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-04704

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2000
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.

Question reference: S1W-04009

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 13 March 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2858 by Sarah Boyack on 12 January 2000, when and by whom the decision to abandon the Crossrail project was made; whether it made a unilateral decision to withdraw its support from Crossrail, and whether it has advised the promoters of Crossrail, including Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive, of its decision.

Question reference: S1W-04641

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 February 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 7 March 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any concordat already agreed, or in the process of discussion between it and Her Majesty's Government, will allow it to discuss with Her Majesty's Government issues arising from low flying military aircraft.

Question reference: S1W-02967

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 December 1999
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 6 March 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive which bridges and tight bends on the A9 Helmsdale to Ord of Caithness route will be replaced or upgraded; what the estimated costs and timescales are for these works to be carried out, and what local consultation it intends to hold on its proposals.

Works to replace the Ord Bridge, which also involved minor realignment and widening, were completed in November 1999. The cost of the work was £800,000.I also refer Mr Tosh to my answer to question S1W-2899. It explains how we will intend to identify future priorities for investment in the road network. Further measures to improve the geometry of the route will be considered within the Route Action Plan being developed for the A9 North of Dornoch and in the light of emerging maintenance requirements. Estimates of costs and timescales are not yet available.

Question reference: S1W-04257

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 6 March 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to assess future movement and modal shares on key transport corridors, and whether it expects Scottish transport programmes to meet UK targets for a 20% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2010.

The multi-modal corridor studies planned for the A8 and A80 will assess the future movement and modal share in each corridor. In addition, the recently completed Route Profiles provide a comprehensive and detailed summary of travel patterns and trends on the remainder of the trunk road corridors.A Scottish Climate Change Programme will be published for consultation this month. This will help to deliver the Kyoto Protocol commitment and contribute to the UK domestic goal of reducing CO₂ emissions by 20% by 2010. The programme will contain measures in all sectors, not just transport.

Question reference: S1W-04326

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2000
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 25 February 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it proposes to fund the development of energy crops in Scotland.

The Highlands and Islands Special Transitional Programme and the Scottish Rural Development Plan include measures to support the diversification of agriculture, including the growing of novel crops. These proposals are currently under negotiation with the European Commission, and an announcement will be made when new schemes are open for applications.Currently, however, producers are permitted to set aside up to 100% of the land on which they are claiming aid under the Arable Area Payments Scheme (AAPS) when all that land is used for the production of multi-annual biomass crops, eg short rotation coppice. AAPS aid is paid at the same rate as that for cereal crops. In addition, the Forestry Commission provides an establishment grant for short rotation coppice (SRC) both on land set aside as part of AAPS and on other agricultural land.

Question reference: S1W-04319

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 24 February 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals it has to upgrade the A77 at Bogend Toll, Symington, its junction with the A78 junction, Sandyford Toll, Whitletts, and its junction with the A70, A713 and Doonholm Road, and whether indicative timescales exist for the implementation of any or all of these works.

Question reference: S1W-04088

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 24 February 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-659 by Sarah Boyack on 15 September 1999, whether it will post notices of compulsory purchase orders, statutory notices regarding structure and local plans, and other public notices, on its website or, alternatively, whether it will issue supplements to its Planning Bulletin on a more frequent basis.

Legislation currently provides a statutory framework for the publication of notices by means of press advertisements and individual notification. It would be for those with statutory responsibility for the notice to consider whether there is a need, in addition to the present requirements, to place them on their website.The Executive plan to publish a Planning Bulletin Supplement every six months. It will be available on the Scottish Executive's website and will include details of development plan progress.

Question reference: S1W-03636

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 January 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 23 February 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it maintains a central register of all waste-incineration facilities in Scotland, and of the quantities and categories of materials sent annually for incineration.

The Scottish Executive does not maintain a central register of waste incineration facilities in Scotland or records of the quantities and categories of materials sent annually for incineration. Waste incinerators in Scotland are regulated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency which holds public registers giving information about each incinerator. Such information includes the types of waste that may be disposed of, monitoring data and, where appropriate, details of the quantities of waste which may be burnt in a specified period.

Question reference: S1W-03090

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 December 1999
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 23 February 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of the Minister for Transport and the Environment's reply to my letter of 5 October 1999 in which she states her support for the A8000 project announced in the Strategic Roads Review, whether it is actively supportive of all other projects referred to local authorities in The Strategic Roads Review - Scheme Decisions.