Mr David Davidson

15 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has plans to extend tagging supervision in the community.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive has madeprovision for the use of electronic monitoring across a wide range of options, includingas a condition of licence as imposed by the Parole Board, as a condition of probationor a drug treatment and testing order imposed by the co…

15 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it will allocate to bring non-trunk roads up to acceptable standards and when it will allocate such funding.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executivesupports local authorities’ net revenue expenditure on roads maintenancethrough the core local government finance settlement. Spending Review 2004added a further £60 million in both 2006-07 and 2007-08 to the Roads and TransportGrant Aid…

15 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish a list, in priority order, of its announced transport infrastructure schemes.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The planned programme oftransport infrastructure schemes may be found on the Scottish Executive and theTransport Scotland websites at: <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/</a>and <a href="http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/index.…

15 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to intervene should premium fares be introduced on the Edinburgh airport rail link.

Answer · Tavish Scott: No decision on fares forEARL has been taken yet. We have set out our plans to review fares across Scotlandduring 2007. That review will take into account the views expressed inParliament when discussing the EARL project on the appropriate level of faresfor th…

15 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussions with train operators about removing saver tickets or varying the times of their application.

Answer · Tavish Scott: We have no plans to changethe regulation of Saver fares in Scotland. Both Transport Scotland and First Scotrail are beingkept informed of discussions between the Department for Transport and trainoperators about potential changes to saver regulation in Englan…

14 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received about the funding settlement for Orkney Islands Council since 2003 and from whom such representations have been received.

Answer · George Lyon: Orkney Islands Council and local MSP, Mr Jim Wallace QC, have madea number of representations to the Executive on matters connected with thelocal government funding settlement. Representations may also have beenreceived from others from time to time. A full l…

14 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it could implement a road pricing scheme which involved reductions in vehicle fuel duty and, if so, how.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Vehicle fuel duty is areserved matter.</p>

14 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty’s Government about road pricing.

Answer · Tavish Scott: I met the Secretary of Statefor Transport on 6 October 2006 where we discussed road pricing issues. Officials of the Scottish Executive also regularly discuss road pricing issues with officialsat the Department for Transport.</p>

14 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that Scotland should be the pilot for UK road pricing.

Answer · Tavish Scott: No.</p>

14 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to implement road pricing.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive hasno current plans to implement road pricing. There will be no road pricing inScotland on a Scotland-wide basis in the next four years of the Parliament.</p>

14 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its response to Audit Scotland’s overview of governance in Scottish local authorities.

Answer · Tom McCabe: As in previous years, the ScottishExecutive does not intend to publish a response to the Audit Scotland report <i>Overviewof the Local Authority Audits 2006</i>.</p>

14 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to increase security on the rail system.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Rail Security is reserved tothe UK Government.</p><p>However, Transport Scotland,through the First ScotRail Franchise, deliver schemes which improve security onFirst ScotRail trains, and at stations managed by First ScotRail.</p><p>The franchise agreement inc…

14 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any meetings with the British Transport Police about antisocial behaviour in railway stations and on trains in Scotland and, if so, what (a) was discussed and (b) action was taken as a result.

Answer · Johann Lamont: Ministers met with the BritishTransport Police (BTP) on 24 January 2007. The meeting included discussion of the potential forusing community wardens on the rail network and for creating an antisocial behaviourpost within the BTP. Further consideration is bein…

14 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many crimes were reported and responded to on train services and in stations in each of the last four years.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The available information isshown in the following table.</p><p>Crimes and Offences Recordedby the British Transport Police in Scotland, 2002-03 to 2005-06</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td nowrap valign=bottom> <p>2002-03</p> </td> …

17 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when prescribers will be able to prescribe lenalidomide to patients who suffer from multiple myeloma.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Licensing of medicines is reservedand is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency(MHRA). Before a medicine can be placed on the UK market it must have a marketingauthorisation from either the MHRA or the European Medicines…

17 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to allow patients and prescribers access to orphan drugs.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Medicines Consortium(SMC) provides NHS boards and their area drug and therapeutics committees with adviceon the prescription of licensed orphan drugs.</p><p>The SMC has prepared a statementwhich explains their assessment process for orphan drugs.…

17 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken by the National Licensing Forum in the last six months.

