Parliamentary questions
Kenny MacAskill
2,611 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
20 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of support and subsidy was paid for rural bus services in financial years 1998-99 and 1999-2000 and what level will be provided in 2000-01, 2001-02 and 2002-03.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: In both 1998-1999 and 1999-2000, grants totalling £3.5 million were made available to local authorities for Rural Public Passenger Transport Services and, although these were mainly for rural bus service, local authorities have the flexibility to use the fund…
15 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government regarding the possible imposition of a tax on aviation fuel and any effects such a tax might have on the accessibility of the Highlands and Islands and Scotland as a whole.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has made no representations to the UK Government on the possible imposition of a tax on aviation fuel. There are no proposals to introduce aviation fuel tax at UK or EU level.
15 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to detail any costing available relating to the creation of a rail link between Bathgate and Airdrie.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I understand that a recent study undertaken by the Railway Development Society on behalf of West Lothian Council estimated the cost of reinstating the Airdrie to Bathgate line at £19 million.
15 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for park and ride termini at railway stations on any of the lines between Glasgow and Edinburgh and to provide details of costings.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Park and ride interchanges are local transport matters and as such are for the Local Authorities in conjunction with Railtrack to develop. The Scottish Executive has committed £90 million under the Public Transport Fund to assist with projects such as these. …
15 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funds it may make available for the electrification of the Scottish rail network.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer the member to the answer I gave to question S1W-4514.
15 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to provide details of any plans it has to seek, or support, further electrification of the Scottish rail network.
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…
13 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to provide details of the increase in commercial traffic on the A90 from Aberdeen to Fraserburgh on an annual basis from 1974 and of expenditure on the A90 on an annual basis from 1974 to date.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The information available is shown below. The first table shows the average daily flow of Heavy Goods Vehicles over a seven-day week in September of each year.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=565><TR><TD WIDTH="23%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Ari…
10 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made, if any, to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food regarding the implementation in Scotland of the PETS Passport pilot scheme; whether any requests have been made for facilities and entry/exit points in Scotland, and whether it will provide detail…
Answer · Ross Finnie: Since Professor Kennedy submitted his recommendations for alternative arrangements to the existing system of quarantine in September 1998, the Scottish Executive has worked in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and other Britis…
10 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will answer question S1W-2475 lodged on 11 November 1999.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: PQ S1W-2475 was answered today.
10 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3535 by Sarah Boyack on 28 February 2000, whether it will provide details of any guidelines for operators regarding joint pricing and ticketing initiatives.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has issued no guidelines to operators on joint pricing and ticketing initiatives.
10 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to detail the costs to individual local authorities of transport for children with special needs for each of the last three years.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The cost of transport for children with special needs is not identified separately in the expenditure returns submitted by local authorities to the Scottish Executive. Total expenditure by each education authority on home to school transport in financial year…
10 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to extend the Fuel Duty Rebate scheme to post buses.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has no plans at present to extend Fuel Duty Rebate beyond local registered bus services.
10 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to provide details of all central government expenditure on the City of Edinburgh Rapid Transport scheme to date.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Additional capital allocations totalling £15 million are being made available from the previous Transport Challenge Fund competition to assist the City of Edinburgh Council with their CERT project. To date additional capital consent of £10.48 million has been…
10 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the projected passenger use studies relating to the City of Edinburgh Rapid Transport scheme (CERT) and, if no such studies are available, what it understands CERT's projected passenger use to be.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The publication of such information is entirely a matter for the City of Edinburgh Council.
10 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to provide details of any information it has received relating to the commercial viability of the City of Edinburgh Rapid Transport scheme.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Such information as has been received by the Scottish Executive on the City of Edinburgh Rapid Transport scheme is commercially confidential. The project is the responsibility of the City of Edinburgh Council.
10 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish any plans and documentation it holds or has received relating to the City of Edinburgh Rapid Transport scheme.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: No. This project is the responsibility of Edinburgh City Council who have already published plans and consulted extensively.
10 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to bring forward a Bill on strategic environmental assessment.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: We have no plans at this stage.
