Bristow Muldoon

22 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to increase public sector employment as a proportion of the total employment market in West Lothian.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Executive is committed to achieving sustainable economic development based upon the strategic priorities contained in <I>A Smart, Successful Scotland. </I>This includes raising the employment rate across Scotland and reducing gaps in unemployment rates be…

21 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in consideration of relocation of the Common Services Agency or NHS Health Scotland to West Lothian.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The announcement in March of the future location of the Common Services Agency's (CSA) Edinburgh-based staff confirmed the agency's contribution to the Scottish Executive's policy on relocation whilst recognising its own regional-based property strategy. The …

21 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on the reopening of the Bathgate to Airdrie rail line.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive has made available £500,000 to West Lothian Council in order to fund a detailed engineering study into the proposed re-opening of the Airdrie/Bathgate line. We expect the study to be completed by spring 2004.

21 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it envisages service improvements on the Glasgow to Edinburgh via Shotts line within a new passenger rail franchise.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: In 2002-03 the Scottish Executive provided £150,000 to West Lothian Council to look at options for improving services on the Shotts line. The implications of this work are still being assessed.<P>Bidders for the next Scottish passenger rail franchise are bein…

21 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on the refranchising of passenger rail services.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Following a pre-qualification exercise, on 14 March 2003 the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) announced the shortlist of four companies which will be invited to bid for the next Scottish passenger rail franchise. These are Arriva Trains Ltd, First Group plc, Na…

14 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish passenger rail franchise will be relet in April 2004.

Answer · Iain Gray: The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA), which acts as procurement agent for the Scottish passenger rail franchise, has advised ministers that by 1 April 2004, when the current franchise expires, a preferred bidder is expected to have been selected and the terms o…

1 Jan 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to make any spending proposals without identifying how they will be paid for.

Answer · Andy Kerr: No. We have set out detailed plans for the next three years in the Scottish Budget, <I>Building a Better Scotland</I>. Our plans show precisely what our investment programme will deliver and how it will be paid for. Our plans build on the progress that Scotla…

27 Nov 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in increasing the amount of rolling stock available for the passenger rail franchise.

Answer · Iain Gray: I was pleased to be able to announce on 6 November our intention to provide new rolling stock to service the Edinburgh Park development.

25 Sep 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent progress it has made in tackling drug abuse.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Our Drugs Strategy is based on four pillars - young people, communities, treatment and availability. The strategy is supported by £130 million, in new resources, over three years. Scotland's 22 Drug Action Teams take the lead in implementing the strategy at l…

18 Sep 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the public consultation on the central Scotland transport corridor studies is progressing.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The consultants' corridor plan recommendations have been available for public consideration since 13 June 2002.<P>Newsletters outlining the consultants' key findings and recommendations have been widely distributed for each corridor.<P>Public exhibitions for …

29 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the report of the MMR expert group will be made public and when it will respond to the Public Health Institute of Scotland needs assessment report on autistic spectrum disorders.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The report of the MMR Expert Group has been published today. Copies will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre. The report is also available on both the Scottish Executive and the expert group websites.<P>The Executive is grateful to the chairman and…

6 Mar 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to promote restorative justice programmes as part of Scotland's Action Programme to Reduce Youth Crime 2002.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: On Monday 4 March, as part of our <I>Action Programme to Reduce Youth Crime 2002</I>, I announced a further £2 million to promote restorative justice programmes in authorities across Scotland. This is in addition to the £23.5 million over three-and-a-half yea…

11 Feb 2002 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what steps are being taken to improve post-operative care.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Patients are at their most vulnerable directly after surgery. We must continually improve standards of post-operative care and the Scottish Audit of Surgical Mortality provides powerful information to inform those improvements.<P>As a result the number of int…

15 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what income has been generated by the introduction of car parking charges at St. John's Hospital in Livingston and on what capital and revenue items the income generated has been spent.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally but could be obtained from West Lothian Healthcare NHS Trust.

15 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review its policy concerning charges for car parking at NHS hospitals.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive currently has no plans to review its policy, detailed in Management Executive Letter (MEL)(2000)13 on charges for car parking at NHS hospitals.

