Murdo Fraser

24 May 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what studies it has undertaken into the economic impact of RAF Leuchars on the Scottish economy.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Scottish Government officials worked with Fife Council, Scottish Enterprise and other key partners to develop the RAF Leuchars economic case. This work had cross party political support. The document can be accessed on Fife Council’s website at: http://www.f…

24 May 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding RAF (a) Leuchars and (b) Lossiemouth since 5 May 2011.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The First Minister most recently met with the Secretary of State for Defence in Glasgow on Thursday 26 May 2011. At that meeting the First Minister highlighted the disproportionate nature of any additional RAF withdrawal from Scotland following the decision t…

24 May 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what studies it has undertaken into the economic impact of RAF Lossiemouth on the Scottish economy.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Scottish Government officials worked with Moray Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and other key partners to develop the economic case for retaining the RAF presence at Lossiemouth. This work had cross party political support. The document can be found…

11 May 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will instruct the developers of the Beauly to Denny power line to underground it in the Stirling area.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Scottish ministers have no power to instruct the developers of the Beauly to Denny power line to underground the line, but recognise the need to reduce the impact of the line in the Stirling area. This is why we chose to impose Condition 19 of the consent upo…

11 May 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average broadband speeds are for each exchange in Stirling.

Answer · John Swinney : This information is not held by the Scottish Government.

11 May 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its road improvement priorities are for 2011.

Answer · Keith Brown: Our road improvement priorities were set out in the Draft Budget published in November 2010, and brought into effect by the Scottish Parliament’s approval to the Budget Bill on 9 February 2011. The Draft Budget document can be found on the Scottish Government…

11 May 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what list the average broadband speeds are for each exchange in Perth and Kinross.

Answer · John Swinney : This information is not held by the Scottish Government.

11 May 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average broadband speeds are for each exchange in Fife.

Answer · John Swinney : This information is not held by the Scottish Government.

11 May 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it can take if an NHS board removes or changes health services based on incorrect financial figures.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS boards receive annual allocations to meet the healthcare needs of their resident population. Each year, NHS boards receive confirmation of the level of funding available to them, and it is for boards themselves to decide how best to fund both local and na…

11 May 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review out-of-hours health provision for remote and rural areas.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government letter of 14 June 2010 to the Health and Sport Committee set out a detailed response to their report on out-of-hours healthcare provision in rural areas. As was made clear in that letter, the Scottish Government is committed to provisi…

8 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that rural GPs who have lost income previously raised from dispensing can continue to deliver services to local communities.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-40499 on 18 March 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:</p> <p >www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Busine…

8 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that patients’ views are taken into account when community pharmacy applications are being considered.

Answer · Shona Robison: The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2009 require NHS boards to have regard to any responses received following consultation with local communities. NHS boards must satisfy themselves that that requirement is being met.…

8 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the funding arrangements for GPs that raise income from dispensing services will be amended to ensure that rural practices can continue to deliver services to patients.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-40499 on 18 March 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:</p> <p >www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Busine…

8 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that an increase in community pharmacies will not have a negative impact on the capacity of rural GP practices that raise income from dispensing services to deliver services to communities.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-40499 on 18 March 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:</p> <p >www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Busine…

8 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it supports rural GP practices that raise income from dispensing services to continue to deliver services to communities when a community pharmacy opens in the area.

Answer · Shona Robison: Both urban and rural GP practices across Scotland, whether dispensing or non-dispensing, are allocated levels of funding to deliver essential and additional Primary Care Services by their local health board (called the global sum). These allocations are deter…

7 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what studies it has undertaken to review the impact that onshore wind farms have on tourism.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government has published <i >The Economic Impacts of Wind Farms on Scottish Tourism</i> at:</p> <p >http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/03/07113554/0.</p> <p >A key finding of the report is that wind farms and tourism can be compatible…

7 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the planned investment to improve Perth train station.

