Parliamentary questions

Fergus Ewing

2,894 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

15 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a “preparation pool” of strategic projects for which the civil engineering sector can compete; if so, whether it will list the projects involved and, if no such pool exists, whether it has any plans to provide one.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Information on the currenttransport projects portfolio, which is the main area of civil engineeringrelated activity within the Scottish Executive, is published on the TransportScotland website at <a href="http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/">www.transportsco…

15 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what improvements will be made to the (a) A9, (b) A96, (c) A82, (d) A95 and (e) A86 in each of the next four years, listing the name or brief details of each scheme and its estimated cost.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Planned expenditure on theA9, A96, A82, A95 and A96 in each of the next four years may be found on theTransport Scotland website at:<ahref="http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/defaultpage1221cde0.aspx?pageID=20">http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/defa…

15 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what investment is planned for major improvements to the A96 in each year to 2012.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Planned expenditure on the A96during this period may be found on the Transport Scotland website at <ahref="http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/defaultpage1221cde0.aspx?pageID=20">http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/defaultpage1221cde0.aspx?pageID=20</a>.<…

15 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what amount Historic Scotland would make available to defray the costs of any work to Castle Tioram; whether it is normal practice for Historic Scotland to offer to defray the costs of any work when not requested to do so by the owner, and whether it will cite other examples where Histori…

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: While Historic Scotland has indicatedthat it is willing to consider grant-aid for consolidation and repair of the monument,and for improving visitor interpretation, there is presently no detailed and costedscheme of works, so to offer a figure would be premat…

15 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take steps to provide broadband access to Drimnin; what factors it considers to be relevant in reaching a decision on this issue; whether cost should be a factor, and what its estimate is for the (a) capital and (b) revenue costs for broadband users in the area.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive is aware of thebroadband access issue in Drimnin and confirms that it is being considered as partof our wider policy approach on the reach issue. We will consider all relevant factors,including the levels of known unmet demand as well as the cos…

15 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to provide broadband access to locations defined as “non-spots” and what financial provision will be made for this purpose.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive has already allocated£5 million funding to extend broadband coverage where it is currently unavailable.We have now agreed with BT thatthey will increase broadband availability in at least 20 exchanges which have capacityconstraints, and t…

15 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the refurbishment of Castle Tioram.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Historic Scotland is on record as confirming that it is willingto consider grant-aid for consolidation and repair of Castle Tioram, and for improvingvisitor interpretation. This would be without prejudice to any proposals the ownermight subsequently make.

15 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding remains undistributed from the fund earmarked for Scottish Bus Group pensioners; whether further payments will be made and, if so, when and how much, and whether payment of equal shares will be made to the widows or widowers of members of the pension scheme.

Answer · Tavish Scott: There is £158,000 remaining fromthe £126 million surplus which arose from the Scottish Transport Group pension funds.This sum has been reserved for distribution to identified eligible former pensionscheme members and claims continue to be made. There are no o…

15 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the costs of the proposed Inverness trunk link route will be met by (a) it and (b) the Highland Council and others.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Highland Council is currently taking forward the Inverness SouthConnectivity Study which is a Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidelines appraisalof the transport options for transport connectivity in the transport system aroundthe South of Inverness.The …

15 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide financial assistance to the Highland Council to progress work in relation to the proposed Inverness trunk link route and, if so, what the amount will be of such assistance and for what purpose and in which financial years it will be provided.

12 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that it is appropriate for national park authorities to grant planning permission for the building of residential property in areas where there is a risk of flooding once in every 200 years and whether the Cairngorms National Park Authority has a policy in relation to…

Answer · Des McNulty: It is for the CairngormsNational Park Authority to consider planning applications. If, however, theauthority wishes to grant permission contrary to the advice of the Scottish EnvironmentProtection Agency on flood risk, the application has to be notified to th…

9 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether individuals entitled to object to a permanent Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) in respect of the Edinburgh trams scheme are entitled to object to the proposed temporary TRO and, if so, whether a public inquiry would be held to consider such objections, how long the Reporter to the i…

Answer · Tavish Scott: The making of a Temporary TrafficRegulation Order (TTRO) under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, for whateverreason, is a matter for the local road authority concerned. There is no statutoryright of objection in the TTRO making process.

8 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will respond to NHS Highland in respect of the application to close Glencoe Hospital prior to dissolution of the Parliament

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-32291 on 22March 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:<a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/w…

8 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it will make of the suitability of residential homes to provide nursing care in considering NHS Highland's application to close Glencoe Hospital and whether such assessment will consider the number of nursing beds that will be require to be provided and when the necessary …

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-32291 on 22March 2007. All answers to written hospitals are available on the Parliament’swebsite, the search facility for which can be found at: <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search">http:…

8 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what alternative provision has been made for elderly people in south Lochaber by NHS Highland in respect of its application to close Glencoe Hospital; how many nursing care beds NHS Highland assesses will be sufficient to meet the needs of the south Lochaber area following closure of the …

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: NHS Highland and The Highland Council have submitted a jointproposal for the future delivery of care for elderly people in the Lochaberarea to Scottish ministers. The details of these proposals,including the number of nursing care beds needed for the f…

7 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how long on average it takes the Care Commission to provide appropriate accreditation for those who apply to become childminders; whether there is a backlog of around three months and a total time duration of four months to provide such accreditation; if so, whether the Executive consider…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Information about the registration of care services by theCare Commission is not collected in this way.The Care Commissions corporate plan,including key performance indicators (KPIs), is approved by Scottish ministers.The plan for 2006-09 includes a KP…

7 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any guidance about building on a flood plain (a) within and (b) outwith a national park and whether it considers that residential dwelling houses should be built in areas considered to be at risk of flood once in every 200 years.

