Des McNulty

12 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what actions are being taken and what funding has been allocated to prevent flooding along the River Clyde and, in particular, in the section between the Broomielaw and the Erskine Bridge.

Answer · Allan Wilson: It is important to emphasise that the primary responsibility for the prevention of flooding lies with the land and property owners concerned. In addition long standing planning advice, as incorporated in National Planning Policy Guideline 7, advises against n…

12 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what lottery funding was received by (a) Glasgow City, (b) Renfrewshire, (c) North Lanarkshire, (d) South Lanarkshire, (e) South Ayrshire, (f) Dundee City, (g) East Dunbartonshire and (h) West Dunbartonshire councils in each of the last three years.

Answer · Elaine Murray: The following table provides the detail requested for complete years 1999, 2000 and 2001 and to date for 2002:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=604><TR><TD WIDTH="23%" VALIGN="TOP">&nbsp;</TD><TD WIDTH="19%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>1999 (£)</TD><TD WIDT…

12 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a reclassification should be undertaken of major trunk roads throughout urban areas of Scotland to ensure that routes such as the A898 Clyde Tunnel can cope with increasing traffic flows.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The structure and extent of the strategic road network was last reviewed in 1994-96, as part of the reorganisation of local government. There are no plans to extend the trunk road network.

12 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the responsibilities for the safety and maintenance of the Clyde Tunnel should be the equivalent, for the purposes of Grant Aided Expenditure, to 760 metres of dual carriageway, or whether increased recognition should be given to the role the tunnel plays within the Greater Glasg…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE) assessments are calculated under a formula agreed with all local authorities through COSLA, and most recently reviewed in 2000. The GAE assessment for roads maintenance is calculated on the basis of weighted lane length, and alre…

11 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given to assisting Glasgow City Council in the funding of the maintenance and upgrade works being undertaken on the Clyde Tunnel.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The A739 Clyde Tunnel is a local road and is therefore the responsibility of Glasgow City Council. It is entirely a matter for the council to decide what priority should be given to the maintenance and upgrade works on the Clyde Tunnel.

11 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to transferring responsibility for the maintenance and upgrading of the A898 Clyde Tunnel from the local authority to it.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Responsibility for the A739 Clyde Tunnel rests with Glasgow City Council, while Scottish ministers are responsible for motorways and trunk roads. There are no plans to extend the trunk road network to include the tunnel.

11 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many three-year-olds are expected to benefit from the implementation of the provisions in the Standards in Scotland's Schools etc. Act 2000 on universal nursery education.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Under the Standards in Scotland's Schools etc Act, 2000, local authorities have a duty to secure pre-school education provision for all three- and four-year-old children whose parents wish it. <P>Information relating to participation rates for the spring term…

11 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve street safety throughout Dunbartonshire.

Answer · Richard Simpson: The level of funding provided to police forces is now at record levels as are police numbers.<P>It is an operational matter for the Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police to determine how to use the funding at his disposal to meet local needs and priorities wi…

11 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any proposals to repair or rebuild old schools in the Clydebank and Milngavie parliamentary constituency.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Proposals to repair or rebuild schools are the responsibility of the education authorities and do not, as a matter of course, have to be referred to the Scottish Executive. The authorities have substantial resources available to them through capital allocatio…

11 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give an update on the central heating installation programme in West Dunbartonshire.

Answer · Hugh Henry: West Dunbartonshire Council installed 72 central heating systems in their stock in 2001-02. Information on the number of installations in the private sector is not collected by local authority area. No housing associations in West Dunbartonshire are eligible …

11 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made with the one-stop health clinics initiative in Glasgow and whether there are any plans to introduce such clinics in the Clydebank and Milngavie parliamentary constituency.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following table lists the one-stop clinics that are currently in place across NHS Greater Glasgow. <P>It is for local NHS systems to plan, implement and manage services that best meet the needs of their local populations. I therefore suggest that North Gl…

11 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many small business start-ups there were in west Dunbartonshire over the last three years and how this number and the rate of business start-ups in the area compares to the average throughout Scotland.

Answer · Iain Gray: The following table shows the number of businesses registering for VAT in the period 1998 to 2000 in West Dunbarton and Scotland. This is the measure most commonly used to measure business births. It is not a complete picture as not all businesses register an…

11 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to assist small businesses in Dunbartonshire to take on more staff.

Answer · Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive is working directly with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise to improve the quality and consistency of support for business start-ups and small businesses throughout Scotland. A number of measures have been introduc…

11 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the cost per mile of travelling between Edinburgh and Glasgow by rail compares to similar journeys south of the border.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This information is not held centrally.

