Questions and answers

Question reference: S4W-04306

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 9 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is regarding the rollout of 4G mobile services across the country.

As set out in Scotland’s Digital Future: A Strategy for Scotland, the Scottish Government has made it clear it expects all of Scotland, including rural Scotland, to benefit from the roll out of 4G mobile services. The Scottish Government currently has no powers to require improved levels of mobile coverage as telecoms regulation is reserved to the UK Government, with Ofcom being responsible for the license conditions under which mobile operators operate.

The Scottish Government’s position on the roll out of 4G mobile services was clearly articulated in the response to the Ofcom consultation in June 2011. The key actions identified were: that the coverage obligation should be increased to at least 98% and should apply to each constituent nation of the UK, i.e. 98% of Scotland; and that the target date should be accelerated to 2015.

A copy of the full response to the consultation can be accessed here:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/06/14092555/0.

Question reference: S4W-04083

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 30 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive from which budget head its investment in broadband provision will come.

The Scottish Government has so far announced it will invest up to £75.5 million for the accelerated roll-out of next generation broadband infrastructure. This comprises:

£50 million from its Next Generation Digital Fund, which will come from the Rural Affairs and Environment portfolio budget, as much of the spend is anticipated to be in rural areas, and

up to £25.5 million EU funding, which is additional to and separate from the core Scottish Government budget and therefore does not feature in any portfolio budget.

The responsibility for broadband infrastructure and allocating this budget rests within the Infrastructure and Capital Investment portfolio. The Scottish Government will add the £68.8 million allocated to Scotland for broadband delivery by the UK Government to its own planned investment.

Question reference: S4W-04082

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 30 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it will invest in broadband provision in the current parliamentary session.

The Scottish Government has so far announced it will invest up to £75.5 million for the accelerated roll-out of next generation broadband infrastructure in the current parliamentary session. This includes a £50 million Next Generation Digital Fund announced as part of the Spending Review in September 2011, and up to £25.5 million EU funding in the current structural funds programming period. Of this EU funding, up to £20 million of this is subject to formal approval by the European Commission, which the Scottish Government expects to be given next month. The Scottish Government will add the £68.8 million allocated to Scotland earlier this year for broadband delivery by the UK Government to its own planned investment.

Question reference: S4O-00404

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 November 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what consultations NHS boards should carry out before implementing changes to services.

Question reference: S4W-03808

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-00647 by Fergus Ewing on 23 June 2011, when it will reach a decision on the appropriate assessment criteria on which to base the detailed decision making on how best to establish enterprise zones.

Question reference: S4W-03646

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 9 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-02953 by John Swinney on 18 October 2011, how much of the £6.5 million has been allocated to the (a) Warm Homes Fund and (b) Future Transport Fund.

Question reference: S4W-03581

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 7 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason funding for the rail franchise is to increase from £299.5 million in 2011-12 to £447.4 million in 2012-13 according to the 2012-13 draft budget.

The Rail Services (franchise) budget supports the delivery of ScotRail passenger services in Scotland. A change in Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) policy in the 2008 Periodic Review resulted in an increase in franchise payments (rail services budget) to fund track access charges to Network Rail. This is offset by an equivalent reduction in the level of network grant (rail infrastructure budget) payable directly to Network Rail. The schedule of Fixed Track Access Charges for Control Period 4 (2009-10 to 2013-14) is published on the ORR website. The increased rail services budget also reflects the operating costs associated with new and improved rail services and contractual commitments to indexation within the current Franchise Agreement.

Question reference: S4W-03582

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 7 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason funding for rail infrastructure is to decrease from £426.1 million in 2012-13 to £290.7 million in 2012-13 according to the 2012-13 draft budget.

The rail infrastructure budget supports the costs of Network Rail maintenance and safe operation of the Scottish rail network and investment in infrastructure enhancement. A change in Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) policy in the 2008 Periodic Review resulted in an increase in franchise payments (rail services budget) to fund track access charges to Network Rail. This is offset by an equivalent reduction in the level of network grant (rail infrastructure budget) payable directly to Network Rail. The schedule of Fixed Track Access Charges for Control Period 4 (2009-10 to 2013-14) is published on the ORR website. In the 2008 Periodic Review the ORR also set Network Rail the target of improving its efficiency by 21 per cent in the 5 years to March 2014.

Question reference: S4W-03305

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 3 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with off grid energy suppliers to ensure security of supply as part of its winter preparedness plans.

Question reference: S4W-03306

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 3 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its winter preparedness plans address the delivery of fuel to vulnerable people not connected to mains gas or the electricity grid.

The Scottish Government has met with Scotland's key fuel suppliers including those that supply off-grid areas. A number of winter resilience initiatives have been developed across the sector including a Vulnerable Persons and Customers Framework. The framework provides a basis for local responders and key service providers to work together to deliver the necessary care measures to vulnerable persons and customers this coming winter.

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