Parliamentary questions
Kenny MacAskill
2,611 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
2 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost of grants for the conversion of motor vehicles to liquid petroleum gas was in each year since 1997.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The annual value of the Energy Saving Trust's Powershift grants for the conversion of motor vehicles to alternative fuels in Scotland since 1997 is:<P ALIGN="CENTER"><CENTER><TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=308><TR><TD WIDTH="36%" VALIGN="TOP" …
2 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) applications were received and (b) grants were made for conversion of motor vehicles to liquid petroleum gas in each year since 1997.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Energy Saving Trust's Powershift programme has processed the following Scottish applications and claims since 1997:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=434><TR><TD WIDTH="22%" VALIGN="TOP"> </TD><TD WIDTH="41%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTI…
2 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed extension of freight facilities grants to shipping will be a devolved matter and, if so, how the scheme will be administered.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The proposed extension of the Freight Facilities Grant Scheme to coastal and short sea shipping for journeys which begin and end in Scotland is a fully devolved matter.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The extension to the Scheme to cover journeys which only begin or end in…
2 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of constructing the Kingston Bridge was; how much has been spent on maintenance on an annual basis since construction, and what the estimated maintenance costs of the bridge are for the next five years.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The total cost of constructing the Kingston Bridge complex, including approach viaducts and entry/exit ramps, was just over £11 million (1970 prices). We do not have details of how much was spent on an annual basis by the previous roads authorities (Corporati…
2 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8560 by Sarah Boyack on 19 July 2000, what assumptions on (a) traffic volume, (b) maintenance and (c) maintenance costs have been made in respect of the lifespan of the Kingston Bridge.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Traffic volume is regulated by the capacity of the adjacent sections of the route rather than by the capacity of the bridge. Currently some 140,000 vehicles per day are crossing the bridge although in the recent past the traffic volume has exceeded 155,000 ve…
2 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the Office of Fair Trading regarding flight supplements charged on holidays from Scottish airports.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has made no representations to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) regarding flight supplements on air services from Scottish Airports. If it received evidence that flight supplements were in breach of competition legislation, the Scottish…
5 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many tourists arrived in Scotland from Europe by car in each of the last three years; what percentage of tourists visiting Scotland this represents, and which countries tourists who travelled by car to Scotland started their journeys from.
Answer · Henry McLeish: Number of EU tourists to Scotland who arrive by car<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=545><TR><TD WIDTH="36%" VALIGN="TOP"> </TD><TD WIDTH="17%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial"><P ALIGN="CENTER">1996</FONT></TD><TD WIDTH="23%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT …
5 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money was spent on fuel for ministerial cars in each month since July 1999.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The monthly expenditure on fuel for the Government Car Service (Scotland) (GCS) since July 1999 is shown in the table below:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Month</TD><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIG…
5 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money was spent on fuel for ministerial cars in each year since 1997.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The total expenditure on fuel for the Government Car Service (Scotland) (GCS) is shown in the table below:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">1997-98</TD><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN…
5 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to provide details of any research which it holds regarding the effect which the level of fuel prices in Scotland has on tourists.
Answer · Henry McLeish: Fuel costs are only one element in the cost of a holiday. There are no plans to conduct specific research on the effect of fuel prices, but as part of their ongoing monitoring, the Scottish Tourist Board are collecting evidence on factors that affect tourism …
5 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to provide details of any research or outcome of any investigations which it holds regarding the views and preferences of tourists from the Netherlands who are visiting Scotland.
Answer · Henry McLeish: Research suggests that the Dutch come because of their interest in castles, monuments, galleries and the quiet unspoilt nature of the countryside. There is an increasing interest in coming to Scotland for short breaks outwith the main holiday season. Outdoor …
5 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many road accidents on the M74's (a) four-lane section and (b) six-lane section in each of the last three years (i) did not involve any serious injuries or fatalities and (ii) involved serious injuries or fatalities.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Over the last three years there were 101 personal injury accidents on the M74's four-lane section between Junction 6 and Junction 12. Of these, 69 did not involve serious injuries or fatalities and 32 involved serious injuries or fatalities.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"…
5 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether international air links are beneficial to the Scottish economy; if so, in what way and whether it has any plans to promote such links by making representations to Her Majesty's Government or airlines regarding new air links between Scotland and international destinations.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Airports and Air Services Study, jointly commissioned by the Scottish Executive and DETR, is part of a wider review of aviation policy for the next 30 years. The review is aimed at encouraging the growth of regional air transport to meet local de…
5 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of any plans it has to promote public transport to the Braehead Shopping Centre.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The provision of public transport to the Braehead Shopping Centre is a matter for individual operators and Strathclyde Passenger Transport, as local transport authority.