Answer · Keith Brown: ScotRail is currently finalising designs for the refurbishment of public toilets at Perth Station, which is expected to take place this summer. The refurbishment will be funded through the Station Investment Fund.</p> <p >Network Rail is also developing plan…

7 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which areas of Forestry Commission land in Perth and Kinross are available for wind farm development.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Perth and Kinross falls within Lot 2 - Central Scotland. Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) has entered into an exclusivity agreement with PNE UK Ltd to explore the potential for wind energy generation in Lot 2. As such FCS has not attempted to pre-emptively …

7 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the financial support that it has given to Perth and Kinross for new or improved flood prevention measures in each of the last five years.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: From 1 April 2008 capital support provided to Councils has generally been provided without a ring-fence. Decisions on where to apply this non-ringfenced support are the responsibility of individual councils.</p> <p >The following table provides information …

7 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has taken on the potential undergrounding of the Beauly Denny power line since the Beauly Denny public inquiry closed.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government has requested that both SSE Power Distribution and Scottish Power Transmission Ltd examine options for undergrounding the Beauly Denny upgrade in their respective areas as part of the process of developing proposals for visual mitigati…

7 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has taken on the potential health hazards of a 400kV electricity transmission line being routed near households and communities since the Beauly Denny public inquiry closed.

Answer · Shona Robison: In responding to the SAGE report and following a direct request from the Scottish Government Health Directorate, our principal advisers on the health effects of radiation, the UK Health Protection Agency (HPA) has agreed to keep under review the possible rela…

7 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of (a) children and (b) adults in Tayside has access to an NHS dentist at the latest date for which information is available.

Answer · Shona Robison: As at 31 December 2010, 79.8% of children and 67.9% of adults living in Tayside were registered with an NHS dentist.</b></p> <p >Source: MIDAS (Management Information and Dental Accounting System).</p>

7 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is regarding the quality of broadband coverage of the eastern Perthshire area.

Answer · Jim Mather: Our digital strategy, <i >Scotland''s Digital Future: A Strategy for Scotland</i>, published on 3 March 2011, outlines our ambition for availability of next generation broadband throughout the whole of Scotland, including eastern Perthshire, by 2020 with sign…

7 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is regarding the quality of broadband coverage of the highland Perthshire area.

Answer · Jim Mather: Our digital strategy, <i >Scotland''s Digital Future: A Strategy for Scotland</i>, published on 3 March 2011, outlines our ambition for availability of next generation broadband throughout the whole of Scotland, including highland Perthshire, by 2020 with sig…

7 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27817 by Stewart Stevenson on 28 October 2009, how many petrol stations there have been in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Keith Brown: The following table shows the number of petrol stations in operation in Scotland between 1999 and 2010. The data is taken from a Scottish extract of the Inter Departmental Business Register (IDBR) which is maintained by the Office for National Statistics.</p>…

7 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many postbus services have been withdrawn in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government does not hold information on the withdrawal of individual bus services. The Traffic Commissioner for the Scottish Traffic Area is the licensing authority for the bus and coach industry in Scotland and applies the regulatory regime. Ope…

7 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish Ambulance Service ambulances have been stationed in Perth and Kinross in each of the last five years, broken down by location.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This is a matter for the Scottish Ambulance Service. The information requested is not held centrally.</p>

7 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) accidents and (b) fatal accidents took place on the A9’s dual carriageway sections in each of the last five years.

Answer · Keith Brown: The following table shows the number of reported personal injury accidents on the dual carriageway sections of the A9 in each of the last five full years for which data is available.</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > <td width=52 v…

7 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) accidents and (b) fatal accidents took place on the A9’s single carriageway sections in each of the last five years.

Answer · Keith Brown: The following table shows the number of reported personal injury accidents on the single carriageway sections of the A9 in each of the last five full years for which data is available.</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > <td width=43…

7 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-33199 by Stewart Stevenson on 12 May 2010, which roads have had the highest number of (a) accidents and (b) fatalities in each of the last five years.

Answer · Keith Brown: The following tables provide statistics requested and are ranked by estimates per km of road.</p> <p >2005</p> <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td nowrap colspan=3 valign=bottom > <p align=center >Injury Road Accident…