- 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 Railtrack's proposals to develop the Waverley Station require any statutory consents or clearances within its areas of responsibility and, if so, whether any such consents and clearances have been granted.
Answer
Railtrack has already secured the necessary Parliamentary powers to raise the roof height of Waverley Station. I understand that the next stage is for the company to prepare detailed design plans and then to seek Planning Permission from the City of Edinburgh Council as the planning 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, 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 Allan Wilson on 20 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16578 by Allan Wilson on 9 July 2001, what targets it has set Historic Scotland in relation to taking additional properties within the care of the Scottish ministers and what properties have been taken into care since 1 July 1999.
Answer
No targets have been set for taking additional properties into care. Each case is judged on its merits. Since 1 July 1999 the following properties have been taken into care:Iona: Abbey Iona: NunneryKisimul Castle, BarraLindsay Aisle, Angus
- 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, how many calls were made to Gaelic-speaking operators on the Census Helpline during the census period seeking assistance in completing census forms.
Answer
157 calls were made.
- 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: 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, 16 July 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 17 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to assess any damage done to archaeological sites in Scotland as a result of land cover changes in recent decades following Scottish Natural Heritage's analysis of these changes as part of the National Countryside Monitoring Scheme.
Answer
I have asked Graeme Munro, Chief Executive of Historic Scotland to answer. His response is as follows:Historic Scotland began monitoring the condition of all scheduled ancient monuments in 1986. A team of eleven part-time locally based staff visits these sites on a cyclical pattern and records their condition and the surrounding land-use on a central database. Over 7,000 sites of national importance are currently monitored in this manner. There are no plans to extend monitoring to unscheduled archaeological sites.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 July 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 17 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to increase resources for the Rural Stewardship Scheme in future financial years.
Answer
Agri-environment expenditure is planned to increase year on year up to £37m in 2006.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 July 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 17 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications under the Rural Stewardship Scheme were made in the current financial year to its Environment and Rural Affairs Department; what this year's budget provision is; what the estimated total cost of all the applications is; how the applications will be prioritised, and what plans it has to increase the available budget or to give a degree of priority to schemes from farms within areas directly affected by the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.
Answer
The number of applications submitted for approval this year is 476. These applications have a total cost of £28.5m. The total agri-environment budget for the current financial year is £30m, subject to sterling/euro currency fluctuations. As set out in the scheme literature, applications will be prioritised on the basis of the extent to which they will contribute to achievement of international and national conservation objectives and to local priorities for biodiversity. Agri-environment expenditure is planned to increase year on year up to £37m in 2006. There are no plans to give additional priority to schemes from farms within areas directly affected by the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.
- 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 16 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a need for improved road links to Turnberry Hotel and golf course to retain the course's future Open Championship status, whether it intends to allocate funding to construct an A77 Maybole by-pass in any future trunk roads budget and whether it plans to make additional resources available to South Ayrshire Council to improve related road links through and around south Ayr and north Carrick.
Answer
The factors taken into account when considering a golfing venue's suitability for the Open Championship are for the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews. Representatives of Turnberry have, however, discussed with officials from the Executive the integrated transport management plans being developed with South Ayrshire Council, SPT and the police. Those concerned are aware that the trunk roads programme announced on 27 March includes 7 major improvement schemes on the A77 scheduled for completion by 2005. They also recognise that it would be inappropriate to anticipate in their planning what the trunk road investment priorities will be for later years.Following Spending Review 2000, an additional £70m over 3 years was allocated to help local authorities address local roads and bridges issues. This formed part of the record 3 year block allocation to councils announced by the Minister for Finance in December last year. The Executive has no plans to make additional allocations to councils. Decisions on spending priorities within the block allocations are a matter for the councils concerned.
