Parliamentary questions

Kenny MacAskill

2,611 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

8 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what strategy exists, in connection with the marketing of Scotland as a tourist destination, to promote Robert Burns abroad; which organisations and individuals have been involved in formulating any such strategy; what action has been taken in support of any such strategy, and what budge…

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive is considering how best to develop a programme of events which, as part of the wider Scottish Tourism Strategy, will raise the profile and understanding of Burns both at home and abroad. We are currently consulting with a wide range of bodies lo…

8 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what budget will be allocated to the marketing of Scotland as a tourist destination in Belgium and the Netherlands between now and May 2002.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: This is an operational matter for VisitScotland. The information is not held centrally.

8 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what additional resources have been or will be made available to market Scotland as a tourist destination in (a) Zeebrugge and (b) Belgium in the current financial year.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: The funding resources available to VisitScotland has been almost doubled since February 2000. It is for VisitScotland to decide its marketing priorities.

8 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what powers, excluding the use of track access and freight facilities grants, it has to encourage the Strategic Rail Authority to develop the rail infrastructure for rail freight.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer the member to the answer given to S1W-17457.

8 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which rail freight infrastructure schemes, excluding projects receiving track access or freight facilities grants, it wishes the Strategic Rail Authority to take forward in order to develop rail freight over the next 10 years and what other policies it has in place to develop rail freight.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-17457 on 28 August 2001.

8 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with English, Welsh and Scottish Railway and Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire with regard to expanding the Eurocentral rail freight facilities; what contribution such an expansion could make to its targets for moving freight from road to rail, and what represen…

Answer · Sarah Boyack: No approach has been made to the Scottish Executive by either English Welsh (EWS) and Scottish Railways or Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire (SEL) about the expansion of rail freight facilities at the Eurocentral terminal. However, I understand that discussion…

8 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether rail freight capacity on the west coast main line is sufficient to enable its targets on moving freight from road to rail to be met and what directions and guidance it will give to the Strategic Rail Authority regarding an increase in freight capacity, particularly in view of incr…

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The development of rail freight is a reserved matter and as such is the responsibility of the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA). However, in April, the Scottish Executive commissioned consultants to carry out a study to take a strategic view of the potential for…

8 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what infrastructure improvements will be made to the rail network between now and May 2003.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: 13 rail related projects have been supported by the Scottish Executive's Public Transport Fund, and Freight Facilities Grants have been awarded to eight schemes which involve rail freight. The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) has supported Edinburgh Crossrail t…

8 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what transport infrastructure improvements are planned in the event of any bid for the 2008 European nations football championship being successful, outlining the expected cost and timescale of each such project.

Answer · Allan Wilson: No transport infrastructure improvements are planned at present. The Executive is presently considering the infrastructure issues raised by the outline stadia proposals for 2008 received by the Scottish Football Association from Scottish football clubs.

8 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent directions and guidance it has given to the Strategic Rail Authority regarding the east coast main line franchise.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-17492 on 28 August 2001.

23 Jul 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the #5 million awarded to visitscotland, as announced on 28 March 2001, is subject to VAT.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: This funding is not subject to VAT.

23 Jul 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to (a) make additional funding available for marketing tourism to Edinburgh and Scotland following the expansion of Ryanair flights from Dublin to Scotland and (b) support the expansion of air services from Scotland to destinations beyond the United Kingdom.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: I refer the member to my announcement on 2 August of an additional £5.51 million for VisitScotland for the purposes of marketing Scotland. Funding for VisitScotland has increased by 95% since February 2000, and is now at a record level of over £37 million. It…

23 Jul 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many approved grant applications under the Powershift scheme, for what value, have yet to be paid by the Energy Saving Trust to individuals or organisations who have converted cars to liquid petroleum gas.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: As of 1 August, there were 8 approved Powershift applications to the value of £7072 awaiting payment by the Energy Saving Trust in Scotland. These grants will be paid shortly.

