Chamber and committees

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: S1W-11021

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sam Galbraith on 22 November 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to privatise water authorities.

Question reference: S1W-10971

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sam Galbraith on 21 November 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-2461 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 2 November 2000, which organisations were consulted with regard to the recommendations of the Strategic Review of Organic Waste Spread on Land; when consultation on the review commenced; how the consultation process was promulgated, and on what date the last response was submitted.

A list of the organisations directly consulted on recommendations in the Strategic Review of Organic Waste Spread on Land was enclosed with the public consultation paper when it was issued. (A copy is available from the Parliament's Reference Centre.) Consultation began on 1 April 1999 when a Scottish Office News Release was issued to draw attention to the issue of the consultation paper. The last direct response to the consultation was received on 2 July 1999, although several representations relating to the review have been received by the Executive since then.

Question reference: S1W-10972

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sam Galbraith on 21 November 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-2461 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 2 November 2000, when the review of the exemptions in the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994 commenced; when the review will be concluded, and which organisations it intends to consult on this issue.

A number of concerns have been expressed about the exemptions in the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994. In particular the sixth report by the House of Commons Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Select Committee in June 1998 raised concerns about the controls on the spreading of industrial wastes on land. The Executive is working in parallel with the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions on a review of the exemptions with the aim of consulting on proposed amendments early next year.

All organisations and bodies considered to have an interest in the issue will be consulted and copies of the consultation document will be available to the public and in the Parliament's Reference Centre.

Question reference: S1W-10956

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 21 November 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what funds or grant schemes currently exist to support public transport and how much funding is available under each such scheme in (a) 2000-01, (b) 2001-02 and (c) 2002-03.

The funds or grant schemes to support public transport and the amount of funding available in 2000-01 are set out in the table below. With regard to funding in 2001-02 and 2002-03 I refer Mr Crawford to my answer to question S1W-10953.

Further support for rail is provided through the Rail Passenger Partnership Fund and the Infrastructure Investment Fund which are administered by the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority.

Support for the provision of subsidised bus services is channelled through local authorities by means of revenue support grant (£28 million in 1998-99).

	2000-01 (£ million)
Public Transport Fund	30.000
Rural Transport Fund*	5.480
Bus Fuel Duty Rebate	47.840
Lifeline Air Services	1.003
Strathclyde Passenger Transport Rail Services	83.100

*The Rural Transport Fund covers grants to local authorities for rural public passenger transport services, the Rural Community Transport Grant Scheme and the Rural Petrol Stations Grant Scheme.

Question reference: S1W-10955

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 21 November 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the funding allocated to (a) the Freight Facilities Grant Scheme, (b) the Track Access Grant Scheme, (c) the Public Transport Fund, (d) Rail Passenger Partnership Funding, (e) the Infrastructure Investment Fund and (f) the Rural Community Transport Grant Scheme for (i) 2000-01, (ii) 2001-02 and (iii) 2002-03 has already been committed.

The funding committed is detailed in the table below:

	2000-01 (£ million)	2001-02 (£ million)	2002-03 (£ million)
(a) Freight Facilities Grant Scheme	3.960	1.458	1.433
(b) Track Access Grant Scheme	Nil	Nil	Nil
(c) Public Transport Fund	30.003	36.688	18.118
(d) Rail Passenger Partnership Funding	0.800	Nil	Nil
(e) Infrastructure Investment Fund	Nil	Nil	Nil
(f) Rural Community Transport Grant Scheme*	1.186	0.345	0.314

* The figure for 2000-01 includes funding carried forward from 1999-2000 to allow payment of invoices in relation to committed schemes which were not presented for payment at 31 March 2000.

Question reference: S1W-10954

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 21 November 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding is allocated to the Rural Community Transport Grant Scheme for 2000-01.

Question reference: S1W-10506

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 October 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 21 November 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reduce traffic congestion on the A8000 to the south of the Forth Road Bridge; when it expects any such programme to commence and be completed, and how any programme of improvement works will be financed.

Question reference: S1W-10528

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 October 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sam Galbraith on 21 November 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive how waste materials spread on land are monitored and controlled by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

The treatment and disposal of controlled waste is regulated under the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994. These activities normally require a Waste Management Licence issued by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), the waste regulation authority which monitors to ensure that conditions set in the licence are followed.

In order to encourage the recycling and reuse of wastes, certain activities, such as the spreading on land of some wastes which provide agricultural or ecological benefit, may be exempted from the full waste management licensing regime. Examples of such wastes are waste foods, blood and gut contents from abattoirs, paper waste sludge.

Before such activity may be carried out it must be registered with SEPA, which enters details of the exemption on a public register. SEPA has powers to monitor and where necessary will inspect and monitor the activity to ensure that there is no harm to health or the environment.

Question reference: S1W-09791

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 September 2000
Current Status: Answered by Angus MacKay on 20 November 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a list of those small departments, non-departmental public bodies and agencies which it is responsible for in terms of both operational matters and policy framework, specifying in each case the Minister who is responsible.

Question reference: S1W-10206

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 20 November 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has indicated to the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions in any response to the consultation paper on proposed new regulations for vehicle number plates that it supports the use of the letters "GB" on vehicle number plates.