Parliamentary questions

David Mundell

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

14 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken in order to promote awareness of digital television.

Answer · Elaine Murray: Broadcasting is a reserved matter and this issue is therefore for UK ministers. The UK Government published the Digital Television Action Plan on 21 December 2001, setting out the action being taken to facilitate the take-up of digital television.

14 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what emphasis it places on the perspective of the consumer when formulating and developing policies and strategies for the knowledge economy.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Delivery of customer focused services which are built around the needs and views of Scotland's citizens is at the heart of the Executive's agenda. A key message from the Scottish Executive Report on the Cross-cutting Issue of the Knowledge Economy is t…

12 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many railway stations have been adapted to fulfil the requirements of access for all.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is not held centrally.

6 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the results of the consultation on priorities for the development of the passenger rail network have yet been presented to the Strategic Rail Authority.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Strategic Priorities for Scotland's Passenger Railway: Response to the Consultation Paper was published in June 2001 and a copy was sent to the Strategic Rail Authority.

6 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the more than 30-year-old Mark 1 slam-door carriages are still in operation.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: These are operational matters for the rail industry. I understand, however, that no such carriages are used by operators of rail passenger franchises in Scotland.

6 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the installation of the Train Protection Warning System at signals on the rail network is near completion.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This is an operational matter for Railtrack. I understand that the installation of TPWS in Scotland is scheduled for completion in early 2003.

6 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are proposed to address any overcrowding on the Fife circle railway line.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is committed to making special grant payments to Fife Council totalling £2.384 million spread over financial years 2000-01 to 2003-04 inclusive, in support of additional rail services in Fife. In addition, the Executive are committed to…

4 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution it made to the Moffat Hills Wild Goat Framework Plan.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive was not involved in the Moffat Hills Wild Goat Framework Plan, which was prepared by Scottish Natural Heritage.

4 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with local authorities on limiting damage and nuisance caused by seagulls.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The last meeting with local authority representatives to discuss this subject took place in September 2000. Policy in relation to problems caused by gulls is clear and well-established.Where a threat to public health or public safety exists, local authorit…

4 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated costs will be to local authorities in 2002-03 of the increased rates of employers' National Insurance Contributions.

Answer · Peter Peacock: We do not make separate estimates for the wide range of individual factors that might impact on local authority expenditure levels. The actual costs of National Insurance Contributions by local authority employers will depend, in part, on local policy choices…

4 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost will be to the NHS in 2002-03 of the increased rates of employers' National Insurance Contributions.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The actual cost of employer's National Insurance Contributions is dependent on the staff mix within each NHS board. The overall costs are not held centrally but will be available from each NHS board.The cost of employer's National Insurance Contributions w…

4 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce a pilot scheme, similar to the one in England, whereby speed cameras are painted yellow to make them more visible to motorists thereby encouraging them to reduce their speed.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive agrees with the proposals to make speed cameras more conspicuous. Discussions are taking place with the police and other interested parties to determine how best this should be done.

1 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the plans to tackle trespass and vandalism on railways as announced in the strategic plan of the Strategic Rail Authority.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Railway safety is a reserved matter. This includes issues surrounding trespass and vandalism. It is for the Health and Safety Executive, in conjunction with the Strategic Rail Authority, to set out plans to tackle trespass and vandalism.

1 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will describe the improved operational flexibility for trains at Dumfries and Dunblane as announced in the strategic plan of the Strategic Rail Authority.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: These are operational matters for the rail industry. I understand, however, that the improvements to operational flexibility for trains at both Dumfries and Dunblane are intended to reduce train turn-around times.

1 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the new train crew depot at Dumfries as announced in the strategic plan of the Strategic Rail Authority is due for completion.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This is an operational matter for ScotRail. I understand, however, that this depot began operation in August 2001, and is expected to become fully operational in the course of this year.

1 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a start date for the Edinburgh Airport rail link as announced in the strategic plan of the Strategic Rail Authority and how the link will be funded.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answers given to questions S1W-22082 and S1W-22083 on 4 February 2002.

1 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to ensure that all students emerging from college and university are familiar with and have the skills with which to feel confident about operating information and communications technologies.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-22310 on 7 February 2002.

