Parliamentary questions
David Mundell
955 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
26 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out any research into the effects on the health and competence of staff, either in the Scottish Ambulance Service or the health service in general, of preceding or following periods of full-time work with lengthy periods of "on-call" work and, if so, whether it will…
Answer · Susan Deacon: The health and safety of all staff in the NHS is of paramount importance. It is the clear responsibility of all NHS employers to ensure that they are doing all that they can to safeguard their staff.<FONT FACE="Arial, Helvetica" SIZE=2><P>While the Scottish E…
26 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has compiled or plans to compile statistics to show the times taken to respond to a call for assistance when that call is responded to by an ambulance which is being operated on an "on-call" basis and, if so, whether it will make these statistics available.
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 whether it is satisfied that the manning levels of the Annan Ambulance Service are sufficient to meet the needs of the geographic area covered by the station and to provide safe and healthy working conditions for those employed.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Ensuring that manning levels in the Annan area are sufficient to maintain patient safety and safe and healthy working conditions for staff are operational matters for the Scottish Ambulance Service to decide.
26 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to bring forward any proposals which will ensure that those students in the South of Scotland who require to study in the North of England out of geographic or social necessity rather than academic choice can do so on the same financial basis as students resident in Sco…
Answer · Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive has no plans to bring forward proposals to extend the package of support to Scottish domiciled students studying elsewhere in the UK. The Executive's view is that to do so would run the risk of the UK being held to be in breach of EU la…
24 Jan 2000 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Executive will take a leadership role in devising a strategy for Scotland to take advantage, socially and economically, of the opportunities offered by new and emerging information and communications technologies.
Answer · Donald Dewar: We are doing so. The Executive’s Digital Scotland initiative was debated here on 18 November last year. I believe there is general support for the initiative. It draws together a great deal of important work across the Executive and elsewhere in the public an…
18 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its staff are engaged in the task of promoting and supporting e-commerce.
Answer · Henry McLeish: E-commerce is an enabling technology and the term is capable of wide interpretation. It is estimated that there are currently 72 staff working within the core and associated departments of the Scottish Executive who are wholly or partly engaged in business pr…
18 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is an overlap between the respective remits of the Knowledge Economy Taskforce and the Digital Scotland Taskforce and how that overlap is to be managed.
Answer · Henry McLeish: Both the Knowledge Economy Taskforce and the Digital Scotland Taskforce are cross-cutting initiatives and there are clearly linkages between the work of both groups, although the Knowledge Economy Taskforce has a discrete interest in areas such as business in…
18 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are in place for liaison between the Digital Scotland Taskforce and the Knowledge Economy Taskforce.
Answer · Henry McLeish: Liaison between the two taskforces is maintained partly through common membership. I am a member of the Ministerial committee on Digital Scotland and am chairing the Developing the Knowledge Economy Taskforce. Mr Hugh Aitken of Sun Microsystems is also a memb…
18 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what is the most recent assessment it has made as to whether the A709 and A701 are suitable as strategic road links between Dumfries and the M74.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Neither the Scottish Office nor the Scottish Executive have undertaken further strategic assessment studies of the A709 or A701 since the A74(M) Dumfries Link Study.
17 Jan 2000 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer what consideration has been given to the use of videoconferencing facilities during meetings of the Committees of the Parliament.
Answer · David Steel: The committee conveners are aware of the availability of the video conferencing facilities in the Parliament and use will be made of them in appropriate circumstances.
17 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive Scottish Executive whether it is considering extending the system of rates relief which currently applies to rural shops and sub-post offices to pubs and small hotels.
Answer · Jack McConnell: No.
17 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are suitable routes for road travel between the M74 and Dumfries other than the A701, A709 and A75.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The A701, A709 and A75 are the principle routes between the A74 and Dumfries. All other routes are minor local roads more suitable for local traffic.
17 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-901 on 13 January 2000 by Sarah Boyack, whether it will publish the study which the Scottish Office conducted into the need for a strategic link road between Dumfries and the M74.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I have arranged for a copy of the Executive Summary Report (<I>Ironside Farrar, Halcrow Fox, Halcrow Scotland - A74(M) Dumfries Link Study Executive Summary</I>) to be lodged in SPICe.
12 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the First Minister will use his visit to Crichton Campus in Dumfries on 21 January as an opportunity to consider its suitability as the location of the headquarters of the Scottish University for Industry.
Answer · Henry McLeish: Detailed consideration is being given to a number of potential sites including the Crichton Campus. The purpose of the First Minister's visit on 21 January was to open officially the Crichton Campus which is a collaboration between the University of Glasgow, …
12 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Crichton Campus in Dumfries is one of the locations being considered for the headquarters of the Scottish University for Industry.
