Questions · Tavish Scott

24 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will report to the Parliament on the outcome of its discussions with parties involved in the governance of the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link project.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The results of theGovernance Review on EARL will be presented to Parliament before the end of September2007.

24 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with parties involved in the governance of the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link project.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: In addition to a numberof discussions held with Transport Initiatives Edinburgh ltd., separate meetingshave been held by John Swinney MSP and Malcolm Reed (Transport Scotland) with BAA Ltd and Network Rail.

24 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what instructions it has given Transport Initiatives Edinburgh in order to resolve the governance issues with the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link project as identified by the Auditor General for Scotland.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Transport InitiativesEdinburgh has been asked to provide information about Edinburgh Airport Rail Linkand has engaged in discussions with the Scottish Government that contribute to thereview of governance arrangements.

24 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what instructions it has given Transport Initiatives Edinburgh regarding the future of the Edinburgh Airport Link project.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Transport Scotland instructed Transport Initiatives Edinburgh Ltd on 4 July 2007 that no more money should be spent on the EARL projectthan is strictly unavoidable during the current review of its governance and future.

24 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff at Transport Initiatives Edinburgh were working on the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link project prior to the current suspension of active work on the project.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Twelve staff atTIE Ltd were working on EARL prior to the current suspension of avoidable work.

24 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of staff made redundant at Transport Initiatives Edinburgh since May 2007 were working on the Edinburgh Airport Link project.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: 7 of the 14 staffmade redundant at Transport Initiatives Edinburgh Ltd since May 2007 wereworking on the EARL project.

24 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what instructions were given to Transport Initiatives Edinburgh by the Executive in advance of redundancy decisions since May 2007.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Transport Scotland instructed Transport Initiatives Edinburgh Ltd on 4 July 2007 that no more money should be spent on the Edinburgh AirportRail Link project than is strictly unavoidable during the current review of itsgovernance and future.

24 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff have been made redundant at Transport Initiatives Edinburgh since May 2007.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-3633 on 6 September 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website the search facility for which can befound at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa…

25 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the contract between it and BT in respect of the upgrade 378 Scottish non-commercial telephone exchange areas to provide broadband includes a specification for the reliability of the broadband connections and target times for the correction of faults.

Answer · Jim Mather: No.

25 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it monitors the reliability of the broadband connections provided by BT under the contract to upgrade 378 non-commercial telephone exchange areas to provide broadband.

Answer · Jim Mather: No, this is not coveredby the Scottish Government’s contract.

25 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints it has received from customers regarding their broadband connections to telephone exchanges upgraded by BT under the contract to upgrade 378 non-commercial telephone exchange areas to provide broadband, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Jim Mather: Customer service isnot a contractual issue, and as such, the Government does not log or hold this information.

25 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what financial compensation is available to domestic and business consumers who suffer any disruption to their broadband connections to telephone exchanges upgraded by BT under the contract to upgrade 378 Scottish non-commercial telephone exchange areas to provide broadband.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government’scontract provides for infrastructure upgrade, but not customer service issues, anddoes not therefore deal with compensation. The reliability of broadband connectionsis a matter purely for a consumer’s Internet Service Provider (ISP) i…

27 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1011 by Stewart Maxwell on 26 June 2007, how long Communities Scotland took to conclude that the proposal by Hjaltland Housing Association and Shetland Islands Council to operate a tenants incentive scheme had no implications for other local authorit…

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:Weconcluded in February 2007 that, while the Shetland proposal had potential widerimplications for other local authorities, it was nevertheless…

19 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to separate Scottish Water’s billing of customers from the collection of council tax and whether this will be planned in the current financial year.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: There are noplans to change the current arrangements this financial year.

14 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-343 by Stewart Maxwell on 13 June 2007, when Communities Scotland began its assessment of a proposal by Hjaltland Housing Association and Shetland Islands Council to operate a tenants incentive scheme and when it expects to complete its assessment.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:An initial proposalwas received in January 2006, further information was sought by Communities Scotlandand that was received by May 2006. As t…

7 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to what “vast number of alternatives” to the current Edinburgh Airport Rail Link the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth referred on 31 May 2007 (Official Report c. 379).

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: A number ofalternative options for a rail link to Edinburgh airport were appraised during the feasibility phase of the EARLproject. In addition to this Transport Scotland and Network Rail are currentlyworking together to consider new options to provide a rail…

7 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the difference is between land management contracts and rural development contracts, as referred to by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment on 31 May 2007 (Official Report c. 250).

Answer · Richard Lochhead: As I announced duringthe Parliamentary Debate on the Scotland Rural Development Programme 2007-13 on31 May, Land Management Contracts have been renamed Rural Development Contractsin order to better reflect our wider goals for the next programme.The mai…

7 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to what cost overruns in capital projects the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change referred on 31 May 2007 (Official Report c. 312); when such cost overruns were identified, and when ministers were advised of their existence.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-661 on 12 July 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.sea…

7 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to what three separate pieces of paper containing three significantly different figures the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change referred on 31 May 2007 (Official Report c. 346) and when they will be published.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-661 on 12 July 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.sea…

6 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the first 5,000 euros of Single Farm Payments are still exempt from modulation.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The first €5,000 of SingleFarm Payment are exempt from compulsory modulation, but they have never beenexempt from voluntary modulation and this remains the case.

6 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been, or will be, paid to Shetland crofters and farmers in the current year and two previous years under the Environmentally Sensitive Areas Scheme and the Rural Stewardship Scheme.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The information isas follows:<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=530> <thead> <tr> <td width=259 valign=top>   </td> <td width=89 valign=top> Actual Expenditure 2005-…

6 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake (a) further consultation with interested parties and (b) a regulatory impact assessment on any follow up proposals to the Animal Gatherings (Scotland) Order.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-640 on 14 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.sea…

6 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when a decision will be announced on what action it proposes to take with regard to the Animal Gatherings (Scotland) Order.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-640 on 14 June 2007. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the searchfacility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.sea…

6 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it proposes to take on the basis of the responses it received to the consultation on the Animal Gatherings (Scotland) Order.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I will bring forward arevised draft Order taking account of the responses to the consultation earlierthis year. The draft Order which will be subject to further consultation willbe accompanied by draft guidance and a regulatory impact assessment.The gr…

6 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much will be raised each year from Shetland crofters and farmers for each extra 1% of modulation of their single farm payments.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Paymentstotalling £3,758,091.59 weremade to crofters and farmers on Shetland in respect of the Single Farm PaymentScheme 2006. A total of £184,829.54 was deducted in respect of the 4.5%Voluntary Modulation applied by the previous administration, this equates …

4 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to publish the findings of its financial review of strategic transport projects.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answerto question S3W-486 on 12 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.sea…

4 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects its financial review of strategic transport projects to be completed.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answerto question S3W-486 on 12 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.sea…

4 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which transport projects are being considered as part of its financial review of strategic transport projects.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answerto question S3W-486 on 12 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.sea…

4 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the financial review of strategic transport projects will involve a consultation and, if so, who will be consulted and what the timescales will be.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answerto question S3W-486 on 12 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.sea…

4 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which individuals will carry out its financial review of strategic transport projects.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answerto question S3W-486 on 12 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.sea…