Parliamentary questions

Kay Ullrich

157 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

4 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to address local concerns in relation to the continued suitability of Arran War Memorial Hospital to adequately serve the needs of the island; whether there are any plans to provide the Isle of Arran with a new hospital, and whether any consideration has been given to th…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This is a matter for Ayrshire and Arran Primary Care NHS Trust, which is responsible for providing health services on Arran.I understand that NHS Ayrshire and Arran are in the process of developing a long-term property strategy. I have been assured that th…

25 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12675 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 5 February 2001 and in light of the recent report by Casella Stanger confirming the existence of the low frequency noise known locally as the "Largs Hum", whether it will review its decision not to intervene in this matte…

Answer · Allan Wilson: The question is based on a false premise. The Low Frequency Noise Report, undertaken by Casella Stanger for the Scottish Executive in partnership with DEFRA and the other Devolved Administrations, neither addresses nor confirms the existence of the so-called …

6 Feb 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its proposals to contract out prisoner escort services to a specialist provider will be confined to the transportation of prisoners between courts and prisons.

Answer · Jim Wallace: It will include all escorts from police custody units to court, the care and management of prisoners throughout the legal proceedings (both remand and convicted prisoners) and the escort requirements whilst in prison.The objective of the changes and procur…

16 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17935 by Mr Jim Wallace on 1 October 2001, whether, given that the area known as Seamill now forms part of the contiguous urban settlement of West Kilbride, North Ayrshire Council should ensure that the sign on the A78 at the boundary of the settleme…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This is a matter for North Ayrshire Council to consider.

16 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action should be taken by a local authority once it is established that a settlement sign on a trunk road wrongly identifies the settlement.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Should a local authority decide that a settlement sign on a trunk road wrongly identifies a settlement, it should submit proposals to amend the sign to the Scottish Executive, as trunk road authority. The Scottish Executive's role is to ensure that all signs …

16 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any communication from North Ayrshire Council about signage on the A78 trunk road at the boundary of the area currently identified on signs as Seamill.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Yes.

10 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20814 by Lewis Macdonald on 21 December 2001, whether any traffic calming measures were carried out on the Saltcoats stretch of the A78 trunk road along the lines of those referred to as having been carried out in Seamill, Ardrossan and Stevenston wh…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: These works were carried out under the previous trunk road contracts. The limited information available indicates that improved road markings were installed on High Road, Saltcoats as part of the Dalry Road Junction improvement in 1998.

10 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20814 by Lewis Macdonald on 21 December 2001, what the locations were of the traffic calming measures on the Ardrossan stretch of the A78 trunk road, including pedestrian refuges, nibbings, improved road markings and appropriate gateway signing, whic…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: These works were carried out under the previous trunk road contracts. The limited information available indicates that improved road markings were installed on Parkhouse Road as part of the A78/Sorbie Road Junction improvement in 1999.

7 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what alterations, at which locations, have been carried out to the carriageway or signage on the stretch of the A78 trunk road between Stevenston and West Kilbride since January 1997.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: In addition to routine and cyclic maintenance works, alterations carried out to the A78 trunk road on this section of the trunk road since 1997 include the following:Junction improvements at Parkhouse Road/Sorbie Road, Ardrossan.Junction improvements at…

7 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what alterations, at which locations, have been carried out to the carriageway or signage on the A737 trunk road during 2000-01.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: In addition to routine and cyclic maintenance works, alterations have been carried out to the A737 trunk road in 2000-01 as follows:Road and footpath reconstruction and drainage works in Beith from Roebank to the B777.Carriageway resurfacing and footpat…

5 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of comments made by Chief Superintendent David Johnstone of Strathclyde Police in the Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald on 2 November 2001 that, in a context of limited resources, the force had failed the people of Ardrossan, whether additional resources will be made available to U…

Answer · Iain Gray: The provision of resources and deployment of police officers within a force area is of course an operational matter for chief constables and divisional commanders who will take account of local issues and circumstances.Over the past six months, the number …

12 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) would be informed of any interruption to regular monitoring of radiation levels in the environment, such as in locally produced milk, in the air, grass and in the vicinity of the Hunterston nuclear power station in Ayrshire and, if…

Answer · Rhona Brankin: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-19082.

12 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there has been any interruption to the regular monitoring of radiation levels in the environment, such as in locally produced milk, in the air, grass and in the vicinity of the Hunterston nuclear power station in Ayrshire.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: This is an operational matter for the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency. The information requested is not held centrally.

9 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce the results of the information-gathering exercise on the provision of school swimming lessons, announced by the Deputy Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs during the Members' Business debate on school swimming lessons on 24 May 2001.

