Parliamentary questions
Margo MacDonald
393 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
22 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for clinical trials of beta interferon similar to those announced for England and Wales.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Along with the Department of Health and the National Assembly for Wales, the Executive is taking part in discussions with the drug manufacturers to consider a range of options under which drugs for multiple sclerosis might be available on the NHS. One option …
21 Nov 2001 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer whether Caithness flagstone ordered from Caithness Stone Industries Ltd is costed at #500 per square metre.
Answer · David Steel: I refer Ms MacDonald to my answer to question S1W-20206 today and confirm that information held by the Parliament, relating to specific financial arrangements between the Parliament's contractors and their sub-contractors, is commercially confidential.
21 Nov 2001 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer whether Caithness Stone Industries Ltd has been paid for stone supplied for the new Parliament building.
Answer · David Steel: I understand that Caithness Stone Industries Ltd have not yet been paid in connection with the MSP building cladding contract. The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has confirmed that this is due to the financial difficulties of the contractor, Flour Ci…
21 Nov 2001 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer why a tendering process was not followed in relation to obtaining all stone cladding materials for the new Parliament building.
Answer · David Steel: All procurement in respect of the new Scottish Parliament building is carried out in accordance with EC public procurement regulations.
21 Nov 2001 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer whether proof of fitness for purpose has been sought for the Spittal stone ordered for wash basin surrounds in the new Parliament building.
Answer · David Steel: No order has yet been placed for wash basin surrounds within the new Scottish Parliament building. Spittal stone suits the aesthetic requirements of the project however, and is tried and tested in the horizontal plane. I understand, from the Convener of the H…
21 Nov 2001 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer why STATS Specialist Engineering, Materials and Environmental Consultants has not been paid for its report on cladding materials for the new Parliament building.
Answer · David Steel: I understand that the report referred to in the question was the result of a contract between Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd and STATS Specialist Engineering, Materials and Environmental Consultants. The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has c…
14 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate a Private Finance Initiative contract, such as Consort Healthcare (Edinburgh Royal Infirmary) Ltd's contract to build the new Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, where funds have been transferred from the revenue budget to the capital budget as a result of an increase i…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The risk of increased construction cost is transferred to the private sector as part of the Private Finance Initiative contract, therefore revenue payments against the agreed contract are fixed by the contract.<P>Any changes in the design of the building, agr…
14 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Lothian NHS Board has advised it of any delay in transferring the sterilising centre from the City Hospital to the new Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The sterilising centre is on target to transfer to the new Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh on 28 January 2002.
14 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial penalties will be incurred by Consort Healthcare (Edinburgh Royal Infirmary) Ltd should the new Edinburgh Royal Infirmary be unable to accept patients on the planned dates of transfer from the Princess Margaret Rose Orthopaedic Hospital and the old Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Should the new Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh be unable to accept patients as planned through any fault of the private sector provider of the facility, the financial penalties that will be incurred are those detailed in the Addendum to the Full Business Case, a…
14 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the statistical information on hospital-acquired infection collated by the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health is communicated to, and acted on, by hospitals.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Regular feedback from the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health (SCIEH) to NHS boards and hospitals of centrally analysed local and national data about hospital infections is a key component of the new national surveillance framework announce…
19 Oct 2001 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to question S1W-18868 on 12 October 2001, whether any members of the design team had reservations about the ability of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd to perform according to their contract.
Answer · David Steel: Performance monitoring of all contractors is a normal on-going process of the management of the Parliament building project. As a result of this process, Design Team members began to have concerns about the performance of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) …
16 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to publish its response to the Scottish Charity Law Review Commission report of May 2001.
Answer · Jim Wallace: We invited comments on the report's recommendations when it was published and the consultation period expired on 30 September.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Initial indications from the consultation are that while the majority of respondents are content that the report o…
4 Oct 2001 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer how much Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd have been paid to date for their services to Holyrood project.
Answer · David Steel: Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd were paid £854,000 (excl VAT) for work undertaken on design and specialist cladding services, which is now the property of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body.
4 Oct 2001 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer whether Kemnay Quarries have been paid for the granite supplied by them for use in the new Parliament building.
Answer · David Steel: Payments from trade contractors, appointed by the SPCB, to their sub-contractors are normally a matter for the contractors concerned but, where difficulties arise, one of our principal concerns is to protect the sub-contractor and supply of materials. However…
4 Oct 2001 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer which suppliers of timber for use in the new parliament building have been paid to date.
Answer · David Steel: The following timber suppliers have been paid for supplying Scottish oak to the Holyrood Project:<P>Birse Community Trust, Banchory.<P>Cookson Tree Services, Forteviot, Perthshire.<P>Cromartie Timber, Strathpeffer.<P>Dundee City Council, Camperdown Park, Dund…
4 Oct 2001 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer what percentage of the timber for use in the new Parliament building has been sourced in Scotland.
