- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 3 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it has set in respect of rail passenger growth in the Highlands over the next three years.
Answer
No targets have been set in respect of rail passenger growth in the Highlands over the next three years. The passenger increase, as stated in the High Level Output Specification (HLOS), is anticipated to be 3% per annum.
- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 3 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support it provides to local authorities and others wishing to develop park and ride schemes utilising rail services.
Answer
The Scottish Government will be providing local government in Scotland with record levels of funding over the period covered by the spending review 2008-11.
Following both the recent Scottish Budget settlement, and the concordat signed between the Scottish Government and COSLA, it will be the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the total financial resources available to it on the basis of local needs and priorities. Having first fulfilled its statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities including the Scottish Government''s key strategic objectives and manifesto commitments, decisions on prioritising and funding local and regional interventions are for local authorities working with relevant regional transport partnerships.
- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 3 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will fund the necessary rail gauge enhancements to enable a switch from road to rail in the highlands and islands.
Answer
We are committed to encouraging modal shift of freight from road to rail. Funding from Scottish Government has provided gauge enhancement between Mossend and Elgin. The enhanced route encourages increased movement of freight by rail and allows larger containers, carrying more freight, to travel to the north-east.
The longer term needs of our national strategic transport corridors are being considered through the Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR).
- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 3 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in establishing high speed rail links to Inverness.
Answer
Our High Level Output Specification (HLOS) sets out plans to reduce significantly journey times between Edinburgh and Glasgow and Inverness. Feasibility work on how this will be achieved is currently underway.
- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 3 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it has set to reduce travel times on the (a) Inverness to Perth, (b) Inverness to Wick/Thurso, (c) Mallaig to Glasgow and (d) Oban to Glasgow lines.
Answer
No specific targets have been set to reduce travel times on the Inverness to Wick/Thurso, Mallaig to Glasgow and Oban to Glasgow lines. We are, however, committed to improving journey times across Scotland.
We have an aspiration to upgrade the Highland Main Line between Inverness and Perth offering a reduced journey time to Perth and Edinburgh/Glasgow. Current estimates suggest that a journey time saving of around 15 minutes can be achieved on the current fastest trains from Inverness to Perth.
The longer term needs of our national strategic transport corridors are being considered through the Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR)
- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 28 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what preparations are being made for future structural fund planning, in light of the recent Fourth European Cohesion Forum report.
Answer
The current Structural Funds programming period lasts from 2007-13. It is too early to make any assumptions about the level and nature of Structural Funds that Scotland might receive post-2013. The focus of the Scottish Government remains on maximising the value to Scotland of the Structural Funds allocation for 2000-06.
Following the Fourth Cohesion Forum, the European Commission launched a consultation on the future of Cohesion Policy after 2013. The Scottish Government submitted a response to the consultation which is available at www.scotland.gov.uk/structuralfunds.
- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 27 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive by what date heavy goods vehicles will no longer be able to use the existing Forth Road Bridge.
Answer
Following inspection work carried out by the Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA) in 2004 and 2005, a significant level of corrosion was found in the main cables of the Forth Road Bridge. It was determined that the loss of strength lay between 8 to 10%.
Work indicated that the safety factor would drop below two (the commonly accepted minimum figure) in around 2013/2014 if corrosion continued at the current assessed rate. This would require some intervention in the form of a ban on heavy goods vehicles using the bridge.
However, until FETA have concluded their work to arrest the corrosion, we will not know if the restriction is definitely required.
- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 27 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to cut Aberdeen to Inverness rail journey times.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9407 on 25 February 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.Scottish Parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search The High Level Output Specification asks Network Rail to develop a credible plan for providing the infrastructure to support an hourly service between Aberdeen and Inverness and further journey time improvements between the central belt and Aberdeen. These will then be implemented as resources become available.
- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 27 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in developing a national rail improvement plan.
Answer
Our High Level Output Specification (HLOS), published in July 2007, builds on the Scotland''s Railways document, and sets out our commitment to enhancing the rail network between 2009-14. The Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR) will identify an investment portfolio for the longer term.
- Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 26 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what Scottish Water’s average leakage rates were in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05, (c) 2005-06, (d) 2006-07 and (e) 2008 to date, expressed in units per day.
Answer
The average leakage rates were as follows:
| | | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 |
| Scottish Water leakage - distribution losses (inc trunk mains and service reservoirs) | Ml/day | 986.127 | 982.445 | 979.313 | 952.640 | 855.312 |
| Customers'' leakage - supply pipe losses | Ml/day | 145.943 | 163.085 | 159.987 | 151.412 | 148.509 |
| Total leakage - total losses | Ml/day | 1,132.070 | 1,145.530 | 1,139.299 | 1,104.052 | 1,003.820 |
Source: Scottish Water.
2007-08 information is not available in a comparable form but will be reported to the Water Industry Commission when complete and consistent reports are available for the full reporting year 2007-08.
