- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 30 July 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 22 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from the Road Haulage Association regarding compensation in connection with the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, what interim response it has given to any such representations and when it expects to issue a definitive response.
Answer
Scottish Executive officials have twice met with representatives of the Road Haulage Association (RHA) since the outbreak of the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) crisis; the last occasion being on 11 June when the RHA submitted detailed evidence in support of hauliers' potential compensation claims as a result of lost business due to FMD.Receipt of this detailed evidence has been acknowledged pending the Executive being in a position to issue a definitive response.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 July 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 21 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9098 by John Home Robertson on 7 September 2000, how it will ensure, under its finalised Scottish Forestry Strategy, that the Forestry Commission exercises effective controls to ensure necessary clearance of naturally regenerating woodland which could adversely affect scheduled ancient monuments in its own and in privately-owned forests.
Answer
For the Forestry Commission's own forests, Forest Enterprise has agreed management plans with Historic Scotland for all scheduled ancient monuments on the Commission's land. Each plan contains a programme for positive management, including regular monitoring and controlling regeneration as appropriate. For privately owned forests, the Forestry Commission will only approve management plans if they contain satisfactory proposals for safeguarding any scheduled ancient monuments covered by the plan.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 July 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 20 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has subjected proposals for an A77 Girvan by-pass to its New Appraisal Methodology and, if so, what the ratings are for integration, economy, safety, environment and accessibility, and what the summary of monetised cost-benefit measures is for both central and 'ero growth scenarios at both the 1994 price base and at current prices.
Answer
No. The Executive would expect proposals prepared around a decade ago to be reviewed using the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance issued on 30 July.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 July 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 20 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10497 by Sarah Boyack on 7 November 2000, which of the awards made under the Freight Facilities Grant scheme and the Rail Passenger Partnership Fund consisted (a) solely of capital payments, whether paid in one year or in instalments and (b) included revenue payments and, for (b), whether it will detail the level of revenue support profiled over the years for which the award was made.
Answer
| 2001-02 | £414,000 |
| 2002-03 | £82,000 |
| 2003-04 | £154,000 |
| 2004-05 | £55,000 |
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 July 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 20 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16259 by Sarah Boyack on 2 July 2001, whether it will publish (a) a summary of the non-sensitive information contained in the road safety investigation report for the A9 Ballinluig junction and (b) the recommendations contained in the report.
Answer
The investigation that was commissioned on the Ballinluig junction was to establish if the layout of the junction, existing signs and road markings contributed to the fatal accident that occurred on 3 April 2001. The conclusion of the investigation report was that none of these factors contributed to the accident.Some measures were identified which could increase safety and the following measures are being implemented: -
repositioning of the speed camera on the southbound carriageway;
new speed camera on the northbound carriageway;
introduction of a temporary 50mph speed limit;
installation of a video surveillance camera;minor improvements to signing and road markings.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 July 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 20 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive who currently has lead ministerial responsibility for the promotion of renewable energy and who currently chairs the Energy/Environment Liaison Group.
Answer
I am the Minister with lead responsibility for promotion of renewable energy in Scotland, and I chair the Executive's cross-cutting Energy Environment Group.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 July 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 20 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16407 by Mr Jim Wallace on 3 July 2001, where the 10,000 Gaelic translations of the census form questions were held during the census period; what steps were taken to advertise their availability; how many requests were made for copies, and what has been done with any unused copies.
Answer
4,500 Gaelic translation leaflets were distributed around Scotland's 22 Census Areas, broadly in proportion to the numbers of Gaelic speakers in each area. Some 3,500 were retained at Census HQ to meet any demand coming to the centre and a further 2,000 were retained at the premises of the distribution contractor for immediate response to extra demand in an area. Although there was no paid advertising for the Gaelic translation leaflet, its availability was mentioned in a number of News releases concerned with the availability of translations into minority languages generally; the Registrar General made a point of referring to the available translations in broadcast interviews and there was a specific news piece carried on Radio Nan Gaidheal by one of our Census District Managers. In anticipation of this broadcast a further 1,000 copies of the leaflet were despatched to the Area Manager for the Western Isles.Generally, however, the promotion of the availability of the leaflets was devolved to the 22 Census Area Managers throughout Scotland as part of their Community Liaison responsibilities and in response to demand. No specific record was kept of the take up of the leaflets but demand was not high. Authority has been given to destroy the unused copies held by Area Managers. The copies held at Census HQ and with the distributor are currently still held there, but may soon be destroyed.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 July 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 20 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how the level of support under the Freight Facilities Grant scheme is calculated where awards include elements of revenue funding and what provision is made for payments in relation to estimated or verified volumes of freight shifted from road to rail.
Answer
The Freight Facilities Grant scheme makes awards towards expenditure of a capital nature although the applicant's project as a whole can include revenue elements as well. Grant is calculated in relation to the environmental benefits estimated to be saved by switching freight traffic from road to rail. Volumes of freight shifted from road to rail are monitored by the Scottish Executive over the lifetime of the project.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 July 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 20 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-16539 and S1W-16540 by Sarah Boyack on 6 July 2001, whether such planning applications included applications for road construction consent; whether any proposals by local authorities to grant consent were notifiable to it as planning applications or road construction applications or both; where such proposals are not notifiable, what mechanisms exist for calling in the applications in question and, where they are notifiable, in what respects decisions by local authorities on such applications are not made readily available to the Executive.
Answer
None of the planning applications referred to in the answers to questions SIW-16539 and SIW-16540 related to planning applications for road construction consent. Road construction consents are not notifiable to the Scottish Executive and therefore the Executive does not have records of the decisions taken by the local authorities.There are no mechanisms for calling in applications. The applicant can appeal against road construction consents under the sub sections (6) and (7) of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 once the decision has been made by the local authority.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 July 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 20 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether signs erected by Bear Scotland Ltd and Amey alongside trunk roads and motorways require advertising consent from the relevant local authorities and, if so, whether any such consent has been sought and granted in all cases; whether erection of the signs requires its consent as the trunk roads authority and, if so, whether any consent has been sought and granted in all cases; whether the contractors, as agents of the Scottish Executive, have any discretion to award themselves any such consents, and whether these signs are intended to be permanent.
Answer
The new trunk road maintenance contracts require the new Operating Companies to provide an operational customer contact number for the recording of defects on the trunk road network. The customer contact signs erected by BEAR Scotland Ltd and Amey Highways Ltd along trunk roads are permanent signs and have been authorised as traffic signs at approved locations by the Scottish Executive. Local authorities have no remit with regard to signs within the trunk road boundary. Bear Scotland Ltd and Amey Highways Ltd cannot erect any signs within the trunk road boundary without the approval of the Scottish Executive.