Answer · Des McNulty: Guidance about building on aflood plain is contained in Scottish Planning Policy (SPP)7 and Planning Advice Note (PAN) 69.The guidance does not distinguish between development within and outwith anational park.Where the calculatedprobability of floodin…

27 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the “Safe-Inverness” project when its funding runs out in August 2007 and, if so, by what means, whether this will include financial support for the project and whether any similar project, or project with similar aims, in any other city receives Executive support.

Answer · Johann Lamont: Safe City Centresinitiatives in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, Perth andInverness were funded by the Executive from April 2003 to March 2006. Safe-Invernessand some other schemes had funding extended until 2007. An evaluation of SaferCity Cen…

26 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20486 by Lewis Macdonald on 26 September 2006, what progress is being made in establishing a course in clinical dental technology at a dental training institution; when such a course might begin, and what video conferencing provision will be made to …

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: NHS Education for Scotland(NES) have been asked to develop, with the further and higher education sector,a suitable clinical dental technology training course for denturists. NES have beenraising awareness of the potential for such a course and inviting regis…

14 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it estimates will be available under the new Scottish Rural Development Programme; whether there will be as much funding provided for crofting communities under the programme as there was under the Crofting Community Development Scheme (CCDS); whether it will provide esti…

Answer · Ross Finnie: Scotland has been allocated approximately £240 million from theEU over the 2007-13 period. In addition, there will be money from the Scottish Executive– which will provide the majority of the funding – and subject to agreement withthe EU, receipts from volunt…

7 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated annual population of deer on Rum was in each year since the herd was introduced and, of these, how many were culled annually.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Scottish Natural Heritage hasrecorded the estimated deer population and cull numbers since its inception as follows:<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td valign=top> Year </td> <td valign=top> <p alig…

7 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Forestry Commission Scotland will approve grant applications from Scottish Natural Heritage which contain no provision for fencing.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Forestry Commission Scotlandwill approve grant for planting schemes which contain no provision for fencingwhether submitted by Scottish Natural Heritage or by other applicants if theyare satisfied that there is no significant risk of damage from deer or other…

7 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what forestry grants have been paid to Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) in each year since its inception and, in particular, in respect of its forestry in Rum, and what grants SNH is seeking for its future operations in Rum.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH)received the following payments of forestry grants between 1994 and 2007. Of those,during the period 2003-07, £5,643 were in respect of its woodland management onRum.Any future grant applicationsfor Rum are dependant on t…

1 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the time scales are for the production of a (a) high-level output statement, namely a statement of available finance, showing the funding available for the railway infrastructure and (b) list of infrastructural requirements in respect of the Scottish rail network for the duration of …

Answer · Tavish Scott: The process is initiated formallyby the Office of Rail Regulation through the issue of the Access Charges ReviewNotice. This is expected shortly, and it is likely that this will require the submissionof the high-level output statement, together with the state…

1 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has intimated any view on track access charges on the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail line and, if so, to whom.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive has alwaystaken the view that there should be a charge on the newStirling-Alloa-Kincardine railway and that the charge should be such as to allowthe benefits of the new railway to be shared between the investor and operatorsusing the ne…

1 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what direction or guidance it has given to Transport Scotland in respect of the preparation of a high-level output statement for Network Rail for the next control period.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Transport Scotland is partof the Scottish Executive, directly accountable to Scottish ministers. Consequently,no such direction or guidance has been given.

1 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce track access charges for the proposed (a) Edinburgh Airport rail link, (b) Glasgow Airport rail link, (c) Waverley line or (d) Airdrie to Bathgate rail link or for any other rail project under construction or proposed for construction.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Transport Scotland plansto ask the Office of Rail Regulation to set an appropriate access charge for allnew additions to the rail network This is normal with any addition to infrastructurecontrolled by Network Rail. Transport Scotland will fund any necessary …

22 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the statement in a letter from the Office of Rail Regulation to Transport Scotland that the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine railway line project could not have been undertaken without the prospect of higher charges being made, what decision will now be taken in respect of whether h…

Answer · Tavish Scott: I shall reply to the member as soon as possible.

19 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it received (a) Assessment of transport network around the Forth, (b) Determining network performance around the Forth and (c) Option generation and sifting for a possible new crossing from Transport Scotland.

Answer · Tavish Scott: An initial draft of each reportwas received as set out in the following table. Work continues on each report beforefinal versions are published.<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=492> <thead> <tr> <td width=357 valign=top> <p align=ce…

19 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what reports it has received from Transport Scotland in respect of the Forth crossing; on what dates they were received; why they have not been placed on the Transport Scotland website, and when they will be so placed.

Answer · Tavish Scott: An initial draft of each of thefirst three reports into a Forth Replacement Crossing Study was received as outlinedin the following table. These reports willbe published on the Transport Scotland website after both the necessary scrutinyand acceptance by Tran…