Parliamentary questions

Alex Johnstone

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

29 Jan 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive , following the Public Petitions Committee debate on 23 January 2009, what plans the Scottish Government has to reduce knife carrying and knife crime, especially among young people.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government welcomes the discussion that took place during Friday''s debate and will now look carefully at all suggestions made during the event. In the meantime, we remain fully committed to getting knives off our streets and will continue to wor…

20 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has to nullify agreements between companies contracted to maintain green spaces in private housing estates and the householders with whom they have an agreement where such companies have failed to carry out the duties for which they have received an annual payment.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20004 on 29 January 2009. 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/Apps…

20 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has to regulate the schemes that can be put in place by developers for the maintenance of green spaces in private housing estates.

20 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has to regulate the financial agreements between companies contracted to maintain green spaces in private housing estates and the householders who pay an annual charge to cover that work.

20 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has to regulate the behaviour of companies contracted to maintain green spaces in private housing estates.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Office of Fair Trading is expected to publish its report on property managers in Scotland in February 2009. The Scottish Government will give close consideration to its conclusions and recommendations.</p> <p >We have announced we will work with the indu…

18 Dec 2008 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it would cost to double track the railway line between Aberdeen and Inverness.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: We do not hold this information. The transport intervention included in the Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR) announced on 10 December 2008 would provide a new station at Dalcross and new loops and dual tracking of short sections of the Aberdeen to I…

31 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) accidents and (b) fatalities have occurred on the A82 in each of the last five years.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The number of (a) personal injury accidents and (b) fatalities on the A82 in each of the last five full years is as shown in the following table.</p> <p >A82 Accident Data</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td valign=…

31 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on upgrading the A82 in each of the last five years, broken down by individual completed project.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The following upgrading projects have been carried out on the A82 since 2003:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td valign=top > <p >Year</p> </td> <td valign=top > <p align=center >Project</p> </td> …

31 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to upgrade the A82, broken down by specific planned improvement, timescale and costing for each.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Preliminary work is progressing in taking forward improvement schemes from the A82 Route Action Plan (RAP). This RAP outlined a 10 year improvement plan which includes improvements at Pulpit Rock, as well as a new Western Bypass at Crianlarich. The current pr…

11 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what educational programmes and materials it has made available to schools and youth organisations on the dangers of illegal knife carrying.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The national Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), funded by the Scottish Government, has promoted programmes and materials on the dangers of knife carrying to schools as part of their anti-violence campaign, e.g. the <i >Knife City</i> DVD and <i >It''s Jist for Pr…

25 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-14183 by Stewart Stevenson on 25 June 2008, which indicated that no statutory quality partnerships have been introduced, why the Media Calling Notice of 31 August 2005 stated that during a visit to Dundee City Chambers the then Minister for Transport…

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: On 1 September 2005 the then Minister for Transport and Telecommunications witnessed the signing of a commitment between Dundee City Council and Travel Dundee to work with the Traffic Commissioner to deliver a statutory quality partnership on 1 April 2006. A…

12 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a statutory quality partnership for bus services (a) exists or (b) has ever existed anywhere in Scotland and, if so, (i) where and (ii) between what dates.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: To date no statutory quality partnership has been introduced in Scotland.</p>

2 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its targets are for improving (a) end-to-end journey times and (b) capacity on the Aberdeen to Edinburgh rail line.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: We have asked Network Rail to develop a credible plan for providing further journey time improvements between the central belt and Aberdeen, through infrastructure enhancements, under the tier 3 outputs of the high-level output specification. Investment for t…

2 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to upgrade the infrastructure on the Aberdeen to Edinburgh rail line.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The High Level Output Specification (HLOS) asks Network Rail to develop a credible plan for providing further journey time improvements between the Central Belt and Aberdeen, through infrastructure enhancements, under the Tier 3 outputs. Investment for this p…

2 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to access additional rolling stock potentially available elsewhere on the UK rail network to meet short-term capacity issues on the Scotrail network

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Transport Scotland is committed to considering any opportunities which may arise that will support the delivery of enhanced, value for money rail services.</p> <p >It plans to access the existing UK rolling stock market to support the delivery of the short-t…

20 Mar 2008 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being put in place to ensure that NHS patients’ health records are not at risk of being lost or stolen.

