Seòmar agus comataidhean

I understand thatInverness College recently submitted to the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) an outline businesscase for funding to support its relocation to a greenfield site and that a decision will hopefully be made in January.

College funding decisionsare a matter for the funding council and not ministers. However, our decision toprovide an extra £100 million to support college and university estates shows howserious we are about providing the resources to create world-class buildings andfacilities. £60 million of that support is for colleges which we understand fromthe SFC will mean that the Inverness College plans can be advanced during the SpendingReview 2007-10 period.

I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-5196 on 25 October 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-5196 on 25 October 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

There have been nomeetings with the European Commission to discuss the state aid implications of roadequivalent tariff.

To date there havebeen no discussions with ferry operators but the consultants working on the studyof road equivalent tariff (RET) will, as part of their remit, speak to various ferryoperators to seek their views on RET.

The announcementmade by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth on 13 Augustmade it clear that the first stage of the Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) studywould make recommendations on the design and implementation of a pilot study onone or more of the three routes connecting the Western Isles with the mainlandnamely Stornoway to Ullapool; Tarbert/Lochmaddy to Uig (Skye) and Castlebay/Lochboisdaleto Oban. On the basis of the evidence gathered from the pilot, the consultantswill, as far as is possible,quantify both the costs and benefits which would arise should RET be applied ona permanent basis and rolled out to other ferry routes in the Clyde andHebrides and Northern Isles networks and the likely longer term impacts of sucha roll-out. This analysis will inform decisions on the future application ofRET.

None.

There has beenwidespread support for this Scottish Government initiative which has beenexpressed, for example, in meetings which I and my ministerial colleagues havehad with stakeholders with an interest. In terms of formal representations,there have been eight letters to ministers wholly or partly on road equivalent tariff(RET). Four of these expressed strong support for the initiative whilst fourraised issues, focused particularly on the selection of routes for the pilotexercise. None of the responses indicated opposition to the principle of RET.There have also been 26 parliamentary questions, mostly seeking information onthe pilot study and the policy intentions once it has been completed.

None.

I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-5192 on 25 October 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.