Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S1W-06995

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 1 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6319 by Mr Tom McCabe on 9 May 2000, when it will provide a substantive answer to S1W-2963, lodged on 3 December 1999 and which was not answered on 25 January 2000 as stated in the answer to S1W-6319.

Question reference: S1W-06994

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 1 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list those conservation areas in respect of which Article 4 directions to withdraw permitted development rights for telecommunications developments have been issued; whether it has the power to remove permitted development rights for telecommunications developments in all of Scotland's conservation areas and, if so, what plans it has to use such powers, and whether it has the powers to remove permitted development rights in any other circumstances and, if so, what plans it has to use these powers.

The list below contains details from our records on Article 4 directions. The list contains directions, approved for conservation areas, which include restrictions on permitted development rights for telecommunications development. Our records prior to 1992, when the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992 came into force, may be incomplete.

The promotion of Article 4 Directions for conservation areas is usually a matter for individual planning authorities in the first instance. Such directions require the approval of the Scottish Ministers. The Scottish Ministers may also promote Article 4 Directions for any area that they may specify. This power does not extend to all permitted development rights but does include those for telecommunications code system operators. We have no plans at present to use this power.

The Scottish Ministers may also remove specific permitted development rights by amending the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992.

Local Authority	Conservation Area	Date Made	Date Approved
Aberdeenshire	Ballater	15/11/1995	20/12/1995
	Kincardine O'Neil	15/11/1995	20/12/1995
	Braemar	04/07/1997	08/12/1997
	Inverey	04/07/1997	08/12/1997
	Aboyne	04/07/1997	08/12/1997
Dumfries and Galloway	Wigtown	10/03/2000	19/04/2000
Dundee City	The West Ferry	14/04/1997	06/08/1997
	The Broughty Ferry	14/04/1997	06/08/1997
	The Grove	14/04/1997	06/08/1997
	The Reres Hill	14/04/1997	06/08/1997
	The Forthill	14/04/1997	06/08/1997
	The Blackness Industrial	01/08/1997	07/10/1997
	The South Tay Street	01/08/1997	07/10/1997
Edinburgh City	Juniper Green	21/12/1993	29/04/1994
	Morton Mains	21/12/1993	29/04/1994
	Swanston	21/12/1993	29/04/1994
	Colinton	21/12/1993	29/04/1994
Fife	Anstruther	19/02/1993	25/10/1993
	Auchtermuchty	19/02/1993	25/10/1993
	Balmerino	19/02/1993	25/10/1993
	Cellardyke	19/02/1993	25/10/1993
	Ceres	19/02/1993	25/10/1993
	Crail	19/02/1993	25/10/1993
	Cupar	19/02/1993	25/10/1993
	Elie	19/02/1993	25/10/1993
	Falkland	19/02/1993	25/10/1993
	Kilconquhar	19/02/1993	25/10/1993
	Kingsbarns	19/02/1993	25/10/1993
	Kilrenny	19/02/1993	25/10/1993
	Leuchars	19/02/1993	25/10/1993
	Lower Largo	19/02/1993	25/10/1993
	Newburgh	19/02/1993	25/10/1993
	Newport-on-Tay	19/02/1993	25/10/1993
	Pittenweem	19/02/1993	25/10/1993
	St. Andrews	19/02/1993	25/10/1993
	St. Monans	19/02/1993	25/10/1993
	Strathmiglo	19/02/1993	25/10/1993
	Upper Largo	19/02/1993	25/10/1993
	Collessie	19/02/1993	06/12/1993
	Letham	05/11/1993	30/03/1994
	Hepburn Gardens, St. Andrews	05/11/1993	30/03/1994
	Colinsburgh	06/06/1996	30/07/1997
	Brunton	06/06/1996	30/07/1997
Glasgow City	Pollok Park	24/11/1995	30/03/1998
North Lanarkshire	Kilsyth	11/01/1989	04/10/1989
	Dullatur	11/01/1989	04/10/1989
Perth and Kinross	King Street/James Street, Perth	20/12/1985	03/08/1988
	Fortingall	20/12/1985	03/08/1988
	Kenmore	20/12/1985	03/08/1988
	St John Street, Perth	20/12/1985	03/08/1988
	City Mills, Perth	20/12/1985	03/08/1988
	Muthill	20/12/1985	03/08/1988
	George Street/Perth Bridge, Perth	20/12/1985	03/08/1988
	Marshall Place/St. Leonard's Bank, Perth	20/12/1985	03/08/1988
	Tay Street, Perth	20/12/1985	03/08/1988
	Comrie	20/12/1985	03/08/1988
	Barossa Place/Atholl Street, Perth	20/12/1985	03/08/1988
South Ayrshire	Girvan	01/10/1993	06/03/1995
South Lanarkshire	East Kilbride Village	10/05/1995	18/07/1995
	Hamilton Town Centre	10/10/1995	18/07/1996

