- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 31 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be a Scottish equivalent of Her Majesty's Government's 10-year plan for transport, or whether the UK strategy will have a Scottish component; when it expects any such Scottish strategy to be published, and whether the railway aspects of any Scottish strategy, or Scottish component of a UK strategy, will be produced by Scottish Ministers or the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority.
Answer
The contents and publication of the UK Government's I0-year plan are matters for that Government. The plan will not cover devolved transport matters but would apply to Scotland insofar as it relates to reserved matters, including rail. Scottish Ministers have various functions in relation to railways in Scotland; these are exercised within the context of the GB regulatory framework. Before giving directions and guidance to the Strategic Rail Authority on the Scottish rail franchise we will consult on the strategic priorities which will underpin those directions.
On completion of the review of their spending, Scottish Ministers will announce their proposals for investment, including on transport.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 14 July 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 25 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8386 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 13 July 2000, whether it will give local authorities enhanced consent under section 94 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 to fund tenants' incentive schemes in designated areas.
Answer
As indicated in my earlier reply, the Executive is currently considering the precise funding mechanisms that will apply to any cash incentives provided to tenants of social landlords in line with the proposals set out in paragraph 42 of the Consultation Paper Better Homes for Scotland's Communities - The Executive's proposals for the Housing Bill.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 18 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers to be the implications of the Competition Act 1998 for Scotland's water authorities.
Answer
The Executive published its consultation paper Managing Change in the Water Industry on 15 June. The paper sets out the Executive's proposals for responding to increased competition in the Scottish water sector, including that encouraged by the Competition Act 1998.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 31 March 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 17 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4347 by Sarah Boyack on 21 March 2000, whether it will require the relevant local authorities to safeguard the routes identified in the answer when revised structure plans are submitted to it.
Answer
No. Revised structure plans should include those schemes on which work is expected to commence in the plan period; other schemes should merit only description in the text, the level of detail dependant on the degree of commitment. As explained in answer to question S1W-4347, the detailed routes can then be safeguarded in local plans.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 13 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it would cost to end date stamping on books of concessionary tickets for the Skye Bridge; who would meet such costs, and whether the termination of date stamping would have any impact upon the end date of the current toll collection contract.
Answer
When I made public the DTZ Pieda Socio-Economic Impact Evaluation of the Skye Bridge on 22 June 2000, I also indicated that I had asked officials to investigate the cost and practical implications of ending the date stamping on books of discount tickets. This investigation is proceeding.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 13 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has asked Her Majesty's Government to clarify whether there is any basis for a derogation from the EU proposals regarding VAT on bridge tolls in respect of the Skye Bridge, on the basis that there is no alternative access to Skye.
Answer
The European Court of Justice decision on whether VAT should be levied on toll charges is not expected before 12 September. The UK Government and the devolved administrations are at present considering the likely consequences if the Court were not to find in favour of the United Kingdom.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 13 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether current concessions for empty sheep and cattle floats on Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) ferry routes represented a commercial decision by CalMac or a requirement by the Scottish Executive, and whether the specification for the new, tendered ferry services will incorporate a requirement to retain existing float concessions.
Answer
Fares concessions are a commercial matter for Caledonian MacBrayne. I understand that this particular concession was introduced following discussions between the company and the National Farmers Union of Scotland.
Decisions on the specification for tendering, including the possible incorporation of the concessions currently operated by Caledonian MacBrayne, will be taken by the Scottish Executive in due course. All relevant factors will be taken into account, including representations made during the recent consultation exercise and the conclusions of the review of fares structures currently being carried out by the company, at the request of the Executive.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 13 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether controlled waters in terms of the risk assessment under The Contaminated Land (Scotland) Regulations 2000 Statutory Guidance: Regulatory Impact Assessment (Final) includes waters in coastal docks and harbours unrelated to natural or canalised water courses.
Answer
The definition of controlled waters in section 78A(9) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 refers to that in section 30A of the Control of Pollution Act 1974, and embraces territorial and coastal waters, inland fresh waters and groundwater.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 13 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the definition of equity or fairness in The Contaminated Land (Scotland) Regulations 2000 Statutory Guidance: Regulatory Impact Assessment (Final) will require local authorities and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to assess the affordability to owners and occupiers of remediation.
Answer
Statutory guidance on exclusion from, and apportionment of, liability for remediation is set out in Chapter D of the guidance, which was laid before Parliament on 25 May. It provides guidance on circumstances where two or more persons are liable to bear the responsibility for any particular thing by way of remediation. It deals with the questions of who should be excluded from liability, and how the cost of each remediation action should be apportioned between those who remain liable after any such exclusion.
An enforcing authority can only serve a remediation notice if it is satisfied that it would seek to recover all of the share of the reasonable costs from each appropriate person. If not, it has powers instead to carry out the remediation activity itself, and recover relevant costs.
Statutory guidance on the recovery of the costs of remediation is set out in Chapter E of the guidance. It sets out guidance on the extent to which the enforcing authority should seek to recover the costs of any remediation activity which it has carried out. It refers in particular to how the enforcing authority should deal with the threat of business closure or insolvency to small or medium-sized enterprises.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 13 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it will issue to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and local authorities under The Contaminated Land (Scotland) Regulations 2000 Statutory Guidance: Regulatory Impact Assessment (Final) about issuing remediation notices to small businesses occupying polluted land, owned by other parties, in circumstances where the small businesses are locked into tenancy agreements predating the regulations, given that tenancy agreements may transfer potential obligations from owners and polluters to current occupiers of contaminated sites.
Answer
An enforcing authority can only serve a remediation notice if it is satisfied that it would seek to recover all of the share of the reasonable costs from each appropriate person. If not, it has powers instead to carry out the remediation activity itself, and recover relevant costs.
Statutory guidance on the recovery of the costs of remediation is set out in Chapter E, which sets out guidance on the extent to which the enforcing authority should seek to recover the costs of any remediation activity which it has carried out. It refers in particular to how the enforcing authority should deal with the threat of business closure or insolvency to small or medium-sized enterprises.
