Margaret Smith

3 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has discussed asylum seeker accommodation and, in particular, a possible accommodation centre at RAF Turnhouse with the Home Secretary or the Secretary of State for Scotland.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The establishment of accommodation centres is a reserved matter.

31 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make an announcement on the proposed Edinburgh Airport rail link and what investment it will make in the project.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: An announcement on the way forward will follow receipt by the Executive of Sinclair Knight Merz' final report on rail links to Glasgow and Edinburgh airports, and consideration of its analysis and recommendations. The Executive expects to receive the study co…

29 Jan 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Department for Transport following the extension of the consultation period on The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom, Scotland A National Consultation.

Answer · Iain Gray: There are regular discussions with the Department for Transport regarding the Air Transport Consultation at both a ministerial and official level.

22 Jan 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact re-opening the railway line between Airdrie and Bathgate will have on rail services in Edinburgh.

Answer · Iain Gray: The reinstatement of the Airdrie to Bathgate railway is one of the key recommendations emerging from the Central Scotland Transport Corridor Studies. The re-opening of the line would improve rail services between the West of Edinburgh and East of Glasgow.

14 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it will make available for improvements in the quality and quantity of audiology equipment to support modernisation of NHS audiology services.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: I have today announced that £1.5 million will be made available within this financial year for the purchase of equipment to support modernisation of audiology services within NHSScotland.

9 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it plans to give to local communities that wish to establish local community sports trusts.

Answer · Elaine Murray: Local community sports trusts have the potential to make a valuable contribution to how sport is delivered at the local level. It is important that they have support from their local authority if that potential is to be realised.<P>Sport 21 Time to Speak Up i…

28 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its news release SEET181/2002 of 14 November 2002, when the transport projects in Edinburgh funded from the Public Transport Fund are scheduled to be completed.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-32132 on 11 December 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.…

28 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its news release SEET181/2002 of 14 November 2002, whether it will give a breakdown of the #10.5 million allocated from the Public Transport Fund to the City of Edinburgh Council.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The City of Edinburgh Council's successful bid to this year's Public Transport Fund is for a range of measures to improve access to jobs by better public transport links to key growth areas identified by the council in the West, North and East of the City, in…

28 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has given any guidance or instructions to the Student Loans Company on allowing any of its clients involved in industrial action to defer payments.

Answer · Iain Gray: No such guidance or instructions have been given.

20 Nov 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce a requirement for oncologists to undertake training and placements in hospices.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: The Scottish Executive has no role in determining the training requirements of oncologists as these are set nationally by the Specialist Training Authority.<P>The Specialist Training Authority is the UK competent authority and works in partnership with the re…

19 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussions with the Department for Transport about introducing variable speed limits on rural roads.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-31684 on 3 December 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk…

19 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to reclassify any rural roads in order to introduce variable speed limits.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is liaising closely with the UK Government on the implementation of the speed policy proposals in the UK road safety strategy <I>Tomorrow's Roads - Safer for Everyone</I>, which includes the development of a rural road hierarchy for spe…

14 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the European Commission about changes in regulations governing the retail sale of food supplements and traditional herbal medicines.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: I have been advised by the Food Standards Agency that the agency represented the UK in negotiations on the EU Directive on Food Supplements which was published on the 12 July 2002. The Food Standards Agency Scotland will shortly consult on draft regulations t…

13 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made with the review of audiology services.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-30980 on 19 November 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.…

13 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce match funding to hospice centres by providing 50% of their on-going costs.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Arrangements for the funding of adult voluntary hospices remain as set out in Management Executive Letter (1994)104. NHS boards are expected, taking account of local circumstances, to fund 50% of hospice's annual running costs. The Executive continuously moni…

13 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to improve the training of GPs and other health care professionals in palliative care.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: On training for GPs, at present, GPs are expected to look after their own personal learning needs to better provide for the health needs of their patients and to seek training accordingly. Guidance and assistance is available to GPs from NHS Education for Sco…

12 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to require trunk road maintenance contractors to remove or cover up temporary speed restriction signs when the contractors do not intend to work immediately on a given section of road.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Trunk road maintenance contractors are required to comply with the requirements of Chapter 8 of the <I>Traffic Signs Manual</I> "Traffic Safety Measures and Signs for Roadworks and Temporary Situations" which includes the use of temporary mandatory speed limi…

5 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to amend the New Roads and Street Works (1991) Act.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is taking forward several amendments to secondary legislation emanating from the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 which are designed to improve working patterns. Additionally, my officials, in conjunction with RAUC(S) (Roads Authorit…

5 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to minimise deterioration to road surfaces caused by repeated excavations or street works on the same stretch of road.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This is a matter for individual roads authorities. Section 131 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991(the act) gives roads authorities powers, in the event of a failure by a utility company to reinstate the road properly, to issue a notice to the utility …

5 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to minimise traffic disruption from road excavations and street works.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This is a matter for each roads authority utilising the powers available to them under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991. There is a requirement on the utility companies to give roads authorities advance notice of all road works and reinstatements. The …

1 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to improve public awareness that littering is an offence.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Currently, the Scottish Executive provides annual core funding of £234,000 to Keep Scotland Beautiful, who run a number of anti-litter initiatives designed to raise awareness. In addition, since the beginning of the last financial year, an extra £700,000 has …

1 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been (a) arrested for and (b) charged with not wearing a seat belt in each of the last five years.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Statistics on numbers of arrests are not collected centrally. The available information on persons proceeded against is given in the table. Information for 2001 is not expected to be available until around November 2002.<P>Number of Persons Proceeded Against …

24 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussions with the Department of Trade and Industry in regard to the routine testing of mobile phone mast emissions.

Answer · Hugh Henry: No. Information about the mobile phone base station audit being conducted by the Radiocommunications Agency (of the Department of Trade and Industry) is available on their website at www.radio.gov.uk.

19 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the second supplementary question to question S1F-1968 by Mr Jack McConnell on 13 June 2002, whether its position remains that clear public support is required for a congestion charging scheme to go ahead in Edinburgh.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Yes.

28 Aug 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will clarify any discrepancy between the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 schedule 1 which states that assisting with the preparation of food will not be ordinarily charged for and its guidance to councils CCD4/2002 issued on 12 April which indicates that food prep…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive do not believe that there is any discrepancy between the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 schedule 1 and the subsequent guidance CCD/4/2002 issued to councils on the implementation of the policy.

28 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it made to the Disabled Person's Transport Advisory Committee as part of the study into the operation of the blue badge scheme.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The UK-wide review of the Blue Badge Scheme is being taken forward by the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) on behalf of the Department for Transport, the Scottish Executive, the National Assembly for Wales and the Department for Regional …

28 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities collect data on the number of charges made and convictions secured for the misuse of disabled person's parking badges.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-27208 on 5 August 2002. This information is not held centrally.

28 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the misuse of disabled persons' parking badges.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: It is for local authorities, which are responsible for the administrative aspects of the Blue Badge scheme of parking concessions for disabled people, to monitor the levels of misuse of badges, within their areas.<P>Given strong anecdotal evidence of misuse o…

26 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients are currently waiting for admission to hospital, broken down by speciality and by health board.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The number of patients awaiting hospital admission for in-patient and day case treatment on 30 September 2000, by specialty and by Health Board area of residence, is provided in the table.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">NHSScotland: Number of Pat…

6 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Home Office with regard to the provision of employment services for asylum seekers once they have left any accommodation centre at RAF Turnhouse.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-26525.