Parliamentary questions

David Mundell

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

6 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed residential housing development at Pettinan, South Lanarkshire meets national planning policy guidelines and, if not, what steps it intends to take in relation to the development.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: This is a matter for South Lanarkshire Council in the first instance. As the application may be notified to the Scottish Ministers I am unable to comment on whether the proposal is in accordance with National Planning Policy Guidelines.

2 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to establish a transport authority, similar to that being considered for the Highlands and Islands, for any part of the South of Scotland.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Executive has no such plans. The consideration being given to a Transport Authority for the Highlands and Islands reflects the potential for devolving central Government responsibilities for Caledonian MacBrayne and Highlands & Islands Airports L…

2 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what factors it will take into account in assessing the needs of travellers in the South of Scotland when making recommendations to the Strategic Rail Authority for the franchises providing passenger rail services in Scotland which do not both begin and end in Scotland.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive's strategic priorities for Scotland's railways will take account of the needs of travellers in the South of Scotland and elsewhere in the country. A range of factors will be considered including opportunities for improving capacity, jou…

2 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what factors it will take into account in assessing the needs of travellers in the South of Scotland when issuing directions and guidance to the Strategic Rail Authority for the franchise providing passenger rail services which begin and end in Scotland.

2 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether in principle it supports or opposes the re-opening of Beattock railway station.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Any consideration of the re-opening of a railway station at Beattock will have to be set against the Scottish Executive's strategic priorities for Scotland's railways. Once identified, these priorities will underpin the directions and guidance that will be is…

2 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3358 by Sarah Boyack on 25 February 2000, whether it will give any support to the conducting of a feasibility study into the re-opening of the railway station at Beattock.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has no plans to support a feasibility study into the re-opening of the railway station at Beattock.

2 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to assess changes in public awareness of dietary issues and what the results are of any such assessment which has already taken place.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Health Education Population Surveys, undertaken by the Health Education Board for Scotland, include information about the level of public awareness of health-related risk factors. The Board's 1997 Survey, published last year, indicated that the majority o…

2 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to increase public awareness of the issues identified in Eating for Health: A Diet Action Plan for Scotland.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Health Education Board for Scotland, as the national agency for health education in Scotland, is at the forefront of the Scottish Executive's drive to improve Scotland's diet and to increase public awareness of the benefits to health of a balanced diet.<P…

2 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the current status is of the Dietary Targets for Scotland in 2005, set in 1993.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish dietary targets were set in 1994. Their continuing relevance was confirmed in the White Paper, <I>Towards a Healthier Scotland</I>, published in February 1999 and endorsed by the Scottish Parliament the following September.

2 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any powers to review the decision by Dumfries and Galloway Council to grant planning permission to West of Scotland Water to extend and develop the Annan Sewerage Works and, if so, whether it will conduct such a review.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive does not have powers to review the decision to grant planning permission.

2 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the mechanisms through which the Scottish Environment Protection Agency is accountable to the public.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency's (SEPA's) operating arrangements are set out in a formal Management Statement agreed with the Scottish Executive. This records how SEPA is held to account, through a structure of planning, reporting and performance …

2 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the powers and responsibilities of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The powers and responsibilities of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) are kept under continual review to take account of new and proposed duties arising from European and domestic legislation. In accordance with normal arrangements for Non-Depa…

2 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm that it has no plans to make any operational changes at Dumfries Young Offenders Institution which could lead to a significant reduction in the number of inmates.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Prison Service has no plans at present to make any operational changes at Dumfries Young Offenders Institution which would lead to a significant reduction in the number of inmates.

2 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what is the purpose of the visit by the Minister for Justice to the Dumfries Young Offenders Institution on 31 March.

Answer · Jim Wallace: To meet the Governor and staff, observe the regime and view the recently refurbished halls.

25 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has changed, or has any plans to change, the way its responsibilities for roads in Dumfries and Galloway are administered; if so, what the purpose of such changes is and what consultation has been carried out.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has made no recent changes in the way its responsibilities for trunk roads in Dumfries and Galloway are administered. At present the management of the operation and maintenance of these roads are undertaken by the South West Partnership…

25 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will be sending representatives to the Second Global Knowledge Conference In Kuala Lumpur on 7 March 2000 and, if so, whom it will send.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: The Scottish Executive did not send representatives to the Second Global Knowledge Conference in Kuala Lumpur.

