Parliamentary questions

Bruce Crawford

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

5 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the landfill sites where tritium leachate has been identified and when it expects the Scottish Environment Protection Agency's work in identifying the sources to be completed.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The results of the monitoring for tritium in landfill leachate during 1998 are published in the Radioactivity in Food and the Environment, 1998 report (RIFE - 4). An extract from the relevant table containing this information is reproduced below.<P ALI…

21 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide an answer to question number S1W-2310 lodged on 2 November 1999 and whether it will provide an explanation for the delay.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: I have now answered question number S1W-2310. The delay was due to the need to collate and analyse financial information from within and outwith the Scottish Executive to enable a full answer to be made.

21 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide an answer to question number S1W-2441 lodged on 9 November 1999 and whether it will provide an explanation for the delay.

Answer · Susan Deacon: PQ S1W-2441 was answered on 22 December 1999.

17 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in the event that Fife Health Board and the Acute Services Trust fail to reach agreement on the Business Plan for Acute Services in Fife, what mechanisms exist to enable a successful conclusion to be reached.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer Mr Crawford to my answer of 16 December to his question S1W-3426.

14 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the financial support available for Area Tourist Boards during the next financial year.

Answer · Henry McLeish: Area Tourist Boards are core funded by discretionary grant aid from the Scottish Tourist Board and from local authorities, by membership subscription and by income from commercial activities. They receive no direct funding from the Scottish Executive.

14 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has recently provided to Fife Health Board on the most recent Business Plan submitted by the Fife Acute Services Trust for the reshaping of its services.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer Mr Crawford to the answer given on 27 January to his question S1O-996.

14 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from the Royal College of Physicians regarding the levels and quality of service provided by the accident and emergency department at Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I am not aware of any such representations from the Royal College of Physicians.

13 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a timescale for a reply to my letter on Fife Health Board to Susan Deacon dated 1 November 1999.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I welcomed Mr Crawford's letter and regret it took some time to provide a reply. He raised a number of interesting issues that I wished to consider in depth. However I was able to reply to him on 19 January.

9 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that Fife Health Board and the Acute Services Trust reach agreement on a business plan for acute services in Fife.

Answer · Susan Deacon: It is for the Health Board and not the Scottish Executive to plan services in Fife. I look to the Board to consult locally and to work with all its planning partners, including both NHS Trusts in Fife, when considering the options for acute services.

8 Dec 1999 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that Fife Health Board and the Acute Services Trust reach agreement on a business plan for acute services in Fife.

7 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government about plans to levy VAT on Forth Road Bridge tolls.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Since the European Commission announced its intention to take the UK and four other member states to the European Court in 1997 regarding VAT on tolls, there has been ongoing liaison with the UK Government to ensure that the UK defence fully reflects the situ…

7 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to deal with the existence of tritium at various landfill sites in Scotland.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The day-to-day regulation of landfill sites rests with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Although the levels of tritium in the landfill leachate are of very low significance in terms of public health and safety, SEPA intends to continue monitoring t…

7 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to resolve the dispute over the proposed erection of a new tourist sign post on the M90 for the Heart of Scotland Visitor Centre in Kinross.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has considered the request from Perthshire Tourist Board for tourist signing from the M90 for the Heart of Scotland Visitor Centre. In accordance with the Trunk Road and Motorway Tourist Signposting Policy the appropriate signing for a …

7 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the remit and members of the steering group created to help establish a passenger freight terminal at Rosyth in Fife.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: A steering group has been established by Scottish Enterprise. The remit of the group is to promote the opportunity to operate a direct ferry service from Scotland to the continent. The group will seek to co-ordinate efforts to attract a commercial ferry opera…

23 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-871 by Iain Gray on 15 October 1999, whether it is yet in a position to make an announcement on its response to the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Long Term Care.

Answer · Iain Gray: As I indicated in the debate on Older People on 2 December we are already taking forward many of the recommendations of the Royal Commission, for example on the Care Commission, joint working, carers and direct payments. I will be chairing a Joint Future Grou…

9 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the funding provided to each Health Board in Scotland for 1999-2000 to cover winter pressure.