10 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to establish a cross-sector working group to review and advise on strategic environmental assessment best practice and, if so, whether it will provide details of the proposed group.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer Mr MacAskill to my answer to his question S1W-5239.
10 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of and publish a timetable for the implementation of a programme of strategic environmental assessment.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The EC Directive on Strategic Environmental Assessment is not yet finalised. The current draft allows member states three years to transpose its requirements into national law.
10 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to detail the result of any tests it has conducted in the waters off the Solway and Ayrshire coasts for the following pollutants: (a) alpha radiation, (b) beta radiation, (c) Carbon 14, (d) Cobalt 60, (e) Strontium 90, (f) Zirconium 95 and Niobium 95, (g) Technetium 99, (h) Iodine 129, (i…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-05236.
10 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it undertakes testing for radioactive pollution on the foreshore of the Ayrshire and Solway coasts and, if so, to detail the materials tested for and the test results.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) carries out a comprehensive programme of monitoring of environmental radioactivity in Scotland. The programme includes monitoring of the Ayrshire coastline around the Hunterston A and Hunterston B nuclear lice…
8 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail (a) the powers it has to access funding from the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority (SSRA) and the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA), (b) the mechanism for direction and control of expenditure by the SSRA and the SRA and (c) the requests or representations made for fundin…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has no direct access to funds under the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority's Railway Passenger Partnership Scheme (RPP). The scheme is administered by the SSRA for the whole of the United Kingdom with the objective of providing an addition…
8 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive (a) what steps it has taken to facilitate the reintroduction of a tram network in Edinburgh, (b) whether it has met the owners of the New Edinburgh Tramways Company (NETco) and whether it will provide details of any meetings and (c) whether it will provide funding to NETco in the light of…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: This is a commercial venture and its success will be dependent upon demand for the service. Before NETCo can proceed it will have to secure the appropriate parliamentary powers and permissions.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Scottish Executive officials met with represent…
8 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken or proposes to take to maximise any benefit for all of Scotland from the current franchise bidding for the East Coast Rail Line from Aberdeen to Edinburgh.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer Mr Macaskill to the reply I gave to question S1W-4514.
2 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made, or will make, representations to Her Majesty's Government regarding the possible introduction of green energy trading certificates and, if so, whether any such representations will seek to secure possible revenues raised in Scotland from such an energy purchase scheme.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Provision for the introduction of "green" certificates is made in the Utilities Bill, which is currently in its Committee stage in the House of Commons. Under the proposed renewables obligation, trade in them is expected to take place between renewa…
2 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to assist or promote the use of motorbikes, scooters and other powered two wheelers.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive recently issued guidance to local authorities to assist them in preparing their full Local Transport Strategies. This provides advice on the contribution powered two wheelers can make in delivering integrated transport policies.<FONT FA…
2 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail, for each of the last ten years, Scotland's market share of tourism in relation to (i) the UK, (ii) Europe and (iii) the world.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The information is as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="17%" VALIGN="TOP"> </TD><TD WIDTH="8%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">1990</TD><TD WIDTH="8%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">1991</TD><TD WIDTH="8%" VALIGN…
2 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are or have been plans to extend the Edinburgh City Bypass to six lanes and, if so, whether it will detail them, and whether external consultants or other professionals have been approached regarding proposals to extend the number of lanes on the bypass and, if so, what are …
Answer · Sarah Boyack: A scheme for widening the Edinburgh City Bypass was safeguarded in the Lothian Structure Plan 1994, but detailed proposals have not been developed. Transportation consultants SIAS analysed the impact of widening the carriageway on the Colinton Bypass section …
2 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government and to the European Parliament and the European Union during the last six months in respect of genetically modified organisms.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the United Kingdom Government on a range of matters including GM issues.
2 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the policy statements and advice it has made in respect of genetically modified organisms over the last six months.
Answer · Susan Deacon: My response to question S1W-4852 set out Scottish Executive policy on genetically modified organisms.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>Over the last six months, Ministers have fully set out our position on genetically modified organisms in response to 55 items of …