Mr David Davidson

23 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it envisages that work on the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link will be completed.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Edinburgh Airport Rail Linkis planned to be operational in 2011.</p><p>Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more informationif required.</p>

23 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on when a Bill for the establishment of a rail link to Edinburgh Airport will be introduced to the Parliament.

Answer · Tavish Scott: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-23471 on 6 March 2006.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/wa.s…

23 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that current proposals for the construction of a tunnel beneath Edinburgh Airport in no way compromise the safety and integrity of the airport’s infrastructure.

16 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to fund police authorities and fire and rescue service boards directly.

Answer · Hugh Henry: We have no current plans to fundfire and rescue boards directly or to change the way that we fund the police service.</p>

16 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to reduce the number of fire and rescue service boards.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The Scottish Executive currently has no plans to reduce the number of fire and rescue boards. However, as was stated in our report on the analysis of responses to the consultation document <i>The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service: proposals for legislation</i>…

16 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to amalgamate local authorities with other bodies providing services such as community health, police, fire and rescue services or with enterprise boards or tourist boards.

Answer · Tom McCabe: We have no current plans to amalgamatelocal authorities with other bodies providing services. We continue to support arange of measures to improve joint working between agencies, such as Community Planning,the Joint Future initiative for health and social car…

16 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish any proposals it has for the amalgamation of local authorities.

Answer · Tom McCabe: We have no current proposalsfor the amalgamation of local authorities.</p>

16 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it can take any action to increase the numbers of those entitled to council tax benefit who actually receive it and, if so, what actions it will take.

Answer · George Lyon: The Scottish Executive has nodirect functions in relation to council tax benefit. However, we support the Department of Work and Pensions in its campaignto increase the uptake of benefit amongst pensioners, particularly through partnershipwork with Scottish c…

16 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish details of the representations it has made in the last two years to Her Majesty’s Government with regard to council tax benefits.

Answer · George Lyon: The Scottish Executive is inregular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, includingcouncil tax benefit.</p>

16 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what efficiency savings it expects each local authority to make.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The overall target for localauthority efficiency savings has not been broken down into targets for individualauthorities.</p>

16 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of juvenile vandalism there have been in each of the last five years in each police authority area by children aged (a) under five, (b) six to eight, (c) eight to 10, (d) 11 to 13 and (e) 14 to 16.

Answer · Robert Brown: This is a matter for policeforces. The information is not collated centrally.</p><p>However data does existwhere a young person has been referred by the police to the Children’sReporter. The following table has been produced by the Scottish Children’sReporter…

16 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many retained firefighters there have been in each of the last five years in each fire board area.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The numbers of retained firefightersin each of the last five years by fire and rescue authority area are shown in thefollowing table.</p><p>Retained Fire Fighters byFire Authority Area </p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td valign=bottom>…

16 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the rates of resignations and retirements from the fire service were in each of the last five years in each fire board area.

Answer · Hugh Henry: This is a matter for Fire andRescue Authorities and Joint Fire and Rescue Boards rather than the Scottish Executive.However, information on resignation and retirements can be found in Her Majesty’sChief Inspector of Fire Services Annual Reports which are avai…

16 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the rates of fire service recruiting were in each of the last five years in each fire board area.

Answer · Hugh Henry: This is a matter for Fire andRescue Authorities and Joint Fire and Rescue Boards rather than the Scottish Executive.However, information on recruitment can be found in Her Majesty’s Chief Inspectorof Fire Services Annual Reports which are available on the Ins…

16 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the effectiveness of body armour supplied to police forces.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish police serviceregularly evaluates its procedures and equipment provision to ensure that the needsof its officers are met.</p>

25 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the drive to improve the co-ordination and delivery of diabetes services will be undermined if diabetes managed clinical networks operate without paid staff.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The principles for managed clinical networks were set out in HDL (2002) 69, which made it clear that networks must be supported by paid administrative and managerial staff, whether working exclusively for a single network or as part of a team supporting a ran…

19 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what role it expects diabetes managed clinical networks to play in the continued implementation of the Scottish Diabetes Framework.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive expects that managed clinical networks will continue to provide strategic leadership and a collaborative framework to support the improvement of diabetes services and the implementation of national initiatives in diabetes.</p>

19 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what national leadership is provided for local diabetes managed clinical networks.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Diabetes Group, the Executive’s advisory group on diabetes, is the body responsible for supporting the implementation of the Scottish Diabetes Framework including local diabetes managed clinical networks.</p>

19 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the likely impact will be on local service planning if a local diabetes managed clinical network is operated on a mainly voluntary basis.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive expects NHS boards to provide appropriate management and administrative support to enable diabetes managed clinical networks to function effectively. Managed clinical networks by their nature seek to involve all those with an interest in the con…

19 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects NHS boards to continue funding diabetes managed clinical network manager posts after the initial two-year funding has ended.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive expects NHS boards to provide appropriate management and administrative support to enable diabetes managed clinical networks to function effectively. This would include a manager funded to support the network.</p>

19 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many managers of diabetes managed clinical networks also have responsibility for CHD and stroke managed clinical networks.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Four managers with responsibility for a diabetes managed clinical network also have responsibility for CHD and stroke managed clinical networks.</p>

19 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the current diabetes managed clinical networks have managers in post.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Twelve areas currently have a manager with responsibility for their diabetes managed clinical network in post. The remaining three areas are taking active steps to fill the vacancy.</p>

19 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that diabetes managed clinical networks remain key to the modernisation and improvement of diabetes services in NHS Scotland.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Yes, diabetes managed clinical networks remain central to the modernisation and improvement of diabetes services in Scotland.</p>

15 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it will set under the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.

Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency, to answer. His response is as follows:</p> <p>The directive does not require any targets to be set and there is no intention to set any targets as a result of the direc…

15 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be a period of grace before buildings have to improve energy performance ratings once the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive is in place.

Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency, to answer. His response is as follows:</p> <p>There will be no obligation to improve the energy performance of a building as a result of the directive.</p>

15 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be any compulsion to improve ratings for building energy performance under the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.

Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency, to answer. His response is as follows:</p> <p>There will be no obligation to improve the energy performance of a building as a result of the directive.</p>

15 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be any costs to householders for inspections under the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.

Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency, to answer. His response is as follows:</p> <p>There will be costs to be borne by building owners, when energy performance certification and inspection of air-conditioni…

15 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the implementation period will be for the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.

Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency, to answer. His response is as follows:</p> <p>The intention is that:</p><p>Articles 3, 4, 5 and 6 are implemented in April 2006 to align with the rest of the UK.</p><p>…

15 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many new inspectors will be needed to implement the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.

Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency, to answer. His response is as follows:</p> <p>It is considered unlikely that the directive will create many “new inspectors” per se. It is more likely that existing con…

15 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance will be given to pensioners to reduce their energy use.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive has invested over £200 million in our central heating and warm deal programmes installing over 60,000 central heating systems and providing insulation measures for a further 200,000 households. Our central heating programme provides pensioners w…