- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 December 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 15 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects that the new special roads and trunk roads of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route will all be open.
Answer
Subject to completing the necessary statutory process, it is hoped to seek suitably qualified contractors in 2010-11. However, the Orders require to be approved by Parliament and assuming that is given, we would need to review the remaining stages of the project, including procurement, before issuing a definitive timetable. We expect construction to start in 2011.
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 October 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 December 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the loan given to the organisers of The Gathering 2009 is a cost against the budget line for Homecoming Scotland or whether it will be met from elsewhere in the Scottish Government’s budget for 2008-09.
Answer
The cost of the loan given to organisers of The Gathering was met from the Europe and External Affairs “ Major Events and Themed Years budget line for 2009-10.
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 October 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 December 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what the original repayment schedule was for the £180,000 loan to the organisers of The Gathering 2009.
Answer
The Scottish Government wrote to the director of The Gathering 2009 Ltd on 1 June 2009 with the offer of a loan for £180,000. That letter set out that The Gathering 2009 Ltd would repay the loan in full with 14 days of the company receiving payment from World Pay (the payment processing business of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group) and no later than 31 August 2009. On 5 June 2009, the director of The Gathering 2009 Ltd accepted the loan on the basis of the terms and conditions set out.
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 October 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 December 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive when the decision to write off the £180,000 loan to the organisers of The Gathering 2009 was made.
Answer
The decision by the Scottish Government to write off the £180,000 loan to The Gathering 2009 Ltd was made in October 2009.
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 October 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 December 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it had with the organisers of The Gathering 2009 on repayment of the £180,000 loan before the decision to write it off.
Answer
Scottish Government Officials met with the directors of The Gathering 2009 Ltd on 12 May 2009 and discussed the potential provision of a loan from the Scottish Government. Following the event and the financial difficulties faced by The Gathering 2009 Ltd, the First Minister and the Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution met with the company''s directors on 16 September 2009 and discussed potential courses of action.
The ministers had available an independent economic assessment, which showed that the Gathering had generated over £10 million of income for Scotland - a return on investment of 21-1 against a target of 8-1.
Officials were asked to examine the Gathering''s financial position and as a result of that analysis it was considered that repayment of the loan was not possible.
The Scottish Government are supportive of plans to hold a further Gathering given the positive economic impact of the 2009 event.
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 October 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 December 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the organisers of The Gathering 2009 submitted a business plan prior to receiving support from the Scottish Government.
Answer
The Gathering 2009 Ltd submitted a detailed proposal for funding to the Scottish Government in June 2008. On the basis of detail within that proposal, ministers approved £100,000 funding for the Gathering as a contribution to the highland games element of the event (£80,000) and for educational outreach programme (£20,000) and a grant offer letter was issued to The Gathering Ltd on 15 December 2008.
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 December 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 15 December 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects construction work to be completed on the Fastlink between Milltimber and Stonehaven.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S3W-13219 on 30 May 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website. The search facility for which can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
However, the report of the Public Local Inquiry is currently with ministers for decision. If that decision were to be to proceed, and the necessary Orders were then subsequently approved by Parliament, it would then be necessary to carry out a thorough review of the remaining stages of the project, including procurement, before issuing a definitive timetable.
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 December 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 15 December 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects construction work to start on the section of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route between Charleston and Milltimber.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S3W-21263 on 9 March 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
However, the report of the Public Local Inquiry is currently with ministers for decision. If that decision were to be to proceed, and the necessary Orders were then subsequently approved by Parliament, it would then be necessary to carry out a thorough review of the remaining stages of the project, including procurement, before issuing a definitive timetable.
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 December 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 15 December 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding mechanism will be used to pay for the construction of the section of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route between Charleston and Milltimber.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S3W-24477 on 10 June 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 December 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 15 December 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding mechanism will be used to pay for the construction of the Fastlink between Milltimber and Stonehaven.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S3W-24477 on 10 June 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
