Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 2611 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S1W-07657

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 20 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what fuel costs have been incurred by the Scottish Tourist Board and each local tourist board annually since 1997.

Question reference: S1W-07663

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Angus MacKay on 20 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what fuel costs have been incurred by the Scottish Prison Service annually since 1997.

Question reference: S1W-07659

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 20 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what fuel costs have been incurred by each local enterprise company annually since 1997.

Question reference: S1W-07658

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 20 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what fuel costs have been incurred by Scottish Enterprise annually since 1997.

Question reference: S1W-07685

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 20 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has sought or obtained regarding any effect of European Commission directives on state aid to ferry services if such operations were devolved to a transport authority.

Question reference: S1W-07667

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 20 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what direction and guidance it has given to the Strategic Rail Authority regarding the Orton Loop and the improvement of the Aberdeen to Inverness line.

Under the provisions made in the UK Transport Bill, introduced on 1 December 1999, the Scottish Ministers will be able to issue advice to the Strategic Rail Authority for passenger rail services that begin and end in Scotland. Since the Bill has not completed its passage through Parliament at Westminster, the Scottish Ministers are not yet able to exercise these powers.

Railtrack are currently improving infrastructure to reduce the journey time between Aberdeen and Inverness by 10 minutes by 2001. Additional upgrading of the route would be necessary if there were to be increased frequency and a further reduction in journey time.

Question reference: S1W-07660

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 20 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what fuel costs have been incurred by Reporters to (i) Children's Panels and (ii) the Children's Hearing System since 1997.

Question reference: S1W-07059

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 19 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6342 by Sarah Boyack on 10 May 2000, to detail (a) the routes and airports specified in the Public Service Obligations, (b) the criteria for the selection of the routes and airports, (c) what consultation has taken place with members of the public, local authorities and industry regarding these routes and airports and (d) the process for tendering regarding the airlines and airports.

The information requested is as follows:

(a) Routes/airports specified in the Scottish Executive's and Islands Councils' Public Service Obligations

Glasgow-Campbeltown-Tiree

Glasgow-Barra

Stornoway-Benbecula-Barra

Kirkwall-North Ronaldsay

Kirkwall-Papa Westray

Tingwall-Foula

Tingwall-Papa Stour

Tingwall-Out Skerries

Tingwall/Sumburgh-Fair Isle

(b). Criteria

The criteria are contained within Article 4.1(a)-(d) of EC Regulation 2408/92 on access for Community air carriers to intra-Community air routes. These involve the public interest, the availability of other forms of transport, air fares/conditions for users, and carriers operating or intending to operate on the route.

(c). Consultation

The Scottish Executive consulted Argyll and Bute Council, Argyll and the Islands Enterprise, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and Western Isles Enterprise prior to the award of its contracts. Individuals and organisations provided comments on the performance of the air services and these were noted by the Scottish Executive. Any consultation by the Islands Councils is a matter for each council to consider.

(d) Tendering process

Invitations to Tender (ITT) are advertised in the Official Journal of the European Communities in accordance with the timetable and procedures set out in Article 4(1)(d)-(k) of EC Regulation 2408/92.

Question reference: S1W-06804

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Angus MacKay on 19 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what costs have been incurred on an annual basis since 1995, broken down by fire authority area, on (a) vehicle fuel and (b) transport.

The available information is as follows:Fire Services Revenue Expenditure: Transport costs¹

	1995-96		1996-97
Brigade	Transport costs	of which revenue contributions to capital²	Transport costs	of which revenue contributions to capital
Central Scotland	195		169
Dumfries & Galloway	119		278	158
Fife	544		567
Grampian	605	38	654	396
Highlands & Islands	283		153
Lothian & Borders	682		733
Strathclyde	1,130		1,947
Tayside	337		334
SCOTLAND	3,895	38	4,835	554

	1997-98		1998-99³
Brigade	Transport costs	of which revenue contributions to capital	Transport costs	of which revenue contributions to capital
Central Scotland	244		213
Dumfries & Galloway	549	350	451	248
Fife	582		515
Grampian	1,085	506	801	281
Highlands & Islands	167		357
Lothian & Borders	752		700
Strathclyde	2,062		1,875
Tayside	365		394
SCOTLAND	5,806	856	5,603	529

Source: As reported by authorities on Local Return (LFR4).

1. Information about revenue expenditure on transport is not collected at a level of detail which would allow expenditure on vehicle fuel to be identified separately.

2. Transport costs include operating costs for transport and revenue contributions to capital for vehicles.

3. Data for 1998-99 are provisional and may be subject to change.

4. Information about capital expenditure on transport is not held centrally.

Question reference: S1W-07593

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 16 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has in respect of the rebate scheme relating to heavy oil.

	£ million
1997-98	2.383
1998-99	2.493
1999-2000	2.686