Parliamentary questions
David Stewart
1,651 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
9 Aug 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Highlands and Islands Enterprise about the local enterprise company structure.
Answer · Jim Mather: The Executiveis engaged in regular and on-going discussions with Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterpriseas part of the work to refocus the enterprise networks, which includes considerationof the delivery of local economic development activity…
9 Aug 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to change the structure, organisation or funding of the local enterprise company network within Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
Answer · Jim Mather: Our prime objectiveis to increase the rate of Scottish economic growth and to ensure that this is sustainable.Consideration of thedelivery of local economic development activity is now underway as part of the widerwork on refocusing the enterprise networks. T…
9 Aug 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in terms of full university status for the University of the Highlands and Islands, it will look to the example of the University of Cumbria which gained university status from 1 August 2007.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The model which UHIMillennium Institute has based their applications for taught degree-awarding powersand university title on has distinctive characteristics which are different to anyother institution in the UK. Therefore it would not be straightforwardfor U…
4 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in the week that Victim Support Scotland is holding a conference to raise awareness of the impact of crime on young people, what new initiatives the Scottish Government will bring forward to support victims
Answer · Shona Robison: The information requested isshown in the following tables:</p><p>(a) Influenza Uptake for 2006-07 (Patients 65 and Over) –All Scotland Summary</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td width=186 nowrap valign=top> <p>NHS Board</p…
3 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to make ferry services from the mainland to the Western Isles more affordable.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answerto question S3W-1810 on 20 July 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website the search facility for which can befound at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/…
3 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to make a decision on the adoption of the trunk link road in Inverness as a trunk road.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-1890 on 17 July 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.se…
3 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it was first approached by the Highland Council to request the adoption of the trunk link road in Inverness as a trunk road.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-1890 on 17 July 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.se…
3 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with the Highland Council over the adoption of the trunk link road in Inverness as an official trunk road.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: My officials in TransportScotland have had regular discussion with HighlandCouncil representatives about their proposals for the B8082 Inverness Southern DistributorRoad (trunk link road), including the possibility of trunking the route. Formalwritten approac…
3 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what phasing of expenditure is planned for dualling the A9 in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: We are committed toplanning for the dualling of the A9. Options will emerge from the Strategic TransportProjects Review, which is due to report next summer. We will consider these optionsand take an informed decision on all the evidence including costs and be…
3 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what expenditure will be incurred on road improvements on the A9 in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Details and timescalesfor our major and important planned road projects can be found on the TransportScotland website at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/uploads/documents/Scottish-Motorways-Trunk-Road-Programme-June2007-final.pdf">http://ww…
3 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what expenditure is currently being incurred on road improvements on the A9.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Details and timescalesfor our major and important planned road projects can be found on the TransportScotland website at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/uploads/documents/Scottish-Motorways-Trunk-Road-Programme-June2007-final.pdf">http://ww…
3 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff are working on detailed design work for dualling the A9.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-1883 on 17 July 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.se…
3 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff are working on organising detailed cost estimates for dualling the A9.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-1883 on 17 July 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.se…
3 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when detailed design work for dualling the A9 will be completed.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-1883 on 17 July 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.se…
3 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when detailed cost estimates for dualling the A9 will be completed.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: We are committed toplanning for the dualling of the A9. Options will emerge from the Strategic TransportProjects Review, which is due to report next summer. We will consider these optionsand take an informed decision on all the evidence including costs and be…
26 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve access to NHS dentistry in Lochaber.
Answer · Shona Robison: Responsibility for the overallprovision of NHS dental services in Lochaber rests with NHS Highland which openeda new five surgery dental centre in June. This centre replaced a three surgery modularunit. Recruitment is currently underway to fill the two additi…
20 Jun 2007 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) regarding job diversification for workers currently employed at Dounreay.
