Parliamentary questions
Mr David Davidson
1,095 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
8 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the energy costs of each of its departments were in each of the last five years.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The fuel costs incurredby the Scottish Office from 1 April 1999 to 1 July 1999 and for the Scottish Executive from 1 July 1999 to 31 March 2005 are as follows:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=431> <thead> <tr> <td width=89 valign=top> …
8 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities are required to have bulk purchase schemes in place for energy purchase for all their departments and facilities.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Local authorities have a statutoryduty to make arrangements which secure best value. Those arrangements will includetheir procurement activity. How they deliver against their duty is a matter forindividual authorities. Some, for example, have combined to form…
8 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether all its departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies bulk buy energy on a Scotland-wide basis and, if not, what efficiency schemes are in place to reduce the costs of energy purchase.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive bulk buysenergy for some, but not all, of its agencies, non-departmental public bodies andassociated departments. The current collaborative contract covers 35 parts of thepublic sector and almost 900 sites across Scotland.</p><p>In term…
8 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to assist social landlords in setting up bulk procurement schemes for energy to cut the costs of home energy to tenants.
Answer · Allan Wilson: No.</p>
5 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has the power to give grant support to those who require to update equipment in order to receive digital television signals after the switch-off of the analogue signal and, if so, whether it will do so.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Broadcasting is a reserved matterfor which the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is responsible. The UK Governmenthas announced that a digital switchover assistance scheme will be available forpersons aged 75 and over and persons with a significant disa…
5 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has about when areas which do not receive a digital television signal in Scotland will do so
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Broadcasting is a reserved matterfor which the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is responsible.</p><p>Ofcom, the Office of Communications,published in April 2006 a research report <i>The Communications Market: Nationsand Regions: Scotland</i> which sho…
5 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the UK Government in relation to the absence of a digital television signal in areas such as Ballater in Aberdeenshire.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Broadcasting is a reserved matterfor which the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is responsible. the Scottish Executive is in regular contact with DCMS in relation to a wide range ofmatters including broadcasting.</p><p>Ofcom, the Office of Commu…
25 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional funding it will provide to local authorities which have to deal with large numbers of marches.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: We have been working very positivelywith local government representatives, march organisers and the police on allaspects of marching and parading. Changes being made in the Police, PublicOrder and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill 2006 will modernise the way i…
25 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget for repairs to central heating systems will be under the free central heating programme in each of the next three years.
Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>£86 million has been set asideto fund the central heating programme this year and next. At this stage it is notpossible to estimate the fundin…
25 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether elastomer injection techniques have been trialled by Scottish Water to stop leakage from water supplies.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: This is an operationalmatter for Scottish Water. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to youwith his response.</p>
25 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Communities Minister last met EAGA Partnership Ltd and what matters were discussed.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I last met with Eaga Partnershiprepresentatives in October 2004 when issues relating to the central heating andwarm deal programmes were discussed.</p>
25 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria it will use to ascertain whether the Gourock to Dunoon ferry service can be operated without a subsidy.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The Executive has been workingclosely with Argyll and Bute Council and Inverclyde Council to develop the tenderingproposals and a service specification for the Gourock to Dunoon ferry service. Operatorswill have to demonstrate convincingly that they can meet …
25 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Northern Isles ferry routes will be operated autonomously from the rest of the Caledonian MacBrayne network or whether certain functions will be integrated with its existing operations.
Answer · Tavish Scott: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-26281 on 13 June 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.s…
25 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the bid for the Northern Isles ferry services contract submitted by Caledonian MacBrayne was based on commercial rates or on the assumption that aspects of the service would be provided with the assistance of its annual subsidy from the Executive.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The Caledonian MacBrayne bidfor the Northern Isles contract is on the basis that the service would bedelivered through a special purpose company, an existing subsidiary ofCaledonian MacBrayne now renamed as NorthLink Ferries Ltd. There will be nocross-subsidi…
25 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of the costs incurred by Caledonian MacBrayne in bidding for the Northern Isles ferry services contract were financed from its annual subsidy from the Executive.
