Parliamentary questions

Des McNulty

1,840 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

27 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what account is taken of deprivation and poor health in the allocation of resources for new rented and affordable housing and how Dundee and West Dunbartonshire, as the second and third most deprived areas of Scotland, will benefit in the allocation of new funding.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:The allocation of the Affordable Housing Investment Programme in 2007-08 at local authority levelwas announced in March 2007 by the previous a…

27 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what additional resources have been made available for investment in housing in Dundee and West Dunbartonshire to reflect their status as the second and third most deprived areas of Scotland.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:Communities Scotland works closely with local authorities to develop a programmeof housing investment to meet local priorities as identified t…

27 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to assist local authorities that have been identified as being in danger of not meeting the Scottish Housing Quality Standard by 2015.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I have askedAngiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Herresponse is as follows:I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-2534 on 9 August 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parlia…

27 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have been identified as being in danger of not meeting the Scottish Housing Quality Standard by 2015.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I have askedAngiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Herresponse is as follows:“Communities Scotland has received Standard Delivery Plans (SDPs) fromalmost all local authorities required to do so, setting out how they willa…

27 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that significant investment in new or replacement housing stock is required to meet an identified need for affordable and rented accommodation in the Clydebank and Milngavie parliamentary constituency and whether discussions have been held with the relevant authoritie…

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:The Local HousingStrategies prepared by East Dunbartonshire Council and West Dunbartonshire Councilindicate a requirement for investment in bo…

27 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the current level of financial support to West Dunbartonshire, if maintained over the next seven years, would enable the council and other registered social landlords to meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard by 2015.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-2531 on 14 August 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Par…

27 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional investment is required in West Dunbartonshire over the next seven years to ensure that its housing stock meets the Scottish Housing Quality Standard by 2015.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:The level of investmentthat West Dunbartonshire Council needs to make to achieve the Scottish Housing QualityStandard (SHQS), and how this wil…

27 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to address a shortfall in investment in rented and affordable housing in West Dunbartonshire.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:Communities Scotland is working closely with West Dunbartonshire Council todevelop a five year programme of housing investment to meet local p…

27 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to address a shortfall in investment in rented and affordable housing in East Dunbartonshire.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Governmentfully acknowledges the need for a comprehensive and strategic investment programmeto address the requirement for more affordable housing in East Dunbartonshire.Communities Scotland will invest approximately £6 million in 2007-08 …

27 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been made available for new rented and affordable housing in the last three years in the Clydebank and Milngavie parliamentary constituency.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:The information requestedis given in the following table:<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td valign=top> <…

27 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its top objectives are for housing policy.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Our immediate housingpriorities were set out in the Parliamentary debate on housing on 21 June 2007. It is clear that Scotland needs many more homes of theright type, built in the right places as well as housing solutions which work, whichrespond to communiti…

27 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its top objectives are for regeneration policy.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government’sprincipal objective for regeneration policy is to promote the successful and sustainabletransformation of communities across Scotland by creatingthe right environment for private and public investment; through targeted actionin the mo…

27 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its review of major capital projects conducted in June (a) included any new assessment of current cost estimates and (b) identified risks for each project.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The review consideredthe latest information available on the programme, costs and risks of each of themajor capital projects.

27 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the financial impact of the most recent delay to the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route project will be on the projected costs of the scheme.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The review of transportprojects conducted in the early weeks of this government revealed that the previouslyannounced completion date would not be achieved. The impact of the delay to thecompletion date may result in increased costs due to construction and te…

27 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1811 by Stewart Stevenson on 24 July 2007, whether the decision to adopt the Miltimber option for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route allows any narrowing of the range of projected costs.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: No. The current costestimate, in the range £295 million to £395 million, is based upon the MilltimberBrae Option including costs for the Stonehaven Fastlink. The cost range gives atruer picture of the inherent risks and uncertainties associated with planning …

27 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1811 by Stewart Stevenson on 24 July 2007, whether its cost estimate for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route is based on the current preferred option including the Stonehaven spur and how this estimate was reached.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The current cost estimate,in the range £295 million to £395 million, is based on the Milltimber Brae optionand includes costs for the Stonehaven Fastlink. The cost estimate was prepared bythe project team in discussion with the Managing Agent and Consulting E…

27 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1811 by Stewart Stevenson on 24 July 2007, when the cost estimate from the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route was first made.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The £295 million to£395 million cost estimate for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route was first made prior to the announcement of the preferredroute choice in December 2005.

