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The Scottish Executive remainsfully committed to ensuring that sufficient trains are provided to meet projectedpassenger demand and does not expect the re-opened Airdrie to Bathgate line to havea detrimental impact on the existing Helensburgh services.

The rolling stock procurementplan currently being developed by Transport Scotland includes considerationof requirements for services between Airdrie and Bathgate. Details of which vehicleswill be deployed on each route are still being developed.

Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more informationif required.

A procurement plan is currentlybeing developed to deliver a fleet of new rolling stock for a range of major projects(including Airdrie to Bathgate) and passenger growth initiatives from 2009 onwards.

The procurement process willbe carried out with the cooperation of the current operator, First ScotRail, inconsultation with Transport Scotland, commencing in early 2007.

At this time, no decision hasbeen made on the actual type of rolling stock that will service the route.

Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more informationif required.

A procurement plan is currentlybeing developed to deliver a fleet of new rolling stock for a range of major projects(including Airdrie to Bathgate) and passenger growth initiatives from 2009 onwards.

The procurement process willbe carried out with the cooperation of the current operator, First ScotRail, inconsultation with Transport Scotland, commencing in early 2007.

Transport Scotland hascarried out extensive consultation with the rolling stock supply industry, and theindustry’s view is that this timescale is perfectly robust. The industry also hasadequate production capacity to meet our needs and that of other potential orders.

Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more informationif required.

The rolling stock procurementplan, currently being developed by Transport Scotland, is exploring a range ofoptions. I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-26843 on 23 June 2006.

The class 334 train has beenused as the “base case” for the timetable model on the Airdrie to Bathgate line.Whether these trains will be deployed on the route remains to be decided.

All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facilityfor which can be at .

Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more informationif required.

Transport Scotland has undertakena feasibility study into the possibility of the electrification of the Edinburghto Glasgow route. The rolling stock procurement plan currently being developed todeliver a fleet of rolling stock for the Scottish rail network, will work with orwithout electrification of the Edinburgh and Glasgow route as the industry has sufficientcapacity to produce the required number of vehicles to meet our requirements underany plausible scenario.

Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more informationif required.

The rolling stock procurementplan, currently being developed by Transport Scotland, is exploring a range ofoptions. I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-26843 on 23 June 2006.

The class 458 trains have beenconsidered for use in Scotland. However, their performance characteristics are feltto be unsuitable for our requirements without major modifications. We continue toexplore whether these changes would represent good value for money.

At this time therefore, no decisionhas been made on the actual type of rolling stock that will service the route.

All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facilityfor which can be at .

Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more informationif required.

To facilitate the developmentof a rolling stock procurement plan, Transport Scotland is currently exploringa range of suitable options through discussions with a number of major train manufacturersacross the UK, Europe and beyond. They have all responded positively to thesediscussions and expressed their willingness to produce trains in line with our needs.

Procurement of the vehicles will,of course, be through a competitive process in line with EU legislation.

Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more informationif required.

The information is not availablein the format requested. However the following road safety schemes have been implementedon trunk roads in these areas since 1999.

Year	Route	Location	Description of Measures
1999-2000	A82	Garshake Road Junction	Right turn facility
2000-01	A82	Crosslet	Anti-skid treatment
2000-01	A82	Dumbuck Quarry	New signs, anti-skid treatment
2000-01	A82	Milton to Dumbuck	New signs, anti-skid treatment
2000-01	A82	Balloch to Tarbert Route Accident Reduction Plan	Signing, lining, anti-skid treatment, safety fence, chevrons and bollards
2000-01	A82	Stoneymollan Roundabout	Anti-skid treatment, signing, chevrons, transverse yellow bar markings and carriageway markings
2000-01	A828	Connel to Ballachulish Route Accident Reduction Plan	Signing, lining, anti-skid treatment, chevrons and bollards
2002-03	A82	Barloan Roundabout	Anti- -skid treatment, signing, chevrons, refurbishment of yellow bar markings and carriageway markings
2003-04	A82	In the vicinity of Greenhead Road	Closure of central reserve gap, vehicle activated sign, anti-skid surfacing, signing and lining
2003-04	A82	Milton	Carriageway markings
2004-05	A82	West of Dalnottar Interchange to Gavinsburn	Carriageway markings
2004-05	A85	Approaches to Lakefield Railway Bridge	Anti-skid surfacing , vehicle activated signing.
2005-06	A83	Loch Fyne Oyster Bar Junction	Signing, lining with red screed to identify existing right turn ghost island
2005-06	A85	Connel to Lochawe Route Accident Reduction Plan	Anti-skid surfacing, signing and lining
2005-06	A82	Ar Rhuba Mor	Signing
2005-06	A83	Loch Gair	Anti-Skid Surfacing, signing and lining

 

Information about projects undertakenon the local road network in these areas is a matter for the local authority.

Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area and can be contacted for more informationif required.

The information requested isshown in the following table.

	Argyll and Bute Council (£ Million)	Increase %	West Dunbartonshire Council (£ Million)	Increase %
1997-98	104.687	0.4	112.239	-2.3
1998-99	105.352	0.6	109.574	-2.4
1999-2000	108.878	3.3	115.424	5.3
2000-01	111.694	2.6	118.784	2.9
2001-02	120.464	7.9	131.795	11.0
2002-03	131.200	8.9	141.489	7.4
2003-04	145.735	11.1	154.660	9.3
2004-05	157.810	8.3	164.698	6.5
2005-06	166.670	5.6	174.674	6.1
2006-07	173.486	4.1	176.841	1.2
2007-08	177.935	2.6	181.567	2.7

Notes:

(i) There have been a numberof adjustments to the GAE totals over the period covered, including from 2006-07the transfer of concessionary fares provision from schemes locally administeredby councils to a national scheme administered by Transport Scotland. If concessionaryfares are taken out of the 2005-06 figures for consistency, the increases between2005-06 and 2006-07 would be 4.8% for Argyll and Bute Council and 1.4% for WestDunbartonshire Council.

(ii) Grant aided expenditureprovision is neither a budget nor a spending target. Rather it is part of a methodologyused in the local government financial settlement for calculating the overall levelof support the Scottish Executive provides through the block revenue support grant.

(iii) The methodology used inthe local government financial settlement protects those councils with falling populations(such as West Dunbartonshire Council). It ensured for example that in 2006-07, allcouncils received a revenue support grant increase of at least two per cent over2005-06.

The Executive has increased resourcessubstantially to Argyll and Bute and WestDunbartonshire Councils, as indeed to all councils in Scotland, toenable them to deliver community care policies in their areas. Grant Aided Expenditure for community care across Scotland hasmore than doubled from £810 million in 1997-98 to £1.7 billion in 2006-07. Thatincludes £162 million this year for free personal and nursing care; £48 milliona year specifically to support more older people at home, and £13 million from thisyear for faster access to home care. In September 2004 we introduced the targetof increasing, by 2008, the number of older people receiving intensive home careto 30% of all older people receiving long-term care.