- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 18 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the procurement competition for the replacement Forth crossing to occur.
Answer
The current programme for the development of the project envisages a procurement competition in 2010 leading to the appointment of a constructor in 2011.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 18 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the replacement Forth crossing to open.
Answer
The Forth Replacement Crossing is expected to open in 2016.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 18 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether all “14 possible options for work to be carried out under the umbrella of the Scottish Futures Trust”, described by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth on 5 June 2008 in motion S3M-2057, are currently subject to further development.
Answer
The Scottish Futures Trust, which is to be set up this summer, will further develop the 14 delivery and funding concepts set out in Taking Forward the Scottish Futures Trust (Bib. number 45605).
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 18 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is still considering the use of the non-profit distribution model to finance the replacement Forth crossing.
Answer
Transport Scotland is currently reviewing various funding options available for the Forth replacement crossing, including the use of the non-profit distribution model.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 18 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive when it discovered that patriotic bonds would not be a viable method of financing the replacement Forth crossing.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-14013 on 18 June 2008. 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/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 18 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it believes that there are equity profits to be made under non-profit distributing schemes.
Answer
A key feature in the non-profit distributing model is the lack of equity capital as it has a 100% debt funded structure. This means that the returns to the private sector are capped and that any surpluses generated are retained and used for the benefit of the public interest.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 18 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will set out the procurement, timetable and financing plans for the replacement Forth crossing before autumn 2008.
Answer
Decisions on these matters will be made before the end of 2008.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 18 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive which of the “14 possible options for work to be carried out under the umbrella of the Scottish Futures Trust”, described by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth on 5 June 2008 in motion S3M-2057, have been identified as suitable for financing the replacement Forth crossing.
Answer
As members have been informed previously, the procurement and financing options for the Forth replacement crossing will be brought to the Parliament in 2008.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 3 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any representations regarding the introduction of smart meters for domestic gas and electricity supplies and, if so, what the details were of such representations.
Answer
The Scottish Government has received representations from several organisations on the issue of smart meters for domestic gas and electricity supplies including the Energy Retail Association, energy supply companies, Energy Action Scotland, local authorities and Ofgem.
In particular, we received 15 representations on smart meters in response to the consultation on a draft energy efficiency and microgeneration strategy which issued in March 2007. Individual responses have already been published on the Scottish Government website. We will shortly be publishing an analysis of all the responses including the Scottish Government’s response to views expressed in the consultation.
In general, all of the representations we have received were supportive of smart meters as a means to reduce energy consumption.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 3 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any assessment of the provision of fast broadband connections for businesses and residents in remote and island areas in Scotland compared with that in Scandinavian countries and, if not, whether it will consider making such an assessment.
Answer
No such assessment has been made and there are no current plans to undertake one. However, the Scottish Government continues to monitor the rollout of fast broadband speeds on a more general basis across all areas of Scotland as well as key developments elsewhere in Europe and across the world.
