Parliamentary questions

Robert Brown

1,531 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

26 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is regarding the sustainability of acccessing Glasgow Airport (b) by road only in the medium term and (b) at Junction 28 if it exceeds its predicted design capacity in 2015.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government is responsible for maintaining an efficient transport system, and is committed to delivering transport interventions that will most effectively contribute towards our purpose of promoting sustainable economic growth. We will i…

26 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered the potential cost savings to the Glasgow Airport Rail Link project of rerouting the bridge crossing the M8 around the fuel farm serving Glasgow Airport.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The change to such a route would not be consistent with the powers of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link Act (2007) and therefore is not considered to be a realistic alternative at this stage. In the absence of the scrutiny which securing powers requires it is not…

26 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what current or proposed rail projects have a higher benefit cost ratio than the Glasgow Airport Rail Link.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The current and proposed rail projects with a higher benefit cost ratio than the Glasgow Rail Link are: the Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvements Programme: Airdrie to Bathgate; Borders, and Edinburgh Trams.

26 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much public money has been spent on the Glasgow Airport Rail Link to date and what additional direct or indirect costs could arise from its cancellation.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-27501 on 25 September 2009, which sets out the costs incurred up until September 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which ca…

26 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether funding for the Glasgow Airport Rail Link under the Tier 2 scheme and approved by the Office of Rail Regulation has been reallocated and, if so, to where.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The funding for the Glasgow Airport Rail Link (GARL) project in the Tier 2 element of the Scottish rail High Level Output Specification relates principally to the works at Glasgow Central Station and on the Paisley Corridor to be delivered by Network Rail. Th…

26 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered reinstating the Glasgow Airport Rail Link project in light of the thgRAIL report, NEWGARL - a strategy for the completion of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The overriding factor which resulted in our reluctant decision to cancel the branch line element of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link Project was the significant pressures which arose in our budget for 2010-11, including budget reductions imposed upon us by the U…

26 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it still uses the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance and, if so, in what circumstances.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26065 on 13 August 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.pa…

26 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it gave to the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance in deciding whether to cancel the Glasgow Airport Rail Link.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Glasgow Airport Rail Link project has been subject to Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) appraisal during its development. As we have stated previously the overriding criteria which resulted in our decision to cancel the branch line ele…

26 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the criteria it used in deciding whether to cancel the Glasgow Airport Rail Link.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3O-8133 on 8 October 2009. The answer to the Oral parliamentary question is available on the Parliaments website, the official report can be viewed at: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business…

26 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish all documents relating to its decision to cancel the Glasgow Airport Rail Link.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: As we have previously stated the level of information that this government has made publicly available is entirely consistent with the arrangements put in place by previous administrations and we do not propose to change this. We have provided this P…

25 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of rickets were diagnosed and treated in each year from 1999 to 2009 in (a) adults, (b) children aged nought to three, (c) children aged four to 11 and (d) children aged 12 to 16, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Shona Robison: Rickets is a disease of growing bones in children and therefore only affects children. Information on the number of children treated in hospital and hospital stays at which a diagnosis of rickets has been recorded are shown in the following table. The informa…

11 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of plans for a new community payback order in the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Bill, whether it plans to make changes to the work placement component of community sentences and, if so, what changes.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The proposed new Community Payback Order will provide for a condition of unpaid work or other activity to be made. This condition will replace the existing unpaid work provisions currently available under a community service order, an unpaid work condition im…

11 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to increase opportunities for restorative justice across Scotland.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The use of restorative practices with youth offenders is already well established. To ensure best practice and to increase the opportunities for the further use of restorative practices for young offenders, Preventing Offending by Young People “ a Framewo…

11 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to increase opportunities for prisoners to access work-based training programmes in prisons.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Willie Pretswell, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The Scottish Prison Service is currently undertaking a comprehensive review of all the purposeful activities undertaken by …

11 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners have participated in vocational training opportunities in each of the last three years, broken down by (a) prison, (b) type of training and (c) whether the training resulted in a qualification being awarded.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Willie Pretswell, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The information on the number of prisoners who participated in vocational training over the last three years broken by pris…

