David Stewart

24 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many insulin pumps (a) the NHS bought to meet the expected demand and (b) have been distributed to NHS boards since publication of Chief Executive Letter (CEL) 4 (2012) on Insulin Pump Therapy for People with Type 1 Diabetes.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This level of information is not held centrally. However, in 2012 the Scottish Government provided funding of £2.5 million for the purchase of 558 insulin pumps and associated consumables for people with type 1 diabetes in 2012-2013. This number was based on…

16 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many road users it expects will switch to use rail services from Conon Bridge when the station reopens.

Answer · Keith Brown: It is estimated that 7% of the 40,000 predicted annual passenger journeys from/to Conon Bridge Station would result from passengers transferring from road to rail. This equates to 2,800 journeys switching from road to rail when Conon Bridge station reopens on…

16 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) Highland Council, (b) the emergency services, (c) British Waterways and (d) businesses regarding the use of the Inverness - Beauly road while the Kessock Bridge is being resurfaced.

Answer · Keith Brown: During these essential resurfacing works (due to start on 11 February 2013) delays are inevitable however Transport Scotland has undertaken extensive planning consultation and investment into ensuring traffic disruption is minimised. Transport Scotland devel…

16 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what contingency plans have been made to allow emergency vehicles access to cross the Kessock Bridge while it is being resurfaced.

Answer · Keith Brown: During these essential resurfacing works (due to start on 11 February 2013) delays are inevitable however Transport Scotland has undertaken extensive planning, consultation and investment into ensuring traffic disruption is minimised. Emergency vehicles will…

16 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what modelling has been carried out to predict traffic congestion at the approaches to the Kessock Bridge while it is being resurfaced.

Answer · Keith Brown: During these essential resurfacing works (due to start on 11 February 2013) delays are inevitable however Transport Scotland has undertaken extensive planning, consultation and investment into ensuring traffic disruption is minimised. As part of this plannin…

16 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Highland Council regarding the provision of a park and ride facility at Tore.

Answer · Keith Brown: During these essential resurfacing works (due to start on 11 February 2013) delays are inevitable however Transport Scotland has undertaken extensive planning, consultation and investment into ensuring traffic disruption is minimised. Transport Scotland does…

16 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to develop a park and ride facility to alleviate traffic congestion at the Kessock Bridge.

Answer · Keith Brown: During these essential resurfacing works (due to start on 11 February 2013) delays are inevitable however Transport Scotland has undertaken extensive planning, consultation and investment into ensuring traffic disruption is minimised. Measures to alleviate d…

16 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action will be taken to alleviate delays at the Kessock Bridge while resurfacing is taking place.

Answer · Keith Brown: During these essential resurfacing works (due to start on 11 February 2013) delays are inevitable however Transport Scotland has undertaken extensive planning, consultation and investment into ensuring traffic disruption is minimised. Measures include: Perm…

16 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, when the Gourock-Dunoon ferry route was put out to tender, whether bids that would have required the installation of pontoons would be rejected on the basis that they did not use the existing infrastructure.

Answer · Keith Brown: The tender specification for the Gourock-Dunoon ferry service stated that “tenderers must highlight the specific harbour facilities which they intend to use for the services.” A bid which included the installation and use of pontoons would not have been autom…

15 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Maritime and Coastguard Agency certification of a vessel does not imply that it can operate reliably irrespective of weather conditions and that this is a matter to be determined by the operator of the vessel.

Answer · Keith Brown: The certification of a vessel by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency ensures that it meets the regulatory requirements for the waters in which it will sail. The deployment of vessels is a matter for owners and operators.

15 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether Transport Scotland specified a required crossing time for the Gourock-Dunoon ferry route when it was put out to tender.

Answer · Keith Brown: The invitation to tender for the Gourock-Dunoon ferry service issued on 18 February 2011 included the following minimum requirement for frequency of sailings and timetables: The operator must deliver a timetabled service which connects passengers with other …

15 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how and when it arrived at the figure of 70 minutes for the MV Coruisk's return crossing time between Gourock and the new linkspan in Dunoon.

Answer · Keith Brown: Data supplied by David MacBrayne Ltd for the MV Coruisk, for when she previously operated an hourly timetable on this service in 2003-04, shows that she arrived on time in just over 45% of her sailings. A 70 minute scheduled turnaround would avoid the knock o…

11 Dec 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the new rolling stock required to deliver journey time improvements on the Highland main line will be introduced.

Answer · Keith Brown: Bidders of the new ScotRail franchise will be asked to set out their strategy for procuring, leasing, cascading and refurbishing rolling stock. As part of the specification for the new franchise, bidders will also be asked to demonstrate how they will improve…

11 Dec 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-11413 by Michael Matheson on 3 December 2012, what percentage of (a) adults and (b) children with type 1 diabetes uses insulin pumps, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The information requested is contained within the Scottish Diabetes Survey which was published on 20 August 2012 and is available at the following link: http://www.diabetesinscotland.org.uk/Publications/SDS%202011.pdf. The percentage of (a) adults and (b) ch…

6 Dec 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it has received regarding the road safety considerations of having different heavy goods vehicle (HGV) speed limits in Scotland and England.

