- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 20 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to remove road freight from the A9 and on to rail.
Answer
My freight grants team are currentlyin dialogue with a number of companies who are in the early stages of developingprojects for the transfer of freight from the A9 to rail. We are hopeful that thesewill come to fruition, as firm grant applications, though ultimately this will dependon commercial decisions by the companies concerned. An award of Freight FacilitiesGrant of £2.3 million was made to Inverness Harbour Trust earlier this year which,although not transferring freight to rail, will remove freight from the A9.
Freight grant funded projectshave removed over 80 million lorry miles from Scotland’s roads, including overfive million lorry miles from the A9 corridor over the last eight years.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 19 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the UK Government in relation to the decision to amalgamate the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, the Black Watch, the Highlanders, the Kings Own Scottish Borderers, the Royal Highland Fusiliers and the Royal Scots into the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
Answer
No representations in relation to the decision to amalgamate Scottish Regimentshas been made to the UK Government by this administration. Representation was made to the UK Government by the previousScottish Executive but this did not prevent regiment amalgamations. The formationof the Royal Regiment of Scotland took place on 28 March 2006.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 18 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will return the Stone of Destiny to Scone Palace.
Answer
The location of the Stone ofDestiny is a matter solely for Her Majesty The Queen, as advised by the Commissionersfor the Safekeeping of the Regalia.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 17 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will protect and revitalise town centres in light of the growth of out-of-town supermarkets.
Answer
Scottish planningpolicy supports the protection and enhancement of town centres and indicates thatthey should be the first choice for new shopping developments. Other measures tobenefit town centres include our support for Business Improvement Districts pilots,the substantial funding we provide to local government to support a range of localservices including for housing and regeneration, and our commitment to remove orreduce the burden of business rates for small businesses, many of which are locatedin town centres throughout Scotland.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 17 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider obliging local authorities to grant automatic council tax relief to Army personnel who serve abroad.
Answer
The Scottish Government continuesto support work at a UK-level following the then Prime Minister’s announcement inOctober 2006 that the UK Government would look into providing support for the CouncilTax costs of service personnel on operations overseas. Discussions between officialsfrom the Department of Communities and Local Government and the Ministry of Defence, which also involve officials from the Scottish Executive, are on-going.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 17 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive which junctions on the A9 will be upgraded, also showing the timetable and projected costs for each upgrade.
Answer
Details and timescalesfor our major and important planned road projects can be found on the TransportScotland website at:
http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/uploads/documents/Scottish-Motorways-Trunk-Road-Programme-June2007-final.pdf.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 17 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what its priority road improvements and upgrades are, shown in order of preference.
Answer
Details and timescalesfor our major and important planned road projects can be found on the TransportScotland website at:
http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/uploads/documents/Scottish-Motorways-Trunk-Road-Programme-June2007-final.pdf.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 12 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it provides any funding for the installation of CCTV in town centres and, if not, whether it will do so.
Answer
In 2007-08, £4 millionis available under the CommunitySafety Partnership Award Programme to local authority-ledCommunity Safety Partnerships to assist them in identifying and addressing localcommunity safety priorities, including CCTV. Other funding streams, such as qualityof life funding, can also be used to fund local CCTV systems.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 12 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it believes that the installation of CCTV in town centres can help reduce crime and antisocial behaviour.
Answer
We are currently conductinga survey of public space CCTV in Scotland to ascertain the role that CCTV playsin helping to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to help dairy farmers.
Answer
We share the concernsof those worried about the level of returns being made by some milk producers. Althoughwe cannot intervene in the market, we are pleased to note that many dairy farmersare now receiving increased prices as a result of changing market conditions.
Since 2000, the dairysector has received assistance totalling almost £7 million from the Processing andMarketing Grant Scheme administered by the Scottish Executive.
Dairy producers benefitfrom support from the Single Farm Payment which was introduced following CommonAgricultural Policy reform in 2003.
