Parliamentary questions
Chris Ballance
191 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
23 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on the provision of wheelchairs to people over 25 stone in weight.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Assessment and decisions on wheelchair provision for individuals are matters for the five Scottish Mobility and Rehabilitation Services centres. </p><p>A recent seminar held by the Scottish Seating and Wheelchair Group, which includes representatives from the…
19 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what grants have been made to local authorities under the Integrated Transport Fund in (a) 2002-03, (b) 2003-04 and (c) 2004-05 to date.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The information requested is given in the Report <i>by Scottish Ministers to Parliament - Grants Paid Under Section 70 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001</i> for financial years 2002-03 (pages 2-6) and 2003-04 (pages 6-10), copies of which are available in …
19 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the duration is of the transport long-term investment plan, referred to on page 107 of Draft Budget 2005-06, and where details of this plan are published.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The current Transport long-term investment plan was published in the Transport White Paper <i>Scotland’s Transport Future</i> in June 2004. It covers the 10 year period from 2003 to 2012.</p>
17 Nov 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why priority has been given to the Edinburgh airport railway link over schemes such as the Borders railway.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: It has not. The Executive is supporting a very significant number of major public transport projects, all of which are at different stages of development. This does not mean that one project has a higher priority that the other.</p>
16 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the most recent data available is for levels of radiation, in particular caesium 137, in samples of soil, sheep and cattle outside the perimeter fence of Hunterston power station.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Results of terrestrial monitoring of radioactivity can be found in the Radioactivity in Food and the Environment reports, a report prepared jointly by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Food Standards Agency. The report is available on the web…
12 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the schedule is of regional events to consult on proposed transport partnerships during autumn/winter 2004, as set out in paragraph 28 of the Transport (Scotland) Bill policy memorandum.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: I met the NESTRANS and HITRANS boards, separately, on 25 October, representatives of SPT and WESTRANS on 1 November and attended the SESTRAN conference “The future delivery of transport in South-east Scotland” on 8 November. A number of meetings have also bee…
10 Nov 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will direct the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to conduct a thorough survey of radiation levels in the Solway Firth.
Answer · Ross Finnie: There is no need for such a direction as the Scottish Environment Protection Agency already undertakes regular monitoring of radioactivity in both the terrestrial and marine environment around the Solway Firth and publishes the results on an annual basis.</p>
28 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answers to questions S2W-5054 and S2W-5055 by Nicol Stephen on 26 January 2004, whether any of the routes subsidised by the Interim Route Development Fund have now been evaluated and, if so, what analysis has been made, for each evaluation that has taken place, of how many …
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Currently route performance, i.e. the numbers of passengers carried on the international routes which have benefited from investment by the Scottish Executive’s Route Development Fund, is monitored on the basis of information collected through the airports as…
27 Oct 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is in respect of the proposal to develop a landfill site at Shewalton in North Ayrshire based on planning consent granted in 1978 and without an environmental impact assessment.
Answer · Johann Lamont: This is a matter for North Ayrshire Council as planning authority to consider.</p>
12 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether British Airports Authority will be expected to contribute towards the cost of new rail links to Glasgow and Edinburgh airports.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Detailed funding arrangements for the airport rail links have yet to be agreed, but private sector contributions will clearly be considered.</p>
5 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have applied for the post of chair of the Scottish Arts Council and when the successful candidate will be announced.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: With the agreement of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland, the Scottish Executive extended the closing date for applications for the post of Chair of the Scottish Arts Council until 1 November 2004. We will make an announcement …
5 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what costs were incurred as a result of the redrawing of plans for the arts factory in Easterhouse, and any other related work, in order to base the National Theatre there.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The initial cost estimate, provided by Glasgow City Council (GCC), for locating the administrative headquarters of the National Theatre of Scotland within the Easterhouse Cultural Campus is £150,000. A detailed cost breakdown of the actual work involved is ex…
24 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to change the criteria for children to receive free bus transport to school.
