- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 28 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-1415 and S1W-7180 by Henry McLeish on 10 November 1999 and 3 July 2000 respectively, which technologies relevant to emission standards from road vehicles are promoted through the Energy Efficiency Best Practice Programme (EEBPP), what funding it contributes, and from which budget, to the EEBPP and what information is made available to the public about specific devices, or tests carried out by or for the EEBPP on specific devices.
Answer
No such technologies are promoted at the moment. The EEBPP may promote technologies if they are proven to deliver emission savings. In the meantime its focus is on promoting management measures like driver training, which have a proven record of delivering savings.
The Executive does not contribute funding to the EEBPP, which is funded entirely by DETR. The programme does not carry out tests. It evaluates test data provided by manufacturers, and to date there are no publications available on fuel-saving devices because they have not been proven to work. However, the EEBPP has recently commissioned a study by a transport consultancy into test parameters for fuel-saving devices. The results should be published by the end of the year.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 27 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what its intentions are in relation to VAT on bridge tolls and in particular whether commitments by Her Majesty's Treasury to pay for tolls from Government funds will apply to Scotland, whether any comparable commitment in Scotland would have to be funded by the Executive, and whether the Executive is committed to ensuring that bridge users in Scotland are treated no less favourably than those in England and Wales.
Answer
VAT is a reserved matter and the UK Government is therefore responsible for implementation of the European Court of Justice decision that VAT should be levied on road, bridge and tunnel tolls not controlled by public authorities. Treasury Ministers have announced that they will consult toll operators on a scheme to ensure that private motorists will not suffer as a result of the Court's decision. Details of the scheme have yet to be drawn up but Treasury Ministers have given an assurance that it will be fully funded. The scheme will apply equally to Scotland as it does to other parts of the UK. Scottish Ministers and officials will continue to work closely with Whitehall colleagues to ensure that Scottish interests are fully represented in the development of the proposed scheme.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 26 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a similar specification will be used in landscaping and screening the new section of the A1 special road between Haddington and Dunbar to that used in previous phrases of upgrading.
Answer
Landscaping and landscape screening on the Haddington to Dunbar upgrading will be developed under the principles of Cost Effective Landscape: Learning from Nature, which was published by the Scottish Office in February 1998.
- 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 David Steel on 25 September 2000
To ask the Presiding Officer, further to resolution S1M-720 passed by the Parliament on 5 April 1999, what the consequences will be if the final costs for the Holyrood building project exceed the #195 million budget.
Answer
The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group reported to the Corporate Body on 19 September that the Holyrood building project remains on course for completion within the £195 million budget approved by Parliament on 5 April 2000. Any change to this position would be reported to Parliament without delay.
- 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 Jack McConnell on 25 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9271 by Mr Jack McConnell on 8 September 2000, how much was paid to members of staff at Victoria Quay in 1999-2000 in respect of (a) mileage claims, (b) car hire, (c) public transport and (d) taxi hire for official business.
Answer
Information in the form requested regarding official business expenses for members of the Scottish Executive divided by building occupied or location is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 01 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 22 September 2000
To ask the Presiding Officer whether Bovis will be appointed to manage the fit-out of the new Parliament building; whose decision this will be and when it will be taken.
Answer
The fit-out of the new Parliament building will be managed by the Holyrood Project Team acting together with the Scottish Parliament Procurement Office. It is envisaged that Bovis Lend Lease may have a role as the Parliament's agent in procuring some elements of the fit-out, given their considerable understanding of the finished building and their existing responsibilities as Construction Manager for the project.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 01 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 22 September 2000
To ask the Presiding Officer what risk assessment was carried out before the selection of a procurement method for the Holyrood project and what were the reasons for selecting the chosen approach.
Answer
I am informed that all implications of the various methods of procurement were considered by The Scottish Office before a decision was made to opt for the Construction Management/works package approach to the Holyrood building project in July 1998. There has been no direct criticism of this decision in the investigations carried out by John Spencely and auditors on the project. The Construction Management Agreement requires the appointed Construction Manager to put a framework in place for managing the construction process, with construction works being carried out by the Trade Contractors. This approach offers the flexibility to deliver each element of the building at the best possible price and has enabled progress to be made on site notwithstanding the continued development of the final design.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 01 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 22 September 2000
To ask the Presiding Officer when the decision was made, and by whom, to procure the Holyrood project through a series of works packages, rather than by a traditional "single stage lump sum" procurement.
Answer
The Auditor General for Scotland's report on the Holyrood project, published this week, explains in part 1 that the decision to adopt the "construction management" method of contracting was taken in July 1998 by "project management" in the Scottish Office, consistent with advice from the Design Team and the project's cost consultants.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 01 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 22 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether objections to the proposal to close Holyrood Road were lodged; what procedures were used to consider the proposal and any objections and whether the Road Closure Order has now been approved.
Answer
This is a matter for the City of Edinburgh Council.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 01 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 22 September 2000
To ask the Presiding Officer what progress has been made in achieving the #31-#44 million in savings on construction and other costs identified in paragraph 8.7 of the Spencely Report on the Holyrood building project.
Answer
SPCB Report No 4 was endorsed by the Parliament on 5 April 2000. This made clear that, based on the latest design proposals, the Holyrood building could be delivered for £195 million. The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has reported to the SPCB that the Quantity Surveyor's latest cost report for September 2000 is consistent with that figure. He has also assured me that, as the tendering process continues, the Design Team is carrying out an ongoing review of opportunities to identify any potential for further savings.