Parliamentary questions
Kenny MacAskill
2,611 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
26 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what are the criteria for the tendering process for Lifeline Services to the Highlands and Islands and, in particular, what is the specification intimated in respect of airports to be used.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The procedures for the tendering process for lifeline air services are set out in EC Regulation 2408/92. The routes and airports used by lifeline air services are required to be specified in the Public Service Obligations imposed under the regulation.
26 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to market Scotland abroad and what budget is to be assigned for this purpose.
Answer · Henry McLeish: Scottish Trade International is the Government agency responsible for trade and exports from Scotland as well as for co-ordinating a Scottish involvement within the overall UK presence at international events and exhibitions. Scotland the Brand promotes Scotl…
18 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it or Her Majesty's Government will represent Scotland in any representations to the European Union on mandatory public liability insurance for GM crop trials; what input it will have into any such representations if these are to be made by Her Majesty's Government and which UK De…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The wider issue of environmental liability is being considered at present by the European Commission, which has prepared a White Paper for consultation. Her Majesty's Government will represent the UK in all international and European Union negotiations. The l…
18 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations regarding mandatory public liability insurance for farms involved in GM crop trials and, if so, to whom these representations were made.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: No. The Scottish Executive's main priority has always been to ensure the protection of the environment and human health. The farm scale trials are the latest in a comprehensive series of rigorous tests designed to ensure that the crops concerned are safe to h…
7 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what each local authority charges for cards for concessionary fare schemes for pensioners.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The details, from the latest information we have available, are as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=583><TR><TD WIDTH="45%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P ALIGN="CENTER">LOCAL AUTHORITY</TD><TD WIDTH="55%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT …
5 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to detail any projects it proposes to support and the level of funding it will add to assist the implementation of Railtrack's Network Management Strategy.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer Mr MacAskill to the reply I gave to S1W-5865.
5 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding is made available to local authorities to provide concessionary travel cards for pensioners and whether any additional funds will be made available.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Grant aided expenditure for councils' discretionary concessionary travel schemes is included in the local government finance settlement; the figure for 2000-01 is £33.8 million. The GAE allowances for individual services are not spending targets or limits. Th…
5 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to detail what funding was provided in 1999-2000 and will be provided in 2000-01, and any additional funding that has been, or is to be, made available for: (a) child road safety education and information; (b) local authority spending on schemes for child safety and safe routes to school;…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The answer can only be provided at a disproportionate cost.
31 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its announcement on 31 March 2000 of an additional #444 million package of improvements and repairs to the motorway and road network, what expenditure is proposed for each of the 49 projects listed in (a) 2000-01 and (b) 2001-02.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The estimated expenditure for each project is as follows:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Planned Expenditure<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 BORDERCOLOR="#000000" CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=578><TR><TD WIDTH="77%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=16><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Project</TD><TD WIDTH="10%" …
31 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its announcement on 31 March 2000 of an additional #444 million package of improvements and repairs to the motorway and road network, on what date each of the 49 projects listed first appeared in the public domain as a project which it was willing to fund.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The information requested is as follows:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 BORDERCOLOR="#000000" CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=642><TR><TD WIDTH="72%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=16><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"> <P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Project</TD><TD WIDTH="28%" VALIGN="TOP…
31 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding and support it will give to provide a rail link to Edinburgh Airport.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer Mr MacAskill to my answer to question S1W-3672.
31 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail its plans to assist the implementation of RailTrack's Network Management Strategy, any projects it proposes to assist and the level of funding to be provided.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The project proposals outlined in Railtrack's <I>2000 Network Management Statement</I> <I>for Scotland </I>will help inform the Scottish Executive's consideration of the strategic priorities for the Scottish railway network. These priorities will underpin the…
31 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of any schemes, plans or studies for the expansion of electrification of the rail network and provide costings for these.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Ministers will be able to issue directions and guidance to the Strategic Rail Authority for the franchise providing passenger rail services which begin and end in Scotland. They will reflect strategic priorities for the provision of passenger rai…
31 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the amount of money ring fenced and earmarked for the opening of the Larkhall rail line and the source of that funding.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: As well as seeking funding under the Public Private Partnership arrangements, for which the project may be eligible for up to £2.26 million per annum level playing field support, the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority was awarded £5 million from the Sc…
30 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4879 by Sarah Boyack on 27 March 2000, (a) when transport consultants SIAS were instructed to carry out the study on road widening, (b) what are the terms of reference of the study, (c) what is the cost of the study and (d) when it intends to publish…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The study referred to in my earlier answer (S1W-4879) was commissioned in 1998 and assesses the benefits that would accrue from the implementation of either hard shoulders or a third lane between Baberton and Lothianburn.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The cost of the stu…
30 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-5239, S1W-5240 and S1W-5241 by Sarah Boyack on 24 March 2000, how it will implement or fulfil the Partnership Agreement pledge to introduce strategic environmental assessment for all Government policies in the term of its government, given that the…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Strategic environmental assessment will be a valuable tool in the delivery of our <I>Programme for Government</I> commitment to delivery of sustainable development. The Ministerial Group on Sustainable Scotland has already taken significant steps to ensure th…
29 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it will make to the Office of Fair Trading regarding the operation of Trust Port Authorities, in particular Cromarty Firth Ports.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Executive maintains contact with UK regulatory bodies, including the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) on matters of mutual interest, or where it is consulted by OFT in the course of their work.
