.1(a)-(d) of EC Regulation 2408/92. The other air routes in the Highlands and Islands are operating commercially and have not been subject to the imposition of PSOs.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 December 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 19 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many projects have been funded under the Public Transport Fund and what the date of completion or expected completion is for each project.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-10371 on 1 November in which I listed the estimated completion dates of 33 of the 52 projects which are receiving support from the Public Transport Fund. Since then a further project, Ellon Park and Ride (Aberdeenshire Council), was completed in November. On 9 November I announced awards for 19 projects which are due to be completed between 2001-02 and 2003-04. Local authorities are not required to submit action plans detailing the timescales for implementing these new projects until prior to the start of the funding period in April 2001, therefore estimated completion dates are not presently available.
