Margo MacDonald

18 Dec 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer what aspects of the security specifications initially envisaged as being necessary for the new Parliament building at Holyrood, as published on the website of the former Scottish Office, have needed to be amended, detailing the (a) date of, (b) reason for and (c) specific benefits gained b…

Answer · David Steel: Since the Parliament assumed responsibility for the Holyrood Project in June 1999, there have been a number of changes to the security section in the <I>Scottish Parliament Building User Brief</I>. For obvious security reasons, details of revisions to that se…

18 Dec 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will place the security specifications initially envisaged as being necessary for the new Parliament building at Holyrood, as published on the website of the former Scottish Office, in the Scottish Parliament's Information Centre and what t…

Answer · David Steel: I understand that an abbreviated version of the April 1998 version of the Parliament Building User Brief appeared on the Scottish Office Devolution website prior to the project transferring to the Parliament in June 1999. A section on general security issues …

18 Dec 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether, since the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body accepted responsibility for the Holyrood project, any contractors have left the site voluntarily or had their contract terminated prior to the completion of work required to be undertaken by them; if so, who the contractors were, be…

Answer · David Steel: Only one trade contract has been terminated before completion of works since the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) took responsibility for the Holyrood Project. The contractor concerned was Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd, who were appoint…

18 Dec 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer on what date, or dates, since the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body accepted responsibility for the Holyrood project the specification for blast and bombproofing of (a) the curtain wall and (b) exterior walls was increased, detailing the reasons for such increases and the specific addi…

Answer · David Steel: The detailed specifications of the new Scottish Parliament building conform to Cabinet Office guidelines for a public building of this type. These guidelines, drawn up by the security services, have not changed. Heightened awareness of security issues followi…

18 Dec 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer on what date, or dates, since the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body accepted responsibility for the Holyrood project, the specification for blast and bombproofing of gla'ed units was increased, detailing the reasons for such increases and the specific additional benefits gained on each…

Answer · David Steel: The detailed specifications of the new Scottish Parliament building conform to Cabinet Office guidelines for a public building of this type. These guidelines, drawn up by the security services, have not changed. Heightened awareness of security issues followi…

5 Dec 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) received any information from the Audit Committee or the Scottish Commission for Public Audit in relation to the remit given by the Auditor General for Scotland (AGS) to Gardner & Theobold and the subsequent report prepared by Gardne…

Answer · David Steel: No. I am informed by the Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group that Gardiner &amp; Theobold were employed as consultants by Audit Scotland to assist the Auditor General for Scotland in the preparation of his report on the Holyrood Project in 2000. Any quest…

5 Dec 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer how long after the post of planning supervisor in relation to the construction of the new Parliament building at Holyrood was advertised an appointment was made.

Answer · David Steel: The post of Planning Supervisor for the new Scottish Parliament building project was advertised in the <I>Official Journal of the European Community</I> (OJEC) on 11 February 1998. An appointment was made on 25 June 1998.

5 Dec 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer when the landscape design contract in relation to the construction of the new Parliament building at Holyrood was put out to tender and advertised in the European Journal.

Answer · David Steel: Landscaping design was included in the design competition for the new Scottish Parliament building, which was won by EMBT/RMJM Limited in July 1998. The advertisement for the competition for the Architectural Design Team appeared in the <I>Official Journal of…

5 Dec 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer when the mechanical and electrical design contract in relation to the construction of the new Parliament building at Holyrood was put out to tender and advertised in the European Journal.

Answer · David Steel: The mechanical and electrical element of the design of the new Scottish Parliament building was part of the design competition, which was won by EMBT/RMJM Limited in July 1998. The advertisement for the competition for the Architectural Design Team was placed…

5 Dec 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether EMBT/RMJM Ltd provided evidence of its professional indemnity insurance as described in the original European Journal advertisement for architectural services in relation to the construction of the new Parliament building at Holyrood.

Answer · David Steel: Yes.

5 Dec 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether a condition of the contract between the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body in relation to the construction of the new Parliament building at Holyrood and EMBT/RMJM Ltd is that the architects have collateral warranties from EMBT Arquitectes and RMJM Scotland Ltd.

Answer · David Steel: The provision of collateral warranties was not a condition of the contract with EMBT/RMJM and, therefore, such warranties have never been sought or provided.

15 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what responsibilities it and its agencies have to ensure the timely and effective use of extra resources released for flood prevention in Edinburgh.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive is maintaining close contact with Edinburgh City Council as it develops and takes forward its plans for flood defences for Edinburgh. <P>The council's plans have not progressed to the stage where it would be appropriate for the council to make a…

6 Nov 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities are required to report the results of environmental impact assessments on proposals for new or extended landfill sites for ha'ardous waste.

Answer · Hugh Henry: Yes.<P>Under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Scotland) Regulations 1999, when a decision is made on a planning application to which they apply, the planning authority must inform the Scottish ministers in writing and inform the public by a notice in a lo…

5 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the target time is for out-patients to receive an appointment at a dermatology clinic; whether the Lothian University Hospital Trust is currently unable to meet this target, and, if so, what the reasons are for this position.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The national target in relation to out-patient waiting, set out in <I>Building a Better Scotland</I>, which was published on 12 September 2002, is that, by 2006, no patient should wait more than six months for a first out-patient appointment. <P>Provisional i…

8 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give COSLA an assurance that it will be fully included in any review or negotiations regarding firefighters' pay and conditions.

