- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 22 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers guidance to local authorities and transport partnerships for applications for funding or match-funding for large-scale cycle infrastructure projects to be adequate, in light of the abolition of the Public Transport Fund.
Answer
Funding allocations for the sevenregional transport partnerships were announced on 15 December 2005, andstatutory guidance on regional transport strategies was published on 10 March 2006. Theregional transport partnerships will be responsible for determining their ownpriorities, which may include support for large-scale cycle infrastructureprojects. Regional transport partnerships are well placed to make informeddecisions over such projects.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 22 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, following a reduction in Sustrans funding from £3.5 million in 2004-05 to £2 million for 2005-06, it considers that Sustrans is still able to complete 50 cycle project schemes in six months to a high standard and delivered on budget and in tight timescales.
Answer
I can confirm that Sustrans hasbeen awarded a grant of £2 million in 2005-06 for projects to improve the NationalCycle Network in Scotland. Sustrans submitted a progress report on 13 March andwith it confirmed that it is on schedule to complete all projects within the termsof the Schedule of Grant conditions.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 22 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the £17 million scheme by the Department for Transport for six experimental cycle-friendly towns, it will implement a similar scheme in Scotland or use reward mechanisms to encourage partnerships to undertake similar projects.
Answer
Executive funding for cyclinginfrastructure projects within towns in Scotland is being provided through Cycling, Walking and SaferStreets allocations to local authorities as well as financial allocations to theRegional Transport Partnerships which can be used for cycling projects. It willbe for local authorities and Regional Transport Partnerships to prioritise and implementany cycling schemes or initiatives.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by George Lyon on 21 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to follow the initiative of Elliot Morley MP, UK Minister of State for Climate Change and Environment, in offering householders council tax rebates of up to £100 if they take up energy efficiency measures.
Answer
We have no current plans to introduce a council tax rebate for energy efficient homes. We arecurrently awaiting the recommendations of the independent Local Government FinanceReview Committee into the future of local taxation. The committee’s report willbe published later this year.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 14 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to complement the £6 million Climate Challenge Fund which was established by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to support local-level projects in England aimed at raising awareness and changing attitudes to climate change.
Answer
We will be reviewing our climate change communications in the light of Scotland’s Climate Change Programme, due to be published soon, and in the context of the sustainable development communications plan, due to be published this spring. As part of the review process we will be considering how our communications can complement existing and forthcoming climate change awareness raising initiatives such as Defra’s Climate Challenge Fund.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 March 2006
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Current Status:
Awaiting answer
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that regional transport partnerships make proper provision for cycle projects by specifying a minimum percentage of their funding to be used for that purpose or by rewarding partnerships that do include such schemes in their regional transport strategies.
Answer
Awaiting answer
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Elish Angiolini on 2 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it believes that the prosecution service is equipped to deal with complex cases.
Answer
I am confident that the professional and dedicated staff within the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service have the appropriate expertise and are well equipped to deal effectively with complex cases. This was highlighted recently in the successful prosecution of Transco, which led to the imposition of a fine of £15 million - the highest fine ever imposed by a court in this country.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 2 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what benefits patients in Edinburgh can expect from the most recent announcement on NHS waiting times.
Answer
Patients in Edinburgh - andindeed across Scotland - are already receiving significant benefits as a resultof our policies to improve access and drive down waiting times. The national maximumwaiting times for first out-patient consultations and for hospital inpatient andday case treatment are now six months – the lowest ever level.
Further improvements will beevident as the NHS in Scotland makes progress towards delivery of our commitment toreduce these maximum waiting times to 18 weeks by the end of 2007.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 27 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it agrees that the new EU Public Sector and Utilities Directives do not simply clarify existing guidance but provide additional scope to undertake public procurement in such a way that achieves value for money whilst meeting social, employment and environmental challenges.
Answer
The new directives and implementing regulations do provide such additional scope in allowing contracts to be reserved for supported businesses.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 27 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive why the draft regulations implementing the new EU Public Sector and Utilities Procurement Directives implement Articles 25 (sub-contracting) and 27 (obligations relating to taxes etc) as being optional and not mandatory.
Answer
These articles refer to information which prospective bidders may be requested to provide in the context of a procurement process. Making it a mandatory legal requirement that the information must be sought and provided by tenderers on every occasion might result in unnecessary burdens on suppliers and purchasers alike. The Scottish Regulations which give effect to the directives, therefore, allow individual public authorities and utility entities the scope to decide whether the information should be sought.