11 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) qualifications have been awarded to offenders serving custodial sentences in each of the last three years, broken down by (a) prison and (b) type of qualification.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Willie Pretswell, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The following table details the number of SQA unit achievements there have been over the last three years broken down by pr…

11 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners have gained a Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) qualification in each of the last three years, broken down by (a) prison and (b) type of qualification.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Willie Pretswell, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The information requested is not routinely collected by SPS. SPS captures the number of SQA units achieved by prisoners, ho…

11 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what opportunities are available to offenders serving custodial sentences to gain Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) qualifications, broken down by prison.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Willie Pretswell, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-30598 on 25 January 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions …

11 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners have completed courses focusing on basic skills, including reading, writing, numeracy and IT awareness, in each of the last three years, broken down by prison.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Willie Pretswell, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The information requested is not routinely collected by SPS. SPS captures the number of SQA communication, numeracy and IT …

11 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners have participated in courses focusing on basic skills, including reading, writing, numeracy and IT awareness, in each of the last three years, broken down by prison.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Willie Pretswell, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows: The specific information requested is not routinely collated. SPS do collate the number of learners who engage with l…

11 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what education opportunities are available to offenders serving custodial sentences, broken down by prison.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Willie Pretswell, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The information below captures the main educational opportunities provided through the prison learning centres and our voca…

8 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on residential drug and alcohol treatment facilities, such as Castle Craig Hospital, running under capacity given the finding of a gap between need and service availability in the report, Scottish Alcohol Needs Assessment, with, on average, one in 12 people able to ac…

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Alcohol Needs Assessment report (published by the Scottish Association of Alcohol and Drug Action Teams) mapped the number of publically funded alcohol treatment provision falling within Tiers 2, 3 and 4 modalities of care as defined by models of…

8 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on residential drug and alcohol treatment facilities, such as Castle Craig Hospital, running under capacity given that, as of September 2009, 25% of individuals still waiting for a residential rehabilitation place had been waiting for between five and eight weeks and …

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-30562 on 21 January 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps…

8 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on Castle Craig Hospital running under capacity given that, as of September 2009, over 40% of individuals in Midlothian and East Lothian still waiting for a first drug treatment appointment had waited for over 26 weeks.

8 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on residential drug and alcohol treatment facilities, such as Castle Craig Hospital, running under capacity, given that, as of September 2009, 8% of individuals still waiting for a first drug treatment appointment had waited for over a year.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government provides funding via NHS health boards, for treatment and support services. Decisions on spend “ including for residential rehabilitation services are made at a local level by alcohol and drug partnerships taking into account local ass…

23 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost is of (a) electrifying and bringing into passenger use the City Union line and (b) providing an interchange at West Street subway station proposed as part of Crossrail Glasgow.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government, Transport Scotland, Network Rail, First Scotrail, Glasgow City Council and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) are currently working together to produce a plan for rail improvements in Glasgow and the West of Scotland, buildin…

23 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what alternative arrangements are planned for (a) disabled access, (b) drop-off and pick-up passenger points and (c) short-term parking at Glasgow Central station, given the closure of previous facilities.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Officials have been liaising closely with both Network Rail and Glasgow City Council to ensure that continued access to Glasgow Central for all passengers is maintained both during and following completion of these works. (a) disabled access “ Step …

23 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is proceeding with work to provide new platforms at Glasgow Central station despite the cancellation of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The works are proceeding. The new platforms will provide much needed additional capacity at Scotland''s busiest train station as part of a wider programme of enhancement and renewals to the existing Paisley rail corridor, serving Ayrshire and Inverclyde.

23 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) cost and (b) timescale is of planned work at Glasgow Central station to provide new platforms to service the Glasgow Airport Rail Link.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: (a) The work to provide new platforms is being carried out and financed by Network Rail and the construction cost estimate, approved by the Office of the Rail Regulator is in the region of £10 million. (b) The work which commenced in September 2009 i…

17 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit is of the multi-agency group, led by Strathclyde Police, covering all aspects of security for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28984, on 24 November 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Ap…