5 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) best and (b) worst estimate is of the lifespan of the Kingston Bridge following the recent structural repairs and what assumptions were made to arrive at each of these estimates.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: In accordance with UK technical standards the Kingston Bridge was originally designed for 120 years. The current strengthening works will with normal maintenance secure the balance of this engineering life.
4 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what directions or guidance it intends to provide to tree surgeons and local authorities regarding the disposal of wood becoming available through natural waste.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: None.
4 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it intends to take to provide milling or drying facilities for wood becoming available through natural waste.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: None.
29 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what response it will give to the comments of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Defence, Dr Lewis Moonie on 27 June 2000, that there had been negligence on the part of the pilots leading to the crash of the RAF Chinook Helicopter on the Mull of Kintyre in 1994;…
Answer · Colin Boyd: I would refer to the answer given in S1W-8286.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">My responsibilities in relation to this tragedy were to ask Crown Counsel to consider the other information published since the Fatal Accident Inquiry in 1996. Crown Counsel concluded that there…
27 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has powers to provide start-up support for international air services to other EU countries or countries outwith the EU.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive can consider applications for Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) towards start-up international air service projects. The Enterprise Network can also consider support towards, for example, marketing of an international air service. In …
27 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the EC Directive regarding tendering of Caledonian MacBrayne services will also apply to Highlands and Islands Airports Limited services.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: EEC Regulation 3577/92 applies the principle of freedom to provide services to maritime transport within Member States. This does not apply to the provision of airport infrastructure operated by Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd
27 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Lord Advocate will take any action in the light of the article in the Scotland on Sunday on 18 June 2000 on the Chinook helicopter crash or whether he will make representations to the Ministry of Defence to take action in the light of the content of the article.
Answer · Colin Boyd: I asked Crown Counsel earlier this year to review the Fatal Accident Inquiry papers into this tragedy and other information published since the FAI, principally concerning the full automatic digital electronic control system (FADEC) fitted to the helicopter.<…
20 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7059 by Sarah Boyack on 19 June 2000, whether Glasgow Prestwick International Airport is excluded from the Public Service Obligations and, if so, why.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Glasgow Prestwick International Airport is not excluded from the Public Service Obligation (PSO) procedures for the tendering process for lifeline air services. A member state can impose a PSO on any route which meets the stated criteria set out in EC Regulat…
20 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7592 by Ross Finnie on 16 June 2000, (a) on what date, and by what method, the information was relayed to the Food and Agricultural Group of the Minister's department, (b) on what date, and by what method, the Food and Agriculture Group asked officia…
Answer · Ross Finnie: I have already made it perfectly clear that the first occasion on which the Scottish Executive was fully and properly informed of this problem was on 15 May. Between 5 May and that date my officials made enquiries of the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and …
20 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what fuel costs were incurred annually since 1997 by (a) Scottish Natural Heritage, (b) the Crown Office, (c) each local authority social work department, (d) each local authority transport department and (e) each local authority housing department.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: This information is not held centrally.
20 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what direction and guidance it has given to the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority in respect of the proposed Bathgate to Airdrie rail link.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Under the provisions made in the UK Transport Bill, introduced on 1 December 1999, the Scottish Ministers will be able to issue directions and guidance to the Strategic Rail Authority for passenger rail services that begin and end in Scotland. Since the Bill …
20 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of any representations or input which have been made and to whom in respect of the imposition of VAT on bridge tolls and what consideration it has given to the effect of this measure throughout Scotland.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: There has been ongoing liaison with the UK Government to ensure that the UK defence fully reflects the situation in Scotland.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The decision of the European Court of Justice is not due until 12 September. The UK Government and the devolved adm…
20 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any current targets or future targets planned in respect of (a) minimising packaging, (b) avoiding the use of ha'ardous substances and (c) the need for packaging to be reusable or recoverable; who set or will set these targets, and whether they are or will be UK-wide or …
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The EC Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (94/62/EC) requires all packaging to be minimised, the use of certain hazardous substances in packaging to be minimised and the design to be such as to permit its reuse or recovery. These elements of the Directiv…
20 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the division of responsibility is between it and the relevant UK Government department in respect of the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 and the Packaging (Essential Requirement) Regulations 1998.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is responsible for implementing the recycling and recovery targets in Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste in Scotland. These are enforced in Scotland by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency under The Producer Respo…
20 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken or plans to take to support the setting up of a newspaper recycling plant.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is currently investigating the feasibility of the establishment of a newspaper recycling plant in Scotland.
16 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it had any role and input into the appointment of the Chief Executive of the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) given the Executive's responsibility for road safety in Scotland and the role of the DVLA in assisting with UK road safety objectives.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has no functions in relation to driver and vehicle licensing.