Parliamentary questions
Bruce Crawford
999 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
27 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has a reliable and comprehensive database of information on waste management issues.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) holds information on waste management issues obtained from a number of sources. Examples are data on licensed activities, exemptions, waste carriers and waste brokers which are held on public registers. Data o…
27 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has made to date on developing guidance on targets for household waste recycling and whether the guidance will be completed by the end of the year.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: In the National Waste Strategy: Scotland the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) undertook to give guidance on targets for household waste recycling.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">SEPA has established a joint working group with the Scottish Executive and the Co…
25 Oct 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to publish its response to the Strategic Review of Organic Waste Spread on Land produced by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in 1998.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: I am aware of public concern about the spreading of organic waste on land. That is why the Scottish Environment Protection Agency was asked to prepare a Strategic Review of these practices. The Executive is currently considering its response to the public con…
20 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has held with Her Majesty's Government about Railtrack's method of inspection and repair of rail track in Scotland.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the United Kingdom Government on a wide range of issues, including the state of the railway infrastructure.
20 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government on whether Railtrack in Scotland has invested the required level of resources to deal with matters of line and signal safety since 1999 and whether it is satisfied that future investment on safety matters is at the required leve…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the United Kingdom Government on a wide range of issues, including railway safety.
20 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Railtrack has made it aware of the locations of any rail track breakage and cracks in Scotland over the past two years; what measures they have taken to upgrade defective areas of track, and whether it will make any information available on this issue in the Scottish Parliament In…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Railway safety is a reserved matter. Safety systems and their application are monitored by the Health and Safety Executive as a condition of Railtrack's Railway Safety Case. The Health and Safety Executive publishes an annual report on the state of the railwa…
20 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions or representations it has held with or made to Her Majesty's Government in (a) the last six months and (b) the last two months about Railtrack in Scotland and the issue of rail safety and their safety record; when they were held or made, and whether it will provide detail…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the United Kingdom Government on a wide range of issues, including railway safety.
18 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how waste materials spread on land are monitored and controlled by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The treatment and disposal of controlled waste is regulated under the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994. These activities normally require a Waste Management Licence issued by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), the waste regulation a…
18 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its response to the Strategic Review of Organic Waste Spread on Land produced by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in October 1998.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: I refer Mr Crawford to the answer I gave to question S10-2461 on 2 November.
17 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reduce traffic congestion on the A8000 to the south of the Forth Road Bridge; when it expects any such programme to commence and be completed, and how any programme of improvement works will be financed.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer the member to the answer I gave to question S1O-1876.
17 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the Chancellor of the Exchequer over proposals for a windfall tax on the Scottish oil and gas industry.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on a wide range of issues, including the offshore oil and gas industry.
17 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve the waiting times for a hernia operation in the Fife Health Board area both in the short and long term.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Waiting times for specific treatments in individual health board areas are matters for the boards and Trusts. The Scottish Executive has provided additional funding for the Health Service this year, and we have announced further real terms funding increases o…
17 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to ring-fence the #3.2 million being made available to the Scottish budget from the climate change levy for the purposes of helping projects or policies which support a sustainable environment.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Yes
17 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the report on rail links to Edinburgh and Glasgow airports will be published and what the remit is for those drawing up the report.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Strategic surface access links to Edinburgh and Glasgow Airports are being considered as part of the Scottish Airports and Air Services Study. The findings of that study will be made publicly available as part of the supporting documentation of the Regional A…
17 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money will be allocated to Scotland during the current financial year under the (a) Freight Facilities Grant, (b) Track Access Grant, (c) Public Transport Fund, (d) Rail Passenger Partnership Fund and (e) Infrastructure Investment Fund.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The public expenditure provision by the Scottish Executive in the financial year 2000-01 is £7.1 million for Freight Facilities Grants and £30 million in additional capital consents via the Public Transport Fund.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The level of Track…
17 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many projects have received support from the (a) Freight Facilities Grant, (b) Rail Passenger Partnership Fund and (c) Infrastructure Investment Fund since their inception, what the projects were, how much each project received and when.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: There have been nine awards of Freight Facilities Grant since 1990 by the Secretary of State for Scotland and Scottish Ministers and one award in Scotland from the Rail Passenger Partnership Fund. There have been no awards from the Infrastructure Investment F…
17 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have been awarded capital allocations from the Public Transport Fund, how much they each received, when they received it and for what projects.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The table below lists the awards made to date from the Public Transport Fund. In addition, commitments from the previous Government's Transport Challenge Fund and South Fife Rail are being met from the PTF.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 BORDERCOLOR="#000000" CEL…
17 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the additional #3.2 million per year being made available to the Scottish budget in 2001-02 from the climate change levy will be allocated to the assigned budget via the Barnett formula.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Yes.
17 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it spent on road safety campaigning during financial year 1999-2000 and how much it intends to spend in 2000-01.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive provides funding to the Scottish Road Safety Campaign for the development of key road safety educational resources and publicity messages. The campaign has produced a range of excellent resources and conducted highly effective publicity…
12 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to upgrade the A8000 south of the Forth Road Bridge, when such work would commence and how any such work would be financed.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer Bruce Crawford to the answer I gave to question S1O-1876.
12 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much income congestion charging is likely to generate.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-10408; the point applies equally to congestion charging.
12 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much income workplace parking levies are likely to generate.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Workplace parking levies are not included as an option for local authorities in the Transport Act and there is therefore no possibility of them being developed in Scotland.
12 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what specific Scottish targets it has set regarding the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions over the next decade and how such reductions will be measured.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The Executive is considering the responses to the consultation on the Scottish Climate Change Programme (SCCP), which ended on 2 June. I plan to publish the final SCCP in the near future. This will detail the action we will take in Scotland as a contribution …
12 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many publicly funded projects aimed at encouraging cycling have been completed since 1997 and what the location was of each such project.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Responsibility for cycling infrastructure rests with local authorities. Information on the number and location of projects carried out by local authorities is not held centrally.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">In 1998-99, however, the Scottish Office funded 35 projects th…
12 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many publicly funded projects aimed at encouraging walking have been completed since 1997 and what the location was of each such project.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Responsibility for walking infrastructure rests with local authorities. Information on the number and location of projects carried out by local authorities is not held centrally.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The Scottish Executive can, however, use the Public Transport …
12 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Minister for Transport and the Environment's statement on transport expenditure on 28 September 2000, whether it will list the 350 new or improved rural transport services referred to (Official Report, col. 804) and how it monitors the introduction and improvement of such …
Answer · Sarah Boyack: It is for local authorities and the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority to decide how much to allocate to particular services from their Rural Transport Fund Grant. The latest information received from authorities on the number of new and improved rural…
12 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the new bridge at Kincardine-on-Forth to be completed and how the building of the bridge will be funded.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer to my answer to question S1W-10375. Once construction has started the new bridge will take between two and three years to construct.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">A decision has not yet been taken on how the bridge will be funded.
11 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Minister for Transport and the Environment's statement on transport expenditure on 28 September 2000, how it will measure whether improvements in bus services, journey times and reliability are being delivered.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Transport (Scotland) Bill provides a toolkit of options for local authorities to improve bus services, journey times and reliability. It will be for individual authorities at a local level to measure the effectiveness of the provisions they choose to put …
11 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects studies to be completed with regard to the building of a new bridge at Kincardine-on-Forth.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive expects to receive the study report on the proposed new crossing at Kincardine next spring.
11 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects construction of the new bridge at Kincardine-on-Forth to begin.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The timetable for the construction of a new crossing at Kincardine depends on how the detailed proposals are received locally. The earliest date when construction of the new crossing could be started is towards the end of 2003.