23 Jul 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which types of new car are eligible for an Energy Saving Trust grant of (a) 40%, (b) 60% and (c) 75% under the Powershift scheme for conversion to liquid petroleum gas and which types of car can be converted in Scotland.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: To be eligible for a Powershift grant, vehicle models must be on the approved Powershift Register; all those which are can be converted in Scotland. Once converted these vehicles achieve an overall reduction in their emissions in line with the current Europea…

19 Jul 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has taken or will take action in order that the companies responsible for the maintenance of trunk roads ensure that staff employed by them or a sub-contractor are employed on a full-time basis and are not CIS4 holders and, if so, how it has achieved, or intends to achieve, thi…

Answer · Sarah Boyack: There is no contractual obligation for the companies responsible for the maintenance of the trunk roads to have full time employees except for key posts nor is there any requirement for those employed or sub-contracted to undertake work not to be CIS4 holders…

17 Jul 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications for Freight Facilities Grant have been received in each year since 1997 and what the average turnaround time for processing these was, broken down by mode of transport.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Eleven awards of FFG have been made in respect of applications received since 1997. Of these, 2 rail applications were received in 1998, one inland waterway and 6 rail applications were received in 1999 and one rail and one inland waterway application was rec…

17 Jul 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many trips have been made outwith the United Kingdom by (a) the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning and (b) the Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning and Gaelic in each month since October 2000, detailing the location, purpose and cost of each visit.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Tables of the trips undertaken are attached.Trips undertaken by Ms Alexander<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=557><TR><TD WIDTH="20%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=38>Month<…

17 Jul 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many modern apprentices there have been in construction industry trades at the site of the new Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in each year since work began.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: The information is not gathered centrally.

16 Jul 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it collates relating to loss of urban green space.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: None, although sportscotland monitors the impact of development proposals on playing fields in Scotland. The Executive published research on Rethinking Open Space (Bib. no. 12100) in March 2001 to assist local authorities in preparing open space…

16 Jul 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much money is available for Freight Facilities Grants in relation to the ferry link from Rosyth to Europe.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The funds available for Freight Facilities Grants over the 3 year period from 2001 to 2004 totals £36m of which £11.5m is already committed.

16 Jul 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it received an application from Forth Ports for a Freight Facilities Grant in relation to the ferry link from Rosyth to Europe and when a decision will be made on the application.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The initial application was received on 9 May. Information on the identity of the destination port, which is needed to enable the application to be processed, was received on 22 June. Freight Facilities Grant applications are subject t…

16 Jul 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it received an application for a Freight Facilities Grant from Superfast Ferries in relation to the ferry link from Rosyth to Europe and when a decision will be made on the application.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The application was received on 29 May. Information on the identity of the destination port, which is needed to enable the application to be processed, was received on 22 June. Freight Facilities Grant applications are subject to a rigorous…

12 Jul 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much money it will allocate for the promotion of international air links.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive has no specific budget provision for the promotion of international air links. The Executive has, however, on-going discussions with its agencies (enterprise networks and visitscotland) on how best any available funding can be deployed …

12 Jul 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will be represented at the next Bermuda II negotiations and, if so, by whom and what their role will be.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Under the provisions of the Scotland Act 1998 international relations and matters concerning the regulation of aviation and air transport are reserved to the UK Government.

12 Jul 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what effect the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, as drafted, will have on tourism.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The purpose of Part 1 of the draft Land Reform Bill is to create greater opportunity for people to visit and enjoy the Scottish countryside. This will further enhance the attractiveness of Scotland to our visitors.

12 Jul 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it (a) sought and (b) obtained from visitscotland prior to the drafting of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.

Answer · Jim Wallace: visitscotland has been consulted along with other interested organisations and individuals at each stage of the development of the draft Land Reform (Scotland) Bill. This includes early consultations by the Land Reform Policy Group as well as the White Paper …

6 Jul 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that all construction contracts issued by it, either solely or in conjunction with another body, specify that workers on sites must be employed rather than self-employed on construction-related work and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The form of relationship between contractors and their employees or sub-contractors is in general a matter for the contractor rather than the contracting authority. The stipulation of labour status within public construction contracts could be open to challen…

6 Jul 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide financial support for full-si'e indoor football facilities as part of the investment to support a bid for the European Nations Football Championships 2008 and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Consideration will be given to whether support should be given to additional football facilities if the Scottish Football Association decides to bid for the 2008 European Nations Football Championships when UEFA issues its bid criteria.

5 Jul 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it was advised of the recent changes at director level at the Scottish Tourist Board; if so, at what stage and what advice it gave regarding the changes.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Executive was kept in regular touch with visitscotland's restructuring process implementing the relevant recommendation of the PWC Management Review Report including the decisions relating to the appointment of three new senior directors and the staff cha…

28 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it was represented at official level on the panel for the selection of the incoming directors of the Scottish Tourist Board.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: No.