Parliamentary questions
Des McNulty
1,840 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
8 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it will give to the cross-ownership of public transport services by potential tenderers for the Scottish rail passenger franchise.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This is one of a wide range of issues that will be considered during the evaluation of bids received for the Scottish rail passenger franchise.
8 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve the access to the Glasgow Prestwick International Airport and the affordability of public transport to the airport from all areas of Scotland.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Passengers to and from Glasgow Prestwick International Airport are able to benefit from lower cost rail and bus travel through the airport's partnership arrangements with Strathclyde Passenger Transport and Scotrail, and with Stagecoach and Scottish Citylink.…
8 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been undertaken to study any link between the affordability of rail travel and passenger numbers.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: A wide range of publicly available research into the determinants of rail demand has been undertaken by academic and other interests. In addition, the rail industry has undertaken a large amount of commercial-in-confidence research.
8 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent the affordability of fares will be a key determinant in the renewal of the Scottish rail passenger franchise.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Bids for the next Scottish rail passenger franchise will be evaluated according to a variety of determinants, in order to decide which represents the best value for money.
8 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations of its report Proposals for a Highlands and Islands Integrated Transport Authority.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive's report demonstrated that in the short term the priority should be strengthening partnership working amongst the local authorities in the Highlands and Islands. Consequently, joint working between the partners in the region has been st…
8 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action would be required to extend the area covered by the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority to (a) the central belt and (b) the whole of Scotland.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Any variations to the area covered by Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority would require an order by statutory instrument under section 40 the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1994. This would contain a list of the local government areas, or parts of such…
8 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the construction work on the bus station at St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, will be completed.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This is a matter for the City of Edinburgh Council. However, I understand that the new bus station should be open to the public in the autumn of this year.
8 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether consideration has been given under the renewal of the Scottish passenger rail franchise to more than one provider delivering services throughout Scotland.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is considering a range of options for taking the Scottish passenger rail franchise forward after 2004 to ensure the best value for money. The Executive believes that what is needed is more rather than less integration of Scottish rail s…
8 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what efforts will be made to encourage tenderers for the renewal of the Scottish rail passenger franchise to come forward with innovative schemes to improve the rapidity and reliability of rail services, especially on the Edinburgh to Glasgow route.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The refranchising process will provide an opportunity for all tenderers for the renewal of the Scottish rail passenger franchise to come forward with innovative schemes in their bids to improve the rapidity and reliability of all rail services, including on t…
8 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial incentives and penalties are being considered in the context of the renewal of the Scottish rail passenger franchise to ensure that passengers receive better value for money rail services.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The next Scottish rail passenger franchise will be subject to the Strategic Rail Authority's performance regime.
8 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what policy initiatives are being considered to reduce the costs to passengers of rail travel between Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Where ticket prices are not regulated by the Strategic Rail Authority they are for the Train Operating Company to determine. However, the process for the letting of the next Scottish passenger rail franchise will give bidders the opportunity to come forward w…
8 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve the integration of public transport services between Edinburgh and Dunbartonshire.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is supporting improved public transport links between Dunbartonshire and Glasgow which is a major interchange for bus services from Buchanan Street Bus Station or regular rail services to other parts of Scotland, including Edinburgh fro…
8 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its options are in regard to ensuring greater consistency in public transport fares throughout Scotland.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Across all modes of public transport the underlying principle is that fares should reflect journey costs, be paid by those making the journeys and be determined by transport operators. However, the Scottish Executive's Rural Transport Fund provides support fo…
8 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has undertaken, and intends to undertake, to improve the affordability of public transport.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Affordability of rail fares on services provided by ScotRail was addressed in the Executive's consultation document, <I>Strategic Priorities for Scotland's Passenger Railway</I>, in relation to the refranchising process. Free off-peak local bus travel for eld…
8 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7588 by Sarah Boyack on 22 June 2000, what the timetable is for the renewal of the Scottish rail passenger franchise.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The timetable for the renewal of the Scottish rail passenger franchise is as follows:<UL><LI>the Scottish Executive's Directions and Guidance to the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) will be issued this summer;</LI><LI>the SRA will subsequently invite bids later…
8 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether East of Scotland Water contravened drinking water guidelines in the EH9 postcode area in the last year and, if so, how many times any such contraventions occurred and what the cause was of each such contravention.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Data provided by Scottish Water concerning the drinking water quality results for the water supply zones covering postcode area EH9 during 2001 indicated that there were no breaches of the drinking water regulations for that postcode in 2001.