Answer · Peter Peacock: It is for education authorities to make such arrangements as they consider necessary for the provision of school transport, including determining the criteria for eligibility for free school transport. The Executive has no plans to amend the relevant provisio…
23 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-6289 by Nicol Stephen on 7 April 2004, how many of the 69 stations were (a) opened and (b) reopened in each year since 1970.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: This information is not held by the Scottish Executive.</p>
22 Sep 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it is ensuring that trains run on time.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The new ScotRail franchise starts on 17 October. Under the terms of that agreement, ScotRail will be required to meet tough punctuality standards. Failure to meet these standards will lead to financial penalties. </p><p>Investment in new rolling stock along w…
21 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the criteria are for granting a company a rail freight subsidy for transferring from road to rail and how long such subsidies last.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The following rail freightgrant schemes operate in Scotland - the Freight Facilities Grant (FFG), Track AccessGrant (TAG) and Company Neutral Revenue Support (CNRS) Grant schemes. These grantsare available to encourage the transfer of freight from road to rai…
15 Sep 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the recent House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee report Budget 2004 and Energy, it remains committed to playing an equitable part in reducing overall UK climate change emissions.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Climate change is widely recognised as the most serious environmental threat to our planet. We therefore remain committed to playing our part in global efforts toaddress the threat and to making an equitable contribution to the UK Kyototarget. The review of o…
1 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the planned special protection area for the protection of certain bird species in Muirkirk and North Lowther Upland, proposed by Scottish National Heritage (SNH), has been classified by the Executive and proposed for integration into the European system of special protected areas …
Answer · Allan Wilson: Muirkirk and North Lowther Uplands Special Protected Area (SPA) was classified by Scottish Ministers as a Special Protection Area under the EC Wild Birds Directive on 7 March 2003. This decision was communicated to the European Commission and the site forms p…
29 Jul 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will formally respond to the recommendations of the Council of Europe Committee of Experts' report into the Charter for Regional or Minority Languages as they relate to Scots
Answer · Frank McAveety: Any formal response to the recommendationsof the Committee is a matter for the UK Government. The Executive will contributeto the next UK periodic report, which is due in June 2005.</p>
29 Jul 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which minister has responsibility for ensuring that it meets its obligations in respect of the Charter for Regional or Minority Languages as these relate to Scots.
Answer · Frank McAveety: I have lead ministerial responsibilitywithin the Scottish Executive for matters relating to the Scots language.</p>
29 Jul 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-8183 by Mr Frank McAveety on 25 May 2004, what specific initiatives it has taken in response to the recommendations of the Council of Europe Committee of Experts' report into the Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, as they relate to Scots.
Answer · Frank McAveety: Action in relation to the recommendationof the Committee of Experts and the Charter undertakings for Scots are for a rangeof bodies and institutions. A wide range of Scots initiatives is being taken forwardthroughout Scotland. The Executive will also consider…
29 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects biofuels to be available on general sale across Scotland.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Biodiesel is already available at over 20 filling stations in various locations across Scotland. Details of the outlets are available at <ahref="http://www.transportenergy.org.uk/cleanervehicles/cleanerfuels/biofuels/">http://www.transportenergy.org.uk/cleane…
29 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil servants will be employed in the national transport agency in relation to (a) roads, (b) rail, (c) buses and (d) healthy transport.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The information requested isnot available. No decisions have been taken on the final organisationalstructure and staffing of the national transport agency.</p>
29 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of Scotland's CO2 emissions is accounted for by air travel.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Carbon dioxide emissions from aviation are not allocated to the constituent countries of the UK in the annually produced <i>Greenhouse Gas Inventories for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland</i>.</p><p>The <i>UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory, 1990 to 20…
29 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent publicising the Traveline Scotland service in the last financial year and whether this sum is projected to increase in this and future financial years.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: £16,000 was spent on publicising Traveline Scotland in 2003-04. A further £240,000 has been made available to spend on the marketing and evaluation of the service until February 2005.</p>
29 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the increase in air transport is compatible with reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with the commitment in paragraph 4.18 of Scotland's Transport Future.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive’sinvestment in direct air links, where these are the only viable transportoption, is consistent with our objectives of improving Scotland’sconnectivity and expanding our economic base.</p><p>Direct links can also reducegreenhouse gas em…
29 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive by what date it expects to stabilise road traffic volumes, as referred to in paragraph 2.11 of Scotland's Transport Future.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive is striving tostabilise road traffic volumes at 2001 levels by 2021. This is reaffirmed inparagraph 1.21 of <i>Scotland’s </i><i>Transport</i><i> Future</i>. Weseek to do this through modernising and improving public transport, investingin cycli…
29 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the basis is for the statement in paragraph 2.1 of Scotland's Transport Future that transport promotes economic growth.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Growing the economy is ourtop priority and transport provides the connections that help to promoteeconomic prosperity. Transport links get people to work, goods to market,students to education and enable people to access public services. Ourconnections, both …
28 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the #3 billion capital programme of transport investment over 10 years will be spent on roads.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The final cost of each of the projects will depend on the prices achieved through tendering. On current estimates less than 40% of the £3 billion capital programme for transport investment will be spent on roads.</p>
15 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it now expects to publish the futurebuilders programme.
Answer · Margaret Curran: I hope to make an announcement shortly.</p>