Answer · Richard Simpson: COSLA, representing the Fire Authorities who are the employers, are an integral part of the National Joint Council where firefighters pay and conditions are negotiated. They will unquestionably be part of the consultation process now taking place under the ch…

2 Oct 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will issue updated planning advice on open space.

Answer · Hugh Henry: A Planning Advice Note on planning and open space will be published shortly.

2 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what studies it or any of its executive agencies have made into whether Glasgow Airport or Edinburgh Airport would be the most suitable, on cost and other grounds, as a future Scottish hub and what conclusions any such studies came to.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Neither the Scottish Executive, nor any of its executive agencies, has carried out any detailed study focused on determining the comparative suitability of Glasgow and Edinburgh airports for a hub operation. The prospect of a niche hub for Scotland is raised …

19 Jul 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take to combat any detrimental impact of the EC Directive on food supplements on the provision of supplements, vitamins and minerals produced by UK companies whose production standards are outwith the directives.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There is no specific disadvantage to UK manufacturers or their competitiveness compared with manufacturers from other member states. Implementation of the Directive will not immediately outlaw any products already on the UK market. <P>The Executive intends to…

10 Jun 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to question S1W-10684 on 9 November 2000, how the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body and the Holyrood Progress Group will ensure that, following the insolvency of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd, new contractual arrangements for the supply of granite for …

Answer · David Steel: It is the responsibility of the appointed Trade Contractors to provide proof that all materials being used in the project are obtained from responsible and ethical sources, in accordance with the contract documentation. The insolvency of Flour City Architectu…

24 Apr 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what conclusions it has drawn from the Right Fit project, sponsored by Barnardo's and GlaxoSmithKline and how and when it plans to take action in respect of any such conclusions.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I was very impressed by the projects to promote young people's health, funded through this partnership between Barnardo's and GlaxoSmithKline. I would like to congratulate the two organisations and the young people involved on their sterling achievements. The…

16 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-23798 by Mr Andy Kerr on 20 March 2002, in which department each qualified accountant is employed.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The breakdown of qualified accountants by department is as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=238><TR><TD WIDTH="85%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=16><P>Education </TD><TD WIDTH="15%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=16><P>3</TD></TR><TR><TD WIDTH="85%" VALIGN…

15 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration sportscotland has given to the claims made by Arnold Beckett, formerly employed as senior drugs tester by the International Olympic Committee, that the banned substance found in skier Alain Baxter's drug test at the Winter Olympic Games is not a performance enhancing dr…

Answer · Elaine Murray: It is UK Sport, not the home country sports council, who is responsible for providing advice to ministers on policy in relation to drug taking in sport. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decides which substances should be banned from Olympic competiti…

13 Mar 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will seek to re-negotiate its management contract with Bovis Lend Lease following the company's awarding of the contract for the supply for timber and stone products to Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd.

Answer · David Steel: Audit Scotland has recently completed a review of the Flour City Architectural Metal (UK) Ltd contract as part of their routine audit of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body's (SPCB) accounts. Any further action by the SPCB with regard to this matter wil…

26 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which companies amongst those involved in Public/Private Partnerships operate final salary pension schemes.

Answer · Andy Kerr: This is a matter for the procuring bodies and companies involved in Public/Private Partnerships. The information requested is not held centrally.

12 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been notified of when the report of the review into the provision of domiciliary oxygen supplies in England will be published and what its timetable is for the consideration of this report and the implementation of any similar review in Scotland.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We are not aware of any impending announcement by the Department of Health.

1 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20704 by Iain Gray on 28 January 2002, whether it will give details of any (a) private and (b) public meetings that have been held with representatives of City of Edinburgh Council regarding the Cities Review.

Answer · Iain Gray: The Review Team have met privately with the City of Edinburgh Council on three occasions and ministers have met privately with the council on two occasions. Ministers also attended meetings with the City Partnership and with an invited audience of local inter…

1 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20704 by Iain Gray on 28 January 2002, how many private meetings the Minister for Social Justice has had with local authorities regarding its Cities Review.

Answer · Iain Gray: I have had three meetings with local authorities on the Cities Review: one with Glasgow City Council; one with the local authorities neighbouring Glasgow, and one with the local authorities neighbouring Edinburgh.

29 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to lay the order under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 imposing specific duties to promote racial equality on local authorities and other specified public bodies.

Answer · Iain Gray: We are aiming to lay the order later this month.

28 Nov 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether public buildings commissioned under Private Finance Initiative schemes will be measured against the criteria set out in its Policy on Architecture published in October.

Answer · Mike Watson: It is the Executive's aim to act as an exemplar client in its procurement of buildings, whether through Private Finance Initiative or traditional means, and we recognise that good building design is a key to obtaining value for money. The <I>Policy on Archite…

23 Nov 2001 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer why Spittal stone was selected for cladding for the new Parliament building in preference to Weydale stone, given that Weydale stone does not change colour or de-laminate when in contact with water.

Answer · David Steel: The selection of Spittal stone for cladding the MSP office building, in preference to Weydale stone, was on the grounds that its darker colour suited the aesthetic requirements of the project. The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has confirmed that the…