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-37074

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 October 2010
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 3 November 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive what the contribution to the economy has been of Chatelherault railway station since its opening and how this compares with the forecast contribution.

Question reference: S3W-37073

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 October 2010
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 3 November 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive what the contribution to the economy has been of Larkhall railway station since its opening and how this compares with the forecast contribution.

Question reference: S3W-37070

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 October 2010
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 3 November 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive what the forecast contribution to the economy is of each of the new, rebuilt or relocated railway stations on the Airdrie-Bathgate rail line.

The economic welfare benefits of the new Airdrie-Bathgate line have been estimated at £682.7 million, in 2002 prices discounted over the 60 year appraisal period as standard. At the local level, the line is projected to bring 900 jobs and an additional 1,900 residents to West Lothian, and 400 jobs and 1,000 additional residents to North Lanarkshire (N.B. these are distributional impacts: no net increases were estimated at the Scotland level). The economic contribution of each station has not been separately assessed.

Question reference: S3W-37072

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 October 2010
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 3 November 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive what the contribution to the economy has been of Gartcosh railway station since its opening and how this compares with the forecast contribution.

Question reference: S3W-37068

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 October 2010
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 3 November 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost was of constructing Gartcosh railway station, also expressed at current prices.

Information relating to the construction costs of Gartcosh, Edinburgh Park, Larkhall, Chatelherault, Kelvindale and Maryhill line railway stations is not held by Transport Scotland. Please refer to Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, the project sponsor for each of these stations apart from Edinburgh Park, for which Network Rail and/or the developer, New Edinburgh Limited should be consulted.

Question reference: S3W-37071

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 October 2010
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 3 November 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive what the contribution to the economy has been of Edinburgh Park railway station since its opening and how this compares with the forecast contribution.

Transport Scotland does not hold information on the forecast economic contribution of Edinburgh Park, Gartcosh, Larkhall, Chatelherault, Kelvindale and Maryhill line railway stations. Please refer to Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, the project sponsor for each of these stations apart from Edinburgh Park, for which Network Rail and/or the developer, New Edinburgh Limited should be consulted. No assessment of the economic contribution of these stations has been undertaken by Transport Scotland.

Question reference: S3W-36641

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 September 2010
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 26 October 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-35711 by John Swinney on 1 September 2010, what provisions in respect of a requirement to notify neighbouring properties of a planning application in the regulations were in place prior to the enactment of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 2008.

The 2008 regulations came into force on to 3 August 2010 and prior to that date neighbour notification requirements were specified in the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) (Scotland) Order 1992, now revoked, and the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, which has been amended.

Previously, applicants were responsible for neighbour notification, which applied to land next to or within four metres of the boundary of the land for which development was proposed; although there were slightly different requirements in particular circumstances. Applicants had to use the valuation roll to identify the names and addresses of those with an interest in such land and, where such information was not available, they had to send notification to premises on the neighbouring land. In the absence of premises the planning authority would place a notice in a newspaper and charge the applicant. Applicants had to certify the extent to which they had carried out neighbour notification and it was an offence, punishable by a fine, to knowingly or recklessly issue a notification or certificate which was false or misleading.

Question reference: S3W-35710

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 August 2010
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 8 September 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive whether individuals can lose access rights as set out under the terms of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.

Yes.

It is a condition under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 that access rights are only available if those taking access act responsibly. Guidance on what constitutes responsible access is set out in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.

An individual who does not exercise access rights responsibly can be asked to modify their behaviour and, if irresponsible behaviour continues, be asked to leave the land. If irresponsible behaviour persists for a period of time, an interdict could be sought against the individual.

Question reference: S3W-35711

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 August 2010
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 1 September 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a failure to notify neighbouring properties of a planning application constitutes a breach of planning regulations.

Failure to comply with the requirements on neighbour notification, as set out in the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 2008, would be a breach of planning regulations.

Neighbouring land within the Regulations means an area or plot of land which, or part of which, is within 20 metres of the boundary of the land for which development is proposed. Planning authorities are required to send a notice to neighbouring land if suitable premises are situated on the neighbouring land. Where there are no premises to which a notice can be sent, then the planning authority is required to publish a notice in a newspaper circulated in the locality in which the neighbouring land is situated.

Question reference: S3W-35493

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 July 2010
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 20 August 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive what are considered to be relevant Scottish authorities as referred to in section 49D(3) of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005

For the purposes of section 49D(3) and as defined in section 49D(10) of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, a relevant Scottish authority means:

(a) a member of the Scottish executive or a junior Scottish minister;

(b) the Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages for Scotland, the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland or the Keeper of the Records of Scotland;

(c) any office of a description specified in an Order in Council under section 126(8)(b) of the Scotland Act 1998 (other non-ministerial office in the Scottish Administration), or

(d) a public body, public office or holder of a public office”

(i) which (or who) is not a cross-border authority or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body;

(ii) whose functions are exercisable only in or as regards Scotland, and

(iii) some at least of whose functions do not (within the meaning of the Scotland Act 1998) relate to reserved matters;

cross-border authority means a cross-border public authority within the meaning given by section 88(5) of the Scotland Act 1998;

Scottish functions means functions which are exercisable in or as regards Scotland and which do not (within the meaning of the Scotland Act 1998) relate to reserved matters.