§ Mr. GalbraithTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research his Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the (i) economic viability and (ii) likely passenger numbers in respect of the proposed funicular railway on Cairngorm; if he will list the costs to his Department of the research and indicate if it is in the public domain. [31300]
§ Mr. KynochNone. Questions regarding the economic viability of the proposed funicular railway on Cairngorm, including the related issue of the likely passenger numbers, are essentially matters for the applicant to address in consultation with those organisations from whom it is seeking funding.
§ Mr. GalbraithTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to receive from the Cairngorms Partnership Board its proposed management strategy for the area; if he has requested proposals to conserve the montane zone; and what assessment he has made of the main threats to the successful conservation of this zone. [31304]
§ Mr. KynochWhen my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Scotland established the Cairngorms Partnership last year he asked it to produce within 12 months a draft management strategy for the area including, as a priority, proposals for the conservation of the montane zone. I understand that the Cairngorms Partnership Board will shortly issue for consultation a draft management strategy which will include a section dealing specifically with the montane zone.
§ Mr. GalbraithTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from the Cairngorms Partnership Board concerning the proposed construction of a funicular railway on Cairngorm; and if he will make a statement. [31302]
§ Mr. KynochMy right hon. Friend has received two letters from the Cairngorm Partnership Board. The chief executive wrote on 4 July 1995 asking that he issue a direction requiring the planning authority to notify the application to him if they were minded to grant consent.
A further letter, dated 13 February 1996 was received from the board's chairman, Mr. David Laird, in which he advised my right hon. Friend of how the partnership viewed the way matters were developing.
§ Mr. GalbraithTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 29 April,Official Report, column 375, what is the predicted cost per job (a) created and (b) retained in the application by 99W Highlands and Islands Enterprise to incur expenditure on the proposed funicular railway on Cairngorm, currently being considered; and how these costs per job compare with the average in the highlands and islands area. [31340]
§ Mr. KynochThe overall cost per job of the proposed Highlands and Islands Enterprise assistance as recorded in the request for the approval of my right hon. Friend is £7,616. Such a figure is comparable with that for similar large capital-intensive projects to which Highlands and Islands Enterprise has contributed.
§ Mr. GalbraithTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 29 April,Official Report, column 375, if the application by Highlands and Islands Enterprise to incur expenditure on the proposed funicular railway on Cairngorm takes account of the redundancies recently announced by the chairlift company. [31339]
§ Mr. KynochThe request for the approval of my right hon. Friend of the proposed financial contribution by Highlands and Islands Enterprise to the funicular railway project takes account of a range of factors, including the employment consequences, which in its view justify its proposed assistance to the project. No decision has yet been taken on the request.
§ Mr. GalbraithTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research has been commissioned by(a) his office and (b) the Highlands and Islands Enterprise, to compare the value for money of grant aid to the proposed Cairngorm funicular railway with grants to other options for modernising the skiing facilities. [31303]
§ Mr. KynochNo research into such matters has been commissioned by the Scottish Office. The research commissioned by Highlands and Islands Enterprise is an operational matter for that organisation and I have asked the chairman of its board to write to the hon. Member.