1 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to stimulate the creation of a sustainable life sciences industry.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Sector-specific support and growth of biotechnology companies indigenous to Scotland and from outwith Scotland is taken forward by Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development International. The Scottish Enterprise Biotechnology Cluster team has implemente…

1 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to create an E-Commerce Institute in Scotland since the publication of its Report on The Knowledge Economy Cross-Cutting Initiative.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The development of collaborative work to improve links between academia and industry in the field of e-commerce technologies is the responsibility of Scottish Enterprise. Its e-commerce strategy includes references to this work and can be found in <A HREF="ht…

1 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive where the statistics and information which it and Scottish Enterprise publish which benchmark Scotland's performance in adopting e-commerce against international competitors can be found, as referred to in section 2.9 of its Report on the Knowledge Economy Cross-Cutting Initiative.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Scottish Enterprise has responsibility for commissioning research to benchmark Scotland's e-business performance and the results of the latest survey can be found on:<A HREF="http://www.ecommerce-scotland.org/internationalbenchmarking/">http://www.ecommerc…

1 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21287 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 16 January 2002, when the Accessing Telecoms Links Across Scotland project by Scottish Enterprise will be completed.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Scottish Enterprise launched phase 1 of the Accessing Telecoms Links Across Scotland project (ATLAS) on 4 February 2002. The project has the aim of substantially cutting high bandwidth telecoms costs for Scottish businesses. Phase 1 of Project ATLAS will be o…

1 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21265 by Mr Andy Kerr on 16 January 2002, how it plans to promote the e-Government Interoperability Framework across public bodies.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21249 on 17 January 2002. In addition to the information given there, the bidding guidance for the Modernising Government Fund (MGF) states that all MGF projects will be required to comply with the intero…

1 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21276 by Iain Gray on 16 January 2002, what qualities and qualifications a Digital Champion needs to possess.

Answer · Iain Gray: The advertisement for the Digital Champion posts stated the requirements as follows:A Degree qualification in a related discipline, for example IT, preferably allied to a relevant post graduate qualification. You will have at least four years experience in…

1 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21264 by Mr Andy Kerr on 16 January 2002, when e-voting will become an option for Scottish voters.

Answer · Andy Kerr: It is possible that e-voting pilots will be available in 2003. However, this will depend on the final proposals being agreed with all relevant parties, including the Scottish Executive, local authorities and the Electoral Commission.

1 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21263 by Mr Andy Kerr on 16 January 2002, what projects it is currently piloting which are using new technology in order to increase online consultation.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive is increasing its use of electronic methods to engage the public in consultation. The Scottish Executive website is being redesigned to improve e-consultation opportunities, and more Scottish Executive consultations are using electronic…

1 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21284 by Iain Gray on 16 January 2002, how many local champions it now has employed.

Answer · Iain Gray: There are eight (full-time equivalent) Digital Champions and one national manager for the Digital Champions programme employed by Scottish Enterprise on behalf of, and funded by, the Executive.

1 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much Scotland will receive of the #7.6 billion investment by Her Majesty's Government on science, engineering and technology in 2003-04.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The total provisional expenditure referred to, which is shown in Table 2 of the Department of Trade and Industry's publication The Forward Look 2001, includes budget figures for a variety of programmes, some of which apply only in England; some apply o…

30 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the South of Scotland Pathfinder Group as referred to in Connecting Scotland: Our broadband future, (a) how many times the group has met, (b) when the group last met, (c) what the membership of the group is and (d) what funding it has made available to the group.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The South of Scotland Pathfinder Steering Group has met three times, most recently on 20 December 2001. In addition to formal meetings of the steering group, more frequent meetings have taken place at working level.The steering group consists of 12 members…

30 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S10-3907 and S1W-20775 by Mr Jack McConnell and Nicol Stephen on 4 October 2001 and 7 January 2002 respectively, whether local authorities which are not successful in whole or in part in the bidding process for funding to improve school buildings will …

Answer · Nicol Stephen: First round bids had to be submitted by 14 December 2001 and there is a deadline of 30 September 2002 for second round bids. Scottish Executive Education Department circular 8/2001 indicated that "there may be some constraint on the extent to which unsuccessf…

30 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1O-3907 and S1W-20775 by Mr Jack McConnell and Nicol Stephen on 4 October 2001 and 7 January 2002 respectively, whether any account is taken of rurality in the bidding process for funding to improve school buildings.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Bids are being assessed against the assessment criteria set out in Scottish Executive Education Department circular 8/2001. These criteria apply equally to bids which include proposals for schools in rural or non-rural areas.