Answer · Jim Mather: Economic developmentin the Caithness area is the responsibility of Highlands and Islands Enterprise. HIE has formed the CaithnessRegeneration Partnership with Highlands Council and the Nuclear DecommissioningAuthority to take forward an action plan to secure …
13 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-259 by Stewart Stevenson on 11 June 2007, how these statistics compare with accident rates on other major trunk roads in Scotland and what the respective statistics were for serious injuries and fatalities on such roads in the last five years.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The following tableshows the comparative respective statistics for accident rates together with numbersof serious and fatal injury accidents for each trunk road in Scotland.</p><p>Scottish Trunk Road, Accidents Rates(2004-06) and Casualty and Accident Freque…
7 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in the last year to improve patient access to insulin pumps and whether up-to-date figures are available on the numbers of patients using such pumps.
Answer · Shona Robison: NHS boards are expected to implementthe NICE guidance on the use of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (NICE TechnologyAppraisal Guidance No.57). The Diabetes Action Plan (June 2006) included a commitmentto publish figures on the extent of insulin pump …
7 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has of the number of undiagnosed people with diabetes, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Shona Robison: Figures for estimated numbersof people with undiagnosed diabetes are published on the Scottish Public HealthObservatory website. The estimated number of people with undiagnosed diabetes, byNHS board, is given in the following table.</p><table border=1 cellspa…
7 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has of the number of people with (a) type 1 and (b) type 2 diabetes, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Shona Robison: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td valign=bottom> <p align=center>NHS Board</p> </td> <td nowrap valign=bottom> <p align=center>Type 1</p> </td> <td nowrap valign=bottom> <p align=center>Type 2</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td nowrap vali…
7 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to receive a response from the UK National Screening Committee about a high-risk screening programme for diabetes.
Answer · Shona Robison: The UKNational Screening Committee has recommended that screening of certain sub-groupsof the population who are at high-risk of type 2 diabetes is feasible, but thatit should be undertaken as part of an integrated programme to detect and managecardiovascular…
30 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many representations it has received over the last 12 months on the environmental requirements of the Scottish Rural Development Plan.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: I know that there have been manyrepresentations to the Scottish Government on the environmental requirements tobe included in the new Scotland Rural Development Programme 2007-13 (SRDP). That wasevidenced by the responses to the consultations that were held l…
30 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what timescale is envisaged for a decision to be reached on the voluntary modulation rate.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: I announced the rates of voluntarymodulation rates for the period 2007-12 in Parliament on 31 May.</p>
30 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what actions under the new Scottish Rural Development Plan are aimed at meeting the Kyoto Protocol on climate change.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Tackling climate change is one of the key priorities of the new Scotland Rural Development Programme 2007-13. The new programme contains significant support to encourage renewable energy projects to assist in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, th…
30 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent action has been taken to meet the aims of the EU Water Framework Directive.
Answer · Michael Russell: Our annual report describingthe progress made during 2006 on implementing the EU Water Framework Directive,as transposed into Scots Law, was laid before the Scottish Parliament in March thisyear. A copy is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Cent…
30 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of land required for the dualling of the A9 is currently owned by the roads authority.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The extent of land requiredfor dualling of the A9, and the percentage of that already in our ownership canonly be established when detailed design work is undertaken.</p>
24 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are in place to promote and develop the voluntary sector.
Answer · John Swinney: We recognise that volunteers,voluntary organisations and social enterprises have a major contribution to makeacross our five strategic objectives and we will work closely with the sector toenhance the lives of individuals and communities across Scotland.</p>
24 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what reports it has considered or commissioned on accident rates on the A9 and how these compare with rates on other trunk roads; what plans are in place to upgrade the A9, and what the timescale is for such improvements.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Transport Scotland withits Operating Companies BEAR Scotland and Scotland TranSERV reviewed the accident rates ofall sections of the A9. These figures were compared with both the average Scottishtrunk road accident rates and those of other individual trunk ro…
24 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent estimate has been made of the cost of dualling the A9.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: A detailed cost estimate ofdualling the A9 has still to be prepared.</p>