Answer · Tavish Scott: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-18866 on 23 September 2005. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/…
26 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures have been put in place to ensure that the Orkney and Shetland lifeline ferry service contract is financially sound and will not require additional Executive funding support, in light of the Auditor General for Scotland’s report on the previous NorthLink contract for these se…
Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive’s positionon this issue was summarised in the Auditor General’s report on the NorthLink ferryservices contract published on 22 December 2005. The Auditor General’s report alsoconsidered the current tendering process and noted that:</p><…
26 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of profit was included by CalMac in its tender submission in order to ensure that it would be adequately protected from the inherent commercial risks over the full six-year term of the contract, in terms of paragraph 1.4.5 of the invitation to tender for the Orkney and Shetland…
Answer · Tavish Scott: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-25464 on 11 May 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.se…
26 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the detailed rankings of the evaluation of the technical and pricing submissions, including an identification of the key material differentiators between the competing bids, pertaining to the recent Orkney and Shetland lifeline ferry services tendering process and,…
Answer · Tavish Scott: I refer Mr Davidson to the Guidanceon Scottish Public Sector Procurement and Freedom Of Information, which sets outwhat tender information can and cannot be disclosed. The Guidance is available onthe Executive website at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.scotland.gov…
26 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what process and procedures were designed and implemented to ensure that CalMac was not treated preferentially during the recent tendering process for the Orkney and Shetland lifeline ferry services contract.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The companies invited totender were given access to extensive information on the services to be tenderedand the current operation. In addition, tenderers had the opportunity torequest supplementary information and all such requests were answered duringthe bid…
26 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why CalMac and the Royal Bank of Scotland were among the three companies invited to tender for the Orkney and Shetland lifeline ferry contract, in light of the £71 million subsidy received, against a budget projection of £29.7 million, by NorthLink, the joint venture company in which they…
Answer · Tavish Scott: The opportunity to express andinterest in tendering for the Northern Isles contract was advertised in 2004 and26 organisations expressed an interest in the process. The list did not includethe Royal Bank of Scotland. Of the 26, nine companies subsequently sub…
26 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Strathclyde Partnership for Transport has greater responsibilities for rail than other mainland regional transport partnerships and, if so, what those additional responsibilities are.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The role of Strathclyde Partnershipfor Transport in relation to rail is the same as the role of other regional transportpartnerships in Scotland. The significant responsibilities for rail project promotionand delivery that rested with Strathclyde Passenger Tr…
26 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the role of Transport Scotland in relation to the operation of rail services within the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport area in any way differs from its role in relation to the operation of First ScotRail services in the rest of Scotland, and if so, what the differences are.
Answer · Tavish Scott: There are some distinct provisionsin the franchise agreement in respect of the former Strathclyde Passenger TransportExecutive area which differ from those which apply to the rest of Scotland.</p><p>Principal among these are provisionson the use of branding s…
26 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to re-brand Strathclyde Partnership for Transport rolling stock.
Answer · Tavish Scott: There is no Strathclyde Partnershipfor Transport rolling stock. All rolling stock used in the delivery of ScotRailservices is leased by First ScotRail. The Executive is currently looking at theappropriate brand in the medium and longer term for ScotRail and t…
26 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-24393 by Tavish Scott on 29 March 2006, whether it is continuing to seek a written agreement between itself or Transport Scotland and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport in respect of which rail functions the partnership will manage, develop and mo…
Answer · Tavish Scott: The Executive and Transport Scotland arenot currently seeking to formalise an agreement with Strathclyde Partnership forTransport on this matter.</p>
26 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-24394 by Tavish Scott on 29 March 2006, stating “The West of Scotland Regional Transport Partnership (RTP) will continue to have a planning role in its obligations to create a multi-modal regional transport strategy. In addition the RTP will have a …
Answer · Tavish Scott: Transport Scotland is nowresponsible for managing the delivery of passenger rail services across the wholeof Scotland including the West of Scotland Regional Partnership area.The failure to reach an agreement with SPT in respect of their continued role inrail…
26 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether an additional track access charge will be levied on freight operators using the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine railway line.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Transport Scotland and theOffice of Rail Regulation (ORR) are discussing the introduction of track accesscharges for freight operators using the Alloa-Kincardine section of the newrail line. Current charges are based on the network assessment at October 2001.…
4 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether rail services, including fare subsidies, within the Strathclyde Passenger Transport area are funded differently from those in the rest of the First ScotRail network and, if so, what the differences are.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Rail services are funded uniformlyunder the ScotRail franchise agreement across the whole of Scotland, includingthe former Strathclyde Passenger Transport area.</p>
4 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the rationale was for transferring the rail powers previously exercised by Strathclyde Passenger Transport, including for the specification of routes, timetables, fares and quality standards, to Transport Scotland and what the benefits of this transfer will be.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The devolution of rail powerschanged the organisation and structure of rail in Scotland andplaced Scottish ministers in a central role. The transfer of powers from StrathclydePassenger Transport (SPT) to Scottish ministers ensures that the lines of accountabi…
17 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which rail functions previously carried out by Strathclyde Passenger Transport will now be carried out by (a) the West of Scotland Regional Transport Partnership, (b) Transport Scotland, (c) the Scottish Executive Transport Group and (d) any other body.
Answer · Tavish Scott: On 28 November 2005, thepowers of Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT) in respect of the ScotRail franchise,together with the staff at SPT who managed the franchise, transferred to the Executiveand subsequently to Transport Scotland. Transport Scotland will …
17 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-12526 by Nicol Stephen on 20 December 2005, whether a written agreement has been reached with the new West of Scotland Regional Transport Partnership as to which rail functions the partnership will manage, develop and monitor and, if so, what the ter…
Answer · Tavish Scott: When I spoke in committee aboutour focus on signing an agreement with the Strathclyde Passenger Transport(SPT), the aim was to reach an accord which would give comfort to the railemployees of SPT as to their future. Following the transfer of powers, theaffect…