Parliamentary questions
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
566 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
28 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what average life expectancy was for every year for which figures are available.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The information on life expectancy at birth is given in table 5.4 of the Registrar General for Scotland Annual Report 1998 published by the General Register Office for Scotland in 1999, a copy of which was sent to each Member of the Scottish Parliament in Jul…
28 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the percentage of car ownership for households has been for every year for which figures are available.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Information on the percentage of households with the regular use of a car is given in table 1.11 of <I>Scottish Transport Statistics no.18 / 1999 edition</I>, published by the Scottish Executive in 1999, a copy of which is available in SPICe (Bib number 1771).
27 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3949 by Mr Jack McConnell on 19 June 2000, to list (a) all Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) which have awarded contracts in the absence of competitive tendering since May 1997 and (b) all such contracts involving NDPBs, giving the reason for no…
Answer · Angus MacKay: The detailed information requested is not held centrally. I would refer Lord James to my previous answer. It is a current requirement that NDPBs ensure that appropriate procedures are in place in line with current Scottish Executive policy relating to procure…
16 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed expenditure by Historic Scotland on landscaping near the Holyrood Parliament is provided for within its spending guidelines and, if not, what action the Scottish Executive will take.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: For 2000-01 expenditure on landscaping and the realignment of roads in Holyrood Park associated with the new Scottish Parliament will be covered by the £2.5 million transfer to Historic Scotland announced on 28 June. For future years this will be considered i…
1 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, given its cost benefit ratio of 24.49, positive net present value of #188.4 million against a cost of #15.15 million and the potential for this investment to produce savings equivalent to this cost in two years, it will consider allocating funds to the proposed A8000 scheme on a …
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Executive has no plans to fund the proposed upgrading of the A8000 on a "loan basis". The A8000 is a local road and responsibility for its upgrading rests with the City of Edinburgh Council.
1 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many vehicles use each of (a) the five busiest single carriageway trunk roads and (b) the five least busy dual carriageway trunk roads in Scotland each day and what percentage of such vehicles are (i) heavy goods vehicles and (ii) through traffic.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Information in the form requested is not readily available, as many trunk roads are a combination of dual and single carriageway sections and traffic flow and road standard along the route varies. It is therefore difficult to define either the busiest or leas…
31 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of its departments or agencies will have any involvement in the ongoing development and implementation of Midlothian Council's proposals to upgrade the A701.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: There are no Scottish Executive departments or agencies which have any involvement in the ongoing development and implementation of Midlothian Council's proposals to upgrade the A701.
31 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Enterprise or Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise Ltd contributed to the non-capital costs of developing the A701 upgrade proposals being progressed by Midlothian Council.
Answer · Henry McLeish: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and I have asked the chairman to reply to the member. A copy of the reply will be placed in SPICe.
31 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date Midlothian Council was sent the last payment from the money allocated through the Transport Challenge Fund for the development of the A701 upgrade proposals.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The most recent allocation of £850,000 capital consent via the Transport Challenge Funding was issued to Midlothian Council on 28 March 2000.
31 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its stated objectives were in relation to the A701 Transport Challenge Fund bid from Midlothian Council; what requirements were placed on the council in relation to this funding, and whether each of these requirements was met in full.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: In February 1997 Mr Michael Forsyth, the then Secretary of State for Scotland, advised Midlothian Council that their application for Transport Challenging Funding involving a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) had been successful and that £2.5 million had been …
23 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail all documents it has received from Midlothian Council in respect of the A701, which departments received these documents and when they were received.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive Development Department received from Midlothian Council an outline bid for Transport Challenge Funding (July 1996), an outline business case for upgrading of the A701 (May 1998), a report on the affordability of the A701 project (Februa…
23 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the decision on the call-in of the proposals for the A701 has prevented the consideration by reporters at any local plan inquiry of subsequent objections to the local plan.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: No.
22 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has given or intends to give Midlothian Council on issues relating to safety on the proposed A701 route following the emergence of a crater.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: National guidance sets out rigorous procedures in respect of the geotechnical aspects of the construction of new roads and it is entirely for Midlothian Council to take account of this guidance in respect of the construction of the proposed A701.
22 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it received and gave consideration to any objections detailing geological problems or contamination of the Clippens landfill site on the route of the A701.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: No. The Scottish Executive did not receive any objections detailing geological problems or contamination of the Clippens landfill site in relation to the Notice of Intention to Develop in respect of proposed improvements to the A701.