Answer · George Lyon: The National Licensing Forumhas not met collectively in the last six months, but during this time its membershave been involved in the development of policy, regulations, and draft guidancerelating to the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005. This has included direc…

17 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the National Licensing Forum last met and what issues were discussed.

Answer · George Lyon: The National Licensing Forumlast met on 18 April 2006. It discussed a number of issues relating to the Licensing(Scotland) Act 2005 including overprovision and the capacity of licensed premisesand training. The Forum also agreed its next phase of work as draf…

20 Dec 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish any responses it has received from each local authority following its Grant Aided Expenditure announcement.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The substantive response to the2007&#8209;08 provisional local government finance settlement announcement on 13 December 2006 wasgiven in a letter from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities President, CouncillorPat Watters, on behalf of local authoriti…

20 Dec 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects that the A90 north of Aberdeen will be fully dualled.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Work will begin in the firstquarter of 2009-10 on dualling the section between Balmedie to Tipperty.</p><p>The A90 corridor is being assessedas part of the Strategic Transport Projects Review.</p><p>Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for thi…

20 Dec 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the results of its preliminary examination of the case for a new Forth crossing and who is contracted by either it or Transport Scotland to undertake the examination.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Jacobs, supported by Faber Maunsellhave been commissioned to undertake the Forth Replacement Crossing Study as a fast-trackedelement of the Strategic Transport Projects Review. The reports will be publishedon the Transport Scotland website followingcompletion…

20 Dec 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it still intends to reopen the Waverley railway line and, if so, when construction tendering will commence and what the maximum cost will be.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive is committedto the reopening of the Waverley railway line. Under the current programme,construction tendering will commence in summer 2008. The most recent estimateof the maximum cost provided by the Waverley Railway Partnership is £129…

20 Dec 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to consult on road pricing schemes.

Answer · Tavish Scott: None. The Scottish Executivehas no road pricing schemes on which to consult.</p>

20 Dec 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has provided guidance to local authority education departments on participation in crime prevention programmes that affect their local communities and, if so, whether it will publish such guidance.

Answer · Hugh Henry: Broad guidance is produced bythe Scottish Executive Education Department and Learning and Teaching Scotland.Advice and guidance seeks to ensure that the curriculum secures breadth, balance,continuity and progression for all pupils. Responsibility for the mana…

20 Dec 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether all local authorities have been consulted on any new responsibilities and costs resulting from any legislation introduced since January 2006 and, if so, whether it will publish their responses, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Margaret Curran: Public consultation is an integralpart of the policy formulation process in the Scottish Executive. As part of thatconsultation process, local authorities are consulted routinely. The Executive considersin detail all responses provided to consultation documen…

20 Dec 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have contracted MRSA during treatment at Aberdeen hospitals in each year since 2004, broken down by hospital.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Health Protection Scotland publishedthe latest figures on MRSA bacteraemia (blood infection) rates on 16 January 2007. A copyof this report is available from: </p><p><ahref="http://www.documents.hps.scot.nhs.uk/hai/sshaip/publications/mrsa-quarterly-reports/j…

6 Dec 2006 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to review its procedures in respect of the procurement of public contracts.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Executive monitors its procurementprocedures to ensure they are consistent with legislation and good practice. Weare implementing the recommendations of John McClelland’s Review of Public Procurementin Scotland, published earlier this year. This is an amb…

24 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether extra funding will be made available to local authorities in the north east to cover any additional costs that may be incurred through clearing roads in the event of bad weather this winter.

Answer · Tavish Scott: There are no plans to provideadditional funding to local authorities in north-east Scotland forwinter road maintenance as the Executive already supports local authorities’ netrevenue expenditure on road maintenance and winter maintenance through the corelocal…

24 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commission urgently a grade-separated junction at Laurencekirk and what the reasons are for it having rejected proposals for this over the last four to five years.

Answer · Tavish Scott: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-29235 on 7 November 2006. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at: <p><ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/weba…

24 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will commission a grade-separated junction at Laurencekirk in order to prevent accidents and reduce injuries and deaths.

Answer · Tavish Scott: I refer the member to the answer to question S2O-7713 on 29 September 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’swebsite, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp…