- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 December 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, in the event that the inflation rate is higher than interest rates, what the rate will be of student loan interest.
Answer
Regulation 14 of the Education (Student Loans) (Scotland) Regulations 2007 effectively provides that that the interest rate applied to Income Contingent Loans is to be the lower of:
聽(i) a rate equal to the annual percentage increase in the retail price index (RPI)
聽(the RPI rate), or
聽(ii) the highest of the base rates used by a pool of banks (including the Bank of
聽England) plus 1% (the Base Rate).
The recent reduction in the base rates of all of the banks in the pool to 2% has resulted in the RPI rate of 3.8% (for the year from 1 September 2008 to 31 August 2009) exceeding the Base Rate of 3% (2%+1%). This means that the interest rate applied to Income Contingent Loans has reduced from 3.8% to 3% as of 5 December 2008.
Mortgage style loans are governed by different regulations than ICR Loans. These regulations which are made under the Education Student Loans Act 1990 do not require or allow the interest rate applied to mortgage style loans to change in line with any reductions in the Base Rate, so the RPI rate (3.8%) will still apply for the rest of the financial year.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 December 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 8 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it considers should next be taken to secure an upgrade of the Redhouse roundabout on the A92.
Answer
The Strategic Transport Projects Review has recommended 29 transport interventions over the next 20 years that will let us plan for the delivery of an efficient, integrated transport network fit for the 21st century.
Delivering the Forth Replacement Crossing is the key strategic priority for Scotland. Alongside this, we will also deliver further rail interventions such as the Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvements Programme and improvements to the Highland Main Line.
These and the remaining interventions represent the clear priorities for this government over the next 20 years and will be delivered subject to subsequent spending reviews.
However, other interventions, including upgrading the Redhouse roundabout, could be delivered by interested parties such as regional transport partnerships, local authorities or developers, if they consider them to be viable and the proposals are consistent with strategic priorities for this trunk road route.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 December 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 8 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reasons the project to upgrade the Redhouse roundabout on the A92 was not in the Scottish Transport Projects Review.
Answer
I refer the member to answer to question S3W-19005 on 8 January 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at .
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 08 December 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 8 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis the 拢7.5 million of accelerated capital spend for further and higher education will be distributed and which capital projects will benefit.
Answer
The basis on which the 拢7.5 million of accelerated capital spend for further and higher education will be distributed and the detail of which capital projects will benefit are operational matters for the Scottish Funding Council. I have asked the Scottish Funding Council to write to the member with this information.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 December 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 8 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it considers should next be taken to secure the dualing of the A92 around Glenrothes.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-19005 on 8 January 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at .
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 December 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 8 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider providing funds to dual the A92 around Glenrothes.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-19004 on 8 January 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at .
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 December 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 8 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider funding transport projects not in the Scottish Transport Projects Review.
Answer
The Strategic Transport Projects Review has considered the transport infrastructure requirements necessary to deliver the key strategic outcomes arising from the National Transport Strategy which in turn, support the Scottish Government''s economic strategy. The recommendations focus on the strategic road and rail systems between key locations across Scotland.
Other proposals, where the benefits are focused at a local or more regional level, should be considered by the relevant local authority, in conjunction with their regional transport partnership.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 December 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 8 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider providing funds to upgrade the Redhouse roundabout.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-19005 on 8 January 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at .
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 December 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 8 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reasons the Leven to Thornton rail link project was not in the Scottish Transport Projects Review.
Answer
The Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR) has recommended 29 transport interventions over the next 20 years that will let us plan for the delivery of an efficient, integrated transport network fit for the 21st century.
The Leven to Thornton rail link project was considered as part of the STPR. However, it was not included in the final package of recommended interventions as it was found that it would only provide benefits at a local and regional level.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 December 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 8 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reasons the project to dual the A92 around Glenrothes was not in the Scottish Transport Projects Review.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-19005 on 8 January 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at .
