- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 10 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) initial and (b) secondary work was carried out on the A9 road junction at Grainish by Aviemore; in each case, what the total cost of the work was and who will meet the cost, and whether the secondary work carried out was for the purpose of rectifying the previous work and, if so, who will meet the cost of the rectification work and whether the taxpayer will meet any part of it and, if so, how much.
Answer
The initial works involved simplifying the layout of the junction through removal of the acceleration and deceleration lanesincluding the associated traffic island and resurfacing the carriageway oneither side of the junction. The cost of this design and build (fixed price) workordered by Transport Scotland was £250,327.85.
The secondary works involvedincreasing the approach and exit widths at the junction to allow easiermovement of heavy goods vehicles. This requirement was identified at a RoadSafety Audit carried out as part of Transport Scotland’s normal qualityassurance processes following completion of a changed layout. The Road SafetyAudit identified that large heavy goods vehicles were having difficultiesmoving through the junction.
As the scheme was a designand build, fixed price project carried out by BEAR Scotland, nofurther costs were incurred by Transport Scotland for the secondary work carried out in September 2006.
Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area and can be contacted for moreinformation if required.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 9 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what direction and guidance it has given to Transport Scotland regarding track access charges on the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail line.
Answer
Transport Scotland is partof the Scottish Executive, directly accountable to Scottish ministers. Consequently,no such direction or guidance has been given.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 9 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what it estimates it would cost to make the railway from Inverness to Perth double track in its entirety; how long it estimates it would take to complete this work, and how the estimated (a) cost of and (b) timescale for completion of any such project compares with the estimated cost of, and timescales for, the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link.
Answer
Network Rail owns and operatesScotland’s rail infrastructure. Estimates on the cost of enhancing the rail networkand likely timescales could best be estimated by Network Rail.
The Edinburgh Airport Rail Linkscheme has a budget of £496.987 million at 2004 prices and is scheduled for completionby 2011.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 7 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development’s office has acknowledged and replied to the Scottish Gamekeepers Association’s letter of 2 August 2006.
Answer
There is no record of such aletter being received in the Executive. I would invite the ScottishGamekeepers’ Association to re-send the letter.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 7 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development was advised to refuse to attend a meeting organised by the Moorland Forum at Langholm if a representative of the Scottish Gamekeepers Association was present and, if so, what the reason was for this advice and by whom it was given.
Answer
I received no such advice.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 7 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has been made aware of by Transport Scotland or the Office of Rail Regulation regarding their discussions on track access charges on the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail line.
Answer
Transport Scotland’s intentionin discussions with the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) is to seek track accesscharges at a level such that the overall costs to operators of using the new routeare no greater than the current costs of using the Forth Bridge route.
The ORR has yet to determinethe level of track access charges applicable to Freight Operating Companies usingthe Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail line.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 29 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 6 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware that British Waterways has confirmed that it wishes to see a tunnel or aquaduct at Tomnahurich, rather than another swing bridge, and whether the Executive considers that a swing bridge is a suitable and appropriate option in this instance.
Answer
I have discussed this matterwith the Director of British Waterways in Scotland and am aware of their position. A technical assessmentof the proposed Inverness Southern Distributor Road, including the canal crossing,is proceeding through a working group led by Highland Council. I look forward toBritish Waterways, who are involved in the working group, advising me of their conclusionsabout the crossing.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 30 October 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will issue directions that public agencies and non-departmental public bodies should not provide sponsorship or other payments to charities and that such payments should be the responsibility of local or central government.
Answer
The Executive has no plans toissue general directions of this nature or place restrictions on agencies and NDPBbeyond those already set out in founding legislation, financial framework documentsand the Scottish Public Finance Manual.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 30 October 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the total sums paid by (a) Scottish Natural Heritage, (b) the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, (c) Scottish Enterprise, (d) Highlands and Islands Enterprise and (e) Communities Scotland to charitable organisations in each of the last five years.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-28822 on 30 October 2006. Allanswers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website,the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 30 October 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that public agencies and non-departmental public bodies should provide sponsorship or other payments towards the cost of charitable events and whether this is within the statutory financial competence of such organisations.
Answer
The issue of sponsorship or paymenttowards charitable events is an operational matter for individual NDPBs to considerwithin the powers granted to them and subject to the requirements of their financialframework documents and the Scottish Public Finance Manual.
