David Stewart

8 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) minimum and (b) maximum expected premium is that will be allocated to the unsuccessful bidders for the Forth Replacement Crossing.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-32244 on 19 March 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/Apps2/…

8 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many bidders are being considered for the construction of the Forth Replacement Crossing.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Two consortia have been invited to participate in the tender dialogue process.</p>

8 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the budget for the Forth Replacement Crossing includes funds for unsuccessful bidders.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Yes.</p>

8 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what financial provision there is for unsuccessful bidders for the Forth Replacement Crossing.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Compensation of 50% of the costs of tendering up to a maximum payment of £5,000,000 will be available to an unsuccessful bidder who has submitted a valid tender and kept that open for acceptance for up to six months or until the contract has been awarded to a…

26 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given to (a) animal welfare issues and (b) restrictions on the time that livestock will be on transport travelling from the far north during the roadworks on the Kessock Bridge.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: There will be wide consultation and detailed pre-planning to minimise disruption to all vehicles. Whilst animal welfare is an important consideration, transporters will need to take account of potential delays at Kessock Bridge when they plan their journeys. …

26 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what timescales have been considered for the introduction of new buses for the proposed park-and-ride facility during the roadworks on the Kessock Bridge.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Early discussions have been held with a major bus operator. However, the successful bus operator must be selected using a competitive tendering process. The start of this process will be subject to the outcome of the planning approval process for a park and r…

26 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-28121 by Stewart Stevenson on 30 October 2009, what timescales it envisages for Transport Scotland and the Highland Council to (a) purchase and (b) grant planning permission for land for the proposed park-and-ride facility during the roadworks on the…

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Land purchase and planning permission for a permanent park-and-ride facility is being taken forward by the Highland Council. The provision of a temporary park-and-ride facility during the roadworks is one of the options being considered by Transport Scotland …

26 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the need for more community engagement in the stakeholder group looking at the proposed plans for the Inverness bypass to ensure that local views are fully taken into account.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-32014 on 12 March 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/Apps2/…

26 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in bringing forward plans to complete the proposed Inverness bypass.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-32014 on 12 March 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/Apps2/…

26 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether agendas and papers from meetings of the stakeholder group looking at the proposed plans for the Inverness bypass will be made public.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-32014 on 12 March 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/Apps2/…

26 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the stakeholder group looking at the proposed plans for the Inverness bypass will next meet and what issues will be discussed.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-32014 on 12 March 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/Apps2/…

26 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who serves on the stakeholder group looking at the proposed plans for the Inverness bypass; when it last met, and what issues were discussed.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Connection of the A96 to the A9 is the responsibility of the Scottish Government while the connection of the A82 to the A9 is for the Highland Council.</p> <p >An effective partnership between Highland Council and Transport Scotland has been established to e…

8 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has powers under the Schools (Safety and Supervision of Pupils) (Scotland) Regulations 1990 to take action against a (a) local authority or (b) school bus operator in the event that the safety and wellbeing of pupils were deemed not to be adequate.

Answer · Keith Brown: There are no specific powers in the (Safety and Supervision of Pupils) (Scotland) Regulations 1990 to enable Scottish ministers to take action either against an education authority or a school bus operator.</p>

8 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in what circumstances it would consider it necessary to intervene in a local authority’s school transport policy.

Answer · Keith Brown: The provision of school transport in Scotland is the responsibility of individual local authorities. Under the terms of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, authorities have a duty to make such arrangements as they consider necessary for the provision of school…

28 Jan 2010 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what negotiations it has had with the European Union to extend the Public Services Obligation contract for air services to Barra.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Under the relevant European Regulation, Public Service Obligation contracts can be awarded for up to four years. The Glasgow to Barra contract was awarded from 1 April 2009 until 31 March 2013.</p>

25 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given to the use of new technologies in relation to the Beauly to Denny power line to mitigate its environmental effects on the Cairngorms National Park, such as cross-linked polyethylene to provide underground power supply.

Answer · Jim Mather: In respect of technical evidence considered at the Inquiry, a Technical Assessor was appointed to consider the evidence on matters such as underground alternatives. I refer the member to his report, a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament Info…

25 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given to undergrounding the Beauly to Denny overhead power line through the Cairngorms National Park.