16 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a national strategy for the distribution of traffic and weather information to motorists and other travellers and, if so, what measures are in place to monitor its effectiveness.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The national strategy for the distribution of traffic information to motorists and other travellers is carried out through the National Driver Information and Control System (NADICS) which provides 24 hour a day traffic monitoring of the busy parts of the tru…

9 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what schemes it currently supports which facilitate community groups producing documentary films about their own communities.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: The Great Northern Social Inclusion Partnership and the Working for Communities programme in Aberdeen support community film and video film making. Scottish Screen supports the Glasgow Film and Video Workshop's Cineworks, which is open to applications through…

9 Feb 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for implementing recommendations 20 to 23 on pigeon issues set out in the report of the UK Raptor Working Group.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer Mr Mundell to my answer to question S1W-4163 in which I indicated that I have asked SNH for advice on the recommendations contained in the UK Raptor Working Group Report and how they might be implemented in Scotland.

4 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to establish targets in schools and across the workforce for IT literacy.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Through the Programme for Government we are committed to ensuring that by 2003 school leavers have an understanding of information technology. For adults, we are considering whether discounts on computer literacy courses might be offered through individual le…

4 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to set up mechanisms to measure and monitor the development of e-commerce in Scotland.

Answer · Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive is working in conjunction with the ONS and DTI through the Inter-departmental Group on E-commerce statistics, set up following the PIU Report <A HREF="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</A><FONT FACE="Arial, Helvetica…

1 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has published any guidelines for local authorities on the gritting of roads during winter weather conditions and, if so, whether it will place a copy in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Local authorities carry out winter maintenance duties on all motorways, with the exception of the M74 between Millbank and Gretna, and trunk roads on behalf of the Scottish Executive in accordance with the requirements of the term management and maintenance c…

1 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the light of the availability of supply teachers, it has issued or intends to issue any policy guidelines on the continued employment of teachers who have reached retirement age and wish to continue in a teaching capacity.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: The employment of supply teachers is a matter for local authorities. I would expect them to take due account of the impact on children's education when deciding whom to employ. There are no statutory impediments to retired teachers providing supply cover.

31 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which Minister last met with Her Majesty's Government's Minister for e-commerce and what was discussed.

Answer · Henry McLeish: The First Minister met Patricia Hewitt at the meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee on the Knowledge Economy held in Edinburgh on 11 February. The discussion centred on areas where joint working and exchanges of information between the United Kingdo…

31 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussions with Her Majesty's Government about the role and responsibilities within Scotland of Alex Allan, its "e-envoy", and, if so, what the outcome was.

Answer · Henry McLeish: Alex Allan took up post as e-envoy in January. The e-envoy chairs meetings of the Information Age Government Champions Network and the Executive's representative within that network attended two such meetings last month. Mr Allan met Scottish Executive repres…

31 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what is the division of responsibilities between it and Her Majesty's Government's Minister for e-commerce, in particular for e-commerce and for new and emerging information and communication technologies in general.

Answer · Henry McLeish: The e-minister is responsible for e-commerce issues relating to reserved matters and the Scottish Executive is responsible for e-commerce issues relating to devolved matters.

31 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to carry out the actions recommended in the report by the Cabinet Office entitled [email protected].

Answer · Henry McLeish: A range of actions is already in hand. Many of the report's recommendations concern reserved matters which are being taken forward at a UK level. On those recommendations for which the Scottish Executive has responsibility we will be contributing to a compreh…

26 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines it has issued to the Scottish Ambulance Service on the appropriate balance between full time manned services and the provision of "on-call" services at ambulance stations.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The issue of balancing full-time manned services and on-call arrangements at ambulance stations is a matter for the management of the Scottish Ambulance Service to consider. The Scottish Executive has not issued any specific guidelines on this issue but has i…

26 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the most recent available data on the use of "on-call" services by the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive has no plans to compile and publish such statistics. This is an operational matter for the Scottish Ambulance Service. Each of its eight Management Divisions routinely review the workload and performance of ambulance stations, including…

26 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress the Scottish Ambulance Service has made in implementing the provisions of the EU Working Time Directive and what the anticipated timescale is for full compliance.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Most of the provisions of the EU Working Time Directive present no difficulty for the Scottish Ambulance Service and are already in place. There remain, however, a number of issues to be addressed. The Scottish Ambulance Service has established a Joint Worki…