Des McNulty

25 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21295 by Tavish Scott on 19 December 2005, how much of the £360 million per annum provided for roads in 2006-07 and 2007-08 will be made available to East Dunbartonshire Council.

Answer · Tavish Scott: A total of £5.468 million will be made available to East Dunbartonshire Council in both 2006-07 and 2007-08. This represents an increase of 25% over the 2005-06 allocation of £4.390 million to East Dunbartonshire Council.</p>

25 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which water treatment works in the United Kingdom and abroad use similar membrane filtration technology to that employed at Scottish Water’s Invercannie water treatment works.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Detailed information about the application of individual treatment processes in Scotland and elsewhere is not held centrally. Scottish Water will be able to provide you with information about such technology in Scotland, and I will ask the Chief Executive to …

25 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost is of maintaining the Forth and Clyde Canal.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Basic maintenance costs of the Forth and Clyde canal total approximately £1.85 million per annum.</p>

25 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many people make regular use of the Forth and Clyde Canal.

Answer · Tavish Scott: British Waterways do not collect data on how many people make regular use of the Forth and Clyde canal. Information on the total number of visits is given in the answer to question S2W-22643 on 3 February 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions a…

25 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many people used the Forth and Clyde Canal in each of the last five years.

Answer · Tavish Scott: British Waterways hold the following information:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Year</p></td> <td> <p>Towpath Visits</p></td> </tr> </thead> <tr> <td> <p>2002</p></td> <td> <p>7,619,00…

25 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many watercraft have made use of the Falkirk Wheel since it opened.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The following number of watercraft journeys have been made through the Falkirk Wheel since it opened:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Year</p></td> <td> <p>Number of Craft</p></td> </tr> </thead> …

25 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to using sporting facilities in West Dunbartonshire and East Dunbartonshire should Glasgow’s bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games be successful.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Should Glasgow’s 2014 Commonwealth Games bid be successful the consideration of which facilities host events will be made by the venues planning sub-group.</p> <p>No firm decision on venues has yet been made. However, the Scottish Executive and Glasgow City C…

25 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how local authorities neighbouring Glasgow might benefit from a successful bid by Glasgow for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: It is likely that there would be a number of benefits. These include:</p> <p>increased tourism and other associated business benefits;</p><p>the opportunity to host training and preparation camps for competing countries;</p><p>increased elite sporting success…

25 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance is available to people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Decisions on care and support are matters for clinicians in consultation with the individual and the relevant multi-agency professional staff. Care arrangements should be based on individually assessed needs involving carers and family members as appropriate.…

25 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were detained under the (a) Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984 and (b) Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 in 2004-05, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Details on detention numbers for Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984 and Criminal Procedures (Scotland) Act 1995 in 2004-05, broken down by Health Board area and local authority can be found in the tables entitled <i>Mental Health Detentions  2004-2005</i>, cop…

16 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what studies have been conducted concerning the economic and social benefits which would accrue to West Dunbartonshire following the construction of the Yoker relief road.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Any studies conducted inconnection with the construction of the Yoker relief road are a matter for West Dunbartonshire and City of Glasgow Council as the local roads authorities.</p>

16 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance would be available to West Dunbartonshire Council and Glasgow City Council to construct the Yoker relief road following a successful appraisal of the project.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Executive has madeavailable additional funding of £60 million per annum to Scottish localauthorities for improving local roads in 2006-07 and 2007-08 as part of SpendingReview 2004.</p><p>The establishment of the newstatutory Regional Transport Partnershi…

16 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, following the £400,000 allocated from the Cities Growth Fund to West Dunbartonshire Council to resource the design and environmental appraisal of the Yoker relief road, what the expected timescale is for construction of the road.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The design and constructiontimetable of the Yoker relief road is a matter for West Dunbartonshire Council andthe City of Glasgow Council as the local roads authorities.</p>

16 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what powers the Scottish Road Works Commissioner will have to ensure that East Dunbartonshire Council expedites any local road maintenance works that are long overdue.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The prioritisation andprogramming of local road maintenance works is the responsibility of EastDunbartonshire Council as the roads authority for the area. It will not be withinthe remit of the Scottish Road Works Commissioner to intervene in such matters.</p>…

16 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Road Works Commissioner will be appointed.

