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: S2W-31685

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 February 2007
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 21 February 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated annual population of deer on Rum was in each year since the herd was introduced and, of these, how many were culled annually.

Scottish Natural Heritage hasrecorded the estimated deer population and cull numbers since its inception as follows:

Year	Deer Count	Total Deer Culled
1991	1,649	434
1992	1,438	308
1993	1,262	113
1994	1,185	172
1995	Abandoned due to weather	196
1996	1,483	280
1997	1,408	245
1998	1,527	255
1999	1,432	256
2000	1,341	249
2001	1,103	444
2002	990	406
2003	No count done	190
2004	1,269	237
2005	1,234	445
2006	1,160	141

Question reference: S2W-31683

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 February 2007
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 21 February 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what forestry grants have been paid to Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) in each year since its inception and, in particular, in respect of its forestry in Rum, and what grants SNH is seeking for its future operations in Rum.

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH)received the following payments of forestry grants between 1994 and 2007. Of those,during the period 2003-07, £5,643 were in respect of its woodland management onRum.

Any future grant applicationsfor Rum are dependant on the outcome of the review of SNH’s National Nature Reserveplan.

Forestry Grants Paid toScottish Natural Heritage

1994-95	£3,261
1995-96	£1,052.50
1996-97	£1,657.30
1997-98	£2,633.75
1998-99	£1,341.25
1999-00	£3,946.30
2000-01	£4,747.69
2001-02	£40,989.74
2002-03	£6,941.78
2003-04	£542.50
2004-05	£38,528.02
2005-06	£25,481
2006-07	£33,909.59
Total grants paid	£165,032.42

Question reference: S2W-31684

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 February 2007
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 20 February 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Forestry Commission Scotland will approve grant applications from Scottish Natural Heritage which contain no provision for fencing.

Forestry Commission Scotlandwill approve grant for planting schemes which contain no provision for fencingwhether submitted by Scottish Natural Heritage or by other applicants if theyare satisfied that there is no significant risk of damage from deer or othergrazing animals. If such planting schemes are not successful, the applicantwould be asked to carry out remedial work to ensure that the scheme will becomeestablished.

Question reference: S2W-31618

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 February 2007
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 15 February 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has intimated any view on track access charges on the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail line and, if so, to whom.

The Scottish Executive has alwaystaken the view that there should be a charge on the newStirling-Alloa-Kincardine railway and that the charge should be such as to allowthe benefits of the new railway to be shared between the investor and operatorsusing the new railway. This view has been discussed with many bodies since 2001including the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), the Strategic Rail Authority, ClackmannanshireCouncil, Scottish Power, Forth Ports, Clydeport and other industry bodies. Mostrecently we wrote to the ORR in June 2006 asking them to set an appropriate trackaccess charge for the railway.

Question reference: S2W-31616

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 February 2007
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 15 February 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce track access charges for the proposed (a) Edinburgh Airport rail link, (b) Glasgow Airport rail link, (c) Waverley line or (d) Airdrie to Bathgate rail link or for any other rail project under construction or proposed for construction.

Question reference: S2W-30168

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 November 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 12 February 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what transport projects have been announced and subsequently cancelled since 1999.

Over 1,000 transport projectshave been announced by the Scottish Executive since 1999, of which nine were subsequentlycancelled. This figure does not include projects funded from the annual allocationsgiven to local authorities in respect of Cycling, Walking and Safer Streets or theRural Public Passenger Grant Scheme as local authorities take decisions on how tospend these grants in line with their local priorities.

The cancelled projects are listed:

Bus Route Development Fund Grant- Strathclyde Passenger Transport – First Glasgow: New Glasgow Night Services.

Announced October 2005 and withdrawnJuly 2006.

Freight Facilities Grant to ScottishCoal Ltd.

Announced November 2001 and withdrawnSeptember 2006.

Sheriffhall Roundabout Cycle Bridge.

Announced October 1999 and withdrawnAugust 2004.

Allandale Rail Station Park and Ride Scheme.

Announced September 2002 andwithdrawn October 2006.

A75 Chapelton to Bush o’BieldScheme.

Announced March 2000 and withdrawn2001.

A7 Glenmayne to Yair Scheme.

Announced March 2003 and withdrawnAugust 2005.

Air Route Development Fund, Glasgow Prestwick to Berlin.

Due to start 1 September 2003, didnot start.

Piers and Harbours Grant Scheme,Eday/Westray – Access road, car parking, turning area and finger pier/slipway. Steelstairway.

Project abandoned following landacquisition problems.

Rural Community Transport Initiative,Braemar Community Council

Announced 2003-04, project cancelled2003-04.

Question reference: S2W-30776

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 12 February 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that a sufficient allowance has been made in the cost estimates of Transport Initiatives Edinburgh of the Edinburgh trams scheme in respect of the level of optimism bias.

Question reference: S2W-30775

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 12 February 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that the cost estimates of Transport Initiatives Edinburgh in relation to the Trams for Edinburgh scheme are reliable.

Question reference: S2W-31215

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 January 2007
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 12 February 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail line will be opened.

Question reference: S2W-31217

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 January 2007
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 12 February 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what information Transport Scotland has in respect of whether any plans or proposals are being considered to make charges for rail passenger franchise operators such as FirstScotrail for using the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail line and whether it will place full details in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Access charges will be paid byFirst ScotRail to Network Rail for use of the railway between Stirling and Alloa.This was anticipated in the ScotRail Franchise contract, in accordance with normalindustry practice.

The level of charges will bedetermined between Network Rail and passenger operators in terms of the track accessagreements overseen by the Office of the Rail Regulator. As such, details will notbe placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.