10 Dec 2001 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer how much public funding the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) made available to (a) the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party; (b) the Scottish National Party; (c) the Scottish Green Party, and (d) the Scottish Socialist Party as a result of their representation in the Parlia…

Answer · David Steel: In 1999-2000 and 2000-01 the parties were entitled to claim the following amounts:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=434><TR><TD WIDTH="61%" VALIGN="TOP">&nbsp;</TD><TD WIDTH="20%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P ALIGN="RIGHT">1999-2000…

5 Dec 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support is being offered to Scottish football clubs aiming to establish football academies.

Answer · Mike Watson: The Executive fully supports the development of football academies in Scotland. To assist this, <B>sport</B>scotland has established a Scottish Football Academy strand within the Sports Facilities Programme of the Lottery Sports Fund. A budget of £6 million h…

24 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Environment Protection Agency's fifth Annual Report and Accounts will be published.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is due to publish its fifth Annual Report and Accounts on 30 October. The report contains details of SEPA's achievements and activities during the period 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001, the agency's fifth year …

19 Sep 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to improve services on the east coast mainline.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) is considering proposals for an extension to GNER's franchise for services on the East Coast Main Line. The proposals are likely to feature improved services and rolling stock. As indicated in my reply to question S1W-17937 …

4 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has submitted advice to the Strategic Rail Authority on the extension to the east coast mainline passenger rail franchise.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: At the end of last week I submitted advice to the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) on the extension of the East Coast Mainline franchise, and I have requested the SRA to take account of the advice in discussions with GNER. The focus during the extension period …

30 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to extend the scheme where the receipts from speed camera fines are retained for investment in new cameras, which has been tested in the Strathclyde police force area.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-17444 answered on 29 September 2001.

25 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether working arrangements for the process to renew the Scottish passenger rail franchise have been agreed with the Strategic Rail Authority and the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive, the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) and Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority (SPTA) have approved a Memorandum of Understanding which provides a practical framework for the Executive, the SRA and SPTA to work together during the re…

20 Jun 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made with the development of a form of diligence to replace poindings and warrant sales.

Answer · Iain Gray: The working group set up to identify a humane and workable replacement to poinding and warrant sale reported to the Deputy First Minister on 6 July. The Deputy First Minister put the group's recommendations out for consultation shortly afterwards. Every MSP w…

16 May 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is giving to the development of football academies.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Through the Football Partnership we helped to draw up detailed proposals for the development of academies, and through <B>sport</B>scotland we have put in place a funding package using lottery and RPBD (Reduction in Pools Betting Duty) monies. The academy pro…

19 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on establishing a new Forth Road Bridge Joint Board.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Having considered the options and consulted with the appropriate local authorities, it is my intention that the new Joint Board should comprise 10 members. City of Edinburgh and Fife Councils should have four members each with Perth & Kinross and West Lothian…

21 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the matters discussed at the Environmental Council meeting on 8 March 2001, attended by the Minister for Environment, Sport and Culture.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Sam Galbraith attended the Environment Council meeting on 8 March as part of the UK delegation along with the DETR Environment Minister Michael Meacher. This was the first Environment Council under the Swedish Presidency. It was held in Brussels under the cha…

14 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in encouraging the integration of children's services.

Answer · Jack McConnell: We are today issuing to local authorities, the health service, the voluntary sector and others a consultation paper <I>Changing Children's Services Fund</I>, a copy of which has been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre. This sets out our proposals for…

9 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10121 by Sarah Boyack on 20 October 2000, whether it intends to ensure that cycle training for school pupils includes an appropriate level of supervised on-road training, with due authorisation from parents.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Cycle Training Scheme, overseen by the Scottish Road Safety Campaign, recommends that on-road training should be provided where possible. Police and local authority Road Safety Units are responsible for carrying out risk assessment on any roads t…

9 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10121 by Sarah Boyack on 20 October 2000, whether it intends to introduce measures to ensure that cycle training is available to every primary school pupil.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The provision of cycle training for children is a matter for schools and for police and local authority road safety units.<P>The Scottish Executive has recently commissioned a survey of cycle training provision in Scottish schools and the number of children t…

8 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what timescale it envisages for bringing forward legislation following the end of the consultation period on its paper Consultation on proposed changes to permitted development arrangements for telecommunications development on 16 February 2001.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: As indicated in 'Working Together for Scotland: A Programme for Government', we will revise planning controls for mobile phone masts by mid 2001.