Answer · Jack McConnell: A swimming questionnaire is currently being piloted in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dumfries and Galloway. Comments on the structure and content will be used to produce a revised questionnaire which will be issued to all local authorities in November. I would expect…

4 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether signage erected on the A78 trunk road on the boundary of West Kilbride at the commencement of the area known as Seamill should identify the area as West Kilbride or Seamill.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: It is for the local authority to determine which name appears on local boundary signing. The Scottish Executive's role is to ensure that all signs erected within the trunk road boundary comply with current regulations and guidelines and have no adverse effect…

4 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the position of the General Register Office of Scotland that the village of West Kilbride in Ayrshire includes the area known as Seamill or whether Seamill should be a separate village in its own right.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Yes. Using the definition of settlement contained in the publication Scottish Settlements - Urban and Rural Areas in Scotland (a copy of which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre) - the General Register Office for Scotland has combined We…

4 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many accidents on the A78 trunk road have been reported over the last five years and how this compares with the number in the previous five-year period; what the locations were of these accidents, and what the costs were of these accidents in terms of attendance by emergency vehicles …

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive's accident database records data on personal injury accidents only. The number of personal injury accidents on the A78 trunk road over the last five years (1996-2000) is 496. This is lower than for the previous five-year period (1991-95…

4 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive by how much the volume of traffic on the A78 trunk road has increased over the last 20 years, broken down into five-year periods, on the stretch of road between Stevenston in the south and Skelmorlie in the north.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Traffic volume data for the last 20 years, broken down into five-year periods, for the A78 between Stevenson and Skelmorlie is not available. However, the following is a comparison of data collected in August 1986 with data collected in August 2000:<TABLE BOR…

4 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a minimum requirement in relation to the width of footpaths, where one exists, along the route of trunk roads in areas where a 30mph speed limit applies.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: There is no minimum requirement in relation to the width of footpaths along trunk roads.

30 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many residents of the Isle of Arran have, over the past two years, been diagnosed as suffering from breast cancer; whether this figure represents a disproportionate number in relation to Scotland as a whole, and whether it represents an increase on previous years.

Answer · Susan Deacon: In the most recent two years for which cancer registrations are available (1997 and 1998) there were nine cases of breast cancer diagnosed in the Isle of Arran, an average of 4.5 cases per year. This compares with an average of 4.1 cases per year for the prev…

16 Jul 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16402 by Susan Deacon on 3 July 2001, what the 'administrative oversight' was which led to the delay until 18 June 2001 in answering question S1W-14344; who was responsible for the oversight, and what procedures have been put in place since then to e…

Answer · Susan Deacon: The draft answer was overlooked in the Private Office during the clearing process. A new computer-based PQ tracking system introduced during June should help to minimise the risk of this recurring in future.

20 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why question S1W-14344, lodged on 21 March 2001, did not receive a substantive answer until 18 June 2001 and whether this is an acceptable timescale.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I regret that, due to an administrative oversight, the question was not answered by the due date.

2 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13283 by Sarah Boyack on 23 April 2001, whether the ongoing lighting replacement programme in Largs will include the erection of street lighting on the south side of the A78 through Largs on the stretch of Main Street between Largs railway station an…

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The street lighting provided on the north side of the stretch of Main Street between Largs railway station and Bath Street is designed to provide lighting for the whole street, including the south side.

26 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will instruct the relevant body to carry out an investigation into the handling by North Ayrshire Council and its preceding authority, Cunninghame District Council, of revenue generated from the foreshore car park at Gallowgate Street, Largs, Ayrshire following the transfer of …

Answer · Peter Peacock: The relevant body to carry out an investigation into financial management matters within local authorities would be Audit Scotland on behalf of the Accounts Commission for Scotland, which are both independent of Ministers in this regard. Any person with a gen…

22 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to raise the profile of Scotland House in Brussels.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Scotland House is an inclusive body that involves a range of interests. Its principal components are the Scottish Executive EU Office (SEEUO) and Scotland Europa, which in turn houses a number of its subscribers.As I mentioned in my response to question S1…

22 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what operational targets have been set for Scotland House in Brussels and whether it will provide details of actual performance against any such targets since inception.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Scotland House is an inclusive body that involves a wide range of interests, including the Scottish Executive EU Office (SEEUO) and Scotland Europa, which in turn houses a number of its subscribers. Most of the bodies located in Scotland House have the follow…

22 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the current funding sources for Scotland House in Brussels.

21 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice local authorites should offer to the parents of children continually re-infected with head lice due to other parents not dealing with the problem once identified.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-14342.

21 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities should inform in writing the parents of children in schools where an outbreak of head lice has occurred.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-14342.

21 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether school nurses are permitted to inspect the heads of children in relation to identifying those infected by an outbreak of head lice.

Answer · Susan Deacon: There is nothing to prevent school nurses from conducting such inspections with appropriate consent. However, most health boards have now moved away from routine inspections of children for headlice.The only effective means of conducting an inspection is b…