Parliamentary questions
Kenny MacAskill
2,611 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
2 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will specify (a) the number and extent of trunk roads in terms of distance and as a percentage of the road network, (b) the number of trunk roads built or roads reclassified as trunk roads over the last 10 years, (c) the roads and the mileage of those roads that have been recla…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: There are 41 routes in the statutory list of trunk roads. The length of trunk roads, including motorway slip roads, is 3439km (2,137 miles) which represents approximately 6.5% of the public road network. The number of trunk roads built or roads reclassified a…
1 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government to secure revenues raised through the Climate Change Levy (CCL) in Scotland and, if so, to detail on what basis funds raised through the CCL will be allocated to Scotland.
Answer · Henry McLeish: As a tax measure, the Climate Change Levy is a matter reserved to the UK Parliament. However Scottish companies are expected to benefit from reductions in Employers National Insurance contributions funded from CCL revenue, and from a share of the £100 million…
1 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what work has been done to establish the impact of the proposed Utilities Bill on Scotland.
Answer · Henry McLeish: Officials of the then Scottish Office were part of the Utilities Review team set up by the Government to look at the regulation of utilities, and have since worked closely with the Department of Trade and Industry in preparing the Bill. As in England and Wale…
1 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what has been the rate of child pedestrian casualties and deaths per 100,000 of the population for each year since 1995.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Full information about road accident casualties is published annually by the Scottish Executive in <I>Road Accidents Scotland</I>, copies of which are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The information requested is set …
24 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the number of flights undertaken by all Ministers and their civil servants since 7 May 1999, and whether flights outwith the UK were always routed directly into Scotland where a direct Scottish route was available or whether any were routed through London.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The number of flights undertaken by all Scottish Executive Ministers and civil servants on official duty from 7 May 1999 to 31 January 2000 was 8,500. Flights outwith the UK were not always routed directly into Scotland where a direct Scottish route was avail…
24 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the costs incurred by each local authority in each of the last three years in running (a) school buses and (b) mobile libraries.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: School buses are, for the most part, run by independent operators under contract to local authorities. Information on the cost of running school buses is not identified separately, but total home to school transport expenditure in financial year 1997-98 is sh…
24 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail for each year since 1995 (a) the costs of the Lingerbay Inquiry, (b) the number of its staff engaged in the consideration of the report and (c) the associated staff costs.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The costs, up to April 1999, of the Reporter and support staff costs, hire of inquiry venue, travel and subsistence and advertisement of the inquiry arrangements were £162,800. The annual costs are set out below. It is not possible, however, to separate the n…
23 Feb 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Ministerial Statement by the Minister for Transport and the Environment on 7 October 1999, what steps are being taken to promote the safety of rail passengers.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Railway safety is a reserved matter and safety standards are applied equally across the GB railway system. The Scottish Executive is nonetheless in regular contact with the various GB bodies responsible for rail safety.
22 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of all applications for economic and industrial development planning and grants in the east end of Glasgow which have been refused over the last three years.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: In the last three years the Scottish Executive dealt with four planning applications in the east end of Glasgow none of which was refused. I cannot answer for those applications considered by Glasgow City Council.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>In the same perio…
22 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it is making to the multi-modal study on the M74 regarding the possible effects on employment in Glasgow of traffic congestion and to provide details of these representations.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Responsibility for developing proposals for the M74 Northern Extension rests with the City of Glasgow and South Lanarkshire Councils.
22 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether prospective or possible employment opportunities in Glasgow are being discouraged as a result of road congestion and if so, to detail them.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Road<B> </B>congestion imposes costs on business and the wider economy but as the SACTRA report <I>Transport and the Economy</I> states the linkages between transport and the economy are far from straightforward. The provisions on congestion charging and the …
22 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has information regarding the number of road accidents involving foreign tourists travelling on the road network and to detail the accidents and their localities.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The information requested is not at present held centrally. However, a recent change in the information collected on the STATS 19 accident report form means that in future years statistics will be available centrally on the number of injury road accidents inv…
22 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has information on the volume or number of foreign tourists travelling on the trunk road network and, if so, to provide details.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has no information on this matter.