Question reference: S1W-06992

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 1 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what the timescale will be for the introduction of any primary legislation which will be required following the Minister for Transport and the Environment's remarks about planning controls for telecommunications developments in the Parliament on 11 May 2000.

Question reference: S1W-06988

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 1 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive how many awards of Transport Challenge Funding have been made, committed or offered to local authorities for projects which include dedicated bus lanes; what procedures it uses to ensure that such projects will reduce congestion, and whether it sets performance targets for local authority projects when it awards Transport Challenge Funding.

So far 11 projects which include dedicated bus lanes have been awarded funding from the Public Transport Fund. In addition, a further two projects were awarded funding from the previous Government's Transport Challenge Fund. When a bid is received an assessment of the proposed aims of the project is carried out and this is taken into consideration in assessing competing bids. Successful authorities are required to submit an action plan for their projects against which implementation of the proposals is monitored by the Executive but no specific performance targets are set. The monitoring of projects in terms of reducing congestion is a matter for local authorities; no bus lane project supported under the Public Transport Fund is yet fully complete.

Question reference: S1W-06991

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 1 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures it will require to follow to remove permitted development rights in general for telecommunications developments.

Question reference: S1W-04935

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 31 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive how much capital expenditure was approved by the Water Industry Commissioner for each of 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2001-02, to identify how much of that expenditure should be met by (a) external finance limits and (b) charges on consumers in each year; and how much would have had to be paid by consumers in each of these years to service debt, had the Water Authorities been permitted to fund their investment by conventional public sector borrowing.

The Commissioner's assessment of investment requirements underlying his advice on charges is set out in that advice, which has been published. The external finance limits (EFLs) for the relevant years were set out in written answers S1W-1902 and S1W-3565. EFLs are set in the light of both the overall public expenditure situation, and the need to avoid an excessive build up of debt that would fall on future generations.

Question reference: S1W-06866

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 30 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will identify estimates for the cost of access built into the allocation for Scottish Natural Heritage and national parks in table 7.14 of its publication Investing in You.

Question reference: S1W-06864

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 30 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the financial allocation for electronic tolling and other innovations associated with the proposed Integrated Transport Bill in 2000-01 and 2001-02.

DETR is currently tendering for a contract for the UK trials of electronic tolling technology - the DIRECTS (Demonstration of Interoperable Road User End to End Charging and Telematics Systems) project. Consequently all financial information regarding this project is currently commercially confidential. In accordance with EU Procurement regulations the results of the tender competition will be published when it is completed. This is expected to be in mid-September. There are no financial allocations for other innovations.

Question reference: S1W-06865

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 30 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive how the #24.4 million estimated cost of the Caledonian MacBrayne subsidy identified in table 7.1 of the publication Investing in You can be reconciled with the #28.4 million estimate identified in table 7.7, both in relation to 1999-2000.

The figure of £28.4 million shown in Table 7.7 of the publication Investing in You is the voted estimated provision for Caledonian MacBrayne as set out in the Supply Estimates for 1999-2000. The voted provision comprises the requirement for capital, revenue deficit grants, new voted loans and the repayment of existing voted loans. The figure of £24.4 million shown in Table 7.1 is the voted estimated provision adjusted to include any non voted loan repayments. Non voted loans are loans that the Company negotiates privately but are included in the External Financing Limit.

Question reference: S1W-06853

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 30 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Borders Council has made recommendations to its Road Network Management and Maintenance Division regarding the A7 Route Action Plan and to detail the criteria it will use to select specific road projects for inclusion in future programmes.

The Scottish Executive Road Network Management and Maintenance Division expect to receive the Firm Strategy Report for the A6091/A7 Galashiels to Hawick Route Action Plan (RAP) from Scottish Borders Council by the middle of June.

Specific road projects will be selected for inclusion in future programmes based on comparing the cost of constructing the scheme with the cost benefit the scheme would provide. Any scheme included in the RAP future programme will have to compete with other schemes for trunk road funding.