29 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what are the methods and criteria for the appointment of members of Trust Port Authorities and whether it has any plans to amend said methods or criteria.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The methods and criteria for the appointment of members of trust ports in Scotland are set out in <I>Modernising Trust Ports: A Guide to Good Governance</I> published in January 2000. The guidance explains that the standards apply to trust ports in Scotland. …
29 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to detail the number of ceremonial events staged in the City of Edinburgh since 1 July 1999 and the increased overtime costs incurred by Lothian and Borders Police on a daily basis in respect of each such event.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-5734.
29 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to detail the number of VIP and Royal visits to the City of Edinburgh since 1 July 1999 and the increased overtime costs incurred by Lothian and Borders Police on a daily basis in respect of each visit.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Royal and VIP visits are often linked to ceremonial events. There have been 59 visits falling into these categories since 1 July 1999.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Lothian and Borders Police are unable to provide figures for any increased overtime costs that might have …
27 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what charges are levied on the Ministry of Defence in connection with military bases or exercises by the Scottish Executive, local authorities or other Scottish public bodies.
Answer · Henry McLeish: This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Executive.
27 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations were made to the Ministry of Defence regarding the purchase of Stornaway Airport by Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd. (HIAL) and whether additional funding will be made available to HIAL to cover the cost of purchase.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is required to seek open market value for property disposals, including to public sector bodies. Officials from the Scottish Executive and Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) have met their counterparts in MOD's Defence Est…
27 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Freight Facilities Grant paid to Safeway imposed any restriction on backloading; if so, why and, in this connection, whether any Highland manufacturers have sought either reciprocal facilities or an opportunity to backload.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: No conditions are attached to the Freight Facilities Grant awarded to Safeway which restrict the company from backloading. I understand that Safeway is willing to explore options with any company for backloading on the basis that this would not interfere with…
27 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many roads have been newly classified as trunk roads since May 1997, specifying the distance involved in each case.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has not reclassified any local roads as trunk since May 1997. The following sections of new trunk road have been opened since May 1997.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="14%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIF…
27 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many roads have been detrunked since May 1997, specifying the distance detrunked in each case.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has detrunked the following sections of road since May 1997. The reclassification followed their replacement by new sections of trunk road with the exception of the A814 Garelochhead Bypass, which has been removed from the trunk road ne…
27 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the A98 has been detrunked.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The reason for detrunking the A98 was given in the consultation document <I>Local Government Reform - Shaping the Trunk Road Network</I> which was published in October 1994. Given the generally local nature of trips on the A98 between Fraserburgh and the A96 …
21 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3535 by Sarah Boyack on 28 February 2000, what guidance and directions it proposes to give to local authorities and transport operators regarding joint ticketing and pricing initiatives in the light of recent Office of Fair Trading decisions on such …
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive expect that the implementation of joint ticketing and pricing initiatives will be driven by the commercial acumen of operators and transport strategies of local authorities. Such arrangements should have regard to competition legislatio…
21 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to propose any rail projects to the Strategic Rail Authority and, if so, to provide details of these projects.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The directions and guidance issued by the Scottish Executive to the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) for passenger rail services that start and end in Scotland will reflect the Executive's strategic priorities for the provision of passenger rail services throug…
21 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it gave to rail alternatives, in particular the reopening of the Bilston Glen line, when considering proposals for the A701.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: There are no rail alternatives relevant to the A701 proposal. In making a decision on the Notice of Intention to Develop, the public transport issues identified in the structure plan were taken into account.
21 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will seek an independent review of the Larkhall rail project.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has no plans to seek an independent review of the Larkhall to Milngavie rail route project, which is the responsibility of the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority as the public transport body for the area.