Answer · Henry McLeish: Detailed consideration is presently being given to a number of sites, including the Crichton Campus, to ensure a location that best meets the business requirements of the Scottish University for Industry is identified.
12 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what process is being used to determine the location of the headquarters for the Scottish University for Industry.
Answer · Henry McLeish: We will decide on a location for the Scottish University for Industry headquarters following a detailed option appraisal in the light of the business case. The option appraisal is being conducted by the Scottish Executive in collaboration with the Scottish Uf…
10 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has entered into discussions with Her Majesty's Government, local authorities or other bodies with a view to achieving a co-ordinated approach to the use of video conferencing facilities and, if so, what has been the outcome of those discussions.
Answer · Jack McConnell: Scottish Executive officials are discussing with colleagues in the Confederation of Scottish Local Authorities the further development of video conferencing among Scottish local authorities and between them and the Scottish Executive. The use of video confere…
10 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has commissioned any study into the comparative costs of travel by Ministers and officials to meetings and use of video conferencing facilities.
Answer · Jack McConnell: No such study has been commissioned. However, the Scottish Executive recognises that video conferencing is a very cost-effective means of conducting meetings in certain circumstances. We are continuing to develop and extend the use of video conferencing where…
10 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any guidelines on the use of video conferencing facilities have been issued to Ministers and their officials and, if so, what these guidelines are.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive's good practice guidance on meetings, available to all Ministers and officials of the Scottish Executive, advises anyone arranging a meeting to consider the options available, including video conferencing. Operational guidance on the us…
10 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what video conferencing facilities are available to Ministers and officials.
Answer · Jack McConnell: There are video conferencing facilities in each of the main Scottish Executive buildings in Edinburgh and Glasgow. These are available for use by Scottish Ministers and officials of the Executive. In addition there are facilities in the offices of the Scotlan…
10 Jan 2000 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has commissioned any study into the comparative costs of travel by members to meetings and use of video conferencing facilities.
Answer · David Steel: No, but the SPCB is keen to ensure the most efficient and effective use of available resources and would encourage members always to consider use of video conferencing facilities as an alternative to travel. Parliament staff will shortly issue further guidanc…
10 Jan 2000 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer what steps the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has taken to promote the use of the video conferencing facilities in the Parliament buildings.
Answer · David Steel: Promotion of video conferencing facilities has been limited. We plan to address this in the near future and could use global e-mails plus possibly enlist the help of WHISP.<P>A paper to the Convener Liaison Group in December 1999 proposed greater use of video…
10 Jan 2000 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer what use has been made of the video conferencing facilities in Parliament buildings to date.
Answer · David Steel: Video conferencing facilities at the Parliament have been used by Members and staff to connect to a number of academic establishments, to Scottish Executive sites, and as part of an international link-up in conjunction with the United Nations AIDS conference …
10 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what weight it gives to the need to police the M74 and A75 when considering the allocation of resources to Dumfries and Galloway Police Force.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The allocation of police officers to specific individual tasks is an operational matter for Chief Constables. The 2000-01 GAE settlement took into account a needs assessment made by individual forces.
5 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has issued or intends to issue any mandatory requirements or guidelines in relation to local authority spending per secondary school pupil taking into account si'e of school.
Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer given to Question S1W-3552.
5 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has taken steps to investigate any significant deviations between local authorities in average spend per secondary school pupil, taking into account si'e of school and, if so, what the outcome of those investigations is.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The detailed decisions on levels of school funding are matters for individual education authorities and depend on a range of factors and local circumstances which they will take into account. Accordingly, we do not investigate authorities' school expenditure …
5 Jan 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its reasons are for deleting a strategic road link between Dumfries and the M74 from the Dumfries and Galloway Structure Plan.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: A study by the (former) Scottish Office concluded that there is no need for a new road from the A74(M) to Dumfries. The Scottish Executive is content that the existing strategic road links are satisfactory.
21 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to investigate the scope for the further use of Alternative Dispute Resolution in the Scottish civil justice system.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive is interested in investigating the possibility of widening the scope for the use of alternative dispute resolution in the civil justice system, where it is feasible and appropriate. Research is currently being undertaken on the effectiv…
21 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers it to be acceptable practice that a letter sent to the Minister for Justice by a member on 30 September 1999 on behalf of a constituent (Mr Peter Crouch) should remain unacknowledged on 21 December 1999.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Unfortunately, there is no trace of the letter referred to and it appears that it was never received. If the member wishes to provide me with another copy I will ensure that it is answered as quickly as possible.
21 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will put in place to ensure that the waste management and minerals plans referred to in the Dumfries and Galloway Structure Plan will be completed as expeditiously as possible.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The responsibility for ensuring that the plans referred to are completed as expeditiously as possible rests with Dumfries and Galloway Council.