- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 18 January 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 27 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27912 by Kenny MacAskill on 22 October 2009, what measures have been taken to ensure that the composition of prison visiting committees reflect the demographics of the prison population.
Answer
I have asked Willie Pretswell, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:
The constitution and composition of prison Visiting Committees (VC) is determined by the Prisons (Scotland) Act 1989 - Section 8 Visiting Committees, Section 19 Remand centres and young offender institutions and Section 39 Rules for the management of prisons and other institutions which refers to The Prisons and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules 2006 which includes Schedule 2 Constitution of Visiting Committees.
Schedule 2 specifies that VC''s have a combined membership of elected members from either the local council in which the prison is located or councils that are served by the prison, and also non-elected members who normally reside in the same community, but can also come from further afield.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 18 January 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 27 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what land is owned by Transport Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government in the vicinity of the Forth Replacement Crossing.
Answer
Transport Scotland do not own any land on behalf of the Scottish Government, land is owned outright by the Scottish Ministers. Details of all land owned by Scottish ministers in the vicinity of the Forth Replacement Crossing can be found in the Book of Reference and the Maps, Plans and Sections submitted with the Forth Crossing Bill.
The Book of Reference and the Maps, Plans and Sections are available to view on the project website and on the Scottish Parliament''s website http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 18 January 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 27 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a visual impact report for the Forth Replacement Crossing project will be produced that includes gantry, road and associated developments.
Answer
A visual impact assessment which includes gantry, road and associated developments has been undertaken and is reported in Chapter 13 (Visual) of the Environmental Statement to the Forth Crossing Bill.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 18 January 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 27 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will address any further detailed objections to plans for the Forth Replacement Crossing.
Answer
The Scottish Executive will engage with objectors once the objection period to the Forth Crossing Bill has concluded and objections have been published on the parliamentary website. Objections will be addressed by means of correspondence supplemented by offers to conduct meetings with objectors.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 18 January 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 27 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many compulsory purchase orders (a) have been and (b) are expected to be issued in connection with the Forth Replacement Crossing project.
Answer
No compulsory purchase orders have been or will be issued in connection with the Forth Replacement Crossing project. The Forth Crossing Bill will provide the necessary powers for the compulsory purchase or occupation of land required for the proposed scheme.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 18 January 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 27 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what further consultations it is planning in connection with the Forth Replacement Crossing project.
Answer
Transport Scotland, on behalf of the Scottish Government, continues to engage with the public, affected parties and stakeholders on matters relating to the design of the proposed scheme, and the provisions included in the Forth Crossing Bill and its accompanying documents.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 18 January 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 27 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it estimates has been spent on the Forth Replacement Crossing project.
Answer
Since December 2007, when I announced to Parliament the decision to proceed with a replacement bridge, approximately £43 million has been spent on the Forth Replacement Crossing project.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 18 January 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 27 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what the latest estimated start and completion dates are of the Forth Replacement Crossing.
Answer
We expect construction of the scheme to start following the award of the first construction contract in the spring of 2011, with completion expected by the end of 2016.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 18 January 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 27 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given to proposals for a Forth crossings visitor centre at the site of the former Forth Bridges Motel.
Answer
None as yet.
We are currently considering the location of a temporary visitor centre for training and organised visits during the currency of the work.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 18 January 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 27 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation meetings have been held with (a) MSPs, (b) consultants and (c) local groups since 16 July 2009 regarding the Forth Replacement Crossing project.
Answer
The Forth Replacement Crossing Consultation and Engagement Report published in November 2009 explains the approach to consultation and engagement that was adopted by Transport Scotland, how this was implemented and how feedback received through the programme of consultation was considered in the development of the FRC scheme. A copy of the report is available on the project website.
The following table provides details of meetings held with MSPs, consultants (whom we have assumed to be Statutory Consultees such as local authorities, Scottish Natural Heritage and SEPA) and local groups, showing the event, topic/purpose dates.
| Event | Topic/Purpose | Date |
| Echline Corner Consultative Alliance | Project update | 29 September 2009 |
| Dunfermline Coast Association of CCs | Project update | 28 October 2009 |
| Kirklison CC | Project update “ noise, traffic and forthcoming activity | 27 October 2009 |
| Dundas Home Farm Residents | Project update “ landscaping and mitigation | October 2009 |
| Echline Residents | Project update | October 2009 |
| 1-2-1 with George Foulkes MSP | Project update | 6 October 2009 |
| 1-2-1 with Mary Mulligan MSP | Project update | 19 October 2009 |
| Margaret Smith MSP and constituents | Project update | 28 October 2009 |
| South East of Scotland Transport Partnership (SESTRAN) | Supporting Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change | 29 October 2009 |
| Queensferry and District CC | Uupdate “ noise, traffic, Ferrymuir amendments and forthcoming activity | 2 November 2009 |
| Clufflat Residents | Project update | 9 November 2009 |
| Echline Corner Consultative Alliance | Project update | 20 November 2009 |
| Presentation to MSPs | Update and Bill overview | 17 November 2009 |
| Presentation to TICC | Update and Bill overview | 17 November 2009 |
| Society Road Residents | Project update | November 2009 |
| Springfield Residents | Project update | 16 November 2009 |
| Scotstoun Park Residents Association | Project update | 25 November 2009 |
| Clufflat Residents | Project update | 17 December 2009 |
| 1-2-1 with Helen Eadie MSP | Project update | 19 January 2010 |
