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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

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Question reference: S4W-11774

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 07 December 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 24 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how many rail services between (a) Glasgow and Inverness and (b) Edinburgh and Inverness will have a 17-minute reduction in journey time from 9 December 2012; on what days and at what times these services operate, and what percentage of all services between Glasgow and Edinburgh and Inverness this represents.

The following tables show details of the rail services operating between Glasgow and Edinburgh and Inverness which have journey time reductions which were introduced in the Winter 2012 timetable on 9 December 2012. In answer to your question, table 2 details one Sunday service which has a 17 minute reduction. In finalising the timetable changes we have also delivered another Sunday service which is 18 minutes faster.

The tables also give the information you requested in S4W-11775 and table 5 shows that we have improved journey times for 70% of all services operating over seven days between Glasgow and Edinburgh and Inverness. More than a third of services are now more than 5 minutes faster.

Together with the 2 extra services, each way, delivered in December 2011, these journey time improvements complete phase one of the Highland Main Line improvements project. Phase 2 will deliver further journey time improvements and extra services between 2014 and 2019 as specified in the High Level Output Specification (HLOS) published on 21 June 2012.

HML Journey Time Reductions
a) Between Glasgow and Inverness

Table 1

Monday - Saturday services

Depart Inverness

Arrive Glasgow

Journey time reduction from December 2012

Depart Glasgow

Arrive Inverness

06:50	10:14
08:45	12:09
14:49	18:09
15:53	19:16
18:46	22:20

1 - 5 mins

	10:41	14:10
	13:41	16:54
	17:41	21:01
	19:41	23:10

17:30	20:45

6 - 10mins

	07:10	10:26
	08:41	11:57
	15:10	18:21


12:53	16:14	11 - 16 mins	18:11	21:26

Table 2

		Sunday services
Depart Inverness	Arrive Glasgow	Journey time reduction from December 2012	Depart Glasgow	Arrive Inverness
13:30	18:12	1 - 5 mins	14:40	17:45

10:50	14:11
12:45	15:58
16:24	19:41

6 - 10mins

	13:45	17:27
	18:10	21:24

		11 - 16 mins	15:45	19:05
		17 mins	09:37	12:57
18:51	22:18	18 mins

b) Between Edinburgh and Inverness

Table 3

Monday – Saturday services

Depart Inverness

Arrive Edinburgh

Journey time reduction from December 2012

Depart Edinburgh

Arrive Inverness

06:50	10:02
15:53	19:21
18:46	22:19

1 – 5 mins

	10:36	14:10
E Coast	16:32	20:06
	17:42	21:01

12:53	16:22
17:30	21:20

6 – 10mins

	06:33	10:26
	08:35	11:57
	13:36	16:54
	14:35	18:21
	19:44	23:10

Table 4

		Sunday services
Depart Inverness	Arrive Edinburgh	Journey time reduction from December 2012		Depart Edinburgh	Arrive Inverness

13:30	16:44
15:22	18:36
18:51	22:19

1 - 5 mins


10:50	14:12	6 - 10 mins

11 - 16 mins

	09:33	12:57
	13:56	17:27
	15:50	19:05
E Coast	16:31	20:08

Table 5

Out of 266 services over 7 days between Glasgow and Edinburgh and Inverness

Number

Percentage

Cumulative Percentage

18 minutes faster	1	0.4%	0.4%
17 minutes faster	1	0.4%	0.8%
11-16 minutes faster	17	6.4%	7.2%
6-10 minutes faster	72	27.1%	34.3%
1-5 minutes faster	95	35.7%	70.0%
	186

Question reference: S4W-11775

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 07 December 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 24 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how many rail services between (a) Glasgow and Inverness and (b) Edinburgh and Inverness will have a reduction in journey time of less than 17 minutes from 9 December 2012; on what days and at what times these services operate, and what percentage of all services between Glasgow and Edinburgh and Inverness this represents.

Question reference: S4W-11805

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 December 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 24 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government when the project to dual the Kincraig to Dalraddy section of the A9 was first added to its capital spending programme; what changes have since been made to its place in the programme; when the detailed design work will be completed, and by what date it will be shovel-ready.

Question reference: S4O-01619

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 December 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what its reasons are for not changing the regulations governing new pharmacy applications to allow a NHS board to consider any applications submitted rather than applications in sequence.

Question reference: S4W-11582

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 12 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government when the independent review to examine the scientific case for a special area of conservation in the Sound of Barra will be completed; when a decision will be taken on the designation, and what impact the independent review has had on the timescale.

The independent review will be completed by the end of 2012 with a decision to be made as soon as possible after receipt. The decision to conduct an independent review will have delayed the decision on whether or not Sound of Barra will be designated as a SAC. However given the significant number of scientific objections it was felt that the delay could be justified so as to ensure that all stakeholders could have confidence in the decision being based on sound science.

Question reference: S4W-11583

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 12 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether the independent review to examine the scientific case for a special area of conservation (SAC) in the Sound of Barra will set a precedent for future SAC designations and what the reason is for its position on this matter.

The merits of every proposal for a special area of conservation are considered on an individual basis. As part of that process the potential need for an independent review will be considered.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-11584 on 11 December 2012 regarding the decision to use an independent review for Sound of Barra.

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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Question reference: S4W-11580

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 11 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) non-governmental and (b) other organisations (i) have been and (ii) are involved in reviewing the scientific case for a special area of conservation in the Sound of Barra.

Scottish Natural Heritage has an independent scientific committee which reviews any protected area proposals before they are submitted to Scottish Ministers.

Those who responded to the public consultation also had the opportunity to review the scientific case. Details of the consultees and their responses are in the consultation report, which can be found at: http://www.snh.gov.uk/protecting-scotlands-nature/protected-areas/site-consultations/sound-of-barra/

The independent review is being undertaken by two well qualified marine scientists and they are also reviewing the scientific case.

Question reference: S4W-11578

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 11 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how many independent reviews such as that to examine the scientific case for a special area of conservation in the Sound of Barra have taken place in each year since 2007 and for what geographical areas.

Question reference: S4W-11584

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 11 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the initial scientific case for a special area of conservation (SAC) in the Sound of Barra was not considered to be sufficient to make a decision on designation and whether there are plans to revisit any of the existing marine SAC designations to ensure that the same issues did not arise in relation to their scientific cases.

Scottish Ministers considered the scientific case worthy of public consultation in August 2011. Having completed the consultation process, Scottish Natural Heritage has recommended the designation. However in light of the volume of scientific objections received, Scottish Ministers considered it appropriate to seek an independent view of the scientific evidence supporting the case for designation, before making their final decision. There are no plans to revisit any existing designations.

Question reference: S4W-11581

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 11 December 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether the independent review to examine the scientific case for a special area of conservation in the Sound of Barra will reconsider any aspect of socioeconomic impact on the area or the non-science-based objections by members of the local communities.