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-19045

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 December 2008
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 14 January 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many miles of designated cycle paths there have been in each year since 1999.

Using Sustrans data, the following table gives details of how many miles of designated cycle paths there have been in each year since 1999.

Year	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
On-road	329	534	1,001	1,175	1,152	1,124	1,253	1,284	1,269	1,358
Traffic free	188	237	267	318	345	329	349	354	381	410
Total	517	771	1,268	1,494	1,496	1,453	1,602	1,638	1,649	1,768

Question reference: S3W-18708

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 December 2008
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 6 January 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-14893 by John Swinney on 23 July 2008, what information it has on the proportion of Scotland’s GDP that has been spent on international development, taking into account (a) Scottish Government and (b) Department for International Development funds and how this compares to the proportion of UK GDP spent on international development, in each year since 1999.

This information is not available for Scotland.

There is no identifiable Scottish Government expenditure on international development specified in the HM Treasury publication Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis. Similarly, all DfID expenditure is outside UK or non-identifiable to UK regions. For the GERS publication, this is allocated to Scotland using a population share.

Calculating this share as a percentage of Scottish GDP would reflect only the ratio of population to GDP. This figure would not be meaningfully comparable to the percentage of UK GDP.

Question reference: S3W-18750

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 December 2008
Current Status: Answered by Linda Fabiani on 11 December 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what the plans are for future World Heritage Sites in Scotland.

The UK nominations for new World Heritage Sites until 2011 have already been announced. These are as follows:

2009 - Pont-cysyllte Aqueduct, North Wales

2010 - Darwin at Downe, Bromley - will be resubmitted for consideration

2011 - the Monkwearmouth and Jarrow Monastic Sites, Sunderland.

The UK is restricted to making one nomination a year, and in 2008 the Antonine Wall was successfully nominated. Historic Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government has contributed to the consultation document on World Heritage in the UK issued by the Department for Culture Media and Sport, and will continue to work with government departments across the UK as the policy develops. The Scottish Government is committed to fulfilling its obligations under the World Heritage Convention.

Question reference: S3W-18492

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 December 2008
Current Status: Answered by Linda Fabiani on 4 December 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to bring forward a Bill to amend heritage legislation in Scotland.

Question reference: S3W-17236

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 October 2008
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 6 November 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how many rail services connect Carstairs and Edinburgh each day.

Question reference: S3W-17238

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 October 2008
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 6 November 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive which bodies or organisations are responsible for the timetabling of rail services between Carstairs and Edinburgh.

Network Rail is responsible for compiling the National Rail Timetable and running the timetable process which balances the timetable bids from different train operators. Transport Scotland specifies the minimum service to be operated by First ScotRail. The Department for Transport specifies the minimum service to be operated by cross-border franchised train operating companies. Train companies may elect to run extra services in addition to the minimum specified level.

Question reference: S3W-17237

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 October 2008
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 6 November 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how many rail services stop at both Haymarket and Edinburgh Waverley each day.

Question reference: S3O-04636

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 October 2008
Current Status: Answered by Linda Fabiani on 30 October 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what can be done to ensure the long-term future of the world heritage site at New Lanark and what role it sees the site playing in (a) Homecoming Scotland 2009, (b) the Curriculum for Excellence and (c) cultural tourism.

We are fully committed to protecting all our World Heritage Sites. I know concerns have been raised about a retaining wall in New Lanark and Historic Scotland is involved in on-going discussions with New Lanark Trust about this. They have already provided grant aid of £86,000 towards the repair of the retaining wall that collapsed earlier this year and are awaiting information from New Lanark on costs for the repair of further sections of the wall.

All the World Heritage Sites in Scotland have an important role to play in education, cultural tourism and events such as Homecoming 2009. I know the New Lanark Trust is considering several options in relation to Homecoming 2009.

As historic and natural sites of international significance World Heritage Sites are well placed to contribute to the Curriculum for Excellence. They inform not only our understanding of history but also have a role to play in the discussion of issues relating to global citizenship. The New Lanark Trust has a well established educational programme and I am pleased that they are already filtering the draft objectives into this.

Question reference: S3O-04534

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 October 2008
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 9 October 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to redevelopment of the rail network in South Lanarkshire, including branch lines to Symington and Coalburn, and integration with any proposed high-speed rail link from London.

A study carried out in 2005 considered the feasibility of introducing a local passenger service from Symington, Beattock and Abington on to the West Coast Main Line. The study using the Strategic Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) process found no business case to support it.

Ministers expect to make a statement in November on the Strategic Transport Projects Review, which will set out the future priorities for investment in our strategic transport network.

Question reference: S3W-15033

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2008
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 4 August 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents of theft of fuel from motor vehicles have been reported in each (a) parliamentary constituency, (b) police force area and (c) local authority area in each of the last (i) five years and (ii) 15 quarters.