Answer · Keith Brown: We have neither sought nor received any advice on having different HGV speed limits in Scotland and England. We sought powers to be able set our own national speed limits in Scotland and to set maximum speed of vehicles in Scotland based on the roads, policie…

6 Dec 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what research has been commissioned in Scotland regarding heavy goods vehicle (HGV) speed limits.

Answer · Keith Brown: Transport Scotland has used computer-simulated traffic modelling of the A9 to inform accident prediction techniques. This indicated that a higher HGV speed limit, on its own, would lead to a slight increase accidents involving death and injury. This research …

6 Dec 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to consult stakeholders regarding increasing speed limits for heavy goods vehicles (HGV).

Answer · Keith Brown: We have no plans to consult as this is not a current policy proposal. We have ongoing informal dialogue with stakeholders and organisations. One example is the A9 Safety Group. This includes representation from the Road Haulage Association, which has proposed…

6 Dec 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding proposals to increase heavy goods vehicle (HGV) speed limits.

Answer · Keith Brown: Powers to set national speed limits and maximum speed by class of vehicle were devolved to the Scottish Parliament under the Scotland Act 2012. Since then, we have had no discussion with the UK Government regarding proposals to increase speed limits for HGVs.…

6 Dec 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on proposals to increase heavy goods vehicle (HGV) speed limits.

Answer · Keith Brown: Road Safety is a priority for the Scottish Government. There are currently no plans to increase either national speed limits in Scotland or the maximum speed by class of vehicle. We are aware of arguments about driver frustration leading to unsafe overtaking …

29 Nov 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS boards to place insulin pumps and consumables on the Drug Tariff.

Answer · Michael Matheson: A Short Life Working Group, consisting of key representatives from Health boards, Information Services Division, and Scottish Government, was established in January 2012 to investigate the implications of introducing both insulin pumps and consumables onto th…

29 Nov 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to make insulin pump therapy mandatory in the curriculum for specialist (a) nurses and (b) registrars.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The content of the nursing and postgraduate medical training curricula is the responsibility of the relevant Royal Colleges, and it is for these bodies to keep curricula under regular review to ensure these remain relevant and appropriate for the safe and eff…

22 Nov 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when Dalcross railway station at Inverness Airport will be completed.

Answer · Keith Brown: The reopening of Dalcross Station is currently being developed by Network Rail as part of phase one of the Aberdeen to Inverness Rail Improvements Project. The station is scheduled to be delivered between 2014 and 2019 as specified in the Government’s High Le…

22 Nov 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what decisions have been made about Network Rail’s proposals for the upgrade of the Inverness to Aberdeen railway line and what the timeframe is for completion of the upgrade.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Inverness to Aberdeen Rail Improvements project aims to be completed in phases between 2015 and 2030 as specified in the Government’s Infrastructure Investment Plan, published in 2011. Phase one of the scheme, which is included in the Scottish Minister’s…

22 Nov 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which loops on the Highland main line and the Newburgh line it plans to reinstate and when.

Answer · Keith Brown: Network Rail is currently developing phase two of the Highland Main Line Improvement Project, which aims to deliver infrastructure enhancements. These enhancements may include passing loops at Ballinluig, Newtonmore or Etteridge. A report on the proposals for…

22 Nov 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-03440 by Keith Brown on 27 October 2011, what technical improvements aim to deliver reduced journey times on lines between Inverness and (a) Aberdeen, (b) Glasgow and (c) Edinburgh.

Answer · Keith Brown: The technical improvements required to deliver journey time improvements to the Inverness and Aberdeen and the Highland Central Belt may include additional passing loops, double tracking, signalling enhancements and work on the track and structures to deliver…

22 Nov 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to alleviate any congestion on the single railway line between Inverness and Aberdeen.

Answer · Keith Brown: Network Rail is currently undertaking detailed development work on the Aberdeen to Inverness Rail Improvements Project to determine the track and signalling required to alleviate congestion and enhance commuter services on the single railway line. The track …

21 Nov 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) adults and (b) children use insulin pumps, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The information requested is contained within the Scottish Diabetes Survey which was published on 20 August 2012 and is available at the following link: http://www.diabetesinscotland.org.uk/Publications/SDS%202011.pdf. The number of (a) adults and (b) childr…

21 Nov 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to increase the uptake of insulin pumps by people up to the age of 18 with insulin-dependent diabetes.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Chief Executive Letter CEL 4 (2012), published in February 2012, sets out our approach for supporting an increase in access to insulin pump therapy for people of all ages with type 1 diabetes. The CEL is available at: http://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/mels/CEL…

21 Nov 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the progress being made by NHS boards on increasing insulin pump usage among people up to the age of 18 with insulin-dependent diabetes.

Answer · Michael Matheson: We have been working closely with NHS boards to ensure that they meet the commitment set out within CEL 4 (2012) to increase the provision of insulin pump therapy to 25% of young people with type 1 diabetes by March 2013. The Scottish Diabetes Group has been…

12 Nov 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-05556 by Keith Brown on 5 March 2012, how many repayment orders have been issued under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: Repayment charges are made by local authorities under section 172 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 and should be registered in the appropriate property register. Information on the number of charges made is not held centrally. However, I have asked Sheenagh…