- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 26 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 22 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive when it estimates that the (a) M74 extension, (b) A68 Dalkeith Bypass, (c) A8000 upgrade and (d) new crossing of the Forth at Kincardine will commence and be completed and what the current estimated total cost is of each project.
Answer
I cannot add to the information given on the M74 in my previous reply to parliamentary question S2W-18488 answered on 9 September 2005. 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.
The other information you ask for is given in the following table.
| Scheme | Date for Commencement | Date for Completion | Current Estimated Total Cost (£ Million) |
| A68 Dalkeith Bypass | Summer 2006 | Summer 2008 | 38.7 |
| Upper Forth Crossing at Kincardine | Summer 2006 | Summer 2008 | 110.0 |
The A8000 upgrade is a local road and therefore a matter for the City of Edinburgh Council.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 20 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it updates its trunk road programme on a (a) regular and (b) monthly basis and whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre details of each of the programmes it has prepared since inception.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-18471
on 13 September 2005. 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.l
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 15 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional protection is needed in respect of the marine environment; what impact such protection would have on the fishing industry, and who would be asked to assess that impact.
Answer
On 12 September 2005 the Scottish Executive published
Seas the Opportunity – A Strategy for the Long Term Sustainability of Scotland’s Coasts and Seas. Copies of the strategy document have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 37466) and it is available on the Scottish Executive’s website at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/publications/2005/08/26102453/25444.
Our marine and coastal environments remain at potential risk from water borne pollution, sea-bed disturbance, habitat loss, disturbance to sea life and declining stocks of some fish species. While action is already in hand to address these risks, often through sector specific strategies, we need to do more to assess and deal with cumulative and cross-sectoral impacts to provide for improved protection of the environment in a way which means longer term socio-economic need. The new strategy will determine what specific new measure might be needed to achieve that.
The impacts of any new measures that arise from the strategy will be considered initially by the new stakeholder group which will comprise representatives from a range of sectors, including fisheries. In addition, the interests of the fishing sector are being addressed through specific strategies for both inshore and sea fisheries, both of which are set within the wider context of the new marine and coastal strategy.
The fishing sector, among others, is also being consulted fully on the work I have commissioned from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to identify potential candidate sites for Scotland’s first coastal and marine national park. The stakeholder group for the marine and coastal strategy will make an input to SNH’s assessment which I expect to receive by March 2006.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 September 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 13 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with the rate of progress made by BT in respect of broadband provision in rural areas; what measures are in place to monitor BT's progress towards installing cabling to connect rural households to broadband, and when it expects such cabling to be installed in Carrbridge.
Answer
Under the Executive’s contract award with BT, 378 rural exchanges are being enabled for broadband. This roll-out is proceeding to plan and monitoring is in place to ensure we deliver access to every community by the end of 2005.
There is a technical issue for providing broadband to households connected to “shared” DACS (Digital Access Carrier System) lines. However, BT’s UK-wide policy is to solve this, where financially viable, by providing those households that have applied for a broadband service with an exclusive exchange line.
The Carrbridge exchange was enabled commercially by BT and not through the Executive's contract. BT recognise that a very small number of customers on this exchange are currently unable to receive broadband because they are on DACS lines. Therefore, they plan to lay new cable and expect to resolve the issue there within the next two months.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 13 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any concerns that the behaviour of demonstrators on the M74 project, such as by direct disruption or attempted disruption of construction work commencing, may cause delays and extra costs to the project and, if so, whether it will detail what concerns it has.
Answer
I refer the member to the answers to question S2W-10252 on 22 September 2004 and question S2W-13781 answered on 8 February 2005. 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.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 13 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish its programme of proposed trunk road improvement works so far as has been determined, showing details of each project and the band into which the estimated cost of each project will fall
Answer
The Scottish Executive updates its trunk road preparation programme on a regular quarterly basis and it is our intention to develop and place a summary of progress on the Scottish Executive website (under the section for Transport/Roads and Motorways/Trunk Roads/Management and Maintenance) following the conclusion of each quarterly review meeting.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 13 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it or the successful tenderers are responsible for the costs of security for the M74 project in providing security cover to cater for the risk of disruption and violence which may be caused by demonstrators against the project.
Answer
I refer the member to the answers to questions S2W-10252 on 22 September 2004 and question S2W-13781 on 8 February 2005. 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.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 13 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that Scottish Natural Heritage is an appropriate body to conduct any assessment of the impact of a marine national park on the fishing industry.
Answer
I am satisfied that SNH is the appropriate body to undertake an assessment of the issues relevant to establishment of a coastal and marine national park. I have therefore asked SNH to make recommendations on candidate areas and on the aims, powers and governance of a coastal and marine national park along with estimates of its running costs. Following submission of that advice, it would be my intention to undertake a full public consultation which would allow all interested parties to respond to the proposals.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 13 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Natural Heritage will seek the views of representatives of fishermen's organisations during its scoping study into possible locations for a marine national park.
Answer
I have asked SNH to work closely with relevant stakeholders in developing its advice to me on coastal and marine national parks. SNH has already written to a very wide range of organisations inviting input in writing or via a website message board. In addition, SNH has established a stakeholder group as a sounding board which includes members of fisheries bodies representing fishing interests across Scotland.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 9 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to assist the fishing industry to cope with increasing fuel costs.
Answer
The Scottish Executive continues to be in close dialogue with the industry, the UK government and the EU Commission regarding the effects of high fuel costs and continues to explore what options might be available.
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-18341 on 10 August 2005, which outlined the five potential fuel support measures which Commissioner Borg described at a meeting with the industry on 29 July. The Scottish Executive is keeping close to the Commissioner as thinking in Brussels develops.
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.
