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-04505

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 November 2003
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 19 December 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to answer to question S2W-3452 by Nicol Stephen on 12 November 2003, what the 12 road projects referred to in the answer are, showing in each case the (a) road, (b) part of the road being upgraded and (c) total amount of spending from (i) local authorities and (ii) European structural funds.

The twelve road projects fundedfrom European Structural Funds are listed below with the associated local authoritycontributions to each project. Other local authority roads expenditure, given inthe Provisional Outturn Estimate, is managed locally.

Road Being Upgraded	European Structural Funds Award	Local Authority Contribution	Total
Strategic timber transportation road network for Argyll (25.2 km of public road).	£730,820 over 5 years	£742,404	£1,473,224
Arran economic enhancement project (phase 1) road improvements. Including upgrading sections of A841 Brodick- Corrie- Lochranza and the B880 Brodick to Blackwaterfoot.	£166,000 over 1 year etc	£635,000	£801,000
A832 Achnasheen to Kinlochewe.	710 over 2 years	2130	2840
A851 Broadford to Armadale (phases 3,4,5).	1,816.6 over 5 years	7,266.4	9083
Gartcosh regeneration phase 2 link road and access corridor reclamation.	1,490	1,200	2690
Glasgow harbour transport Infrastructure.	3,844.37	192	4036.37
Inchinnan business park access road completion and structural landscaping.	782.60	0	782.6
Gartcosh access road.	282.15	282.15	564.3
Inchinnan access road phase 1.	526.64	0	526.64
West of Scotland Science Park road access phases 3 and 4.	315.72	0	315.72
Objective 2 South – projects including realignment of road to access Selkirk regeneration.	90	0	90
Objective 2 East – Rosyth strategic rail link access road.	1,133.7	2400	3533.7
Total	11,888.6	14,847.954	26,736.554

Question reference: S2W-04837

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 December 2003
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 19 December 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made provision for any of its staff giving evidence to the Holyrood Inquiry to receive counselling and, if so, what the cost of such counselling will be and from which budget line it will be met.

The Scottish Executive’s general arrangements for the availability of counselling support forstaff in a variety of circumstances, as part of our commitment as an employerto exercise a duty of care towards our staff, are available to Scottish Executive witnesses, if they wish to take up the service. The costs will dependon take up and will be met from the Scottish Executive occupational health budgetwithin the overall Scottish Executive administration budget.

Question reference: S2W-04553

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 December 2003
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 19 December 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give an assurance that the Mallaig to Armadale ferry service will continue irrespective of any decision on Skye Bridge tolls.

Question reference: S2W-04517

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 November 2003
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 18 December 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to ensure that the working practices and hours of grit lorry drivers comply with all legal requirements and guarantee the safety of the driver and a minimum resting period.

The way in which drivers are organised is a matter for BEAR Scotland Ltdprovided all contractual and legal obligations are met. The Scottish Executive Is in regular contact with BEAR Scotland Ltd to ensure safe and efficientwinter maintenance of the trunk road network.

The performance audit groupregularly audit operations carried out by the trunk road operators to ensurethat they comply with the requirements of the contract. Any concerns would beraised with the operating company.

Question reference: S2W-04667

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2003
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 18 December 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32334 by Allan Wilson on 17 December 2002, whether it has made any recent representations to Her Majesty's Government in respect of any transfer of power to the Parliament with regard to the Crown Estate Commission and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Question reference: S2W-04631

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 December 2003
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 17 December 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the methodology that allocates Scotland's share of corporation tax revenues will take into account an estimate of Scotland's share of extra-regio territory in this year's Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland (GERS) report and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Extra-regio corporation taxis not allocated to Scotland’s share of corporation tax revenues.

The UKcontinental shelf is not regarded as part of mainland UK or itsconstituent countries and therefore it is not possible to attribute a share of the extra-regio corporation tax to Scotland.

However, GERS considersthe effects on the Scottish fiscal position of different assumptions on theallocation of North sea revenues (including North sea corporation tax) in table8.2 (GERS 2001-2002).

Question reference: S2W-04644

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 December 2003
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 17 December 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the methodology used to calculate Scotland's revenues from other taxes and royalties will take into account an estimated Scottish share of the extra-regio territory in this year's Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland report.

Question reference: S2W-04630

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 December 2003
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 17 December 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the presentation of the Scottish share of UK income tax liability was based on payments to income tax collection offices in Scotland or as a proportionate share of total receipts from the UK in last year's Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland report.

Question reference: S2W-04656

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 December 2003
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 17 December 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has estimated the funding that will be lost in matched funding from the block grant when Objective 1 transitional money ends.

It is too early to predictthe outcome of the debate on the future of the European Structural Funds forthe Highlands and Islands or anywhere else when the current programmes ceasein December 2006. The European Commission’s third cohesion report due to bepublished early next year will give an indication of the Commission’s thinkingahead of their draft regulations expected next May. Negotiations between memberstates will take place thereafter and are likely to last at least a year.

Public sectormatch funding for structural fund projects comes from the relevant domesticspending programme within the assigned budget. Whatever the future of the funds,public bodies will continue to be able to set their own priorities includingallocating money either to match fund projects they sponsor or to fund themoutright.

Question reference: S2W-04654

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 December 2003
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 17 December 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has with regard to the locations within Scotland where the 1% sample of national insurance records were taken which were used as a basis for calculating Scotland's share of social security contributions, as referred to in Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland 2000-2001 (GERS).