- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 23 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7184 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 7 June 2000, whether the seminar with all relevant parties in relation to the employment and training opportunities arising from New Housing Partnerships has been held; what outcomes have resulted from the seminar, and what further consultation, guidance or action it has issued, given or taken as a result of the seminar.
Answer
The seminar was held in August 2000. Following the seminar, a Working Group has been established including representatives from the Scottish Executive, Scottish Homes, Scottish Enterprise, the Employment Service, CoSLA, the Construction Industry Training Board, the Scottish House Builders Association and Professor Alan MacGregor of Glasgow University. The group's remit is "to identify the mechanisms required to maximise both employment opportunities and inclusion benefits arising from housing investment". The group intends to report back in early summer this year.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 22 January 2001
To ask the Presiding Officer what the total value is of all works packages let to date in relation to the Holyrood Project, and what proportion of the construction and construction contingency budget of #119 million has been (a) spent and (b) committed to date.
Answer
The total value of all works packages let to date is £21.8 million. Some 13% of the construction and contingency budget of £119 million has been spent to date and around 20% of that total figure is committed. To date, none of the contingency element of the budget has been spent or committed.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 22 January 2001
To ask the Presiding Officer which works packages still to go to tender in relation to the Holyrood project may be compromised by a decision to divulge the value of contracts let after earlier, similar tendering exercises.
Answer
The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has already stated that, in principle and with the agreement of the contractors involved, information concerning the value of contracts let should be put into the public domain. However, I understand that at this point in the programme, our negotiating position in relation to all future packages could potentially be prejudiced by releasing the details of earlier contracts. This position should ease in the very near future and wherever possible this information will be reported to MSPs as soon as is practicable.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 22 January 2001
To ask the Presiding Officer what capital contracts have been let to date in relation to the Holyrood Project, indicating in each case the successful tenderer and the timescale for each works package.
Answer
The information is as follows:
Works Package | Contractor | Estimated contract duration |
| Retention West Basement | Amec Civil Engineering Ltd | 4 months |
| Excavation West | Barr Ltd | 3 months |
| Well Probing | Wimtec Environmental Ltd | 11 months |
| Piling West Basement | Amec Civil Engineering Ltd | 3 months |
| Substructure West Basement | O'Rourke Civil Engineering Ltd | 5 months |
| Tower Cranes | Select Plant Hire Ltd | 20 months |
| Asbestos/Pigeon Dropping Removal | Chamic Industrial Services Ltd | 5 months |
| Well Drilling | Richies Ltd | 5 months |
| QH Scaffolding | Lyndon Scaffolding PLC | 19 months |
| MSP Frame | O'Rourke Civil Engineering Ltd | 10 months |
| Electrical Enabling Works | James Scott Ltd | 10 months |
| Lifts Whole Site | Otis Limited | 24 months |
| QH Demolition/Reconstruction | Ballast Construction Scotland Ltd | 17 months |
| Substructure East Basement | O'Rourke Civil Engineering Limited | 7 months |
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 22 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10164 by Sarah Boyack on 28 October 2000, when it will announce the criteria for defining which areas should be targeted for extra resources under the Powershift programme.
Answer
A list of postcodes defining the areas to be targeted for the additional resources for Powershift was passed to the Energy Savings Trust by the Scottish Executive on 17 November. The criterion used to determine this list was a drivetime of over 30 minutes from settlements with a population of 10,000 as I explained in my answer to S1O-2675 on 7 December.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 9 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with representatives of South East Scotland Transport (SESTRANS) regarding all rail approaches to Waverley station, who is funding any research arising from such discussions, who is undertaking the lead role in any ongoing work and when it and SESTRANS will receive reports arising from any research.
Answer
Preliminary discussions are underway amongst SESTRANS, the shadow Strategic Rail Authority, the Scottish Executive and the rail industry on the merits of conducting a rail capacity study for Central Scotland. Such a study would include consideration of rail approaches to Waverley station. No decisions have been taken on the lead role, finances or timing.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 8 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any proposals to reduce or redistribute projected household formation to 2012 and, if it has no such proposals, whether it intends to ensure that structure plan areas identify sufficient effective land supply to ensure that an adequate supply of housing can be provided to meet demand created by household formation as set out in its Statistical Bulletin HSG\2000\4 on projected households.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no proposals to revise the current projections for the period 1998-2012, set out in Statistical Bulletin HSG\2000\4.
National Planning Policy Guideline (NPPG) 3: Land for Housing requires structure plans to provide inter alia for a minimum five-year supply of land which is effective or capable of becoming effective to meet the requirements of the plan. In taking decisions on structure plans the Scottish Ministers will take account of this NPPG along with other national policies and any representations submitted to them.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 20 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Minister for Transport's comments to the Transport and the Environment Committee on 8 November 2000 (official report col. 1155) whether electronic charging schemes will require road users to pay only on roads within designated areas and not for crossing cordons on the perimeter of designated areas.
Answer
The Transport (Scotland) Bill allows local authorities to levy a charge for either of the scenarios outlined.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 20 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Minister for Transport's comments to the Transport and the Environment Committee on 8 November 2000 (official report col. 1155) whether any proposed electronic charging schemes will require any equipment to be fitted to motor vehicles, and whether road users will be expected to pay to acquire and fit such equipment.
Answer
The Transport (Scotland) Bill allows local authorities to require, if they so wish, specified equipment to be carried in, or fitted to, a motor vehicle while it is on a road on which charges are imposed. It is up to the local authority as to whether road users will be expected to pay to acquire and fit such equipment. This information will be made clear to road users when local authorities consult on their proposals.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 20 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Minister for Transport's comments to the Transport and the Environment Committee on 8 November 2000 (official report col. 1155), whether it will confirm that it will not approve any road user charging scheme which is paper based.
Answer
The Transport (Scotland) Bill allows local authorities to introduce a variety of electronic or paper-based road user charging schemes. While the Executive does not believe that a paper-based scheme is suitable for a large-scale urban area, there may be local congestion hot spots where paper is appropriate. Any paper-based proposal would have to win the support of the local community and others before the Executive would consider its merits.