Answer · Jim Mather: Strategic alternatives to the overhead line, including undergrounding, were the subject of a great deal of evidence submitted to the Beauly Denny Public Local Inquiry. Evidence regarding the economic and technical feasibility of undergrounding was considered …

25 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what conditions have been attached to the granting of planning consent to mitigate the environmental impact of the Beauly to Denny overhead power line through the Cairngorms National Park.

Answer · Jim Mather: The information requested by the member is contained in the Beauly Denny consent document, a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 49996).</p>

25 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what conditions and instructions it has issued to the relevant contractors regarding the substation at Balblair as a result of the Beauly to Denny transmission project.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Scottish ministers do not issue instructions to contractors on developments which are the subject of planning applications.</p> <p >The Scottish ministers'' letter granting conditional planning consent to the proposal can be accessed from the following link …

21 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to expand the Kessock roundabout by an extra lane for park-and-ride buses and cars containing more than one passenger.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: There are no plans to provide extra lanes at the Longman roundabout at the south end of the Kessock Bridge as part of the proposed resurfacing works on the bridge. Methods of providing bus priority at the roundabout are, however, currently being developed in …

21 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the latest estimated (a) start and (b) completion date is of the resurfacing of the Kessock Bridge.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The current earliest start date for the resurfacing works is March 2011, with an anticipated contract period of between five and six months.</p>

21 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact on (a) tourism, (b) business and commerce and (c) accident rates during the resurfacing of the Kessock Bridge.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The proposed design and traffic management arrangements for the resurfacing works, which are estimated to start in Spring 2011, are currently underway. As part of that process Scotland Transerv, the Trunk Road Operating Company, that is taking forward the sch…

21 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the appropriateness of peak-time traffic lights on the Kessock Bridge.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Traffic lights can reduce delays and improve safety at junctions and are also used to control traffic when reducing two lanes to one lane. Installing peak-time traffic lights on the Kessock Bridge or in connection with the proposed resurfacing works do not fa…

21 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with (a) the Highland Council, (b) the Highland and Islands Transport Partnership in Scotland, (c) Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd and (d) Transport Scotland regarding the introduction of a ferry service between North and South Kessock during the resurfacing of …

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Transport Scotland and Scotland TranServ, the Trunk Road Operating Company, that is taking forward the works, are consulting a range of stakeholders about the proposed resurfacing works and traffic reduction measures, including the possibility of operating a …

14 Jan 2010 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met representatives of NHS Highland and what issues were discussed.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I meet all national health service chairs regularly. The last meeting was on 23 November. My most recent meeting with NHS Highland representatives was on 7 December when I chaired the board''s annual review. We discussed the board''s performance against Scott…

17 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with the progress being made by NHS boards on increasing insulin pump usage among people up to the age of 18 with insulin dependent diabetes and, if not, what action it will take.

Answer · Shona Robison: NHS boards are making steady progress, albeit from a low starting point, in relation to the provision of insulin pumps and the structured education associated with them. We have asked NHS boards to provide details of their planned investment for the next thre…

17 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to improve the uptake of insulin pumps for people up to the age of 18 with insulin dependent diabetes.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Diabetes Group''s revised Diabetes Action Plan, due to be published in the near future, is expected to include a number of measures designed to guide NHS boards'' investment in insulin pump therapy and the associated structured education.</p>

17 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what additional provision has been budgeted for insulin pumps for (a) adults and (b) people under the age of 18 for each of the next three years, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Shona Robison: I have asked each NHS board chair to provide details of their board''s planned investment in insulin pumps, and the structured education associated with it, over the next three‘five years.</p>

17 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) adults and (b) people under the age of 18 who have insulin dependent diabetes have been on insulin pump therapy in each of the last three years, also expressed as a percentage of people with insulin dependent diabetes, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally. The answer to question S3W-20807 on 6 March 2009 set out the number of people with type 1 diabetes using an insulin pump broken down by NHS board and age group. The answer to question S3W-25079 on 15 July 2009 gave the …

24 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the EU ruling that the Gourock to Dunoon ferry route should be treated as a public service route and whether specific vessels have been identified for this and the other island routes operated by Calmac Ferries Ltd.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government welcomes the European Commission''s Decision, which confirms that the public financing of the ferry services in Scotland is compatible with the State aid rules so long as we implement appropriate tendering procedures in respect of the …