Parliamentary questions
Kenny MacAskill
2,611 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
2 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has in respect of the use of red diesel for agricultural vehicles and what its involvement is in the operation of the scheme of exemption from duty.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Red diesel is a reserved matter.
2 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has to extend fuel duty rebate to commercial vehicles; whether it will detail the basis of these powers or restrictions, and whether it has any plans to extend the fuel duty rebate schemes to encompass an essential user rebate scheme for road haulage vehicles.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Bus Fuel Duty Rebate scheme is operated under section 92 of the Finance Act 1965. Legislative competence and financial responsibility for this scheme was devolved to the Scottish Parliament on 1 July 1999. The Scottish Executive's Transport (Scotland) Bil…
2 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any directions or guidance it has given to the Strategic Rail Authority regarding the Borders rail line; when these were given, and whether it will place copies in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
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 which begin and end in Scotland. These will ref…
2 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what are the fuel costs, broken down by mode of transport, for CalMac on an annual basis since 1997.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: This is a matter for Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd. The information requested is not held centrally.
1 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any input and involvement it had into the investigation by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions into ports and harbours and whether it can advise when any report of this investigation will be published.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive maintains regular contact with DETR on a wide range of ports and harbour issues. This includes the devolved aspects of a UK wide review of ports policy following a consultation paper issued by DETR in February 1999. The Executive plans …
1 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government on the 10-year transport strategy.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is keeping in close contact with the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions during development of the strategy.
1 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of any input and representation it made to the National Rail Summit.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Officials from the Scottish Executive Development Department attended the national Rail Summit held in London on 25 May.
1 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4391 by Sarah Boyack on 29 February 2000, whether it will provide a timescale for the publication of each of the reports, consultations and studies listed.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer the member to my answer to question S1W-6664.
22 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of fuel was for vehicles for the ambulance service for each year since 1997.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The cost of fuel for vehicles for the ambulance service for each year since 1997 is detailed below.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Year</TD><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"…
22 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6539 by Sarah Boyack on 18 May 2000, what its precise involvement has been in the consideration of the case, in particular (a) whether the instructions to the legal agents came from the Executive or from a department of Her Majesty's Government and (…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Exchanges between the Scottish Executive and the UK Government are conducted on a confidential basis.
22 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6342 by Sarah Boyack on 10 May 2000, to detail (a) the routes and airports specified in the Public Service Obligations, (b) the criteria for the selection of the routes and airports, (c) what consultation has taken place with members of the public, l…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The information requested is as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">(a) Routes/airports specified in the Scottish Executive's and Islands Councils' Public Service Obligations</TD></TR><TR><TD VAL…
22 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive (a) what is the number and names of local authorities who have sought to participate in the pilot Home Zone projects announced in November 1999, (b) when a decision on which projects have been selected will be made, (c) what criteria will be used in selecting which projects, and how many,…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Four local authorities have sought to participate in the Home Zones pilot study. These are Aberdeen City Council, Dundee City Council, The Highland Council and The City of Edinburgh Council<B>. </B>The original intention had been to identify three sites for t…
22 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to promote the opening of a railway station at Edinburgh Park and what funding it will make available to facilitate this.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Edinburgh Park railway station is an integral part of the City of Edinburgh Rapid Transport (CERT) project which is entirely a matter for the City of Edinburgh Council. The Scottish Executive is making available from the previous Transport Challenge Fund …
16 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that the Larkhall rail line scheme proceeds and what the timetable is for the scheme.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer the member to the answer I gave to question S1W-6806.
16 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail its role in monitoring and promoting rail projects supported in whole or in part from public resources such as the Public Transport Fund or the Railway Passenger Partnership.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: It is for each local authority and the SPTA to put forward bids to the Public Transport Fund and so far 9 rail-related projects are receiving support. At the start of each project the local authority must prepare an Action Plan setting out how it proposes to …
15 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-5865 by Sarah Boyack on 8 May 2000 and if the direction and guidance to be given to the Strategic Rail Authority will not contain detailed prescription about infrastructure, (a) what proposals in Railtrack's 2000 Network Management Statement for Scot…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Executive's vision is for Scotland's railways to play a full and growing part in a sustainable, effective and integrated transport system which is accessible and safe, and which meets economic and social needs without threatening the health of our environ…
12 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what costs have been incurred on an annual basis since 1995, broken down by fire authority area, on (a) vehicle fuel and (b) transport.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The available information is as follows:<P>Fire Services Revenue Expenditure: Transport costs<SUP>1</SUP><TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=517><TR><TD WIDTH="29%" VALIGN="TOP"> </TD><TD WIDTH="33%" VALIGN="TOP" COLSPAN=2><FONT FACE="Arial"><P AL…
12 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what costs have been incurred on an annual basis since 1995, broken down by health board area, on (a) vehicle fuel and (b) transport.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Information on vehicle fuel and transport costs incurred by Health Boards and NHS Trusts is not collected centrally.
