Kenny MacAskill

5 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give revenue support to the enhancement of the bus service from Ferry Toll to Victoria Quay in order to improve the off-peak service for its staff; whether this is a factor in its Green Transport Plan, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The current peak-time bus service between Ferrytoll and Victoria Quay is taken into account in the Scottish Executive Travel Plan. <P>This meets the vast majority of the travel requirements of staff who may wish to travel by bus between Ferrytoll and Victoria…

5 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what level of support is to be paid to bus operators under the new concessionary fares scheme in each local authority area and whether it will give details of the scheme in operation in each such area.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Local authorities are responsible for making and administering concessionary travel schemes under the Transport Act 1985 and it is for them to negotiate the level of reimbursement provided to operators of local bus services. There are 16 local concessionary t…

5 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the development of a bus park-and-ride scheme on the M90 near Halbeath in order to assist in easing congestion and what action it has taken or plans to take on this matter.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The development of such a scheme is a matter for Fife Council and the Forth Estuary Transport Authority.

5 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance it is giving to expansion of the Ferry Toll park-and-ride scheme.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: SESTRAN has applied for funding to expand the Ferrytoll park and ride scheme from the fifth round of the Public Transport Fund.<P>Decisions on the Public Transport Fund will be announced in October.

5 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to assist in the creation of a park-and-ride scheme in the area of Edinburgh Airport or Newbridge, similar to the Ferry Toll scheme, in order to deal with traffic from the west, the M8 and the M9.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This is a matter for City of Edinburgh Council. The council is developing a strategic park-and-ride site at Ingliston and I understand that the council has now applied for planning permission for the site.

4 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Phoenix Fund money is available from its Business Growth Unit for post offices in urban deprived and rural areas and, if so, when and under what criteria such funds are available.

Answer · Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-28938 on 16 September 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp…

4 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much Phoenix Fund money is available from its Business Growth Unit; when such funding became available, and what the criteria are for distributing such funds.

Answer · Iain Gray: The Phoenix Fund comprises a number of strands, only one of which is available in Scotland. The loan guarantees element, to help co-finance commercial lending to Community Finance Initiatives, is applicable across the UK. Organisations based in Scotland are f…

4 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give details of any plans it has to create a fixed runway on Barra.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive has no plans to create a fixed runway on Barra.

4 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has received about estimated costs for creating a fixed runway on Barra and, in particular, about the costs of (a) tarmac and (b) grass runways.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: A recent report from a private company within the aviation sector estimated that the cost to build a new paved runway at Barra would be £1 million. However, a more extensive study carried out in 1993 by Airport Management Services Ltd, into the possibility of…

4 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the franchise period will be for public service obligation air routes in the Highlands and Islands and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive is currently finalising the details of the tender documents for its subsidised air routes prior to forwarding to the European Commission. Under EC Regulation 2408/92 air services can be tendered for a period of up to three years.

4 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many members of staff have been employed at each procurator fiscal office in (a) Lothians and (b) the Scottish Borders (i) in a secretarial or administrative capacity, (ii) as a procurator fiscal depute and (iii) as a trainee procurator fiscal depute in each year since 1997.

Answer · Colin Boyd: The information requested is displayed in the tables and is grouped into four categories:<P>Procurator Fiscal and Promoted Legal Staff (Procurator Fiscal (PF), Assistant Procurator Fiscal (Asst PF); Senior Principal Depute (SPD); Principal Depute (PD));<P>Pro…

29 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what input it had, in relation to its role in road safety promotion, to Her Majesty's Government's plans to legislate against the use of mobile phones whilst driving and whether it will publish details of any such input.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including mobile phones and driving.

21 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people from Scandinavia visited Scotland in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) country, (b) method of travel and port of entry, (c) estimated amount spent and (d) their purpose for travelling.

Answer · Mike Watson: VisitScotland have provided the information requested in the following tables:<P>Table 1: Sweden<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=548><TR><TD WIDTH="9%" VALIGN="TOP" ROWSPAN=2>&nbsp;</TD><TD WIDTH="9%" VALIGN="TOP" ROWSPAN=2><P>Trips<P>(000)</TD…

5 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who is responsible for the administration of pet passports; why no such scheme is available at the Port of Rosyth for the Superfast ferry, and when such a scheme may be available.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Animal Health and Welfare Division of my department are responsible for the administration of the Pets Passport Scheme (PETS) policy in Scotland.<P>Officials are currently in discussion with representatives of Superfast Ferries regarding the introduction …

5 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27368 by Lewis Macdonald on 2 August 2002, whether it will seek to amend legislation in order to allow franchises to be public not-for-profit trusts and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The subject matter of section 25 of the Railways Act 1993 (as amended by the Transport Act 2000) is reserved under the terms of the Scotland Act 1998.

