- 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 Ross Finnie on 13 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals it is considering for the application of environmental impact assessment procedures to projects intended to make more intensive use of uncultivated land.
Answer
A range of options have been included in a consultation paper that was issued on 1 June 2001 and which invites responses on what would be the best way forward on implementing the uncultivated land and semi-natural areas provisions of the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive.
Responses to the consultation paper are required by 31 August 2001 and a copy of the paper is available from the Parliament's Reference Centre or the Scottish Executive website.
- 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 Alasdair Morrison on 13 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what roles it sees for Scotland's historic environment in its strategy for tourism and for Historic Scotland in developing Scotland's tourism industry.
Answer
The historic environment is recognised in our tourism strategy as an important factor in attracting visitors to Scotland.
As the largest operator of paid visitor attractions in Scotland, Historic Scotland plays a major role in developing Scotland's tourism industry. Nearly three million visitors are attracted each year to the historic sites throughout the country which Historic Scotland conserves, manages and presents. The Agency will continue to work with others nationally and locally to maintain and develop high quality visitor attractions and to market them around the world.
- 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 Sarah Boyack on 13 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10474 by Sarah Boyack on 6 November 2000, whether the scoping exercise to identify an appropriate methodology to forecast traffic growth in Scotland has been completed and, if so, whether it has now made a decision on the most appropriate way forward and can give a definitive answer to question S1W-10474.
Answer
The work is ongoing and the Executive expects to report on progress in the Transport Delivery Plan.
- 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 13 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals it has to ensure that detailed management plans are agreed with Historic Scotland in respect of scheduled ancient monuments in privately owned forests.
Answer
I have asked Graeme Munro, Chief Executive of Historic Scotland to answer. His response is as follows:
We have no proposals at this time. Applications to the Forestry Commission's Woodland Grant Scheme that involve scheduled ancient monuments are subject to consultation with Historic Scotland.
- 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 Ross Finnie on 10 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive which of the recommendations made in Review of the Regulatory Burden: IACS and Inspections in Scotland have been implemented in full or in part and what progress has been made in, and what targets set for the completion of, the implementation of the remaining recommendations.
Answer
16 of the 23 Red Tape Review recommendations have now been implemented in full. These are recommendations 1-3, 6-12, and 15-21, and they include the establishment of an independent appeals mechanism, improvements in inspections and important developments on communication with producers.
The remaining seven are all in progress, and require longer-term action. The roll-out of Electronic Service Delivery (recommendation 2) for submission of scheme applications is now well underway, with a forward timetable publicised along with the External Communications Strategy. Recommendation 13 has been raised at EU level. It is mostly concerned with the simplification of the CAP, and is being discussed in the relevant EC working groups. Some of the elements of Recommendation 14, which deal mainly with specific Scheme operational or policy rules, have been implemented and others are under active consideration. The remaining four (namely 4, 5, 22 and 23) are also being actively progressed with further progress expected this autumn. These recommendations concern moving to a map based Field Data Sheet, integrating IACS further with the agricultural census, and producing guidance notes on specific situations.
- 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 Lewis Macdonald on 10 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it gave to the Ayrshire Joint Structure Plan Committee and South Ayrshire Council about protecting the line of the proposed Girvan by-pass.
Answer
No advice was given to either the Committee or the Council about protecting any line for a proposed by-pass.
- 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 Lewis Macdonald on 10 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it gave to the Ayrshire Joint Structure Plan Committee about including the proposed Girvan by-pass in its draft Ayrshire Structure Plan.
Answer
No advice was given to the Ayrshire Joint Structure Plan Committee about a Girvan by-pass, either by The Scottish Office (at plan submission stage) or by the Scottish Executive in the steps leading up to the plan's approval.
- 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 10 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will (a) detail all the proposed road improvements in the unpublished A77 Ayr-Stranraer Route Action Plan and (b) indicate the best estimate of the cost of each improvement at current prices.
Answer
Apart from the ongoing Accident Investigation and Prevention, Mass Action and Traffic Management Works, the following proposed road improvements to the A77 between Ayr and Stranraer are planned:-
Scheme | Current Estimate |
Turnberry Climbing Lane | £2,400,000 |
Blackneuk | £600,000 |
Burnside | £1,500,000 |
The current Review of Route Action Plans (RAPs) includes the A77 RAP. A number of additional schemes between Ayr and Stranraer are being appraised as part of this review.
- 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 Jackie Baillie on 10 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, when responsibility for grant funding for affordable housing is transferred to local authorities, it will require relevant authorities to operate a uniform project appraisal methodology across Scotland and what discretion it intends should be allowed for grant aid for projects in areas where costs exceed cost guidelines due to high land acquisition or infrastructure costs or constraints in local contracting capacity.
Answer
As provided for under section 93 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, Scottish Ministers will make regulations setting out the purpose, procedures and terms and conditions that all local authorities will have to observe in providing financial assistance for housing purposes. The Regulations will specify the scope for dealing with particular local circumstances. Ministers will consult local authorities and others about the content of the regulations.
- 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 Jackie Baillie on 10 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will act on the recommendations in Rural Partnership for Change: Report of the National Steering Group that it should attach greater priority to funding affordable housing development for the private rented sector in rural areas, and that higher rates of grant for housing development should be available to the private sector in defined circumstances.
Answer
At my request, Scottish Homes has again increased provisions in rural areas, from £45.1 million last year to £49.5 million in 2001-02. These resources, which are spread across Scottish Homes' regions, are being made available for the provision of affordable rented housing by social landlords. We are not convinced that the resources available would be better targeted through private landlords. However, if it appears appropriate in the local circumstances, Scottish Homes can consider and make recommendations to Ministers to support such projects. In addition, when development funding passes to local authorities, they will also be open to consider and suggest such alternative approaches.
