Parliamentary questions
Peter Peacock
1,395 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
13 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many planning applications were refused by the Cairngorms National Park Authority on grounds of nature conservation value (the Sandford principle).
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21012 on 26 February 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/App…
13 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many planning applications have been considered by the Cairngorms National Park Authority.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Cairngorms National Park Authority took on its planning function in September 2003 and since then many hundreds of planning applications have been considered for possible call-in by the park authority. All planning applications determined by the park auth…
12 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive where the proposed 2+1 overtaking lanes at (a) Moy and (b) Carrbridge will begin and end.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Moy scheme is located 3.8km south of the dual carriageway section of the A9 at Meall Mhor, to the west of Moy. The Carrbridge scheme will start at a point 2km south of Carrbridge to about 0.5km southwest of the village.</p>
12 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what length of 2+1 overtaking lanes is proposed for the A9 at (a) Moy and (b) Carrbridge.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: (a) Moy - 1.06km of 2+1 overtaking lane and (b) Carrbridge - 1.01km of 2+1 overtaking lane.</p>
12 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to continue with the A9 Slochd 2+1 overtaking lane as listed in the Scottish Motorway and Trunk Road Programme.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The improvement scheme at Slochd is estimated for completion in the summer of 2011, subject to the completion of statutory procedures.</p>
12 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its proposals to dual the A9 between Perth and Inverness includes the cost of reinstating the off-road cycle track following the widening of the road.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20876 on 3 April 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/B…
12 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what effect its proposal to dual the A9 between Perth and Inverness will have on the National Cycle Network.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Where any future widening of the A9 between Perth and Inverness to dual carriageway standard has an impact on the National Cycle Network, the affected cycleway will be accommodated as part of the project.</p>
12 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive who owns and is responsible for the (a) off-road cycle track and (b) area of land between the road and the cycle track that runs alongside the A9 from Perth to Inverness.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The off-road cycle track and the area of land between the A9 and the cycle track are owned by the local landowners but the condition of the cycle track is monitored by SUSTRANS and maintained by the Trunk Road Operating Company, Scotland TranServ, on behalf o…
9 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19892 by Michael Russell on 2 February 2009, whether it has powers to require potential private lessees of parts of the forest estate to assist their customers in meeting the challenges arising from the economic downturn.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: It would only be possible to require lessees of parts of the national forest estate to assist their customers in meeting challenges arising from an economic downturn (e.g. by easing payment terms) if provisions to this effect were included in the terms of the…
9 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs it estimates will be required to operate and manage the Siadar wave energy project after its construction.
Answer · Jim Mather: The developer has stated that between 30.5 and 72.5 full-time equivalent jobs will be created in the construction phase from 2009-11, and thereafter it is anticipated that there will be 2.5 full-time equivalent jobs in the on-going management and operation of…
9 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much measured carbon saving has been made by renewable energy schemes operating under the Renewable Obligations scheme since 2002.
Answer · Jim Mather: We estimate that between 2002 and 2007, schemes operating under the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) displaced around 6.5 million tonnes of CO<sub>2</sub>.</p> <p >This estimate is based on the number of Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) issued in Sc…
9 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what practical policies Forestry Commission Scotland has put in place to optimise the use of the national forest estate for carbon sequestration and mitigation and what policies it expects to continue.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Forestry Commission Scotland published its <i >Climate Change Action Plan (2009-2011)</i> on 2 February (</b><a href="http://www.forestry.gov.uk/ccapscotland)">www.forestry.gov.uk/ccapscotland)</a>, setting out what it will do to increase the contribution an…
9 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the provision of fire and rescue services in the Highlands and Islands through a network of fire stations staffed by predominantly retained firefighters is a sensible, practical and relatively cost effective way to deliver such services to remote and scattered po…
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20730 on 26 February 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/web…
9 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to work with Her Majesty’s Government to ensure that there is no threat to fire and rescue services in the Highlands and Islands following the vote in the European Parliament to end the opt-out to the working time directive.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20730 on 26 February 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/App…
9 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that there is an immediate threat to the operation of fire and rescue services in the Highlands and Islands following the vote in the European Parliament to end the opt-out to the working time directive.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: There is no immediate threat to the operation of the fire and rescue services. The Scottish Government recognise the vital work of our Fire and Rescue Services across Scotland and especially the contribution of those firefighters on the Retained Duty System w…
9 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers the National Performance Framework to be a qualifying plan, programme or strategy for the purposes of the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer · John Swinney: The National Performance Framework can be considered a qualifying plan, programme or strategy, under Section 5(4) of the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005.</p>
2 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that enough has been spent on advertising the Year of Homecoming on television outwith Scotland.