12 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it proposes to take to support offshore wind development, what funding has been provided for offshore wind development on an annual basis since 1997, and what steps it will take to regulate any charges to be levied by the Crown Estates Commission.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Executive is currently consulting about an obligation on electricity suppliers to provide an additional 5% of electricity from renewable energy sources by 2010. However this obligation would not be technology specific.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">In addition, we ar…
12 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what has been the number and costs of any consultancies, studies or reports into the reopening of the Stirling/Alloa/Dunfermline railway line on an annual basis since 1997.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I am aware of the following seven relevant pieces of work:-<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=601><TR><TD WIDTH="24%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">ORIGINATOR OF REPORT</TD><TD WIDTH="46%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">REPORT</TD><TD WID…
12 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to promote the re-opening of the Stirling/Alloa/Dunfermline railway line, and what is the possible timescale for the reopening of (a) its freight service and (b) its passenger service.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I met representatives of Clackmannanshire Council and local MSPs on 6 April 2000 and discussed a range of transport matters, including the Stirling/Alloa/Dunfermline railway line. Railtrack recently submitted an application for a Freight Facilities Grant for …
12 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the European Convention on Human Rights has any effect on Scottish planning law and organisation and, if so, what areas are affected and what proposals will be brought forward to address this situation.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: We are systematically reviewing all of our activities to identify issues where there is a risk of ECHR challenge. If we believe it is necessary to amend existing legislation in order to comply with the Convention, then we will bring forward proposals for that…
12 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the transport research budget has been on an annual basis over the last five years.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The information requested is given in the table below:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Financial Year</TD><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="CENTER">Transport Research Budget</TD></TR>…
12 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to support the introduction of bio-diesel.
Answer · Henry McLeish: There are no plans to support the introduction of bio-diesel.
12 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures or regulations it proposes to introduce to encourage fast food outlets to recycle materials.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The EC Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive requires member states to recover a minimum of 50% of packaging waste, of which a minimum of 25% must be recycled, by 2001. The United Kingdom has implemented the directive through two sets of regulations: the Pr…
12 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what incentives it proposes to introduce to encourage recycling by individuals and local authorities and what is the proposed financial expenditure thereon.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The National Waste Strategy: Scotland, which we adopted in 1999, outlines the ways in which we intend to change the way waste is dealt with in Scotland. A basic principle of the strategy is that local solutions will be developed to deal with the problem of lo…
12 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to support and promote wave energy, including any proposals to provide funding, and what funds have already been provided for wave energy on an annual basis since 1997.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Renewables Obligation (SRO) has been the mechanism for supporting the development of renewable energy projects in Scotland. Under its third round or SRO3, three contracts were awarded for wave energy projects in March 1999, the first such awards …
12 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what regulation and requirements it proposes to ensure that consumers are told of the possibility of high lead content in their water supply, and what powers will be made available to require that action is taken to remedy the situation.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Water Supply (Water Quality) (Scotland) Regulations 1990 require random samples to be taken from household dietetic taps within each water supply zone. Where lead is detected in a tap sample, in breach of the current regulatory requirement, the householde…
12 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that consumers receive adequate information regarding lead in their water supply.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Water Supply (Water Quality) (Scotland) Regulations 1990 require water authorities to notify customers of lead failures associated with water samples taken from their premises and of the measures that could be taken to reduce the risk to health from lead.…
12 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the number of households whose internal plumbing is (a) of lead construction and (b) of a construction which uses leaded solder joints, and whether it intends to undertake work to establish how many households are affected by this problem.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: <I><FONT FACE="Arial">Drinking Water Quality in Scotland 1994</I> reviewed the extent of lead pipes in domestic plumbing. The estimate then was that there were 589,000 properties in Scotland with lead plumbing. The results of a lead sampling programme about t…