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the estimated costs of the Sustainable Scotland Group and the Electricity Information Group and the relationship and interaction between both bodies.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Ministerial Group on Sustainable Scotland, which I announced to the Parliament in the debate on 3 February, met for the first time on 18 January. It considered first thoughts on its programme of work and agreed that an immediate start should be made on in…
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many submissions regarding Tackling Congestion made reference specifically to the requirement that congestion charging meet the criteria of additionality; which submissions used the specific term "additionality" and when it first started using the term in that context.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The information requested has not been collated by the Executive. The responses to Tackling Congestion are, however, available in the Parliament's Information Centre. Additionality emerged as a key consideration, particularly for representatives of road users…
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it proposes to instigate an investigation into the cause of the Chinook crash on the Mull of Kintyre, the actions of the Ministry of Defence or any other aspect of the incident in the light of the National Audit Office report Accepting Equipment Off Contract and Into Service, publ…
Answer · Colin Boyd: This matter will be looked at again once the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee has considered the National Audit Office Report.
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether they will seek further information and clarification from the Ministry of Defence regarding the FADEC system following the National Audit Office report Accepting Equipment Off Contract and Into Service, published on 11 February 2000.
Answer · Colin Boyd: This matter will be looked at again once the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee has considered the National Audit Office Report.
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to promote double track lines and an upgrade on the rail network between Barrhead and Kilmarnock, whether it will provide details of the funding it intends to make available for this and what representations, if any, it has made to other authorities on this matter.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I understand that Railtrack have concluded a feasibility study on behalf of Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority to identify options for infrastructure improvements to increase the capacity of the line from Barrhead to Kilmarnock. The study is currently …
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the rail network is electrified and when the last area of the network was electrified.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: 23.6% of the route network in Scotland is electrified. The last area of the network electrified was in the summer of 1999.
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals it has to promote electrification of the rail network directly or indirectly through the Strategic Rail Authority and whether it will detail any plans or proposed representations.
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…
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken or plans it has to promote improved journey times between Inverness and Aberdeen and whether it will directly or indirectly seek to promote and fund the creation of a loop at Orton between Keith and Elgin.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Railtrack are currently improving infrastructure to reduce the journey time between Aberdeen and Inverness by 10 minutes by 2001. To meet the rail industry's aspirations of an increased frequency and a further reduction in journey time, additional upgrading o…
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the savings arising from the reduction in franchise payments to ScotRail will be reinvested in the rail industry or in public transport.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: When they were let, the 25 passenger rail franchises in Great Britain were designed to reduce steadily the Government's support for passenger rail services. This reduction is treated by the Treasury as a general saving to the Exchequer.
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive at what stage preparations are for grade separation at the Sheriffhall roundabout and whether it will detail the preparations.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has no plans to introduce grade separation at the Sheriffhall roundabout.
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commission a study into reduction of the journey time on the Inverness to Edinburgh railway line.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has no plans to conduct a feasibility study. Railtrack is committed to a programme of structural works which will increase line speeds between Inverness and Perth. In conjunction with the introduction of faster trains by ScotRail, these…
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commission a feasibility study into the Glasgow rail tunnel project.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I understand that a study concerning the feasibility of the Glasgow Cross Link project has been commissioned by Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive. The findings of this study are expected later this year.
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given to any effect workplace parking charges will have on rural employment and employers located in non urban areas and whether it will detail any anticipated job losses or financial effects.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Our proposals for the Integrated Transport Bill, published on 10 February, state that the workplace parking levy is only likely to be appropriate for major urban centres and larger towns and where proposers can demonstrate that the scheme will achieve co…
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the new Joint Board for the Forth Road Bridge will have powers to fund and support ferry services.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: As the Executive announced in publishing its proposals for the Integrated Transport Bill on 10 February, the new Joint Board for the Forth will have wider powers to fund public transport alternatives relating to the Forth crossings. The Executive will be cons…
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what European Regional Development Fund funding will be available for rail in 2000-01 and whether it will detail any current and proposed funding applications.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The new Single Programming Documents (SPD's) for Highlands and Islands Special Programme and for the Objective 2 Programme for West, East and South of Scotland require to be approved by the European Commission before any European Regional Development funding …
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether investment in the Scottish rail infrastructure attributable to revenue generated by hypothecated increases in fuel duty will come from the block grant through the Barnett formula, or directly from the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Decisions have not yet been taken on the distribution of any future revenues which might result from increases in fuel duty.
17 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in relation to its proposals for the Integrated Transport Bill, through ticketing will apply to all modes of transport including bus, ferry and rail and if so, whether it will detail how the multi-modal system will operate.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Executive's legislative proposals relate to joint ticketing arrangements between bus operators in Scotland. The Executive is also working with transport operators and user groups to develop better through ticketing across modes to ensure the most attracti…