- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 23 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commission research into the potential impact on the Scottish economy of the areas of serious traffic congestion on the trunk roads network identified in England and Wales by the Highways Agency.
Answer
There is no intention to commission such research at present. In assessing ways of tackling traffic congestion in England and Wales, no distinction is made between Scottish, English or Welsh traffic. The solutions implemented as part of the English and Welsh trunk roads programmes will therefore provide benefits irrespective of traffic origin and destination. Economic benefits are assessed as part of the scheme appraisal process.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 22 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in pursuing the award of a grant from the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority to assist in upgrading the Kilmarnock-Glasgow railway and whether it will allow the A77/M77 upgrade to proceed on schedule, even in the event of any slippage in the upgrading of the railway line.
Answer
The upgrading of the Kilmarnock-Glasgow railway line is not the subject of an application for an award of grant from the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority. However, I understand that Railtrack have concluded a feasibility study on behalf of Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority (SPTA) to identify the infrastructure work required to upgrade the line. The study is currently being considered by the SPTA.This possible project will not affect the timetable for proceeding with the upgrade of the A77/M77.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 18 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on the review of Scottish airports and air services presently being undertaken by Environmental Resources Management, whether it will provide a list of all those bodies and organisations consulted and whether it will consult the Parliament before the review is concluded.
Answer
The Scottish Airports and Air Services Study is expected to be submitted to the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the Scottish Executive by the end of February. An extensive consultation exercise has been undertaken including over 350 organisations involved in the use, planning, provision and support of air services in Scotland. A list of those consulted has been placed in SPICe.The policy issues emerging from the Scottish Study and other Regional Studies in the rest of the UK will be taken forward to form the basis of a formal UK consultation process which is expected to start this year. This will provide a context for responses by the Scottish Executive and Scottish Parliament to those issues which impact on Scotland.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 18 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, as a matter of courtesy, MPs are notified of Ministerial decisions on structure plans and local plans or to call in proposals by planning authorities to issue planning consents contrary to approved development plans and notifications of intention to develop by local authorities, if so, how long this practice has existed and, if not, when this practice ceased.
Answer
It has never been the practice automatically to notify MPs or MSPs of Ministerial decisions and there are no plans to introduce any such arrangements. Copies of letters announcing such decisions are, however, sent to Members who have made representations or have corresponded with Ministers about a particular issue.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 18 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has full power to determine the criteria set out for the award of freight facilities grant and track access grant, or whether the said criteria are determined by another body.
Answer
As announced by Henry McLeish in the House of Commons on 31 March 1998, the devolution settlement for railways includes the executive devolution of responsibility, within the GB policy framework, for the administration of Freight Facilities Grants and Track Access Grants. Under the Executive Devolution Order which took effect on 1 July 1999, the relevant functions are exercisable in Scotland by the Scottish Ministers as well as by the Secretary of State; and before the Scottish Ministers exercise those functions, they must first consult the Secretary of State. Applications under the scheme in Scotland are appraised under the same criteria as are used elsewhere in Great Britain.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 11 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has had from aggregates and quarrying interests in Scotland in connection with the proposed aggregates tax, and what representations it has made as a consequence to Her Majesty's Government about the potential impact of an aggregates tax in Scotland.
Answer
To date, the Executive has received representations from or on behalf of twelve parties with an aggregates or quarrying interest. The Executive is in touch with HM Government on a wide range of issues, including the issue of aggregates taxation.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 11 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings it has had with representatives of aggregates and quarrying interests in connection with proposals for an Aggregates Working Party to take an overview of local authority practice in 'oning sufficient sites to ensure long term supplies of aggregates.
Answer
I discussed this issue at a meeting with the Quarry Products Association, the main trade organisation for the industry, on 10 September 1999.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 9 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will (a) state the value of the capital receipt to the health service for the sale of the County Hospital, Ayr and (b) the total of security and other property costs incurred in respect of the hospital between the final closure of the hospital and conclusion of missives for its sale and between the conclusion of missives and the final disposal of the property.
Answer
Ayr County Hospital was sold for £501,000. Costs for security and maintenance between the date of closure and the final disposal of the property totalled £567,419.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 03 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 7 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will include the three Ayrshire local authorities in the "consultation with other authorities in the Wider Area" in relation to the proposed M74 northern extension.
Answer
As I made clear when announcing the conclusions of the Strategic Roads Review on 4 November, this road is to be promoted by the City of Glasgow and South Lanarkshire Councils. It will be for them to decide about consultation with neighbouring authorities.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 7 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive by how much the Scottish Block Grant will be augmented in future years as a result of the statement made on 13 December 1999 by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions and, further to the answers to questions S1O-705 and S1O-764 by Donald Dewar on 25 November 1999 and 2 December 1999, whether it will now give a commitment to allocate fully any additional resources available to it as a result of extra transport expenditure in the UK to transport expenditure in Scotland.
Answer
I understand that the statement by the Secretary of State for the Environment Transport and the Regions related to how he intended to use existing budgets. Future levels of expenditure in England will be determined in the forthcoming Spending Review now underway and any change for Scotland will be reflected in the Assigned Budget through the operation of the Barnett formula. We will decide at the appropriate time the allocation of that budget reflecting Scotland's priorities. As to hypothecation of any future real terms increases in fuel duty to transport in Scotland, I refer Mr Tosh to the Finance Minister's answer to question S1W-3868.
