- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 29 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to prevent Caisteal Tioram from collapsing.
Answer
The responsibility for the maintenance of the fabric of Caisteal Tioram rests with the owners. Any works affecting a scheduled monument such as Caisteal Tioram require scheduled monument consent from Scottish Ministers and my officials in Historic Scotland are currently in discussion with the owners about emergency stabilisation works. A scheduled monument consent application for these works is awaited.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 27 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the structure of Scotland's water authorities, in the light of the recent announcement regarding the water industry regulator's willingness to consider mergers of water companies in England and Wales.
Answer
The Executive is aware of the possibility of mergers among the privatised water companies in England and Wales and has no plans for a review of the structure of the publicly owned water authorities in Scotland.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 14 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 21 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers safeguarded routes for proposed roads when assessing draft structure plans; whether it is therefore in a position to know which routes are safeguarded in all approved structure plans and whether the relevant structure plans have safeguarded the proposed M8 Baillieston to Newhouse (both options), M80 Stepps to Haggs, M74 northern extension, A8000, A876 Kincardine Bridge, A68 Dalkeith bypass, A90 Balmedie to Tipperty and A985 Rosyth Bypass routes.
Answer
We consider all aspects of structure plans submitted for approval. Structure plans may safeguard routes for roads, but are not ordnance survey based. In planning terms, safeguarding of the line of a route referred to in a structure plan can only be achieved through local plans. Approved local plans are not held centrally but can be obtained from each relevant council, or are available in libraries within the council area.
The table below outlines the position within approved structure plans for each of the roads schemes listed:
| M8 Baillieston to Newhouse (both options) | Route not safeguarded in the relevant structure plan |
| M80 Stepps to Haggs | Route safeguarded by policy TRANS13 in the Strathclyde Structure Plan |
| M74 Northern Extension | Route safeguarded by policy TRANS13 in the Strathclyde Structure Plan |
| A8000 | Route not safeguarded in the relevant structure plan |
| A876 | Route not safeguarded in the relevant structure plan |
| A68 Dalkeith Bypass | Route not safeguarded in the relevant structure plan |
| A90 Balmedie to Tipperty | Route not safeguarded in the relevant structure plan |
| A985 Rosyth Bypass | Route not safeguarded in the relevant structure plan |
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 21 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4229 by Sarah Boyack on 18 February 2000, whether it will put its response to the formal UK consultation process to (a) the Parliament and (b) the Transport and the Environment Committee for consideration and whether it will make representations to the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions to invite the Parliament to respond directly and separately from the Scottish Executive.
Answer
Any representations made by the Scottish Executive to the UK Government in response to the proposed consultation which deal with reserved matters will invariably require to be made in confidence in the same way as representations received by the Scottish Executive would be treated. However, the Scottish Executive will ensure the Scottish Parliament is included in the consultation process.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 21 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what response the National Roads Directorate has given to South Ayrshire Council in connection with the current planning application to develop housing at Coodham Estate, Symington, how this response differs from that given by the Scottish Office National Roads Directorate in 1998 to Planning Application 98/01223, and what the reasons are for any modification in the current consultation response.
Answer
The Scottish Executive Road Network Management and Maintenance Division has recommended that a condition be attached to any consent given by South Ayrshire Council that no development shall take place at Coodham Estate until a scheme to close gaps in the central reserve of the A77 between south of the Kilmarnock Bypass and Dutch House Roundabout has been implemented.
The previous response recommended a condition requiring the developer to improve the B751/A77 Bogend Toll Junction, together with the closure of existing accesses onto the A77 from Coodham Estate.The latest response was given in the context of my recent announcement of plans to complete the M77 to Fenwick and the desire to upgrade this section of the A77 to near-motorway standard.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 21 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it contributed to Her Majesty's Government's representations to the European Commission in connection with the White Paper being prepared by the Commission on environmental liability, and whether it will publish any representations or comments it has made.
Answer
Yes the Executive did make representations and, in common with normal practice, it respects the confidentiality of the information exchanged.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 21 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 21 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive why East Lothian Council did not receive a copy of its consultation paper on the Landfill Directive; what checks were made to ensure that all local authorities had received the consultation papers; which local authorities requested a time extension to enable them to respond to the consultation paper, and which local authorities were given such an extension.
Answer
A copy of a consultation paper on instruments to implement the targets in the Landfill Directive was sent to the chief executive of each Scottish local authority on 17 November 1999, including East Lothian Council. The council has now responded and its comments are being analysed along with others received. The City of Edinburgh Council requested an extension to the original deadline. Its response has also now been received.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 16 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact of the draft Water Framework Directive on the Scotch whisky industry, and what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government and the European Council of Ministers on this matter.
Answer
The forthcoming EC Water Framework Directive is currently under negotiation. Its possible effects on industry, including the Scotch whisky industry, could include tighter controls on some waste-water discharges. The draft Directive would also require a system of controls on the abstraction and impoundment of water. The Scottish Executive will consult extensively on its proposals for implementing the Directive.The Scottish Executive is fully involved in the development of the UK's negotiating position on the draft Directive.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 15 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place a copy of the detailed Scottish Borders Railway Feasibility Study in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre and whether it will issue copies of the comprehensive Summary Report to the relevant constituency and regional MSPs.
Answer
A copy of the Scottish Borders Railway Feasibility Study has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. The Summary Report of the study is being distributed to the relevant constituency and regional MSPs.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 15 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to retain the existing A1 between Haddington and Dunbar as a trunk road once the new dual carriage way between Haddington and Dunbar has been completed.
Answer
No. The proposals for the Expressway option to upgrade this section of the A1 do not alter the intention to detrunk the existing A1 between Haddington and Dunbar when the new dual carriageway special road is opened to traffic.
