Parliamentary questions
Murray Tosh
706 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
14 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-15676 by Sarah Boyack on 11 July 2001, what steps it has taken to establish the views of the road haulage industry on measures to modernise the industry; what modernisation initiatives it has launched, and what resources have been allocated for such …
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the Road Haulage Association (RHA), the Freight Transport Association (FTA) and the Road Haulage and Distribution Training Council (RHDTC) to ensure that initiatives to be funded by the Scottish Road Haulage M…
30 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give injury accident statistics for each of the last six years for the A7 trunk road south of Galashiels, broken down to show statistics for the sections at Boleside and in the vicinity of Groundistone that are under consideration for inclusion in improvements to be recomm…
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Injury accident statistics for each of the last six years (Jan 1996 - Dec 2001) for the A7 trunk road south of Galashiels, broken down to show statistics for the sections at Boleside and Groundistone are as follows: <P>A7 Galashiels to Border <TABLE BORDER CE…
18 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24752 by Lewis Macdonald on 16 May 2002, whether it will issue an updated profile of its projected trunk roads programme and identify all proposed additional projects, in the light of the revised budgetary allocations set out in Building a Better Sco…
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Total expenditure on the trunk road programme from 2002-03 to 2005-06 is set out on page 46 of Building a Better Scotland. Detailed level 3 allocations have yet to be determined. The overall allocations include additional resources for preparation of the A8 a…
5 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to issue any proposals on updating the law in respect of compulsory purchase.
Answer · Hugh Henry: We intend to consult on proposals for updating the law and procedures in relation to compulsory purchase in due course. We have yet to finalise a timetable for such a consultation.
5 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the A6091/A7 Galashiels to Hawick route action plan study.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: An Executive summary of the findings of the A6091/A7 Route Action Plan (RAP) study will be published following the outcome of the current review of all outstanding RAP schemes. The review is expected to be completed in the autumn.
6 Jun 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many affordable houses for rent it calculates will be needed over the next decade to (a) meet the needs of emerging and concealed households and (b) replace below tolerable standard stock and other stock liable to be closed, demolished or taken out of use.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The number of affordable houses needed for rent is a matter for local authorities to determine through their Local Housing Strategies.
6 Jun 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its targets are for the completion or conversion of affordable houses for rent through registered social landlords in the current and future years.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The target for housing association completion for rent in 2002-03 is 3,914 units. Targets for future years are still to be determined.
6 Jun 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many houses were started and completed in each of the last 10 years and what the estimated starts and completions will be in the current year, broken down into houses for rent, shared ownership or other forms of low cost home ownership, and where grant funding was provided by Scottish…
Answer · Margaret Curran: The information requested is set out in the following tables:<P>Approvals<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=595><TR><TD WIDTH="14%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Year</TD><TD WIDTH="10%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>HA Rent</TD><TD WIDTH="10%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>LCHO</TD><TD …
6 Jun 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the advertisement for an agri-environment officer funded in part by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, whether it will identify all posts in its establishment which are part-funded by non-Executive bodies and whether it will publish its guidelines for the creation …
Answer · Peter Peacock: Currently there are three posts in the Scottish Executive where a contribution towards funding is made by other bodies. These are:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=463><TR><TD WIDTH="71%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Post</TD><TD WIDTH="29%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>…
6 Jun 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12749 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 21 February 2001, whether it has completed its consideration of how best to make information available as referred to in respect of paragraph 75 of National Planning Policy Guidelines No.1 (revised 2000) and, if so, how t…
Answer · Hugh Henry: Since Mr Galbraith's reply, the Planning home page has been launched on the internet:<P><A HREF="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/planning">www.scottish-enterprise.com/about/what/operating</A>.<P>This provides access to an array of planning information including li…
6 Jun 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which of the 65 notified cases affecting trunk roads and special roads, as listed in Table 6 of the 2001 Fourth Annual Report of the Planning Audit Unit, were called in by ministers for determination; what the outcome was in each case, and what steps it takes in cases cleared back to loca…
Answer · Hugh Henry: The 65 notified cases listed in Table 6 of the <I>Fourth Annual Report of the Planning Audit Unit</I> were not all correctly attributed to the appropriate local authorities as a result of a printing error. The table in the report has now been corrected in lin…
27 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much compensation it has paid in cash and real terms in each of the last five years in response to claims made in respect of deficient road maintenance, broken down by individual trunk road.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is not available on an individual route basis. The compensation paid in each of the last five years for which final outturn figures are available is shown on the table.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=236><TR><TD WIDTH…
10 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will issue a decision on listed building application South Ayrshire 01/00767/LBC (Frognal House, Troon) and whether the time taken to reach a decision accords with Historic Scotland's targets for determining such applications.
Answer · Elaine Murray: I have asked Graeme Munro, Chief Executive of Historic Scotland, to answer. His response is as follows:<P>Historic Scotland continues to meet its Key Performance Target to resolve 97% of consent casework notified by planning authorities to it under the requir…
4 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24010 by Lewis Macdonald on 3 April 2002, whether the guidance issued by the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions indicates whether it is allowable to aggregate roads projects on a single corridor, such as the A75, to lift the va…
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Advice from the European Commission indicates that a single application covering multiple schemes on the same TENs corridor would be possible in principle, although in practice it may be less likely to attract support due to it's greater complexity and potent…
4 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-655 by Mr Jack McConnell on 6 September 1999, whether it will detail the (a) capital and revenue expenditure in each year since 1996-97, (b) estimated outturn in capital and revenue expenditure in 2001-02, and (c) budgeted expenditure in 2002-03, on …
Answer · Peter Peacock: The information requested on roads and transportation in relation to:<DIR><DIR><P>(i) capital expenditure in each year since 1996-97 and estimated outturn in capital expenditure in 2001-02, shown in both cash and real terms, due to the length of the informati…
4 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24007 by Lewis Macdonald on 25 March 2002, whether it will issue a similar profile of the spending to 2005-06 on motorway and trunk road repairs and maintenance, identifying all Private Finance Initiative/Public Private Partnership (PFI/PPP) payments…
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: A breakdown of the Motorway and Trunk Road Programme 2001-04 by composite categories of spend is published as Table 8.2 in <I>The Scottish Budget: 2003-04</I>. This details the Executive's planned spend on repairs, routine and winter maintenance, and PPP paym…
21 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what priority was originally attached to each trunk road improvement project identified in the Route Action Plan (RAP) for the A77 South of Ayr and whether any of these projects have been (a) abandoned (b) substantially amended or (c) re-programmed as a result of the recent review of the …
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The priority ranking given to each trunk road improvement project identified in the Route Action Plan Firm Strategy Report for the A77 south of Ayr was as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=498><TR><TD WIDTH="30%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Scheme L…
21 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12506 by Sarah Boyack on 25 April 2001, whether it is now in a position to provide details of how the Public/Private Partnership (PPP) proposed for the A77/M77 upgrade (Malletsheugh-Fenwick) will differ from that used for the Paddy's Rickle Bridge-Cl…
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The proposed PPP for the M77/A77 upgrade reflects the developments in roads PPP projects since the M74 contract was awarded, and in particular there are changes in the payment structure.<P>The project is being taken forward jointly with the Glasgow Southern O…
21 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-15440 by Sarah Boyack on 11 May 2001, whether the cost of the M74 northern extension will still be allocated in the same proportions as indicated in that answer; whether a procurement method for the project has been selected; what the latest estimate…
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The cost of the project is still allocated in the same proportions as indicated in answer to question S1W-15440. The procurement method has still to be decided. The current estimated cost of the project is £245 million (at May 2000 prices). These costs exclud…
11 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Provisional Outturn and Budget Estimates, or any other returns by local authorities, identify (a) planned or (b) actual transfers of balances or reserves between local authorities' Housing Revenue Accounts and General Funds; whether such transfers are subject to the permission of…
Answer · Peter Peacock: Transfers to (+) and from (-) local authority Housing Revenue Accounts, both in cash terms and in real terms, are shown in the following tables. The figures for years 1996-97 to 1999-2000 are from Local Financial Returns (LFRs) and for years 2000-01 and 2001-…
11 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it gives to local authorities on (a) the circumstances in which it is appropriate for the transfer of revenue balances or capital reserves between their Housing Revenue Accounts and General Funds and (b) the extent of charges to Housing Revenue Accounts for services provide…