Answer · Jim Mather: Yes. The expenditure on advertising the Year of Homecoming on television outwith Scotland is ensuring the Homecoming message is reaching many millions of people in some of our key tourism markets. Television advertising forms part of a comprehensive marketing…
2 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the costs associated with the Caledonia advertisement linked to the promotion of Homecoming Scotland 2009, including production, participants’ fees and expenses and transmission, also showing from which budgets finance was drawn.
Answer · Jim Mather: The costs associated with the production of the Caledonia advertisement were as follows:</p> <p >Cost of production (including filming, production, director / producer fees): £233,450</p> <p >Cost of edited version of advertisement for use on PBS: £10…
2 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on purchasing television advertising linked to the promotion of Homecoming Scotland 2009 in (a) Scotland, (b) the rest of the United Kingdom, (c) the United States of America, (d) Canada, (e) Australia and (f) New Zealand.
Answer · Jim Mather: The Caledonia television advertisement forms part of a comprehensive marketing programme that is promoting Homecoming Scotland 2009. £112,061 has been spent purchasing television advertising to promote Homecoming in Scotland. Assessments show that 2.1 million…
29 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in expediting the consideration of the Aviemore resort hotels (ARH) planning applications, including the ARH master plan, by the Cairngorm National Park Authority in December 2007, whether Scottish ministers were aware of the dispute over access rights at the resort.
Answer · Michael Russell: Ministers had no reason to engage with this issue. The Cairngorms National Park Authority, as local planning authority, was responsible for consideration of, and decision on, these planning applications, and, in its role as local access authority, for conside…
29 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice or assistance it has given to Cairngorm National Park Authority or the local access forum or the local community to ensure that a long-standing right of way and other forms of access in Aviemore are not improperly obstructed by Aviemore resort hotels.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government has not given advice or assistance to the Cairngorms National Park Authority or the local access forum on this matter.</p>
29 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports local access forums, ramblers and others seeking to ensure that landowners who attempt to obstruct rights of way and other forms of access are properly held to account under the Land Reform Act (Scotland) 2003 and, if so, how such support is effected.
Answer · Michael Russell: Yes, the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 places emphasis on the local management of access and makes it the duty of the local access authority to uphold access rights under the provisions contained within the act. Support for access authorities and local acce…
29 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the deconstruction of the fence that blocks rights of access from Laurel Bank Lane and across Aviemore resort hotels’ land in the village of Aviemore.
Answer · Michael Russell: This is a matter for the Cairngorms National Park Authority as access authority.</p>
29 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any pending prosecution being brought by the Cairngorm National Park Authority and the local access forum against Aviemore resort hotels using statutory powers conferred under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 to ensure that landowners comply with their access obl…
Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20332 on 9 February 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps…
29 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any reports or been asked for or received advice from the Cairngorm National Park Authority planning officials regarding the outstanding refusal of Aviemore resort hotels to grant right of access over a long-standing right of way from Laurel Bank Lane in Aviemore v…
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government has received a copy of a report from the Cairngorms National Park Authority to the members of the local outdoor access forum on the interim findings of the sheriff court in this case. The Scottish Government has not been asked for, nor…
29 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received advice from planning officials regarding the outstanding refusal of Aviemore resort hotels to grant right of access over a long-standing right of way from Laurel Bank Lane in Aviemore village and across the resort.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government has not received any advice from its planning officials on this subject.</p>
29 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many disputes over rights of responsible access have been (a) referred to and (b) resolved by local access forums across Scotland in each year since the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 received Royal Assent.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government does not hold this information.</p>
29 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to monitor the success or otherwise of part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 since it received Royal Assent.
Answer · Michael Russell: Monitoring of access authorities'' progress in implementing Part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 commenced in February 2005 and continues on an annual basis. Data from the sixth return will be published in the summer of 2009 and will be available on …
29 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it takes to ensure that landowners, land managers and access authorities comply with their duties under sections 13 and 14 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.
Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20333 on 9 February 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps…
29 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities or other access authorities have been required to take legal action under section 13 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 to assert, protect and keep open and free from obstruction or encroachment any route, waterway or other means by which access rights are r…
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government does not collect this information. It is held by the 34 Scottish access authorities.</p>