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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S2W-29949

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 November 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 4 December 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the effect on the number of (a) injuries and (b) fatalities to heavy goods vehicle drivers of the compulsory introduction of speed limiting devices.

The policy relating to the fittingof speed limiting devices on HGVs is reserved to the Department for Transport (DfT).Neither the Executive nor DfT have carried out any such assessment. However, asvehicles will be limited to maximum speeds of 56 mph and 62 mph respectively theexpectation is the number of serious accidents involving these vehicles, particularlyon motorways and dual carriageways, should reduce.

Question reference: S2W-29954

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 November 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 4 December 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how many pedestrians have been (a) injured, (b) seriously injured or (c) killed in collisions with cyclists in each region in each of the last 12 months.

The following tables give informationabout the numbers of pedestrians who were injured, having been struck by a pedalcycle, in road accidents which were reported by the police in their Stats 19 injuryroad accident statistics returns. The figures do not include any pedestrians whowere injured in accidents which were not reported by the public to the Police. Figuresare given for each month in 2005: provisional figures for 2006 will be publishedin June 2007.

(a) Pedestrians who were injured(but not killed) in collisions with pedal cyclists in 2005

	Northern	Grampian	Tayside	Fife	Lothian and Borders	Central	Strathclyde	Dumfries and Galloway
January	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0
February	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
March	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
April	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
May	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0
June	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0
July	1	1	0	0	0	0	2	0
August	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
September	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
October	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
November	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
December	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

(b) Pedestrians who were seriouslyinjured (but not killed) in collisions with pedal cyclists in 2005

	Northern	Grampian	Tayside	Fife	Lothian and Borders	Central	Strathclyde	Dumfries and Galloway
January	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
February	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
March	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
April	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
May	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
June	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0
July	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
August	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
September	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
October	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
November	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
December	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Question reference: S2W-29951

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 November 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 4 December 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive which train service was the most overcrowded in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S2W-29892

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2006
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 30 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the presence of parasites of the Argulus species will be included as a matter to be notified to its Environment and Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD), as a notifiable disease or parasite, under the terms of the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill; what steps are being taken to ascertain how this parasite is spreading, and whether the Executive will publish all the information held by SEERAD and other public agencies in relation to Argulus.

The bill contains provision (section4) for ministers to modify the definition of “parasite” and thereby include Argulus,if there was a need to do so.We do not believe there is sucha case at present, but together with the Fisheries Research Services (FRS) we willconsider further surveillance to update our understanding of the distribution of the parasite, information about which can be found on the FRS website www.marlab.ac.uk.

Question reference: S2O-11162

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2006
Current Status: Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 23 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the restoration of Castle Tioram would provide benefits to Scotland¿s tourism industry; whether it is satisfied with Historic Scotland¿s position in respect of such a restoration, and what value it places on the significance of cross-party support from MSPs for its restoration.

Question reference: S2W-29719

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 17 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated costs are of rate relief to businesses affected by the Edinburgh trams project in each year of construction and whether agreement has been reached on this issue and, if so, with whom and on whose authority.

Question reference: S2W-29716

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2006
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 17 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in respect of a replacement for the Community Environmental Renewal Scheme.

In reply to question S2W-28102on 13 September 2006, I stated that the Community EnvironmentalRenewal Scheme was designed to assist communities in the vicinity of past or presentquarries subject to the Aggregates Levy, and that the position on funding afterMarch 2007 will follow from decisions on the levy still to be announced by the Chancellorof the Exchequer and on subsequent decisions by Scottish ministers on distributionof any funds. All answers 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.

That remains the position howeverthe Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and HM Treasury have carriedout a policy review of the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund during 2006, to examinethe extent to which the Fund has met its objectives so far, whether it should continueand if so, what activities the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund should fund from2007 onwards.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/aggregates/index.htm

Question reference: S2W-29717

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2006
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 17 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether hydro schemes proposed by communities or community organisations will be eligible for assistance under any replacement for the Community Environmental Renewal Scheme.

The consideration of any continuationor replacement for the Community Environmental Renewal Scheme depends on decisions on the AggregatesLevy still to be announced by the Chancellor, and on subsequent decisions by Scottishministers on distribution of any funds. Given these circumstances it is not possibleto say at present whether hydro schemes proposed by communities or community organisationswould be eligible for assistance.

The Scottish Executive is currentlyundertaking a review of funding for local environmental regeneration projects. Theoutcomes of this review will inform decisions on the future of the Community EnvironmentalRenewal Scheme after March 2007.

Community hydro schemes are alreadyeligible for funding under the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative(SCHRI). The scheme, which supports a range of community organisations, providessupport for technical assistance as well as capital grants.

Question reference: S2W-28827

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2006
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.

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.

Question reference: S2W-29003

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 October 2006
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.