Mr David Davidson

13 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will next meet (a) Aberdeenshire Council and (b) Aberdeen City Council.

Answer · Andy Kerr: We have no plans to meet at present. However, I met with both councils during 2002 and would be happy to consider requests to meet again.

13 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the oil and gas industry about the number of job losses in the offshore contracting sector.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the oil and gas industry about a wide range of matters. We work with the sector as a whole through PILOT, the government and industry task force of which I am vice-chair, to ensure the long-term sustainability…

13 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what train operating companies have indicated an interest in running the passenger rail franchise.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: A pre-qualification exercise has identified a shortlist of four companies (Arriva Trains Ltd, First Group plc, National Express Group plc and Serco Rail/Netherlands Railways) which will be invited to bid for the next Scottish passenger rail franchise.

13 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to give responsibility for tourism to its Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Responsibility for tourism rests with the Tourism, Culture and Sports Group, which is part of the Education Department. The group reports directly to the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, Mr Frank McAveety. The co-ordination of activity and close worki…

13 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a compulsory quality assurance scheme for accommodation providers.

Answer · Frank McAveety: Work is under way to look at the issue of an industry-led national tourism registration scheme to guarantee quality service and facilities, but it will be some time before we are ready to assess whether such a scheme should be compulsory.

13 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a compulsory registration scheme for accommodation providers.

Answer · Frank McAveety: Work is under way to look at the issue of an industry-led national tourism registration scheme, but it will be some time before we are ready to assess whether such a scheme should be compulsory.

13 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its review of area tourist boards.

Answer · Frank McAveety: No decision has been taken yet.

13 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will conduct a review of the maintenance of roads in rural areas and publish the results of such a review, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Responsibility for the maintenance of non-trunk roads lies with each council as the local roads authority for each area.<P>The Society of Chief Officers of Transport in Scotland is carrying out a rolling survey of the condition of all local roads on behalf of…

13 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the volume of paperwork that livestock farmers are required to complete and what measures it will take to amend the sheep tagging scheme to a compulsory tagging only scheme when stock leaves a farm.

Answer · Ross Finnie: My department is already working to reduce the burden of paperwork on farmers. Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department forms and guidance are regularly reviewed to ensure that unnecessary questions are deleted and remaining questions simpl…

13 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil and public servants it estimates that it and its executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies will require in each of the next four years.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The full-time equivalent number of permanent staff employed in the core departments of the Scottish Executive, executive agencies and associated departments are provided in the following table. <P>Information on staffing levels for each non-departmental publi…

13 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the timetable and timescales will be for each task that has to be undertaken before the Aberdeen western peripheral road tender can be let.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: There is much to be done before the tender for the western peripheral route can be let and my officials, with colleagues at Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils, have this work in hand. The key milestones ahead of us, with their estimated timings follow:<…

13 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the funding for the Aberdeen western peripheral road will be met by Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire councils.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: It was announced on 19 March 2003 that Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils would together contribute 19% towards the total costs of the Western Peripheral Route. This sum will be divided equally between the two local authorities, meaning that each will c…

13 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the current proposed southern route for the Aberdeen western peripheral road.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The proposed route of the western peripheral route between the A90 (South) at Charleston and the A96 has been the subject of public consultation and the proposed corridor has been endorsed by both Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils. The Scottish Executi…

13 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any meetings with the board of the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) to discuss the proposed closure of the Craibstone campus and, if so, what the outcomes were and which ministers attended.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has had no meetings of the type specified but my officials and I have had a number of meetings with SAC over their rationalisation proposals. I have raised a number of concerns with SAC about its proposals for rationalisation and I expe…

13 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will next visit the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) Craibstone campus and which minister will visit.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has no plans to visit the college's campus at Craibstone. However, I have raised a number of concerns with the college in relation to its proposals for rationalisation and have asked it to submit revised proposals. When considering thes…

13 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussions with Her Majesty's Government on entry to NHS pharmaceutical dispensing contracts and, if so, what the outcomes were.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There have been no discussions with the UK Government following the Scottish Executives decision, announced on 26 March, that de-regulation of community pharmacy control of entry arrangements was not the way forward for Scotland.