22 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what details relating to the geological state of the Clippens landfill site and substances contained within it were supplied to it in the notice of intention to develop the A701 received from Midlothian Council.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The statement from Midlothian Council which accompanied the Notice of Intention to Develop indicates that the site investigation into the former Clippens landfill site broadly confirmed that landfill gases are absent, or present only at low levels. The statem…
22 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities are in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights when approving their own planning applications.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Local authorities cannot grant themselves planning permission for development which they propose to carry out. They are required to follow the procedures set out in the Town and Country Planning (Development by Planning Authorities) (Scotland) Regulations 198…
22 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Midlothian Council to ask them to hold a local public inquiry in relation to the A701 and in particular into its financing, any economic benefits and public transport alternatives not previously considered by the Executive.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: No. The Scottish Executive has no further locus and it is entirely a matter for Midlothian Council to consider whether they wish to hold an inquiry under whatever powers may be available to them.
22 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been made aware in the information provided by Midlothian Council of any possible geological or instability problems on the proposed route of the A701 upgrade.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Environmental Statement (ES) which accompanied the Notice of Intention to Develop came to the conclusion that the proposals were unlikely to have any significant effect on the geology and geomorphology of the area. There was also no suggestion in the ES o…
10 May 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-1570 by Susan Deacon on 27 April 2000, whether its policy is to further raise average life expectancies and to improve quality of life through health education, the prevention of ill health and improvements in diets.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Yes. The White Paper, <I>Towards a Healthier Scotland</I>, sets out the principal strategy being pursued by the Scottish Executive to achieve better health and life expectancy for all Scots. An additional £26 million, drawn from this year's budget increases i…
27 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the weir on the River Almond which creates the Cramond waterfall will be made into a scheduled monument or scheduled structure as a matter of urgency in order that essential emergency repairs can be carried out with support from Historic Scotland.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The weir on the River Almond at Cramond is not a scheduled ancient monument and there are no plans to afford it such statutory protection. Historic Scotland can make ancient monument grants to help with the repair of unscheduled monuments, but there is heavy …
27 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a statement on what action it plans to take to assist those affected by flooding in Scotland on 26 April 2000.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I sympathise with those affected by last month's flooding and acknowledge the part played by the local authorities and emergency services in assisting those affected by flooding.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Local authorities have a duty to meet the needs of local commu…
19 Apr 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average life expectancy in Scotland was in 1979 and what it was in 1997 and how these figures influence its policy in relation to the promotion of health education in Scotland.
Answer · Susan Deacon: In the period 1979 to 1997, average life expectancy increased from 74.4 to 78 years for women and from 68.2 to 72.6 years for men. But these levels remain significantly lower than those of other European countries and substantial variation exists in life expe…
28 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware that a substantial crater has appeared at Straiton beside the proposed route for the A701 and that the proposed route could be subject to unpredictable subsidence owing to under-mining, and whether it will reconsider on safety grounds the case for holding a public inqu…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is aware that subsidence has occurred recently. It is for Midlothian Council, who now have the benefit of deemed planning permission for their proposals, to decide whether to proceed with the development. There are no powers under plann…
28 Mar 2000 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer what are the up to date estimates received by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body on the cost of (a) stabilising, (b) upgrading and (c) demolishing Queensberry House.
Answer · David Steel: There are no plans to demolish Queensberry House. The latest cost estimate for renovation received by the SPCB and reported in the Spencely report is £10.34 million excluding fees and VAT. However, I am glad to report that the latest cost estimate received si…
23 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the next trunk roads review will take place.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer Lord James to the answer I gave to question S1W-2873 on 13 January 2000.
23 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the A8000 meets all the criteria required to be a trunk road.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer Lord James to the answer I gave to question S1W-4553 on 13 March 2000.
23 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the A8000 has not been designated a trunk road.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer Lord James to the answer I gave to question S1W-4553 on 13 March 2000.
20 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the financial details of the Public/Private Partnership involving Midlothian Council for schools in Dalkeith, provide details of any projected capital receipts that will be released by developing the project and clarify whether such receipts will be allocated for e…
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The financial details of the Public/Private Partnership are a matter for Midlothian Council. For our part, we have agreed to the council's request to switch the revenue support originally earmarked for the A701 to the Dalkeith schools PPP. As part of this arr…
20 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considered details of a formal economic analysis of any benefits of the proposals to develop the A701 when assessing the requirement for a public inquiry and, if so, whether it will provide details of who carried out the analysis and when.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: No such details were submitted.
20 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the costs of the proposals to realign the A701 were a material consideration whilst deciding whether a public inquiry was required.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: No.