27 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any major transport project with a benefit to cost ratio of 1.3 would meet the threshold requirements of (a) STAG appraisal or (b) the UK Government’s current green book methodology for project assessment and whether any scheme with such a ratio would be likely to secure approval …

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Within Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) and the Green Book, there is no thresholdrequirement for Benefit Cost ratios (BCRs). STAG ensures that the contribution of transport improvementsto the economy is fully assessed alongside contributions and i…

27 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the greater length of the Miltimber option compared with the Murtle option will have on total vehicle emissions, both in respect of air quality and greenhouse gas emissions, resulting from the proposed Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: A comparison betweenthe Murtle Route and the Milltimber Brae and Fastlink optionswas carried out prior to the decision in December 2005. This can be downloaded fromthe project website <a href="http://www.awpr.co.uk/">www.awpr.co.uk</a>. The analysispredicted …

27 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether changing the route for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route from the Murtle to the Miltimber option increased the projected cost of the scheme and, if so, by how much.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Murtle route wasestimated (in 2005 and based upon an opening year of 2010) to cost between £210million and £280 million. The Milltimber Brae and Fastlink has an estimated costof between £295 million and £395 million.

27 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed routes for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route utilising the Maryculter Bridge conform to the technical requirements laid out in the National Transport Strategy and associated guidance.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route will cross the River Dee by way of a new bridgeand will not utilise the existing B979 Maryculter Bridge. The scheme is being designedin accordance with standards set out in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges.<…

26 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that a reasonable estimate of the proportion of the costs of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route attributable to the Stonehaven Fastlink would be the length of the fastlink as a proportion of the length of the overall route, giving a range of 11.5/46 or between £73.…

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: No. It is not appropriateto attribute costs to the Fastlink or any other individual section of the AberdeenWestern Peripheral Route (AWPR) in such a way as the cost will be affected by factorssuch as the number of bridges, complexity of drainage, amount of ea…

26 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how estimated construction costs per kilometre for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route compare with the benchmark costs per kilometre used by the Highways Agency in England and Wales in estimating construction costs for proposed new roads.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The estimate was notmade on a cost per kilometre basis.

26 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what estimated construction cost per kilometre was used in the December 2005 estimate of £295 to £395 million for the longer option for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route combined with a Stonehaven to Maryculter spur.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The estimate was notmade on a cost per kilometre basis.

26 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what estimated construction cost per kilometre was used in the 2005 estimate of £210 million for the preferred route of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The scheme cost estimatein 2005 for the then preferred alignment was in the range £210 million to £280 million.The estimate was not made on a cost per kilometre basis.

26 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what estimated construction cost per kilometre was used in the 2002 estimate of £120 million for the preferred route of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The estimate was notmade on a cost per kilometre basis.

26 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation has been undertaken by (a) Aberdeen City Council and (b) Aberdeenshire Council in respect of the anticipated costs to local council taxpayers of each council’s contribution towards the cost of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and what figures for the cost of the pro…

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: This is a matter forAberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council.

26 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution is estimated to be made by (a) Aberdeen City Council and (b) Aberdeenshire Council towards the cost of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and how each contribution has been calculated.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council will contribute 9.5% each to the costof the construction of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route. Thecost of constructing the Fastlink to Stonehaven and the maintenance of the entirescheme will be met by the S…

26 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on what year the construction costs of each project considered in its June review of major capital projects are based.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The estimates arebased on the out-turn costs at the anticipated date for construction.

26 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in what year the information on each project considered in its June review of major capital projects was last updated.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Transport Scotland monitors both Scottish Motorway and Trunk Road Programmeand the Major Rail Projects Programme on a quarterly basis. The information on eachproject within the rail programme was last updated in May 2007 with the roads programmesimilarly upda…