Chamber and committees

£53,755 has been set aside in 2011-12 to fund the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership, which is managed by Shelter Scotland. While the Scottish Government plans to extend funding for the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership beyond 2011-12, details of funding for future years have not yet been confirmed. Future funding will be considered as part of the Scottish Government’s forthcoming spending review.

The Scottish Government's consultation, Building A Hydro Nation, on how Scotland should develop as a hydro nation and the role of Scottish Water, within that closed on 9 March 2011. The responses are being analysed and the Scottish Government will set out its proposals in due course.

The amounts lent to Scottish Water in the last five years are available in Scottish Water's annual accounts which are laid before the Parliament. Copies of these documents are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe). The relevant Bib. numbers are:

The 2010-11 accounts will be placed in SPICe under Bib. number 52950 shortly, but the unaudited amount is £106 million.

The Scottish Government is committed to lending £700 million in support of the 2010-15 investment programme. £140 million has been provided so far. No net new lending is budgeted for 2011-12. The profile of the remaining £560 million will be considered in the forthcoming Spending Review.

The operational period of the non-profit distributing arrangement is expected to be 30 years. The M8 Baillieston to Newhouse project, in combination with schemes on the M74 at Raith Junction and on the M73 and M74, will take four years to construct following the financial and tendering process. The projected total capital cost for all three schemes is £320 million and we are currently reviewing the expected profile of capital investment and repayments ahead of the planned procurement start later this year.

The A9 is a key artery in Scotland’s transport network and we will continue to invest in improvements to the road on a continuing and progressive basis. The construction of the extended dual section at Crubenmore is well advanced and we are taking forward design work on sections between Perth and Blair Atholl.

Dualling between Perth and Inverness involves approximately 87 miles of new carriageway and will require in-depth planning and design to ensure we deliver the right scheme, taking into consideration all the factors, including environmental constraints, such as the protected Cairngorms National Park.

The pace at which the dualling will take place will be determined by the availability of resources in future spending reviews. The STPR (Strategic Transport Projects Review) contained indicative cost estimates for the upgrade of the A9 from Dunblane to Inverness as part of Intervention 16. This work will be completed in phases with an estimated cost range of between £2 billion and £4 billion in 2008 prices.

A decision on funding mechanisms will be determined on the basis of what will achieve best value and the most effective delivery.

The commitment previously given to start improvements to Haudagain Roundabout following completion of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) remains firmly in place and preparation work will be put in hand at the appropriate time to achieve that end. The programme for both schemes will be reviewed once the current legal challenges against the AWPR have been resolved.

A decision on how to procure construction of the improvements to Haudagain Roundabout, which will be based on best value, will be taken at the appropriate time.

The STAG Report prepared by Aberdeen City Council estimated that the preferred option (Option 5) would cost in the region of £14.5 million (May 2007 prices and excluding VAT).

The A90 Balmedie to Tipperty scheme and the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) will be procured through a combined Non-Profit Distributing (NPD) Model contract. The programme for both schemes will be reviewed once the current legal challenges against the AWPR have been resolved.

The current estimated cost for the A90 Balmedie to Tipperty Scheme is £51 to £64 million excluding VAT. This estimated cost will be reviewed and updated once the statutory procedures are complete and prior to the commencement of the procurement process.

Design work for the A96 Inveramsay Bridge scheme is currently underway. A capital budget of £750,000 has been allocated to take the design work up to the stage where a preferred option can be identified. This design work is currently programmed for delivery in spring 2012.

The statutory process for the A96 Threapland scheme has been completed and will be taken forward at the earliest possible opportunity. The current estimated cost for the scheme is £5.5 million. The funding mechanism has yet to be determined.

The £31.5 million A96 Fochabers to Mosstodloch scheme is currently under construction and is due for completion in February 2012. Estimated capital spend shown in the following table:

In addition, £1.7 million improvement and maintenance works are programmed at Alves and Allanfearn to Stratton in the current financial year. In the next two financial years, £3.07 million works are programmed, including at Newton to Allanfearn and Barmuchity. This work will be funded through the maintenance budget.

Network Rail has recently completed a line speed assessment of the route, and has identified opportunities for higher speeds along specific sections. A number of technical improvements will be implemented later this year and should deliver reduced journey times on some services next year.

Further development of this project is planned for later this year, which will examine additional infrastructure improvements, such as the potential for a number of passing loops.

The total out-turn cost of the Forth Replacement Crossing is now £1.62 billion with an estimated completion date of 2016-17.

All other information contained in the answer to question S3W-39333 remains the same.