Questions and answers

Question reference: S4O-04051

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how it will support travellers facing disruption due to the closure of the Winchburgh tunnel in summer 2015.

Question reference: S4W-24108

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 9 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Digital Economy and Infrastructure fund has been reduced from £13.8 million in 2014-15 to £1 million for 2015-16, and what impact the removal of the Barnett formula would have had on the amount allocated.

In 2014-15 the capital budget for the superfast broadband programme was split across the Infrastructure, Investment and Cities portfolio and Rural Affairs, Food and Environment portfolio. In 2015-16 it was decided to consolidate this budget in a single budget line and following the portfolio restructure in 2014, this now sits within the Finance, Constitution and Economy portfolio. The resource budget for the digital economy remains constant between the two financial years.

With regard to future funding, I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-24030 on 30 January 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Question reference: S4W-24109

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 9 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the removal of the Barnett formula would have on the sustainability of the concessionary fares scheme.

Question reference: S4W-24112

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 9 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the 2015-16 Regeneration Capital Fund would be affected by the removal of the Barnett formula.

Question reference: S4W-24114

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 9 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the investment programme for Scottish Water for 2015-21 has been allocated from Barnett consequentials.

Barnett consequentials accruing to the Scottish Government are added to or deducted from the total funding available to Scottish Ministers. It is then for Scottish Ministers to decide how all the resources available to them should be allocated.

Over the 2015-21 investment period Scottish Water will invest around £3.5 billion to maintain and improve water and waste water services. Of this, up to £720 million will come from loans supplied by government, the remainder largely from customer charges and existing cash balances.

Question reference: S4W-24111

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 9 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the major public transport projects set out in the 2015-16 budget are to be met from Barnett consequentials.

Question reference: S4W-24106

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 9 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the funding for each of its subsidised air services is being met from Barnett consequentials, and whether it would be able to provide the same level of funding in the absence of the Barnett formula.

The departmental expenditure limit (DEL) budget accounts for 85 per cent of the total resources available to the Scottish Government. Subsidised air services, road equivalent tariff, central government grants to local authorities, welfare reform mitigation, the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and major public transport projects are all DEL funded. As the member will be aware, only changes to DEL are calculated using the Barnett formula.

With regard to future funding, I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-24030 on 30 January 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Question reference: S4W-24107

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 9 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage the use of low-carbon vehicles, and what impact the removal of the Barnett formula would have on this.

We've invested £17 million over the last two years in a range of low emission vehicle initiatives, such as helping public sector fleets procure vehicles, the development of a network of electric vehicle charging infrastructure across Scotland and helping bus operators switch to cleaner technologies through the Scottish Green Bus Fund.

This investment is helping us achieve our vision, as set out in Switched On Scotland: A Roadmap to Widespread Adoption of Plug-in Vehicles, of freeing Scotland’s towns, cities and communities from the damaging effects of petrol and diesel fuelled vehicles by 2050.

With regard to future funding, I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-24030 on 30 January 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Question reference: S4W-24110

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 9 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been allocated to the Road Equivalent Tariff scheme from Barnett consequentials, and what impact the removal of the Barnett formula would have on the scheme.

Question reference: S4W-24113

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 9 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the money allocated to mitigating the effects of the so-called bedroom tax in 2015-16 is to be met from Barnett consequentials.

Chamber and committees