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: S3W-38958

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 22 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what improvements were carried out to the A9 trunk road (a) from May 1979 to May 1997, (b) from May 1997 to May 2007 and (c) since May 2007; what the cost of each was expressed in today's terms, and when each improvement was first announced.

The following table represents the information currently available in Transport Scotland''s records.

May 1979 to May 1997

Scheme	Carriageway Type: Dual, Single or WS2+1¹	Total Scheme Cost in December 2010 Prices £ million²	Date Scheme First Announced³
Dornoch Firth Bridge	S	32.90⁴	n/a
Broomhill to Logie Easter	S	11.41	n/a
Dunblane Bypass	D	21.1	n/a
Greenloaning to Blackford	D	16.74	n/a
Dunbeath Bridge	S	9.71	n/a
Kessock Bridge	D	107.40⁴	n/a
Cromarty Bridge	S	41.40⁴	n/a
Longman to Charlestown	D	5.90	n/a
Charlestown to Tore	D	14.47	n/a
Tore to Duncanston	S	9.18	n/a
Alness Bypass	S	9.12	n/a
Evanton Bypass	S	11.30	n/a
The Mound Bridge	S	7.34	n/a
Pitlochry Bypass I	S	29.94	n/a
Pitlochry Bypass II	S	12.89	n/a
Blackford Bypass	D	7.14	n/a
Aviemore to Granish	S	9.71	n/a
Ardullie to Foulis	S	3.17	n/a
North Kinguissie to South Aviemore	S & WS2+1	17.65	n/a
Regional Boundary to Drumochter Lodge	D	3.57	n/a
Killicrankie to North of Calvine I	D	33.90	n/a
North of Guay to Tynreich	D	11.30	n/a
Auchterarder and Aberuthven Bypass	D	14.87	n/a
Perth Western Bypass	D	8.72	n/a
Killicrankie to North of Calvine II	D	52.74	n/a
Dalreoch to Burnside	D	19.23	n/a
Tore to Maryburgh	S	14.47	n/a
Calvine to Regional Boundary	S	50.36	n/a
Crubenmore to North of Kingussie	S	11.90	n/a
Avielochan to Slochd	S	12.49	n/a
Dalmagarry to Bogbain	S	12.09	n/a
Burnside to Broxden	D	7.53	n/a
Dornoch Northern Approach Roads	S	5.55	n/a
Dornoch Southern Approach Roads	S	10.71	n/a

May 1997 to May 2007

Scheme	Carriageway Type: Dual, Single or WS2+1¹	Total Scheme Cost in Dec 2010 Prices £ million²	Date Scheme First Announced
Logie Easter to Garrick Bridge	S	4.30	May 1994
Helmsdale to Ord of Caithness (Phase 1)	S	5.98	April 2002
Inveralmond Roundabaout - improvement	n/a	0.87	April 2006

Since May 2007

Scheme	Carriageway Type: Dual, Single or WS2+1¹	Total Scheme Cost in Dec 2010 Prices £ million²	Date Scheme First Announced
Ballinluig Junction	D	17.92	2002
Helmsdale to Ord of Caithness (Phase 2)	S	9.66	2002
Moy WS2+1 Improvements and Maintenance	WS2+1	3.15	August 2008
Loaninghead	D	3.10	November 2007
Carrbridge WS2+1 Improvements and Maintenance	WS2+1	2.92	August 2008
Crubenmore Extension	D	14.09	August 2008
Bankfoot Improvements	S	2.89	August 2008

Notes:

1. WS2+1: Wide Single (2+1) carriageway road with two lanes of travel in one direction and single lane in opposite direction. These provide dedicated overtaking opportunities in two lane direction while overtaking in single lane direction is prohibited.

2. Unless otherwise stated, the December 2010 equivalent prices were obtained by applying RPI to the original scheme cost estimates available - Refer Office National Statistic Table RP02.

3. For schemes opened prior to May 1997, the dates these schemes were first announced are not available.

4. Current bridge replacement cost at December 2010.

Question reference: S3W-39025

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 17 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider introducing a national planning advice note on the development of large out-of-town retail stores so that local planning officers have access to national benchmarks.

Retail Impact and Capacity Assessment is one of the courses offered under the Scottish Government funded training programme for local authority planning officers delivered by the Improvement Service. The course covers the requirement for and purpose of such assessments in determining planning applications for retail developments. We will seek the views of planning authorities, retailers and other stakeholders on what additional advice on large out-of-town retail stores may be appropriate.

Question reference: S3W-39026

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 7 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider introducing a national policy to set out criteria for granting supermarkets a non-food retail space as a proportion of total sales area.

Question reference: S3W-38963

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 4 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the reported statement of a spokeswoman from Transport Scotland on 20 January 2011 that “if Parliament had thrown out the trams project, ministers would have brought forward alternative budget proposals to target early dualling of the A9” contradicts the reported statement by an official spokesman for the First Minister on 30 May 2007 that “The government intends all expenditure planned for these projects or any alterations will continue to be used for public transport projects that tackle congestion, connectivity and journey times in Edinburgh and across Scotland” and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Question reference: S3W-38964

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 4 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the reported statement by a spokeswoman from Transport Scotland on 20 January 2011 that “if Parliament had thrown out the trams project, ministers would have brought forward alternative budget proposals to target early dualling of the A9” accurately reflects the Scottish Executive position on the matter.

Question reference: S3W-38996

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 4 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prescriptions for Ritalin have been issued in each year since 2007.

Ritalinis one of a number of products containing methylphenidate hydrochloride used in the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Comprehensive information including the official statistics on the number of items for methylphenidate hydrochloride (including Ritalin), dispensed by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors, can be found on the ISD Scotland website at:

www.isdscotland.org/isd/3588.html.

Question reference: S3W-38962

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 4 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the statement by the First Minister’s official spokesman reported on the BBC News website on 30 May 2007 in reference to the Edinburgh trams project that “The government intends all expenditure planned for these projects or any alterations will continue to be used for public transport projects that tackle congestion, connectivity and journey times in Edinburgh and across Scotland” accurately reflected the Scottish Executive position on the matter.

In May 2007 we were faced with the budgets set by the outgoing administration. Had the Parliament supported our plans to stop the tram project and use the funds for more pressing transport priorities then we could have easily reallocated budgets and brought forward alternative possibilities such as targeting early dualling opportunities for the A9.

It is clear that if the Parliament had not decided in June 2007 that the Scottish Government should fund the Edinburgh Tram project up to £500 million then that would have freed up funding for other transport options, such as significant investment in much needed transport infrastructure improvements on the A9.

Question reference: S3W-38965

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 4 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, if the reported statement by a spokeswoman from Transport Scotland on 20 January 2011 that “if Parliament had thrown out the trams project, ministers would have brought forward alternative budget proposals to target early dualling of the A9” accurately reflects the Scottish Executive position on the matter, when this position was first announced to the Parliament.

In his statement to the Parliament in June 2007, Stewart Stevenson MSP, the then Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change, made it clear that the Scottish Government opposed the Edinburgh Tram project which represented a significant risk to Scottish taxpayers money, and that there were other more important priorities for the use of funds on that scale. The full parliamentary statement can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/ORSearch/ReportView.aspx?r=4735&mode=html.

Question reference: S3W-39024

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 3 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what the investment plans for 2011 are for the Highland main line.

Question reference: S3W-38968

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 3 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been budgeted for (a) image management, (b) advertising and (c) marketing for (i) it, (ii) its agencies and (iii) other public bodies for the remainder of 2010-11.