- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 April 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 20 April 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it received representations from NFU Scotland on the consequences of the method of calculating the single farm payment (SFP) for sheep farmers; whether it considers that an anomaly has arisen through the effect experienced by some sheep farmers as a result of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in 2001, whereby farmers who were only partially restocked before the 2002 sheep annual premium (SAP) claim period have received a lower annual premium and may be losing out financially due to the operation of the method of calculation of the SFP, and whether the Executive will exclude 2002 when selecting the reference period for calculation of the SAP.
Answer
NFU Scotland hasbrought to my officials’ attention a number of aspects of sheep farming and theSingle Farm Payment Scheme (SFPS), including the impact of FMD and the ability torestock fully.
Before dealing with sheep producers,I need to set out the position of all producers under the SFPS. The European regulationsallow any producer whose production was adversely affected by force majeureor exceptional circumstances during the reference period of 2000-02 to request thatthe Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department review its initialestimate of their entitlements. If successful, the entitlements will be calculatedon the unaffected schemes during 2000-02 (if a scheme is adversely affected forall three years in 2000-02, an alternative reference period of 1997-99 can be used).As at 18 April, 2,900 businesses have submitted requests for such a reviewof their entitlements and over 52% of these challenges have been upheld.
Sheep producers have the samerights as others within SFPS. If they meet the criteria, they can have their entitlementsrecalculated as described above, including dropping 2002 schemes from their entitlementcalculation. The Executive does not have the discretion to change the rules whichgovern the calculation of entitlements. The operation of the rules will impact differentlyin different circumstances but this is not necessarily anomalous.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 March 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 14 April 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Transport will respond to my letter of 5 January 2005, acknowledged on 11 January, regarding the future of the Clyde and Hebridean ferry services.
Answer
I replied to the members letter on 12 April 2005.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 March 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 14 April 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost has been of the Trunk Roads Network Management Division in each year since 1999; how many staff were employed in the division in each year; how many of the division's staff will be transferred to the proposed National Transport Agency, and how the process of selection of staff will be managed.
Answer
The annual costs and staff numbers of the Trunk Roads Network Management Division, in each year since 1999, is set out in the table.
| Year | (Direct Running Cost) Staff | Consultants | Overall Total | |
| Cost | Staff Numbers | Cost | Staff Numbers | Costs | Staff Numbers | |
| 1999 | £836,000 | 45 | £288,000 | 9 | £1,124,000 | 54 |
| 2000 | £1,377,000 | 51 | £410,000 | 10 | £1,787,000 | 61 |
| 2001 | £1,451,000 | 51 | £579,000 | 13 | £2,030,000 | 64 |
| 2002 | £1,508,000 | 51 | £603,100 | 16 | £2,111,100 | 67 |
| 2003 | £1,535,000 | 51 | £680,100 | 12 | £2,215,100 | 63 |
| 2004 | £1,673,000 | 50 | £720,100 | 13 | £2,393,100 | 63 |
The national transport agency for Scotland is due to be up and running by the end of 2005. Final staffing structures within the agency are still to be determined. It is anticipated that all posts in the Trunk Roads Network Management Division will be transferred to the transport agency.
It is not clear at this stage how many staff will elect to move to the transport agency which will be relocated in Glasgow by April 2007. Any vacancies arising will be filled in accordance with the Scottish Executive’s resourcing policy.
The division is currently in the process of recruiting specialist staff for current vacancies, on the basis that this activity will be based in Glasgow in the future.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 March 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 11 April 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to the Remuneration Committee of Network Rail in respect of the level of bonuses proposed for Network Rail directors in view of any breach of its operating licence through failure to provide train companies with sufficient notice of engineering works.
Answer
As a public member of Network Rail the Scottish Executive would not make individual representations to the Remunerations Committee. Collectively, members perform a corporate governance role and can hold the Network Rail Board to account for its management of Network Rail.
This includes reviewing the performance of Network Rail against its commercial and other targets, as well as against railway industry benchmarks for the provision, maintenance and management of the railway infrastructure. However, responsibility for Network Rail’s license remains a matter for the Office of the Rail Regulator.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 29 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the forthcoming devolution of railway powers to Scotland, it will urge Network Rail to supply maintenance and renewal budgets for Scotland and to appoint a director for Scotland as a single point of contact for the Executive, with the three main management streams affecting infrastructure and operations and enhancements within Network Rail reporting to this post.
Answer
In future, we expect Network Rail to report separately on its expenditure and performance in Scotland. The Office of Rail Regulation has outlined its intentions in the
Structure of Costs and Charges Review Initial Consultation Document and will shortly consult on this matter.
Network Rail’s internal management arrangements are a matter for the company.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 March 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 29 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the determination of speed limit orders should continue to be dealt with by its Trunk Roads Network Management Division; whether it is satisfied that the division has sufficient local knowledge to be best placed to determine such matters, and whether there are any plans to devolve such matters to regional transport partnerships.
Answer
The determination of speed limit orders is currently dealt with by the Trunk Road Network Management Division on behalf of Scottish ministers, as the Trunk Roads Authority. Consideration of such orders is progressed in consultation with other stakeholders including the police and local authorities and is also based on advice from the Trunk Road Operating Companies. The determination of speed limits is therefore based on information collected from a number of sources, using both local and detailed technical knowledge and experience.
The functions of the Regional Transport Partnerships will be decided on their establishment and in light of their Regional Transport Strategies. In the longer term it may be possible for the partnerships to take on functions currently exercised by Scottish ministers.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 29 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the forthcoming devolution of railway powers to Scotland, it will have powers to vary the requirements for strictly modern equivalent renewals where this could inhibit rail development projects.
Answer
No, there is no requirement for strictly modern equivalent renewals. The Scottish Executive will be responsible for specifying the outputs from the rail network in Scotland, which Network Rail, through the Office of Rail Regulation, will be tasked with delivering and for funding enhancements to the rail network in Scotland.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 29 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will set out its relationship with the Office of Rail Regulation, in particular in what way the office will be accountable to the Parliament.
Answer
The Office of Rail Regulation is the independent body responsible for the economic, and in future safety, regulation of the GB rail network.
The Office of Rail Regulation will have the same responsibilities in Scotland as in England and Wales and will be under a duty to comply with the reasonable requirements of the Scottish ministers as regards information and assistance. Like the Secretary of State for Transport, Scottish ministers will be required to provide guidance to the Office of Rail Regulation on desired outputs from the rail network and the public funding available for this. The Office of Rail Regulation will determine the income Network Rail will require to deliver these outputs.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 29 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the forthcoming devolution of railway powers to Scotland, it will have powers to seek derogations from Railway Group Standards for certain routes, such as the West Highland line and the Far North line and, if so, whether it will exercise these powers.
Answer
No, only operators such as Network Rail or Train Operating Companies who are subject to Railway Group Standards can apply for derogations from them. The Scottish Executive will be responsible for specifying the outputs from the rail network in Scotland which Network Rail, through the Office of Rail Regulation, will be tasked with delivering.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 29 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the forthcoming devolution of railway powers to Scotland, it will have powers to seek variations in Network Rail's licence conditions where these result in negative incentives, for example with respect to certain modern equivalent renewals.
Answer
Responsibility for Network Rail licence will remain a matter for the Office of Rail Regulation.