Answer · Margaret Curran: The Executive has not provided specific guidance to local authorities on the transfer of revenue balances or reserves between Housing Revenue Accounts and General Funds. However, the annual General Fund Contribution Limits Order prevents councils from includi…
11 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any projects identified for implementation on the A75 trunk road have been identified as being suitable for Trans-European Network funding and whether any application has been made for European funding in respect of any of these projects.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Recent guidance from the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions, which co-ordinates UK TENs bids, indicates that a minimum grant threshold of €1 million is generally applied to TENs awards. Given that the EU may contribute no more than 10% …
11 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has reached any conclusions in its review of the A77 Route Action Plan in relation to existing proposals for Ayr-Minishant, Minishant-Maybole, Maybole-Kirkoswald, Haggstone-Council Boundary, Ardwell-Slockenray and Auchencrosh-Carloch and, in respect of further consideration for…
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The consultants undertaking the Review of Route Action Plans are due to submit their technical report later this spring. Decisions on the way forward with the Route Action Plan (RAP) methodology and with individual RAPs, such as the A77, will be taken after t…
11 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-665 by Mr Jack McConnell on 6 September 1999, what the capital and revenue expenditure by each local authority was in (a) cash and (b) real terms in (i) 1999-2000, (ii) 2000-01 and (iii) 2001-02.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The capital expenditure figures for local authorities are given in the following table. Information relating to 2001-02 is not yet available.<P>The revenue expenditure totals for local authorities are given in the following CIPFA publications, copies of which…
11 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14599 by Sarah Boyack on 23 April 2001, whether it will give details of the expenditure currently planned for (a) each trunk roads project named in that answer and (b) any new such projects in each financial year from 2001-02 to 2005-06.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The following table provides our latest estimates of expenditure for the schemes announced on 27 March 2001. These estimates may change as procurement proceeds. We have since made one addition to this programme, the A75 Planting End to Drumflower, which is al…
11 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received a copy of the report and study funded by the Strategic Rail Authority and carried out by Railtrack to assess track, signalling and power supply constraints and the cost of measures required to increase capacity for train movements in the south east of Scotland and …
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Strategic Rail Study is currently considering the costs and benefits of potential service improvements across all congested parts of the Scottish rail network, including those in the south east of Scotland. Information from the Central Scotland C…
11 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received the report on the study carried out by Steer Davies Gleave on the aspirations of South East Scotland Transport Partnership authorities for new or enhanced passenger services in the Edinburgh area and when it expects to publish the report.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Strategic Rail Study is currently considering the costs and benefits of potential service improvements across all congested parts of the Scottish rail network, including the SESTRAN area. The final report is due at the end of July 2002 and it wil…
11 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it offers to local authorities on the appropriate level of reserve funds to hold in their General Funds, their Housing Revenue Accounts and any other funds, including Direct Labour Organisation accounts.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive has not issued guidance on the maintenance of reserves by local authorities.
11 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how often its railway officials have met representatives from the South East Scotland Transport Partnership (SESTRAN) to discuss rail enhancements in the south and east of Scotland and whether the minutes of any such meetings are available for public scrutiny.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Scottish Executive rail officials have attended meetings of South East Scotland Transport Partnership (SESTRAN) to discuss a wide range of issues. The minutes of those meetings are the property of SESTRAN. SESTRAN is also a partner with the Scottish Executive…
28 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it anticipates publishing its long-term transport plan.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1O-4414 on 1 March 2000.