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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-19277

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 30 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many representations it received in favour of the proposal for an islands regional transport partnership, announced in its news release 105820 on 21 July 2005.

Question reference: S2W-19275

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 30 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will bring forward its proposals for the boundaries of the regional transport partnerships under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005.

Question reference: S2W-19276

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 30 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the boundaries of the regional transport partnerships under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005 will accord with those referred to in its news release 105820 on 21 July 2005.

Question reference: S2W-19466

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 September 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 30 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether full access to all accounting and other relevant information will be given to NHS Highland in respect of the proposed re-drawing of boundaries between NHS Argyll and Clyde, NHS Highland and NHS Greater Glasgow.

Yes, I can confirm that NHS Highland, and indeed NHS Greater Glasgow, will be given full access to all accounting and other relevant information in respect of the proposed re-drawing of boundaries between NHS Argyll and Clyde and the two boards.

NHS Argyll and Clyde have been and will continue to work closely with NHS Highland, NHS Greater Glasgow and the Health Department on the forthcoming dissolution of the board.

Question reference: S2W-19465

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 September 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 30 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any request for information from NHS Highland regarding the cost of services within the NHS Argyll and Clyde area transferring to it and, in particular, the (a) resource allocation that this area will attract, (b) share of any in-year deficit that remains outstanding and (c) contribution which NHS Highland will be required to make in respect of NHS Argyll and Clyde's recovery proposals and, if so, whether it has provided, or will provide, the information.

I am not aware of any formal requests from NHS Highland regarding the cost of services within the NHS Argyll and Clyde area transferring to it under the proposals for the dissolution of the board. However, the Health Department is currently analysing the impact on the Arbuthnott-based resource allocation and on patient movements for NHS Highland and NHS Greater Glasgow, under each of the options identified in the consultation document. The department will share the results of these analyses with each of the three boards once they are available.

NHS Argyll and Clyde has been and will continue to work closely with NHS Highland, NHS Greater Glasgow and the Health Department as we move towards the dissolution and integration of the board and is addressing items (b) and (c) above.

Question reference: S2W-19346

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 September 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 29 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been allocated (a) in total and (b) broken down by scheme to the Track Access Grant and Freight Facilities Grant schemes (i) in each year since inception and (ii) for the next two years.

Budget allocated to the Freight Facilities Grant and Track Access Grant schemes by the Scottish Executive:

Financial Year	Freight Facilities Grant Scheme (£)	Track Access Grant Scheme (£)
1999-2000	6,100,000	Nil (*)
2000-01	7,100,000	750,000
2001-02	9,803,000	1,000,000
2002-03	12,121,000	1,000,000
2003-04	14,438,000	1,000,000
2004-05	14,638,000	1,000,000
2005-06	15,400,000	1,000,000
2006-07	12,900,000	1,000,000
2007-08	12,900,000	1,000,000

Note: *Powers to award Track Access Grants were transferred to Scottish Ministers during financial year 2000-01 from DfT.

Question reference: S2W-19347

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 September 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 29 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent it regards the Track Access Grant and Freight Facilities Grant schemes as successful; what monitoring is carried out of compliance with the conditions of grant; whether it considers that such monitoring has been sufficient; whether an audit of each of the schemes has been undertaken and, if so, whether the audit included a check of the transference of freight from road to rail, and whether it considers that any audit arrangements have been adequate.

These freight grant schemes are successful, having removed at least 60 million lorry miles from Scotland’s roads since 1999. The Freight Facilities Grant scheme has had a significant and positive impact on the freight infrastructure of Scotland as a catalyst to the building of over £70 million of new rail and water freight facilities across the country.

A fully effective monitoring and audit system for freight grants is in place. Each Freight Facilities Grant project is monitored annually to track the actual level of freight transferred from road to rail and water and the corresponding environmental benefits which have been generated. Track Access Grants are paid in arrears based on actual freight carried by rail; these claims are audited by independent accountants annually. All Scottish Executive freight grant schemes are audited both internally and by Audit Scotland.

Question reference: S2W-19348

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 September 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 29 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Track Access Grant is payable in arrears.

Question reference: S2W-18814

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 26 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the letter of 14 July 2005 from the Minister for Transport and Telecommunications in respect of the tendering costs of the first bid for lifeline ferry services currently provided by Caledonian MacBrayne, whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre each piece of the external advice commissioned at a cost of £286,000 and, in particular, the research into the application of the EU rules in other member states.

Much of the work undertaken by consultants commissioned by the Executive has contributed to the development of Scottish Executive policy on this subject and has been reflected in documents that have already been published. These documents include the following:

The consultation paper and draft service for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services that were published in June 2002;

The consultation paper and draft service specification for the Gourock to Dunoon route that were published in March 2003;

The consultation paper and draft service specification for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services that were published in December 2004;

The Research into the application of the EU rules in other member states that was published on 12 September 2005, and

The Report Clyde and Hebrides Lifeline Ferry Services Scottish Executive’s Consideration of the Requirement to Tender that was published on 12 September 2005.

In addition, I shall lodge in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre within the next few weeks, a summary paper (Bib. number 37522) on the research on the uniqueness of the CalMac fleet that was commissioned in 2001 but which has not been published. I shall write to the member to let him know when the documents has been published.

Question reference: S2W-18725

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 26 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 22 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the delay to the M74 extension will have on its transport budget in the current financial year and each of the next two years and whether it will provide a table comparing the provision for this scheme in this financial year and the next two years (a) before and (b) after the decision to delay its commencement.

We expect that the allowance previously made for the acquisition of land for the M74 in the current financial year will not now be fully utilised and therefore £54.5 million will be set aside to meet deferred payment in future years. Future provision for construction will depend on the outcome of the Court of Session hearing scheduled for June/July 2006. Provision for this scheme is in the table below.

	Estimates at 26 Oct 2004 (£ Million)	Current Estimates (£ Million)
2005-06	125.447	77.839
2006-07	54.126	Dependent on outcome of Court of Session Hearing
2007-08	84.798