28 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21801 by Lewis Macdonald on 1 February 2002, what action it has taken to encourage operators such as Consignia plc to continue to use rail for the transportation of mail.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-24621.
28 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what direct and indirect costs it expects to incur resulting from the decision by Consignia plc to reduce the number of jobs from its operations based in Scotland.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive does not currently expect to incur any direct or indirect costs as a result of the recent announcement by Consignia plc to reduce the number of jobs from its operations in Scotland.
28 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what training and job search assistance will be given to rail workers whose jobs are in jeopardy following the decision by Consignia plc to rationalise its transport operations and restructure its parcels operations.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I understand that no decision has been taken on this matter by Consignia, and there is no indication of whether redundancies of rail workers might result. In the event of such redundancies, the local enterprise network and other relevant organisations would b…
28 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the decision by Consignia plc to move mail on fewer train services and during the day will have on the viability of (a) rail freight companies, (b) freight only services and (c) freight and passenger services on the west coast mainline.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Executive. With the exception of the administration in Scotland by the Scottish Executive of the Freight Facilities Grant and Track Access Grant schemes, rail freight is a reserved matter and as …
28 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what efforts it is making to ensure that letters and packages are freighted from Scotland to England by rail rather than road to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive administers the Freight Facilities Grant scheme in Scotland which aims to encourage the transfer of freight from road to rail and waterborne modes of transport, by helping companies invest in the facilities needed to compete in financia…
28 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance can be afforded to employees affected by the decision of Consignia plc to close the Parcelforce Worldwide parcel distribution centre in Glasgow and the depot in west Glasgow.
Answer · Allan Wilson: Current permanent employees are expected to be given a choice of remaining in Consignia in another role or taking a voluntary redundancy package. Support will be provided to any Consignia employees becoming redundant through dedicated local response teams alr…
20 Mar 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking in order to tackle financial exclusion and ensure that everyone has access to basic financial services.
Answer · Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive is working with partners in the financial sector and others, to encourage the development of new and alternative means to deliver financial services, as well as ensuring existing services can reach whole communities.
28 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what volume of leakage is anticipated per year from the new pipe network to be installed as part of the Katrine Water Project.
Answer · Ross Finnie: >This is a matter for West of Scotland Water. The Chief Executive's response is:<P>West of Scotland Water would not anticipate any leakage from the new pipe network to be installed as part of the Katrine Water Project.
28 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22086 by Ross Finnie on 4 February 2002, whether the relative weightings chosen by West of Scotland Water in respect of different disciplines in the project team distorted the importance attached to immaterial differences in engineering criteria.
Answer · Ross Finnie: This is a matter for West of Scotland Water. The Chief Executive's response is:<P>Each discipline was asked to score options against their criteria to assist in summarising the information in the Environmental Statement. Each discipline adopted its own scorin…
28 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what volume of water will be pumped per day to Balmore water treatment works under the Katrine Water Project proposals.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I have asked the Chief Executive of West of Scotland Water to respond. His response is as follows:<P>No water will be pumped to Balmore water treatment works under the Katrine Water project proposals. However, as a consequence of the solution adopted up to 8.…
28 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the Katrine Water Project, what the energy consumption per year will be as a result of pumping treated water from Balmore through the pipe network at Bardowie.
Answer · Ross Finnie: This is a matter for West of Scotland Water. The Chief Executive's response is:<P>The energy consumption associated with pumping water from Balmore to the existing Glasgow supply system will vary depending upon the water demand in any given year and the mode …
27 Feb 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking in order to improve the competitiveness of universities.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: As well as providing additional funding, such as the £25 million package for research which I announced last week, we are currently conducting a review of higher education in Scotland, which will inform future policy thinking.
26 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the performance levels will be in respect of water pressure and reliability and continuity of the drinking water supply in Greater Glasgow following completion of the Katrine Water Project.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I have asked the Chief Executive of West of Scotland Water to respond. The response is as follows:<P>The proposed scheme is planned to comply with the standards set out in West of Scotland Water's <I>Code of Practice and Guaranteed Standards Scheme</I>.
26 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22086 by Ross Finnie on 4 February 2002, what relative weightings were allocated to the different disciplines in the project team in respect of decisions made by comparing options, identifying key trade-offs and reaching consensus on the preferred op…
Answer · Ross Finnie: I have asked the Chief Executive of West of Scotland Water to respond. The response is as follows:<P>I would refer you to Annex D of the Environmental Statement which is available for inspection at the offices of East Dunbartonshire Council and West of Scotla…