- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 12 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that, because the issue of levying additional charges on freight or passenger rail operators was not raised during the parliamentary consideration of the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway and Linked Improvements Bill, such charges cannot now be made.
Answer
The Office of Rail Regulation(ORR) is responsible for setting an appropriate track access charge regime for newrailways. The Scottish Executive does not consider that the parliamentary considerationof the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway and Linked Improvements Bill will preventthe ORR from discharging this responsibility.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 February 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 12 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what direction or guidance it has given to Transport Scotland in respect of the preparation of a high-level output statement for Network Rail for the next control period.
Answer
Transport Scotland is partof the Scottish Executive, directly accountable to Scottish ministers. Consequently,no such direction or guidance has been given.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 February 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 12 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the time scales are for the production of a (a) high-level output statement, namely a statement of available finance, showing the funding available for the railway infrastructure and (b) list of infrastructural requirements in respect of the Scottish rail network for the duration of the next control period.
Answer
The process is initiated formallyby the Office of Rail Regulation through the issue of the Access Charges ReviewNotice. This is expected shortly, and it is likely that this will require the submissionof the high-level output statement, together with the statement of funds availablein July 2007.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 5 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the statement in a letter from the Office of Rail Regulation to Transport Scotland that the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine railway line project could not have been undertaken without the prospect of higher charges being made, what decision will now be taken in respect of whether higher charges will be sought from freight or passenger operators and what consideration was given to the potential for such charges during the progress through the Parliament of the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway and Linked Improvements Bill.
Answer
I shall reply to the member as soon as possible.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by George Lyon on 1 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, following the comments by the Deputy Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform on 17 January 2007 (Official Report, c. 31170), whether it will seek to obtain information from the Home Office or any other source on the extent to which the powers to disqualify drivers who have been convicted of offences in relation to prostitution have been employed in England and Wales and, in particular, how many disqualifications there have been and what usage has been made of the powers for the motor cars of such persons to be forfeited for each year since such powers became available.
Answer
The Home Office advise that theycollect figures on persons disqualified from driving having been convicted of offencesof kerb crawling. Thirty-six such cases were notified to them in both 2004 and 2005.However, they consider that the figures may be subject to data quality problemsinherent in large scale recording systems. The Home Office advise that a continuingprogram of data quality improvement is in place to improve the quality of the datareceived from courts and police forces.
The Home Office have not beenable to provide statistics on the extent to which general powers to seize property,including vehicles, used in the commission of certain offences have been used inrelation to people convicted of “kerb crawling” offences.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 1 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what reports it has received from Transport Scotland in respect of the Forth crossing; on what dates they were received; why they have not been placed on the Transport Scotland website, and when they will be so placed.
Answer
An initial draft of each of thefirst three reports into a Forth Replacement Crossing Study was received as outlinedin the following table. These reports willbe published on the Transport Scotland website after both the necessary scrutinyand acceptance by Transport Scotland, and the Cabinet considering the emerging findings. Iam preparing a paper for Cabinet to consider during February 2007.
| Report | Date First Draft Received |
| Assessment of transport network around the Forth | 3 November 2006 |
| Determining network performance around the Forth | 30 November 2006 |
| Option generation and sifting for a possible new crossing | 31 December 2006 |
Transport Scotland has operationalresponsibility for this area and can be contacted for more information if required.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 1 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when it received (a) Assessment of transport network around the Forth, (b) Determining network performance around the Forth and (c) Option generation and sifting for a possible new crossing from Transport Scotland.
Answer
An initial draft of each reportwas received as set out in the following table. Work continues on each report beforefinal versions are published.
| Report | Date Received |
| Assessment of transport network around the Forth | 3 November 2006 |
| Determining network performance around the Forth | 30 November 2006 |
| Option generation and sifting for a possible new crossing | 31 December 2006 |
Transport Scotland hasoperational responsibility for this area and can be contacted for more informationif required.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 31 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2O-11639 by Ross Finnie on 11 January 2007 (Official Report c. 31009), whether it anticipates that a decision on the location of the first coastal and marine national park will be taken before dissolution of the Parliament; whether it will publish all advice received in connection with the timing of any such decision or decisions, and whether it has given consideration to whether such a decision should be taken after the Scottish parliamentary elections.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-31125 on 31 January 2007 which outlines the Executive’s plansin making available responses received as part the consultation on proposals toestablish Scotland’s first Coastal and Marine National Park,which closed on 10 January 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.We have started analysis of theresponses received but it is not possible to give a timescale of when final decisionswill be made on the designation of a Coastal and Marine National Park.No decisions have yet been made and proposals for the way forward, including thelocation of any park will need to be taken in the light of responses to the consultation.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 31 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish all advice received in connection with the proposal that a local referendum be held in relation to the proposed designation of any part of Scotland as a coastal and marine national park.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-31125 on 31 January 2007 which outlines the Executive’s plansin making available responses received as part of the consultation on proposalsto establish Scotland’s first Coastal and Marine National Park,which closed on 10 January 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 31 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place copies of the submissions made to its consultation on coastal and marine national parks in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre and whether it plans to prepare an analysis of these submissions showing the name, address and position of each of the respondents and a brief summary of their views.
Answer
The Executive places copies ofresponses to consultations in the Scottish Executive library and on the ScottishExecutive website for public access, unless respondents have requested that theirresponse remains confidential. Responses to the consultation on the Coastal andMarine National Park proposals will be placed in the library accordingly along witha summary of responses in line with the Executive’s Publication Scheme. A separatecopy will also be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
My officials are currently preparingan analysis of the responses to the consultation. We have received over 850 responses,all of which will need to be considered and taken account of in our report.