11 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance or other assistance has been given to local authorities such as West Dunbartonshire to (a) improve the efficacy of housing repairs and other maintenance, (b) reduce the amount of time taken to re-let council houses, (c) reduce the amount of rent lost due to voids and (d) red…

Answer · Hugh Henry: The Secure Tenants Right to Repair (Scotland) Regulations 1994 require local authorities to carry out urgent repairs within a specified time, however, the administration of the housing service is a matter for individual councils. In June 2000 the Accounts Com…

11 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to address the causes of homelessness and reduce the prevalence of homeless households in Dunbartonshire.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The primary statutory responsibility for dealing with homelessness rests with local authorities. The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, which increased local authority duties and homeless people's rights, also requires all authorities to develop, by March 2003, str…

11 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to assist long-term unemployed people in West Dunbartonshire.

Answer · Iain Gray: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government. Jobcentre Plus offers long-term unemployed people in West Dunbartonshire a range of services including access to New Deal programmes and an Action Team for Jobs to assist them into work. Scottish Executive i…

11 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the participation rate of young people in West Dunbartonshire has been in taking up new apprenticeships in each of the past three years and what actions will be taken to deliver more places and encourage more young people to take on apprenticeships.

Answer · Iain Gray: One hundred and forty-eight young people took up a Modern Apprenticeship (MA) in West Dunbartonshire in 1999-2000; 241 in 2000-01, and 261 in 2001-02.<P>The Scottish Executive has been working with the enterprise network on a national publicity campaign to ra…

11 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it has set to improve literacy and numeracy levels in the west of Scotland.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: National targets for literacy and numeracy are included in the Social Justice Milestones and in <I>Working Together for Scotland</I>. These are: to increase the proportion of children attaining appropriate levels in reading, writing and maths by the end of pr…

11 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive (a) how many more operations could be done each year by the NHS, (b) how many people could be taken off NHS waiting lists, (c) how many local jobs would be generated and (d) what the scope would be for bringing preventative services for cancer and heart disease to Clydebank if the Health…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the statement I made to Parliament on Thursday 20 June.

11 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what actions are being taken to encourage greater innovation within businesses and companies so that they are better placed to compete in international markets.

Answer · Iain Gray: The publications <I>A Smart, Successful Scotland</I> and <I>A Science Strategy for Scotland </I>set out the Executive's programme for competitiveness and growth. Innovation within companies is a key component in this strategy and the Executive and UK Governme…

11 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance can be given to companies in Dunbartonshire to boost their businesses through the worldwide web.

Answer · Iain Gray: Free or subsidised assistance is available to businesses throughout Scotland on all aspects and levels of ICT adoption, mostly through the enterprise networks. The e-business advisers based in Scottish Enterprise Dumbartonshire, funded by the UK online for bu…

11 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how successful Scottish Enterprise has been in attracting inward investment and new international companies to Dunbartonshire.

Answer · Iain Gray: In the five years to March 2001, Scottish Development International and its partners helped attract 15 projects to Dunbartonshire involving planned investment of over £51 million and the planned creation or safeguarding of almost 1,500 jobs.<P>Scottish Develo…

11 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how successful the Dunbartonshire Export Partnership has been in developing overseas business for companies in Dunbartonshire.

Answer · Iain Gray: Dunbartonshire Export Partnership is one of the 13 local export partnerships that cover the whole of Scotland, each of which plays an important role in focussing the trade development activities of the local enterprise company, local authority and Chamber of …

11 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been invested by Scottish Enterprise through its business start-up programme in Dunbartonshire and how successful the programme has been at providing assistance to individuals and teams planning to create businesses.

Answer · Iain Gray: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. With regard to wider evaluation matters, Scottish Enterprise launched their New Approach to Entrepreneurship in January 2002. This addresses a range of issues relevant to Scotland's business start-up rate…

10 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what regime will be operated at the proposed water treatment plant at Milngavie with respect to maintaining the optimal level of filtration, appropriate monitoring of the filter media and regularity of backwashing.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The operating regime at the proposed Milngavie water treatment works will be in accordance with industry best practice.

10 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the selected monitoring methodology at the proposed water treatment plant at Milngavie meets the world's best practice and reflects an accurate assessment of the prevalence of water-borne cryptosporidium.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The recovery rate for cryptosporidium oocysts using the monitoring methodology proposed for Milngavie is around 50%. However, the methodology proposed is the best currently available.

10 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what methodology has been selected by Scottish Water to monitor cryptosporidium in water supplies before and after treatment at the proposed water treatment plant at Milngavie; whether the chosen methodology meets relevant British and international standards, and whether the chosen method…

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Cryptosporidium (Scottish Water) Directions 2002 and the associated guidance issued by Scottish ministers in April 2002, specifies the necessary requirements for sampling and analysis for cryptosporidium in public water supplies. The method specified is u…

10 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which agency is responsible for ensuring that cryptosporidium is eliminated from drinking water supplies and does not reach customers' taps.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland is responsible for ensuring that public drinking water supplies are wholesome and meet the requirements of The Water Supply (Water Quality) (Scotland) Regulations.

10 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what penalties may be charged by Scottish Water against its contractors if cryptosporidium is found in the treated water after filtration by the proposed water treatment plant at Milngavie.

Answer · Ross Finnie: This is a contractural matter between Scottish Water and its contractors.