Parliamentary questions

John Scott

560 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

19 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the "over 30 month" scheme for cattle will be reinstated.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I have asked the Intervention Board to reinstate the Over Thirty Month Scheme (OTMS) in Scotland by mid-July. Operational details are now being worked on by the Intervention Board which operates this scheme and the Meat Hygiene Service which has to provide th…

18 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reinstate the pavement of the A8 from Newhouse to Baillieston.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The A8 roadway between Newhouse to Baillieston is worn out and to prevent the collapse of the road pavement structure, my department plan to award a contract for refurbishment.<P>Tenders for the work will be invited later in the summer and, subject to receivi…

18 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the aggregates tax will affect the budgeted cost of upgrading the A77.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Aggregate tax will affect the cost of all road construction schemes, including the upgrading of the A77 to motorway between Fenwick and Malletsheugh.

18 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what effect the aggregates tax will have on the trunk roads maintenance contracts recently awarded to Amey Highways Ltd and BEAR (Scotland) Ltd.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The prices tendered for the trunk road maintenance contracts were based on the level of taxation applicable in October 2000, the date when tenders were returned. The prices will be adjusted in accordance with a contractual formula based on published indices o…

14 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Union of the Crowns.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Executive has not yet given detailed consideration to this anniversary, which falls in 2003. Planning is at an advanced stage to celebrate The Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002.

11 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the current trunk road maintenance contractors are responsible for maintaining the full area of any pieces of land adjacent to trunk roads and still owned by the Executive and, if not, who is responsible for maintaining such land.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The trunk road maintenance contractors are not responsible for maintaining areas of land owned by the Scottish Executive which are outwith the trunk road boundary. These areas are the responsibility of the Scottish Executive.

5 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is currently a shortage of beds at Ayr Hospital; if so, how long this has been the case and what plans there are to address any such shortage prior to the winter.

Answer · Susan Deacon: It is for health boards and NHS Trusts to manage the planning and delivery of health services in their areas, including the provision of the right number and mix of hospital beds to meet the needs of local populations.<P>The Scottish Executive is supporting N…

4 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for accident and emergency patients to be admitted to an inpatient bed at Ayr Hospital.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Information provided by Ayrshire and Arran Acute Hospitals NHS Trust indicates that, in the year 2000, the average time from triage to admission to ward at Ayr Hospital, including all treatment provided in the accident and emergency department, was 2.5 hours.

31 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to allow female breeding sheep sales to take place this summer and autumn.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-16134.

31 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to allow male breeding sheep sales to take place this year.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I appreciate fully the importance of breeding sheep sales to the Scottish sheep sector. It is too early to say whether or not it will be possible to hold conventional sales this year but the position is being kept under review.

11 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-3324 by Ross Finnie on 3 May 2001, what advice it has received from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency regarding the dangers of burning cattle over five years old on funeral pyres.

Answer · Ross Finnie: SEPA advised my officials on the suitability of sites for burning FMD cull carcasses, including cattle of all ages, in relation to the protection of the environmental aspects for which they are responsible. In particular, SEPA's assessments were based on drin…

9 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many cattle over five years old it estimates could have BSE.

Answer · Ross Finnie: This information is not currently available. From July we will be extending the current surveillance system to include all fallen stock and casualty animals over 30 months, and cattle born between August 1996 and July 1997 slaughtered under the Over Thirty Mo…

9 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many cattle in Scotland over five years old have been burnt on funeral pyres as a result of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak and, of these, how many it estimates could have had BSE.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Approximately 74,000 carcasses of cattle slaughtered in Scotland as a result of FMD have been burnt. Cattle were not aged individually so the information requested is not available. However, except in some early cases on farms only store or fattening cattle w…

4 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any studies exist to suggest that traffic is moving satisfactorily in Ayr in the absence of the Dalblair-Miller Road link and whether the proposed link is still regarded as an essential component of a traffic strategy for the town centre.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Traffic studies in Ayr are a matter for South Ayrshire Council as Roads Authority and promoters of the Compulsory Purchase Order. In November 2000, they advised the Scottish Executive that the "link road" was identified as an integral part of the Ayr Town Cen…

4 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its letter of 5 April 2001 to Mr Geoff Coleman in connection with the Strathclyde Regional Council (Dalblair Road/Miller Road/Racecourse Road, Ayr Traffic Management) Compulsory Purchase Order 1991, who has indicated support for the Order and, in each case, when that support w…

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Seven representations expressing support for the scheme were received between 1997 and 1999. Five of these were from individuals and two from businesses in the area. It would not be appropriate to divulge personal details without having first obtained the con…

4 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the most recent consultation on the Strathclyde Regional Council (Dalblair Road/Miller Road/Racecourse Road, Ayr Traffic Management) Compulsory Purchase Order 1991 was carried out, who was consulted and whether it has plans for a further consultation period.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Compulsory Purchase Procedure is statutorily prescribed. The main legislation is the Acquisition of Land (Authorisation Procedure) (Scotland) Act 1947 and the Compulsory Purchase of Land (Scotland) Regulations 1976. The 1976 Regulations prescribe that notice …

4 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the most recent traffic studies were carried out in connection with the Strathclyde Regional Council (Dalblair Road/Miller Road/Racecourse Road, Ayr Traffic Management) Compulsory Purchase Order 1991.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Traffic studies in Ayr are a matter for South Ayrshire Council as Roads Authority and promoters of the Compulsory Purchase Order. I understand, however, that the most recent traffic studies were carried out in 1997. South Ayrshire Council confirmed in Novembe…

3 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14980 by Ross Finnie on 26 April 2001, why it took until 6 April and 10 April 2001 for the Livestock Welfare (Disposal) Scheme to come into operation following announcement of the scheme on 22 March 2001.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I am advised by the Intervention Board Executive Agency, who operate the scheme on behalf of GB Agriculture Departments, that Matheson Jess, Brechin were unable to commence slaughter under the LWDS prior to 6 April as confirmation was awaited that the onsite …

1 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many successful prosecutions of driving offences involving motorists driving too slowly, not pulling over timeously to let following traffic overtake and causing accidents or problems for other drivers there have been in the past year.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Information requested is not held centrally.

25 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects any increase in cancer levels as a result of dioxins and other chemicals being released into the atmosphere from foot-and-mouth disease funeral pyres.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The potential risks to public health from carcass burning sites have been subject to comprehensive risk assessments carried out by the Environment Agency and by the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health. These assessments have identified diox…

25 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on advertising in each of the last three months and how much it spent in the equivalent period in 2000.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested is given in table format - a copy of which has been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. no. 13828).

10 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to clear the backlog of animals waiting to be culled under the Livestock Welfare (Disposal) Scheme.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I am aware that producers who have entered stock into the Livestock Welfare (Disposal) Scheme have experienced delays in their applications being processed and, consequently, their stock have not been slaughtered as quickly as they hoped. Having overcome init…

10 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the first animals were slaughtered under the Livestock Welfare (Disposal) Scheme.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Livestock Welfare (Disposal) Scheme is operated on behalf of the Agriculture Departments by the Intervention Board Executive Agency. Slaughter under the scheme began at Brechin abattoir on 6 April and at Arran abattoir on 10 April.