Answer · David Steel: This information is not yet available as much of the timber to be used within works packages for the project has still to be procured. To date, some 40m3 of high quality, Scottish oak has been procured directly by the Parliament for use on the project but, un…
4 Oct 2001 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer whether timber sourced from North America and finished in Thailand formed part of the procurement undertaken by Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd for cladding materials to be used in the MSPs' block in the new Parliament building.
Answer · David Steel: Yes.
4 Oct 2001 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer how many personnel from Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd parent company were recruited from overseas to work on the Holyrood building project.
Answer · David Steel: The key senior personnel employed on site by Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd, a British company, were either Scottish or English. To the best of the Holyrood Project Team's knowledge, no personnel were recruited from overseas to work on site, but thi…
4 Oct 2001 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer whether the previous project director of the Holyrood building project, Alan E''i, raised any concerns about the award of the contract to carry out cladding work on the MSP block in the new Parliament building to Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd.
Answer · David Steel: I refer Ms MacDonald to my answer to S1W-18866 today and confirm that, according to the Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group, there is no record of any individuals within the project management raising any concerns about the appointment of Flour City Archi…
4 Oct 2001 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer whether he will detail the process of monitoring the contract to carry out cladding work on the MSPs' block in the new Parliament building after the award to Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd and on what date the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body first became aware of any conce…
Answer · David Steel: Bovis Lend Lease (Scotland) Limited, as Construction Managers for the project, are responsible for managing and monitoring all works packages undertaken on the project. The SPCB first became aware of problems with the MSP Block Cladding contract at their reg…
4 Oct 2001 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer whether any members of the Holyrood Progress Group advised against awarding the contract to carry out cladding work on the MSPs' block in the new Parliament building to Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd and, if so, who they were.
Answer · David Steel: Notwithstanding that the Holyrood Progress Group have no formal role in the Trade Package appointment process, no concerns were expressed on the tender recommendation made by the Construction Manager, endorsed by the Design Team and approved by the Holyrood P…
4 Oct 2001 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer whether he will detail those factors not covered by commercial confidentiality which led to the contract being awarded to Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd to carry out cladding work on the MSPs' block in the new Parliament building.
Answer · David Steel: Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd were appointed following normal competitive tender procedures and, I understand from the Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group that, of the tender bids received, theirs was the only bid which complied with the tender…
4 Oct 2001 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer whether he will give a detailed breakdown of the cost of the tendering process for the contract won by Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd to carry out cladding work on the MSPs' block in the new Parliament building.
Answer · David Steel: The relevant costs in this exercise are primarily those associated with staff and consultants' time. I understand from the Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group, that it is not possible to quantify these as information is not recorded in this manner.
25 Sep 2001 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps the NHS is taking to consult service users on the design and layout of patient facilities in new build hospitals.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive is working with the NHS to ensure that patients and the public are involved effectively in decisions regarding the design and delivery of services. The nature and degree of involvement or consultation will vary according to circumstance…
27 Jun 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider implementing a scheme to provide computers for socially excluded groups such as disabled people and housebound women.
Answer · Alasdair Morrison: We expect to publish a digital inclusion strategy early in the autumn and this will set out our proposals for tackling the digital divide.
27 Jun 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many women who are registered disabled are housebound.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not held centrally.
27 Jun 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many computers have been distributed in Scotland through the Computers Within Reach scheme announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in October 2000.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Computers Within Reach scheme has been piloted by the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) in certain areas of England only. The scheme does not operate in Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales. The scheme is currently being evaluated by DfEE, and…
20 Jun 2001 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what effects the proposals contained in the Treaty of Nice will have on Scotland's economy.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Treaty of Nice contains provisions designed to ensure that enlargement of the European Union can take place as soon as possible. The main changes are to the institutions of the European Union, which will have no direct short-term impact on the Scottish ec…
15 Jun 2001 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer whether any sensitivity analyses were undertaken prior to the initial contracts for the Holyrood Project being awarded and following the report on the project for the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body by John Spencely and the report by the Auditor General for Scotland, The new Scottish…
Answer · David Steel: The "analysis of sensitivities" is embedded in the project's risk analysis process, which was initiated in 1998, prior to site occupation and trade package contract tender exercises. The process demands a regular and systematic review of all identif…
16 May 2001 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its departmental expenditure limits for this financial year will supplemented by funds from Annually Managed Expenditure.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive's Annually Managed Expenditure (AME) cannot supplement Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL). The total Scottish Executive budget - Total Managed Expenditure (TME) - comprises DEL, AME plus some non-voted elements e.g. judges salaries a…