- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 12 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that the cost estimates of Transport Initiatives Edinburgh in relation to the Trams for Edinburgh scheme are reliable.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is consideringthe Tram Draft Final Business Case including the capital cost estimates and allowancesfor Optimism Bias.
We expect to complete this considerationby the end of February 2007.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 12 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail line will be opened.
Answer
I expect the railway to open in the summer 2007; as indicated in mystatement of March 2006.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 12 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what information Transport Scotland has in respect of whether any plans or proposals are being considered to make charges for rail passenger franchise operators such as FirstScotrail for using the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail line and whether it will place full details in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
Access charges will be paid byFirst ScotRail to Network Rail for use of the railway between Stirling and Alloa.This was anticipated in the ScotRail Franchise contract, in accordance with normalindustry practice.
The level of charges will bedetermined between Network Rail and passenger operators in terms of the track accessagreements overseen by the Office of the Rail Regulator. As such, details will notbe placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 12 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that, because the issue of levying additional charges on freight or passenger rail operators was not raised during the parliamentary consideration of the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway and Linked Improvements Bill, such charges cannot now be made.
Answer
The Office of Rail Regulation(ORR) is responsible for setting an appropriate track access charge regime for newrailways. The Scottish Executive does not consider that the parliamentary considerationof the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway and Linked Improvements Bill will preventthe ORR from discharging this responsibility.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 February 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 12 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what direction or guidance it has given to Transport Scotland in respect of the preparation of a high-level output statement for Network Rail for the next control period.
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: Thursday, 01 February 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 12 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the time scales are for the production of a (a) high-level output statement, namely a statement of available finance, showing the funding available for the railway infrastructure and (b) list of infrastructural requirements in respect of the Scottish rail network for the duration of the next control period.
Answer
The process is initiated formallyby the Office of Rail Regulation through the issue of the Access Charges ReviewNotice. This is expected shortly, and it is likely that this will require the submissionof the high-level output statement, together with the statement of funds availablein July 2007.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 5 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the statement in a letter from the Office of Rail Regulation to Transport Scotland that the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine railway line project could not have been undertaken without the prospect of higher charges being made, what decision will now be taken in respect of whether higher charges will be sought from freight or passenger operators and what consideration was given to the potential for such charges during the progress through the Parliament of the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway and Linked Improvements Bill.
Answer
I shall reply to the member as soon as possible.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by George Lyon on 1 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, following the comments by the Deputy Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform on 17 January 2007 (Official Report, c. 31170), whether it will seek to obtain information from the Home Office or any other source on the extent to which the powers to disqualify drivers who have been convicted of offences in relation to prostitution have been employed in England and Wales and, in particular, how many disqualifications there have been and what usage has been made of the powers for the motor cars of such persons to be forfeited for each year since such powers became available.
Answer
The Home Office advise that theycollect figures on persons disqualified from driving having been convicted of offencesof kerb crawling. Thirty-six such cases were notified to them in both 2004 and 2005.However, they consider that the figures may be subject to data quality problemsinherent in large scale recording systems. The Home Office advise that a continuingprogram of data quality improvement is in place to improve the quality of the datareceived from courts and police forces.
The Home Office have not beenable to provide statistics on the extent to which general powers to seize property,including vehicles, used in the commission of certain offences have been used inrelation to people convicted of “kerb crawling” offences.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 1 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what reports it has received from Transport Scotland in respect of the Forth crossing; on what dates they were received; why they have not been placed on the Transport Scotland website, and when they will be so placed.
Answer
An initial draft of each of thefirst three reports into a Forth Replacement Crossing Study was received as outlinedin the following table. These reports willbe published on the Transport Scotland website after both the necessary scrutinyand acceptance by Transport Scotland, and the Cabinet considering the emerging findings. Iam preparing a paper for Cabinet to consider during February 2007.
| Report | Date First Draft Received |
| Assessment of transport network around the Forth | 3 November 2006 |
| Determining network performance around the Forth | 30 November 2006 |
| Option generation and sifting for a possible new crossing | 31 December 2006 |
Transport Scotland has operationalresponsibility for this area and can be contacted for more information if required.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 1 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when it received (a) Assessment of transport network around the Forth, (b) Determining network performance around the Forth and (c) Option generation and sifting for a possible new crossing from Transport Scotland.
Answer
An initial draft of each reportwas received as set out in the following table. Work continues on each report beforefinal versions are published.
| Report | Date Received |
| Assessment of transport network around the Forth | 3 November 2006 |
| Determining network performance around the Forth | 30 November 2006 |
| Option generation and sifting for a possible new crossing | 31 December 2006 |
Transport Scotland hasoperational responsibility for this area and can be contacted for more informationif required.
