Parliamentary questions
Fergus Ewing
2,894 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
10 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will invite the Auditor General for Scotland to investigate the implications of the Skye Bridge contract for future public finance initiatives and whether the public funding allocated under the contract represented good use of public money.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive has no plans to in this regard.</p>
10 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much public funding was allocated in respect of the Skye Bridge and how much funding Skye Bridge Limited received in (a) tolls and (b) subsidies in each year since the bridge was opened.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The total cost of the Skye Bridge project was £39 million, of which some £15 million was publicly funded. Both these figures are quoted at 1991 prices.</p><p>Toll receipts totalled £33,370,829 in cash terms between October 1995 and September 2004. This includ…
10 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place a copy of the contract documents in respect of the Skye Bridge contract in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Copies of the contract documents have been made available today in the Parliament’s Reference Centre. The documents lodged are as follows:</p><p>The Invergarry - Kyle of Lochalsh Trunk Road (A87) Extension (Skye Bridge Crossing) Toll Order 199- Assignation St…
5 Jan 2005 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the rationale is for the provision of free drinking water for school children and whether the provision of free milk would give better nutritional value.
Answer · Euan Robson: The Scottish Executive is fully committed to improving the health and diet of young people. As part of this we aim to ensure that all schools take on the recommendations made by the Expert Panel on School Meals, one of which was that fresh free drinking water…
17 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2O-4586 by Nicol Stephen on 16 December 2004, whether the Minister for Transport will make a statement to the Parliament on progress being made on proposals for the funding of devolved rail functions.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-13619 on 18 January 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:</p><p><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.u…
8 Dec 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding will be allocated for the rail functions to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: A fair and appropriate sum will be transferred to the Executive. Detailed discussions are currently being held with the Department for Transport. This work is being given high priority.</p>
6 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its procurement policy for purchasing food for schools and other public sector establishments requires simplifying or streamlining; which consultants have been appointed to oversee the implementation of the policy and at what cost; whether it plans to carry out any consultations o…
Answer · Tom McCabe: The fundamental aim of public sector procurement legislation and policy is to ensure that goods and services are purchased on the basis of fair competition and represent value for money. Buyers must satisfy themselves that specifications are justifiable in te…
6 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the running costs will be of the proposed Centre for Confidence and Well-Being; whether the Chief Executive and/or the directors will be remunerated and, if so, what the details are of the proposed remuneration and/or expenses; how much funding the centre will receive from (a) the Ex…
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Centre for Confidence and Well-Being launched on 2 December is an independent organisation and the remuneration of its chief executive and directors, its running costs and sources of private funding are matters for it.</p><p>The Scottish Executive has agr…
6 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make a ministerial statement regarding the buy out of the PFI of Inverness Airport Terminal; whether it will provide an estimate of the costs of buying out the PFI, and whether it recognises potential benefits from the buy out for the economy of the Highlands and Inverness i…
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) has recently undertaken a full review of the PFI contract at Inverness Airport Terminal and the impact of a buy-out on the airport and the wider economy. With the support of the Executive, HIAL is now seeking to s…
6 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a calculation of the savings which it expects Scottish Natural Heritage to deliver through "a reduction in time spent travelling between offices", as referred to in Building a Better Scotland: Efficient Government Securing Efficiency, Effectiveness and Pro…
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-12854, answered on 21 December 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.scottish.pa…
6 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a detailed breakdown of the savings it plans to achieve in the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Scottish Natural Heritage, as referred to in Building a Better Scotland: Efficient Government Securing Efficiency, Effectiveness and Productivity.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: As stated in <i>Building a Better Scotland: Efficient Government Securing Efficiency</i>, <i>Effectiveness and Productivity</i>, Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Scottish Natural Heritage are in the process of developing efficiency plans, and we ant…
6 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what investment it has made since 1999 in the economy and infrastructure of Nairn.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive channels support for business and skills development through Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). Since April 1999, £4,486,096 has been approved by HIE through its local enterprise company, Inverness and Nairn Enterprise, to assist p…
6 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-11627 by Nicol Stephen on 19 November 2004, whether it is yet in a position to publish copies of the franchise agreement between it and First Group plc.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The parties to the franchise agreement are the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA), Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive and First ScotRail. As stated in S2W-11627 answered on the 19<sup> </sup>November 2004, the SRA are under a statutory obligation to publis…
6 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will respond to the business case for the Borders Railway; whether the response will be made in a ministerial statement to the Parliament, and whether it envisages that there will be an opportunity to question the Minister for Transport on the matter.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive continues to consider the Waverley Railway’s outline business case and the implications of the current delay in the parliamentary process. An announcement will be made soon.</p>
6 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a statement regarding the Skye Bridge tolls and, if so, when; whether it will provide the Parliament with a detailed explanation for any such statement, in particular including the calculation of any payment to be made to buy out the owners of the PFI in respect of t…
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The tolling regime on the Skye Bridge was ended on 21 December 2004. The Parliament was informed in response to question <strong>S2W-12790</strong> also on that day, which was before the Christmas recess. The final payment to Skye Bridge Ltd (SBL) is expected…
6 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether personnel have been leaving NHS 24 and, if so, how many nurses have left in each of the last 12 months.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The table below indicates the number of nurses who have left <u>and</u> joined NHS 24 over the past 12 months. A number of the nurses who have left have done so to take up promoted posts in other parts of the NHS and to utilise the new skills they have learne…
6 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will direct, or invite, the City of Edinburgh Council to seek approval from the Electoral Commission of the proposed wording of the question in the forthcoming referendum on toll proposals and of the proposal to send to each household a leaflet setting out the council's plans;…
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The wording of the question in the forthcoming non statutory referendum on the Council’s Local Transport Strategy is a matter for the City of Edinburgh Council. The Executive has not provided funding for the referendum, nor the associated information campaign…
6 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that the service provided by NHS 24 is adequate and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Now fully operational, NHS 24 has achieved its key business plan objective of providing ready access to health care assessments, advice and information for the whole population of Scotland. In addition NHS 24 is providing a vital call handling service for pat…
6 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether NHS 24 staff responding to calls from patients are entitled to refuse to telephone a local GP and, if so, under what circumstances.