13 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to reverse its decision not to accept the recommendations of the report by the Office of Fair Trading on entry to NHS pharmaceutical dispensing contracts.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There are no plans to reverse the decision.

8 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate the continuing issue of sewage escaping into the River Dee around Banchory.

Answer · Ross Finnie: This is a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) rather than the Scottish Executive.<P>I understand that SEPA is aware of occasional intermittent instances of untreated sewage being discharged into the River Dee. Each reported incident i…

8 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give details of any meetings it has held with Aberdeenshire Council with regard to the reopening of Laurencekirk Station.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with Aberdeenshire Council on a number of rail issues in the north-east of Scotland, including the proposed reopening of Laurencekirk station.

8 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will improve safety at the three A90 junctions at Laurencekirk.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: A package of measures was recently implemented at the Marykirk section of the Laurencekirk/Marykirk junction. These improvements included the extension of a deceleration lane, anti-skid surfacing and enhancements of the signing and road markings. A CCTV camer…

8 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what actions it will take following the recent deaths on the A90 in south Aberdeenshire.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Each year the Scottish Executive analyses accidents across the trunk road network in order to identify and bring forward an annual programme of targeted road safety improvements. In addition, it receives reports on every fatal accident that occurs on the netw…

8 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will conduct a safety audit of the A90 junction at Muchalls with a view to providing safer road access for residents wishing to travel north.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Each year the Scottish Executive analyses accidents across the trunk road network in order to identify and bring forward an annual programme of targeted road safety improvements. The two junctions in question will be subject to that analysis and further inves…

8 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has set a target date for the commencement of the building of the Aberdeen peripheral route.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: As the then Minister for Transport, Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, Iain Gray announced on 19 March, the target date for construction of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route to begin is 2007, subject to the satisfactory completion of statutory procedures, …

8 May 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will increase funding to Grampian NHS Board following reductions in funding under the Arbuthnott formula and, if so, when it will do so.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There have been no reductions in funding to Grampian NHS Board due to the Arbuthnott formula. Since the formula was introduced in 2001-02, Grampian NHS Board's unified budget has increased by over 20% and is currently £483.662 million.

8 May 2003 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer when the Holyrood Progress Group will terminate its activities.

Answer · George Reid: The Holyrood Progress Group was established by a resolution of the Parliament with a remit to oversee completion of construction of the new building. It is therefore expected that the Holyrood Progress Group will continue to provide advice to the Clerk and t…

8 May 2003 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will publish details of progress in letting service contracts for the new Parliament building.

Answer · George Reid: In the region of 30 non-construction-related service contracts have been, or are in the process of being let for the new Parliament building. Each is at a different stage in the procurement process, but all contracts required for the running of the building a…

8 May 2003 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer when the new Parliament building at Holyrood will be open for use.

Answer · George Reid: Following completion of construction, scheduled for November 2003, and before the building can be occupied, testing and commissioning of all the building's essential systems will require to be completed. Thereafter it will be a matter for the Scottish Parliam…

8 May 2003 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer when the Holyrood Progress Group will next report to the Finance Committee on the progress and costs of the new Parliament building.

Answer · George Reid: The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body is required, on a quarterly basis, to provide information to the Parliament's Finance Committee on the progress of the project in respect of inflation and materialisation of risk in order to inform the committee's con…

17 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what investigations it has carried out, or is carrying out, on the recent closures of the A90 between Stonehaven and Aberdeen; what support it will give Aberdeenshire Council in making good any resulting damage to verges, drains and the road surface on the B979 between Stonehaven and Mary…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive, before implementing the planned road closures on the A90 between Stonehaven and Aberdeen, investigated appropriate diversion routes which included discussions with the affected local road authority, Aberdeenshire Council. Appropriate d…

17 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has issued to local authorities on the use of community consultations on school closures and mergers.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: In such cases, there is a statutory requirement on education authorities to consult parents of pupils and school boards of the schools affected, and relevant church or denominational bodies.<P>The Scottish Office issued advice when the relevant regulations we…