Answer · Shona Robison: The NHS treats the confidentiality of patient records very seriously.</p> <p >A comprehensive set of policies and guidance for NHS boards on IT security was issued in 2006. This includes risks relating to patient''s health records. Progress on this was recen…

19 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many security operators in licensed premises have been charged with non-compliance with Security Industry Authority regulations since licensing was introduced in Scotland.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: None.</p> <p >The SIA has a range of sanctions available other than criminal proceedings which can be used to help secure compliance. These include issuing written warnings and improvement notices for non-compliance.</p>

19 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Security Industry Authority investigators are employed in Scotland.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Security Industry Authority employs a Head of Investigation and four investigators in Scotland.</p>

5 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities are undertaking pilot schemes in relation to introducing alternate weekly collections of household rubbish, according to the records of the Waste Resources Action Plan.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Waste Resources Action Programme does not hold information on Scottish local authorities that are undertaking pilot schemes in relation to alternating weekly collections of household residual waste and recyclate. However, the Scottish Waste Awareness Grou…

5 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have alternate weekly collections of residual household rubbish, according to records held by (a) it, (b) its agencies and (c) the Waste Resource Action Programme, showing the date on which each such collection was introduced.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The 16 Scottish local authorities that have alternating weekly collections of household residual waste and recyclate are listed in the table below. Start dates have been included where this information is available.</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpad…

5 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have ceased weekly collections of residual household rubbish, according to records held by (a) it, (b) its agencies and (c) the Waste Resource Action Programme.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The 13 Scottish local authorities that have ceased weekly collections of household residual waste are listed in the table below.</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=156 valign=top > <p align=center >Local Aut…

7 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to increase the Bus Service Operators Grant in April 2008 and, if so, by how much.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Each increase in fuel duty andits effect on the rate of Bus Service Operators Grant paid has to be looked at onan individual basis. If, as expected, fuel duty is increased in April 2008 thenwe will assess the situation at the time and make a decision based up…

7 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why it has not increased the Bus Service Operators Grant in line with the two pence rebate that operators in England received in October 2007.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government willprovide substantial funds to the bus industry of around £250 million each year.Each increase in fuel duty and its effect on the rate of Bus Service Operators Granthas to be looked at on an individual basis. Unfortunately, given the…

7 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the financial support available to householders wishing to install domestic micro-renewable energy devices.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government is committedto promoting microgeneration, recognising its potential to provide a sustainablesource of low carbon energy and to reduce carbon emissions. It will be part of acoherent approach to energy policy, recognising that promoting …

7 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support is available to householders wishing to install domestic micro-renewable energy devices.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Community and HouseholderRenewables Initiative (SCHRI) offers grants for the installation of renewable energymeasures. Householders can obtain funding of 30% of the installed cost, up to amaximum of £4,000.</p>

12 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-6876 by Stewart Stevenson on 3 December 2007, on what basis it was decided that the individual vessel leasing charges are commercially sensitive, given that both CalMac Ferries Ltd and Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd are publicly owned and that both c…

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: In March 2006 the InformationCommissioner found that Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd had correctly applied the exemptionin Section 33(1) (b) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, that relatedto commercially sensitive data in a case where their competito…

12 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any plans by other transport operators to provide free wi-fi for passengers on key commuter services, following the recent announcements by National Express East Coast and Scottish Citylink.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: We are aware other operatorsare progressing the development of free wi-fi services. For example Stagecoach EastScotland are planning to fit wi-fi on their Express bus services and Arriva on someof their rail routes.</p>

12 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any research on the potential impact on productivity which would result from the introduction of wi-fi on the Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh Waverley rail service.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Glasgow to Edinburgh collaborationproject recently commissioned research on seamless wireless connectivity on themain Glasgow to Edinburgh rail route. This research estimated the potential economicbenefits from both the introduction of wi-fi and improved …

6 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-5865 by Fiona Hyslop on 14 November 2007, how many companies were invited to tender for the Saltire flags; which companies were invited, and how many Saltires were purchased.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: It is Scottish Government policy that goods and services are procured through competition that demonstrate fairness, openness and transparency at all stages of the process. Decisions are based on value for money, without discrimination on the basis of nationa…

22 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the costs of leasing vessels from Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd are included in the £43 million subsidy provided to CalMac Ferries Ltd as of 1 October 2007.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The cost ofleasing vessels is funded from CalMac Ferries Ltd’s revenue and the blocksubsidy paid by the Scottish Government.</p>