- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 22 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will update the traffic flow measurements for the A7 illustrated in its 1994 leaflet, Hawick to the Border, in the light of (a) growth in traffic levels since then, (b) the completion of the southern sections of the M74 and (c) alterations to the status of the A68 south of the Border.
Answer
The traffic flow figures for the A7 shown in the 1994 brochure
A7 Route Action Plan-Hawick to the Border were derived as part of a large scale traffic study and current figures are not available in that format. However, the Scottish Executive records traffic data from key locations on the trunk road network and these are stored in the Scottish Roads Traffic Database.
There are four counters operating on a daily basis on the A7. The figures for 1994 and 1998 (the latest year for which fully validated figures are available) and associated % growth are:
A7 Annual Average Daily Flows (AADF)
LOCATION | 1994 AADF | 1998 AADF | % Growth |
| A7 South of Canonbie | 3,213* (3265 Feb) | 4,035 (3594 Feb) | 10% |
A7 Langholm | 3,442 | 3,246 | -6% |
A7 North of Langholm | 2,228 (1739 Feb) | 1,769** (1796 Feb) | 3% |
A7 Linhope South of Teviothead | 1,760 | 1,736 | -1% |
*January - March only (% growth based on February count only)
** February-March only (% growth based on February count only)
Requests for Scottish traffic information can be made through the Scottish Parliament Information Centre or can be obtained directly from the Scottish Executive Road Network Management and Maintenance Division.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 21 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the sample si'e and distribution used in Dr Neil Campbell's research for the Cancer Research Campaign were sufficient to validate his research findings; what action it proposes to take to identify the causes of, and determine remedies for, higher cancer mortality rates for residents in Scotland's rural areas, and what targets it will set for the removal of urban-rural disparities in cancer mortality rates.
Answer
It is not appropriate for me to comment on the research methodology adopted by other organisations or specific individuals.
The Scottish Executive's commitment to reduce deaths from cancer and the action required to meet this target are clearly set out in Towards a Healthier Scotland. Similarly, the Programme for Government sets out our social justice and healthcare agendas, which will contribute to the achievement of those objectives. The work of the Scottish Cancer Group is helping to inform and develop cancer services across Scotland to ensure equity of access to treatment and care nationwide.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 21 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-6991 and S1W-6992 by Sarah Boyack on 1 June 2000, what the timescale will be for the introduction of secondary legislation, in the form of an amendment to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992, to remove permitted development rights in general for telecommunications developments.
Answer
We are currently discussing the future scope of planning controls over telecommunications with local authorities and the industry in the light of the recommendations in the report from the Transport and the Environment Committee. We intend consulting on draft legislation and associated guidance during the summer. Our normal practice is to allow eight weeks for responses. We will give full consideration to the responses and bring forward the necessary legislation as soon as possible thereafter.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 13 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report on progress in finalising the proposed Private Finance Initiative scheme for the Larkhall railway.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer I gave to question S1W-3811.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 12 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the finding in the Transport Research Laboratory's report to the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions that reserving road space for bus lanes contributes to congestion has any implications for its proposed Integrated Transport Bill.
Answer
No. The Integrated Transport (Scotland) Bill, will reinforce the message that tackling congestion requires a comprehensive integrated transport strategy with local authorities and public transport operators working together to complement each others strengths. The Transport Research Laboratory's report stated that there were some successful and some disappointing bus priority schemes, but overall such schemes had some degree of success. The challenge is to learn from that experience and ensure that bus priority schemes are properly targeted and integrated into wider transport strategies.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 12 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has obtained any assessment of the anticipated timescale for implementation of physical works arising from third generation telecommunications licenses from the Department of Trade and Industry.
Answer
I refer Mr Tosh to the answer I gave to question S1W-6966.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 12 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-661 by Susan Deacon on 28 September 1999, whether arrangements for public consultation have now been established and what weight will be attached to local opinion polls or any other form of specifically local consultation in reaching final decisions on whether to fluoridate water supplies.
Answer
I refer to my answer of 14 April 2000 to Mrs Scanlon's question S1W-3922.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 12 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4704 by Sarah Boyack on 15 March 2000, whether it will specify every respect in which the "new dual carriageway special road" in question will be "special".
Answer
The term "special road" stems from the Special Roads Act 1949. The proposed new A1 Haddington to Dunbar dual carriageway will be a road authorised by a Special Road Scheme and restricted in respect to the classes of traffic permitted to use the road authorised under the Act by a Special Road Scheme which means that there will be restrictions in respect of the classes of traffic that can use it, similar to those which apply to motorways.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 12 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will estimate the costs of implementing contaminated land legislation within the allocation to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency for 2000-01 and 2001-02 in table 7.15 of its publication Investing in You.
Answer
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) estimates that it will incur operating costs amounting to £430,000 in 2000-01 and £440,000 in 2001-02 in carrying out its responsibilities under the new contaminated land regime. This equates to approximately 7.5 full-time equivalent staff resources in each year. The additional financial burdens expected to fall upon SEPA have been taken into account in its grant-in-aid settlements.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 12 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the figure for receipts shown in table 7.2 of its publication, Investing in You, whether it will identify the principal constituent components and, in particular, identify receipts from Erskine Bridge tolls and appropriations in aid.
Answer
The words "receipts" and "appropriations in aid" as used in
Investing In You are synonymous. The breakdown is set out in the following table:
| 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 |
£ million | £ million | £ million | £ million |
Outturn | Estimate | Plans | Plans |
Erskine Bridge toll receipts | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
VAT recovery on current expenditure | 8.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 |
Receipts from land sales | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
VAT recovery on capital expenditure | 7.2 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 |
*ERDF Grant | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Total Receipts | | 21.5 | 23.2 | 23.0 | 23.0 |
*European Regional Development Funds for the A830 Polnish to Loch nan Uamh trunk road scheme.
