Peter Peacock

16 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-29280 and S3W-29287 by Jim Mather on 3 December 2009, whether it will consider working with partners to project demand for broadband services and assist in the development of investment plans by infrastructure providers.

Answer · Jim Mather: As stated in the response to question S3W-29287, answered with S3W-29290 on 3 December 2009, in the Scottish Government''s approach to our future next generation broadband strategy, I can confirm that we will consider the value of demand-side intervention mo…

11 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to ring-fence flood alleviation funding in the next spending review.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: No. The government have agreed with COSLA that there will be no change to the distribution methodology for capital funding for flood prevention. </p>

11 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive where Moray ranks in terms of areas with properties at risk of flooding.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to his question S3W-30023 on 6 January 2010. 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/A…

11 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what flood alleviation schemes secured funding in (a) 2007, (b) 2008 and (b) 2009.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The former ring-fenced flood prevention grant was rolled up into the General Capital Grant from 1 April 2008. Allocation of resources for flood prevention schemes after this date is a matter for individual local authorities.</p> <p >The construction of the …

11 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many properties are regarded to be at risk of flooding, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Properties within the one in 200 years (0.5% annual probability of occurrence) fluvial and coastal flood zone depicted on SEPA''s Indicative Flood Map and not protected to that level by flood prevention schemes as at May 2007 were published in Impact of Flood…

11 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in addition to consideration of the number of properties at risk of flooding, susceptibility to a higher frequency of flooding will be a criterion in prioritising future flood alleviation funding.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: It is unlikely that national information on the susceptibility to flooding at a higher frequency than the 0.5% annual probability shown on the published Indicative Flood Map would be available before the next spending review. </p> <p >The outcomes of flood r…

11 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether areas with the highest number of properties at risk of flooding will be given priority in future funding allocations to local authorities.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Yes, the distribution of resources, agreed with COSLA on behalf of all local authorities, for flood risk management included within the General Capital Grant, takes account of a number of specific commitments for flood prevention schemes. The balance of avail…

11 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) non-fatal and (b) fatal accidents took place in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007, (iv) 2008 and (v) 2009 on the A82 section scheduled to be replaced by the Crianlarich bypass.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The number of (a) non-fatal injury accidents and (b) fatal accidents in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007, (iv) 2008 and (v) 2009 on the A82 section scheduled to be replaced by the Crianlarich bypass is shown in the following table:</p> <table border=1 cellsp…

11 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding for road improvements in relation to each section of the A82 was allocated in (a) 2007, (b) 2008 and (c) 2009 and will be allocated for beyond 2009.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Expenditure for improvements on sections of the A82 trunk road in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09 and (c) 2009-10 is shown in the following table:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > <td valign=top > <p >&nbsp;</p> </td> <td valign=t…

11 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which sections of the A82 it regarded in (a) 2005, (b) 2006, (c) 2007, (d) 2008 and (e) 2009 as being statistically the most likely for accidents.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Safer road design, improved speed management, continued maintenance and a better provision for vulnerable road users are amongst the steps being taken to reduce numbers of injuries and fatalities on Scotland''s roads. Transport Scotland assesses the safety pe…

11 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) fatal and (b) non-fatal accidents there were on the A82 between Inverness and Crianlarich in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007, (iv) 2008 and (v) 2009.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The number of (a) fatal accidents and (b) non-fatal injury accidents on the A82 between Inverness and Crianlairich in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007, (iv) 2008 and (v) 2009 is shown in the following table:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 >…

11 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-22639 by Stewart Stevenson on 5 May 2009, when it expects to publish a timetable for the upgrading of the A82.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-30015 on 11 January 2010. 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…

11 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects the upgrading of the A82 to feature in a spending review in the current parliamentary session.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Within the current programme, work is progressing to deliver improvements at Pulpit Rock and a new western bypass for Crianlarich.</p> <p >The delivery of other schemes identified in the Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR) will be considered in future…

11 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27119 by Stewart Stevenson on 23 September 2009, when it expects to complete its engagement with interested stakeholders and publish its vision for the A82.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government is continuing to engage with interested stakeholders, including Hitrans and SPT to discuss a vision for the A82. We will publish this vision in due course, following the conclusion of these discussions.</p>

11 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has decided on a funding mechanism for the dualling of the A9 between Perth and Inverness.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-30009 on 11 January 2010. 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…

11 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects to start preparatory work for the dualling of the A9 between Perth and Inverness in the current parliamentary session.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-30009 on 11 January 2010. 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…

11 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had discussions with landowners regarding the acquisition of land required to dual the A9.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-30010 on 11 January 2010. 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…

11 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the land required to dual the A9 is already available to Transport Scotland.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: All transport projects must pass through a series of statutory and design stages before they can proceed to the delivery stage.</p> <p >The land required to construct any project can only be identified once the road alignment has been determined. It is at th…

11 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made regarding plans to dual the A9 between Perth and Inverness.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The dualling of the A9 is one of the commitments to emerge from the Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR) which sets out investment priorities over the next 20 years. The pace at which the dualling will take place will be determined by the availability o…

9 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) fatal and (b) non-fatal accidents there have been on the A82 in the last 10 years.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The following table shows the number of road accidents where people have been killed or injured on the A82 since 1999.</p> <p >Reported injury Road Accidents on the A82 by Severity, 1999 to 2008</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> …

9 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost has been to local authorities of rectifying defective buildings in each of the last three years and whether any of these costs were recovered from the owners of those buildings.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: This is a matter for local authorities. The information requested is not held by the Scottish Government.</p>

9 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many defective building notices have been issued in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: This is a matter for local authorities. The information requested is not held by the Scottish Government. Limited information on defective building notices issued by individual local authorities may be available on each authority''s online Building Standards …

9 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many defective buildings there are, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: This is a matter for local authorities. The information requested is not held by the Scottish Government.</p>

9 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost has been to local authorities in each of the last three years of rectifying dangerous buildings and whether any of these costs were recovered from the owners of those buildings.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: This is a matter for local authorities. The information requested is not held by the Scottish Government.</p>

9 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many dangerous building notices have been issued in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: This is a matter for local authorities. The information requested is not held by the Scottish Government. Limited information on dangerous building notices issued by individual local authorities may be available on each authority''s online Building Standards …

9 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what statutory obligations local authorities have to audit dangerous and defective buildings.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Local authorities do not have statutory obligations to audit dangerous or defective buildings. However, there are powers within the Building (Scotland) Act 2003 which enable local authorities to deal with defective and dangerous buildings, including serving n…

7 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many hen harriers are known to nest in Scotland, broken down by local authority area, and when these data were collected.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: National surveys of hen harriers have been carried out in 1988, 1989, 1998 and 2004, with a further survey planned for 2010.</p> <p >The current population is estimated to be 630 pairs. Scottish National Heritage (SNH) holds data for hen harrier and other r…

7 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in what regions it or Scottish Natural Heritage considers golden eagle populations to be in an unsatisfactory or vulnerable state and what the reasons for this are.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Scottish National Heritage (SNH) published a conservation framework for golden eagles in July 2008. This sets out an analysis of three national surveys carried out in 1982, 1992 and 2003 across the natural heritage zones of Scotland. On the basis of that rep…

7 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to better protect golden eagles.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government announced proposals for six new golden eagle special protection areas on 1 December. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) will commence consultation on the proposals (on behalf of the Scottish Government) on 13 January. Further information …

7 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence is required by local authorities to satisfy themselves that a hill track is for agricultural use.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: This is a matter for the planning authority. The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992 (GPDO) as amended contains definitions of the terms used in relation to agriculture. The planning authority is to satisfy them tha…