- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 18 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact each project listed in the Scottish motorway and trunk road programme will have on greenhouse gas emission levels.
Answer
The principal greenhouse gas emitted by traffic using trunk roads and motorways is carbon dioxide. An assessment of the emissions of carbon dioxide from traffic predicted to use new trunk road projects is usually undertaken as part of the environmental impact assessment of the road proposals. These assessments are based on traffic modelling for the schemes which predict changes in traffic flows, and report emissions as a change in the quantity of carbon dioxide compared with the predicted conditions without the new or improved road in place. The findings of these assessments are presented in the environmental statement (ES) for each project which is a public document.
Information on carbon dioxide emissions is not available for all projects in the motorway and trunk road programme. A number of smaller road improvement schemes do not significantly change traffic flows and have a negligible effect on emissions. Also, several schemes are still in preparation and have not yet reached the ES stage. A summary of information for the projects in the programme on which information is available from the relevant ES is presented in the following table.
| Route | Project Name | Estimated Carbon Dioxide Emissions* (t.p.a.) | Assessment Year |
| A876 | Upper Forth Crossing at Kincardine | 7,524 | 2021 |
| A75 | Overtaking Opportunities | 32 | 2021 |
| A830 | Arisaig to Loch nan Uamh | Reduction of 70 | 2021 |
| A9 | Ballinluig Junction | 181 | 2022 |
| M74 | M74 Completion | 134,800 | 2020 |
| A7 | Auchenrivock | 130 | 2006 |
| A77 | Park End to Bennane | 3 | 2008 |
| A76 | Glenairlie | 105 | 2007 |
| M74 | Raith Interchange | 10,000 | 2020 |
| M80 | Stepps to Haggs | 40,000 | 2025 |
| A9 | Crubenmore Extension | 251 | 2022 |
| A96 | Fochabers to Mosstodloch | 171 | 2020 |
| M8 | Baillieston to Newhouse | 30,000 | 2020 |
| M8 | Associated Network Improvements | 1,600 | 2010 |
| A75 | Dunragit Bypass | 3,670 | 2022 |
| A9 | Kincraig to Dalraddy | 45 | 2023 |
| A90 | Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route | 36,700 | 2025 |
| A77 | Symington and Bogend Toll | 121 | 2024 |
| A90 | Balmedie to Tipperty | 2,137 | 2010 |
Note: *Estimates are predicted increases (unless shown) in carbon dioxide emissions with the project compared to without the project, in a given future assessment year. Units: tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum.
Environmental Statements for a number of projects in the trunk road and motorway programme can be accessed from the projects pages of Transport Scotland’s website:
http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/projects.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 16 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what change took place in road traffic levels in 2007 and what impact this change will have on greenhouse gas emission levels.
Answer
Road traffic level data for 2007 are produced by the Department for Transport and will not be available until August 2008. Greenhouse gas emission level data from the National Atmospheric Emission Inventory for 2006 and 2007, will not be available until autumn 2008 and autumn 2009 respectively.
The latest period for which data is available for both the change in Scottish road traffic levels and the change in Scottish greenhouse gas emission levels is 2004 to 2005. Between 2004 and 2005, road traffic levels increased by 13 million kms (0.03%) and road transport greenhouse gas emissions grew by 70KtCO2e (0.7%).
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 16 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive when its carbon balance sheet for transport will be published.
Answer
Scotland’s National Transport Strategy (NTS) commits us to publishing the carbon balance sheet for transport as part of its first review which will commence in 2010-11. The balance sheet is currently being developed, with a view to having a working draft prior to the NTS review.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 10 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the capacity expansion at Glasgow and Edinburgh airports, as proposed in the national planning framework discussion draft, will have on greenhouse gas emission levels.
Answer
The environmental effects of enhancements at Edinburgh and Glasgow Airports are addressed in the environmental report which accompanied the discussion draft of the national planning framework.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 9 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it believes that the scope of the remit of the public inquiry into the Aberdeen Peripheral Route project is too restrictive.
Answer
No.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 9 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide clarification on the detail of the remit of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route Project given to Reporters.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-13573 on 9 June 2008. 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: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 9 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive why it chose to exclude any discussion of alternative transport options from the remit of the inquiry into the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route project.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-13576 on 9 June 2008. 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: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 9 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the options that were considered for the remit of the public inquiry into the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.
Answer
Details of the public local inquiry into the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, including the remit, can be found at the reporter’s website
www.awpr-pli.org.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 9 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive why it chose to exclude climate change implications and effects on congestion levels from the remit of the inquiry into the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route project.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-13576 on 9 June 2008. 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: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 9 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how the benefit to cost ratio of 5:1 for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Project was calculated and what assumptions and evidence were used as a basis for the calculation.
Answer
The benefit to cost ratio has been evaluated over a 60-year period in accordance with current national guidance and methodology.