Answer · Susan Deacon: No specific funding has been provided to Health Boards in 1999-2000 to cover winter pressures. For 1999-2000 Health Boards received a general allocation to meet the health care needs of their resident population including any pressure for services arising fro…

4 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will require Fife Health Board to consult with the people of Dunfermline in regard to the development of its Integrated Health Care Strategy.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I expect Health Boards and Trusts to engage and consult the public about their strategic proposals. I look to Fife Health Board to follow this process in taking forward the development of its Integrated Health Care Strategy.

3 Nov 1999 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will require Fife Health Board to consult with the people of Dunfermline in regard to the development of its Integrated Health Care Strategy.

2 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why it did not support the Clackmannanshire council partnership bids in the recently announced public transport funding allocation for a new inter-regional rail freight route from Stirling to Dunfermline and the re-introduction of direct passenger rail services from Alloa to Glasgow.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Executive received a total of 26 bids to the second Public Transport Fund competition with the level of bids exceeding the resources available by over two to one. It is in the nature of a competition that not all bids can be successful. I decided not to a…

2 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what were the details of the funding packages, in terms of both annual amounts and percentage changes between years, provided to Fife Health Board over the past three financial years, and projected for the next two financial years.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The information is set out in the following table: -<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=462><TR><TD WIDTH="33%" VALIGN="TOP">Year</TD><TD WIDTH="33%" VALIGN="TOP">£000</TD><TD WIDTH="33%" VALIGN="TOP">% Chang…

2 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what were the savings to the tax-payer over the seven year period of the present ScotRail franchise agreement and how much of these savings have been re-invested in the railway industry in Scotland.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: When they were let, the 25 passenger rail franchises in Great Britain were designed steadily to reduce the Government's support for passenger rail services. This reduction is currently treated by the UK Treasury as a general saving to the Exchequer. The estim…

8 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how is condensate, produced during the rendering process of BSE material, collected and disposed of and who is responsible for its disposal.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Bovine tissues that are known to, or might potentially, harbour detectable levels of BSE infectivity in infected animals are classified as Specified Risk Material (SRM). Under statutory controls, SRM must be disposed of by prescribed and controlled methods th…

8 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to bring forward legislation following the report on the spreading of waste on land published by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and what timescale is it working to.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer the Member to the answer given to question S1W-1395.

8 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the stores at Ratho and Glenrothes which store rendered BSE material are full and, if so, where does it intend to store new material being engendered and which company is being given the responsibility of storing it.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The stores at Ratho and Glenrothes that hold meat and bone meal (MBM) derived from the rendering of bovine carcases processed under the Over Thirty Months Scheme (OTMS) are both full. There is a total of 13 sites across the UK holding OTMS MBM safely and secu…

4 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, further to paragraph B3.30 of the Memorandum of Understanding and supplementary agreements, it will publish a list of those European Institutions which Her Majesty's Government will consult with the Scottish Executive with regard to appointments thereto and what criteria will be …

Answer · Jack McConnell: With reference to paragragh B3.30 it is envisaged that the UK Government will consult with the Scottish Executive on senior appointments to the European Commission, the European Council, the European Parliament, the European Court of Justice and the Court of …

4 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the subjects of any discussions or correspondence it has had with Her Majesty's Government in relation to the formulation of the UK policy position on European Union issues which relate to both devolved and non-devolved matters.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive is and will continue to be in regular discussion with the UK Government on a variety of EU issues, to ensure that the Scottish point of view is taken into account in UK negotiating positions. Contact follows the procedures laid down in …

15 Sep 1999 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government to ensure that the compensation due to Scottish miners, their widows and families under the package agreed in June 1999 is paid as a matter of urgency.

Answer · Henry McLeish: The Executive is keeping closely in touch with Her Majesty's Government on the progress of compensation due to Scottish ex-miners, their widows and families. As of 2 January 2000, 254 full and final payments had been made to Scottish ex-miners, totalling over…

9 Sep 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the establishment of a new road bridge crossing the river Forth near Kincardine.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer Mr Crawford to the answer I gave to Mr Johnston on 5 August (S1W-551).

8 Sep 1999 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the establishment of a new road bridge crossing the river Forth near Kincardine.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer Mr Crawford to the answer I gave to Mr Johnston on 5 August (S1W-551).

24 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many tonnes of rendered material from the BSE cattle cull have been disposed of by dispersal on land.

Answer · Ross Finnie: None. The preferred method of disposal of meat and bone meal is incineration with energy recovery. Tallow will be sold by tender for use as a fuel.