10 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-26693 by Lewis Macdonald on 26 June 2002, whether it will give details of the study into the proposed light rail system for west Edinburgh and, in particular, (a) who any consultants to the study are, (b) when the study will be published, (c) what su…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: As Iain Gray announced on 29 July, City of Edinburgh Council has been awarded £5 million from the Integrated Transport Fund for a STAG stage 2 appraisal of the West Edinburgh Light Rail scheme, promotion of a parliamentary order or orders allowing the constru…

9 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-26711 by Lewis Macdonald on 5 July 2002, what the cost of commissioning and obtaining the Direct Air Services Action Plan was; who commissioned the report, and how any routes proposed in the report would be funded.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Scottish Enterprise commissioned the <I>Direct Air Services Action Plan</I> at a cost of £50,000. The plan, which was completed in January 2000, was developed to analyse the viability of, and identify opportunities for, new routes to/from Scotland. The inform…

8 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will propose amendments to the proposed EU Directive 2002/C 48/27 to allow ships of a lower tonnage than that currently in the proposed directive or regional ports to be exempted from the directive's provisions in view of the different nature of port operation in Scotland and …

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-27410.

8 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make any representations and propose any amendments to the proposed EU Directive 2002/C 48/27 and, if so, what the nature of any such amendments will be, detailing the reasons behind its position on the matter.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-27410.

8 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made in respect of the proposed EU Directive 2002/C 48/27 relating to port ownership and operation.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK government on a wide range of issues, including the proposed EU Directive on Market Access to Port Services. Since the proposal was published in February 2001, the Executive has considered the implicati…

8 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its strategy is towards local loop unbundling (LLU) and what information it has on the number of telephone exchanges where LLU has taken place up to the present date and the number of exchanges where it expects LLU to take place over the next two years.

Answer · Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive has no functions in relation to Telecoms regulation. OFTEL monitors the delivery of unbundling facilities throughout the UK on an on-going basis and information on LLU can be accessed on their website.

8 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what national strategy it or anybody accountable to it or acting on its behalf has for rolling out broadband over the next (a) two, (b) five and (c) 10 years, other than project ATLAS.

Answer · Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-27021 on 22 July 2002.

8 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what effect the reduction in the share price of Omne Communications Ltd will have on the roll-out of the broadband strategy; whether any changes to the strategy are planned, and whether there will be any variation to the timescale and delivery of the strategy.

Answer · Iain Gray: Omne Communications Ltd's share price has no impact on the Executive's broadband strategy.

5 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding will be made available to local authorities or any other relevant body to deal with abandoned vehicles.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Collection and disposal of abandoned vehicles is an established responsibility of local authorities, the cost of which is covered by the GAE. It is not yet clear what effect the new regulations will have on levels of abandonment or costs of disposal of abando…

5 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated annual costs to local authorities are of dealing with abandoned vehicles.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The information requested is not held centrally.

5 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has the powers to direct the Strategic Rail Authority to create a public not-for-profit trust company to take over the Scottish passenger rail franchise should such an action be deemed desirable at the end of the current ScotRail franchise.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Under The Railways Act 1993, as amended by The Transport Act 2000, public sector operators are not permitted to become franchisees.

5 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-26712 by Lewis Macdonald on 3 July 2002, who the operator of last resort would be in the event of the franchise not being let or re-let.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-27366.

5 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-26712 by Lewis Macdonald on 3 July 2002, who the operator would be in the event of the franchise not being let or re-let.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Under the Railways Act 1993, as amended by the Transport Act 2000, the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) becomes the operator (known as the &quot;operator of last resort&quot;) when a franchise agreement comes to an end, but no further franchise agreement has be…

5 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what studies have been carried out into the issue of abandoned vehicles.

Answer · Ross Finnie: No studies on the issue of abandoned vehicles have been published by the Scottish Executive.

5 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact will be on the proposed congestion charging scheme for Edinburgh of drivers who are classified as untraceable as a result of variation in the records maintained by the Driver Vehicle Licensing Authority and what percentage of drivers it estimates will be affected.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This is a matter currently being explored by the City of Edinburgh Council and Transport Initiatives Edinburgh as part of the development of their charging proposals.