This information is not held centrally.

Following a detailed option appraisal review the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme Board (EGIP) have confirmed that The Garngad Chord is not required in order to realise the EGIP journey time objectives.

The last cost estimate for the construction of the Garngad Chord was £52 million.

The Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP) is being taken forward by Transport Scotland in partnership with Network Rail and ScotRail. It will deliver a step change in infrastructure, rolling stock and service provision between the two cities. The EGIP proposes to electrify over 350 single-track kilometres, including the Cumbernauld line.

The electrification of the Cumbernauld line will enable the operation of new electric rolling stock via the Glasgow North Electric Suburban line (also known as the North Clyde line) to Glasgow Queen Street low-level station. This will improve accessibility for Cumbernauld line passengers to the west of Glasgow.

The Scottish Executive has no plans to extend the length of any railway station platforms as part of its current programme of investment in rail.

Yes, the Scottish Executive considers the schemes to lengthen railway station platforms in Ayrshire and Inverclyde, where the new class 380 trains are in operation, to have been a success.

These platform extensions were delivered within budget and had no impact on services during construction and minimal disruption to customers.

This programme of platform extensions and previously extended platforms across the network have enabled ScotRail to operate longer trains on many services. This additional capacity has contributed to passenger journeys on ScotRail services increasing by 25.5% since the start of the Franchise in October 2004.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-34796 on 14 July 2010. 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.

Anybody can ask a local authority to consider an area for housing renewal area designation. However, only a local authority can decide to use the housing renewal area powers and can only designate an area as a housing renewal area if it considers that a significant number of houses within the area are sub-standard or the appearance or state of repair of any houses in the area is adversely affecting the amenity of that locality.

The Scottish Government has collected data on household expenditure on fuel for motoring through the Scottish Household Survey since 1999. This was published on 31 August 2011 in Table 2 of Transport and Travel in Scotland 2010, previously Household Transport, http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Transport-Travel/Tatis.

The survey does not collect data on total household expenditure.

The Office for National Statistics has collected data on household expenditure since 1957 through the Living Costs and Food Survey, and its predecessors. Data for expenditure on petrol and diesel and total household expenditure in Scotland over the last 10 years is published in Scottish Transport Statistics 2010, table 10.9 http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/12/17120002/161.

When a local authority has identified an area for housing renewal designation it must inform the owner and occupier of each house in the area. The local authority must provide a proposed draft designation order which includes reasons for choosing the area, an action plan and a map. There is then a minimum three month consultation during which owners can make representations about both the creation and individual aspects of the HRA. After the consultation the local authority can modify the order but cannot extend it.

Owners can also appeal to the sheriff against the local authority’s decision to issue a work notice, demolition notice or maintenance order as part of the implementation of a housing renewal area.

Central to Getting it right for every child is the need to listen to the child’s views and to involve children and young people at all stages where appropriate and especially in planning and decision making that affects them. The approach encourages all practitioners working with children and families to ensure that these views are obtained, listened to and taken into account. Under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003, independent advocacy will have a role to play where certain children and young people require advocacy support.