Answer · Andy Kerr: NHS 24 staff will pass a caller’s details to the relevant local out-of-hours services when it is assessed that the patient’s needs will be met most appropriately by contact with a GP. The out-of-hours service will in turn pass the call to the GP covering the …
6 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any GPs have sought to opt out of NHS 24 and, if so, what the response has been.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Information on the number of GPs who use NHS 24 is not held centrally.</p><p>Under the terms of the new General Medical Services (GMS) contract, GPs can transfer their responsibility for providing out-of-hours services to NHS boards. In such circumstances, bo…
2 Dec 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether responsibility for the maintenance of Kinloch Castle rests with its owners, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and, if so, whether SNH has discharged that responsibility and how much has been spent on (a) repairs and maintenance and (b) other work at Kinloch Castle in each year since…
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The island of Rum, including Kinloch Castle, is owned by SNH and managed as a National Nature Reserve. Maintenance is therefore an operational issue for SNH to address as part of its overall plans for the island, and I have asked the Chief Executive of SNH to…
25 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the relocation of its Central Inquiry Unit to Kinlochleven, whether the unit will move into the premises occupied presently by Database Direct and, if so, when it first considered taking occupancy of these premises.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The decision to relocate the Central Enquiry Unit to Kinlochleven took account of the fact that suitable vacant property was available. The premises currently occupied by Database Direct were not included in the original property assessment, which was provide…
17 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the anticipated life is of the new headquarters to be built in Inverness for Scottish Natural Heritage; whether the cost of leasing the premises from the owners will be taken into account when working out net present value (NPV); whether, in calculating NPV, the period in respect of…
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The invitation to tender for the SNH HQ building requires the developer to design all non-replaceable elements of the building fabric to a standard suitable for permanent buildings with a life span of 75 years or more. Option appraisals undertaken by SNH foll…
16 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether measures should be taken by it, or any other body, to preserve a possible route for a bypass of Nairn on the A96, in light of any possibility that further development to the south of Nairn would make such a bypass more difficult and expensive to construct in future.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Decisions in relation to land use and development plans are a matter for the Highland Council.</p>
16 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will carry out any study into the need for a bypass of Nairn on the A96 and whether it will invite the local enterprise company to consider the matter.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: There are no current plans to carry out such a study.</p>
16 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from either the Highland Council or HITRANS in respect of a bypass of Nairn on the A96.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: I am not aware of having received any representations on this matter from either the Highland Council or the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS).</p>
16 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the creation of a bypass of Nairn on the A96 and, if so, what steps it will take to achieve this and within what timescale.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: A bypass for Nairn is not currently part of the motorway and trunk roads programme.</p>
16 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will extend the period over which candidates for public appointments are required to declare their political activity from five to 10 years and whether it will now ask such candidates about their membership of a political party or club.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Executive is required to follow the arrangements for declaring political activity contained in the Code of Practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland. Consideration of any changes to these arrangements is a matter for the Comm…
16 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recommendations from the First Report of the Select Committee on Public Administration, published on 10 February 1998, it has put in place, with particular regard to the recommendation on political activity.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Government’s response to the report was submitted to the Committee in April 1998 and can be found at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199798/cmselect/cmpubadm/723s3/pas302.htm">http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199798/cms…
9 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends that Scotland should maintain a food supply base and, if so, what steps it will take, either by itself or through Quality Meat Scotland or other bodies, to protect and promote the Scottish beef sector.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The maintenance of the food supply base in Scotland is a key objective of <i>A Forward Strategy for Scottish Agriculture</i>. The food processing sector has and will continue to receive support under the Agriculture Processing and Marketing Grant Scheme. Sinc…