Answer · Tavish Scott: It is intended that the ScottishRoad Works Commissioner should be appointed by the summer of 2006.</p>

11 Jan 2006 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the new cardiothoracic centre at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital will have on combating heart disease.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The establishment of the centreat the Golden Jubilee National Hospital will enable the creation of a state-of-the-artcardiothoracic facility for the west of Scotland, five years earlier than originally planned. It willbe one of the largest centres in the UK f…

13 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18913 by Mr Tom McCabe on 13 September 2005, what further progress can be reported in relation to the publication of the Construction Procurement Manual, announced during the Parliamentary debate which followed the publication of the Holyrood Inquiry…

Answer · Tom McCabe: The <i>Construction Procurement Manual</i> will be published on the Scottish Executive’s website today. Along with complementary changes to the <i>Scottish Public Finance Manual</i>, the revised guidance addresses a number of measures relating to the procurem…

12 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to report on the performance and integrity of National Statistacs in Scotland.

Answer · Tom McCabe: I am pleased to announce the publication of the Chief Statistician’s Annual Report for the year 2004-05. This sets out progress on the development of statistics and on the performance of the Scottish Executive in relation to the principles and procedures set …

9 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland, 2003-04 will be published.

Answer · Tom McCabe: <i>Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland, 2003-04</i> will be published on Wednesday 14 December. I am pleased to announce that the National Statistician has approved it to be a National Statistics publication. This means that it meets the quality st…

7 Dec 2005 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many new agencies and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) have been created since May 2003; what the total cost has been, and how many people they employ.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Six new NDPBs and four Executive Agencies have been established since May 2003. Current Scottish Executive funding for these bodies totals £21.6 million and they currently employ a total of 257 staff, including casual/temporary staff.</p>

6 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question 20891 by Ben Bradshaw MP on 31 October 2005 (Official Report, c 690W), why it has not taken a position on the Environmental Levy on Plastic Bags (Scotland) Bill when its Extended Impact Assessment concluded that there would be a broad environmental disbe…

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Extended Impact Assessment concluded that the proposed levy on plastic bags would achieve net environmental benefits in five out of eight environmental indicators. It also concluded, however, that there would an increase in the amount of waste arising in …

1 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-34502 by Mr Andy Kerr on 23 March 2003, what the grant aided expenditure settlement allocation was for (a) East Dunbartonshire Council and (b) West Dunbartonshire Council in (i) 2004-05 and (ii) 2005-06, showing the annual percentage change since 200…

Answer · Tom McCabe: Details of the Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE) allocations for East Dunbartonshire and West Dunbartonshire Councils are set out in the following table.</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Council</p></td> <td…

1 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to reduce alcohol-related road deaths.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive provides funding to Road Safety Scotland for the development of key road safety education initiatives and publicity messages. Road Safety Scotland provides publicity to complement enforcement campaigns, focussing on drink driving, organ…

1 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what new road safety projects have been supported in the (a) West Dunbartonshire and (b) East Dunbartonshire local authority area in each of the last eight years.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Local authorities are responsible for safety on local roads in their area. Scottish ministers provide local authorities with revenue and capital allocations for expenditure on a number of services, including roads and transport, which may be used for local ro…

1 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the capital consent has been for (a) East Dunbartonshire Council and (b) West Dunbartonshire Council in each year since 1997.

Answer · Tom McCabe: General and specific capital consents allocated under section 94, local government (Scotland) Act 1973 to East and West Dunbartonshire Councils are as follows:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td rowspan="2"> <p>&nbsp…

1 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many young people in the (a) West Dunbartonshire and (b) East Dunbartonshire local authority area have received education maintenance allowances in each year since 2001.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The numbers of young people inreceipt of Education Maintenance Allowances (EMAs) in (a) West Dunbartonshire and(b) East Dunbartonshire are as follows:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Academic Year</p> </td> <td> …

1 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps will be taken to ensure the protection of the existing trade union recognition agreements for workers employed by Caledonian MacBrayne on the Clyde and Hebrides lifeline ferry services.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The service specification for the tendering process will recognise the role of the trade unions and will seek information from potential operators on how they intend to work and develop relations with those organisations. The successful operator will be expec…

1 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps will be taken to ensure that existing workforce agreements, applicable to the Caledonian MacBrayne workforce, are protected after tendering the Clyde and Hebrides lifeline ferry services.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Executive is of the view that the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE) is likely to be applicable to any staff transfer arising from the tendering of the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services. This means that transferring emp…

1 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of its commitment for Caledonian MacBrayne employees to receive actuarially equivalent pension funds, whether the Executive or the operator of the Clyde and Hebrides lifeline ferry services will be responsible in the long term for ensuring the value of the pensions.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive is working closely with the Caledonian MacBrayne and the Trustees of the Caledonian MacBrayne Pension Fund in an effort to finalise this aspect of the proposed restructuring of the company in preparation for the tendering exercise. Thes…

1 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will involve trade unions in both the pre-qualification and tendering process for the contract to run the Clyde and Hebrides lifeline ferry services.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executiveintends to discuss with the STUC and relevant trade unions the integrity of thetender competition at all stages.</p>