Parliamentary questions
Margaret McDougall
364 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
13 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much the construction of the Dalry bypass will cost; how it arrives at this figure, and what provision it has made for inflation over the lifetime of the project.
Answer · Keith Brown: The estimate for the Dalry Bypass is £28 million (excluding VAT) which includes allowances for contingencies and project risk applicable to this stage of scheme development. This is an early estimate based on information at the time of the assessment and will…
13 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it will save in the next spending review period by cancelling the improvements to the A737 Beith bypass at the Head Street and Barrmill Road junctions and how it will use the amount saved.
Answer · Keith Brown: The A737 Beith Bypass Head Street and Barrmill Road improvement projects have not been cancelled. When setting our future programme for all trunk road schemes our assessment considers various factors including the priority of the scheme and availability of fu…
13 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what route the proposed Dalry bypass will follow and how much of the land needed has been procured by Transport Scotland.
Answer · Keith Brown: Advance preparatory work on the proposed bypass has already been undertaken which has identified that the preferred route options for further consideration lie to the east of village. Transport Scotland will look to acquire the land required for the scheme a…
13 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the £10 million allocated in the budget to Transport Scotland for the Dalry bypass will be spent on each phase of the project.
Answer · Keith Brown: The £10 million allocated to the Dalry Bypass covers scheme preparation costs and the initial construction costs within this spending review period.
3 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether James Watt College will continue to operate with a single board covering its Kilwinning and Inverclyde campuses following the establishment of the new college regions or whether regional-based boards will be established.
Answer · Michael Russell: Following the publication of Professor Russel Griggs’s Review of FE Governance I wrote to colleges seeking their views on all 34 recommendations, including those pertaining to the establishment of regional boards. I subsequently met with college leaders on 2…
3 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the PFI-related debt of the Kilwinning campus of James Watt College will have on the new Ayrshire college region and what steps ministers are taking to ensure that this will not leave the region in a disadvantageous position.
Answer · Michael Russell: This debt will be taken into account as part of detailed decisions around establishing the new college region.
3 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Kilwinning campus of James Watt College is the only campus in Scotland with PFI-related debt and, if so, whether ministers took this into consideration when considering the make-up of the new college regions and the regions' funding settlements.
Answer · Michael Russell: James Watt College is the only college with a remaining PFI contract. Whilst the main drivers in determining the new college regions relate to maximising the educational benefits, financial considerations such as this have been, and will continue to be, an im…
3 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the establishment of the new college regions will lead to the existing James Watt College structure being broken up and, if not, how having two separate campuses with different funding streams will impact on the operation of the college.
Answer · Michael Russell: Regionalisation is fundamentally about learners and employers – not institutions – and ensuring there is coherent provision to meet their needs. James Watt College is in the unique position in having campuses in two of the newly defined regions. I have made …
3 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will be possible for resources to be transferred between the Kilwinning and Inverclyde campuses of James Watt College following the establishment of the new college regions.
Answer · Michael Russell: In my statement to Parliament on 1 February, I announced that the new Ayrshire region will include the Kilwinning campus of James Watt College. There are a number of different options for the future funding of Kilwinning as part of Ayrshire. With the Funding …
26 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the NHS regarding PIP breast implants.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: My officials have written to NHS boards to confirm the clinical care to be provided by NHSScotland to women with PIP silicone breast implants. They have also been in contact with NHS boards to confirm that PIP silicone breast implants have not been used by N…
18 Jan 2012 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what services will be lost when prison visiting committees are replaced with an independent advocacy service.
11 Jan 2012 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many full-time teachers are in post and how this compares with 2007.
20 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what factors it took into account when deciding the most recent local government finance settlement for North Ayrshire.
Answer · John Swinney: The funding allocations to all local authorities, including North Ayrshire Council, were calculated using the agreed needs-based distribution formula which has been in place for many years. The main indicator of need is population but other factors are taken …
20 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it takes levels of (a) deprivation and (b) unemployment into account when deciding the local government finance settlement.
Answer · John Swinney: A range of needs-based indicators are used in the distribution of the annual local government finance settlements. The main driver is population which is split into various age bands to cover groups such as the school population and the elderly but other indi…
20 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to develop road links to North Ayrshire to improve travel-to-work opportunities.
Answer · Keith Brown: North Ayrshire is well connected to the trunk road network through the A78 and A737 and, via the A71, to the A77/M77, A76 and M74. Passenger rail services in North Ayrshire provide fast and convenient commuting opportunities to destinations both within and o…
20 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve the infrastructure links to North Ayrshire to help encourage investment.
Answer · Keith Brown: North Ayrshire is already well connected to the trunk road and rail networks and can take advantage of convenient road links to both Glasgow and Prestwick International Airports and to the ports at Ardrossan, Hunterston and Ayr. The proposed A737 Dalry Bypas…
20 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when work will begin on upgrading the Dalry by-pass.
Answer · Keith Brown: The proposed A737 Dalry Bypass is included in Intervention 22 of the Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR) and Scottish ministers recognise its importance in helping to reduce the conflict between local and strategic traffic that occurs along the A737, i…
20 Dec 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason its Infrastructure Investment Plan 2011 does not refer to the A737.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Infrastructure Investment Plan, published on 6 December 2011, sets out our ambitious programme of capital investment, from now to 2030, and explains how this spend will help to boost economic growth. The plan identifies the larger Scottish Government inv…
14 Dec 2011 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it supports people with multiple sclerosis.
7 Dec 2011 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its plans are for prison visiting committees.
25 Nov 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what it estimates an independent Scotland’s share of the national debt would be.
Answer · John Swinney: The proportion of the UK national debt assigned to Scotland under independence would be subject to negotiation as part of a revised constitutional settlement. The Scottish Government believes any apportionment of the UK national debt should take into conside…
25 Nov 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding apportioning the national debt if Scotland becomes independent.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-04284 on 6 December 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentaryb…
23 Nov 2011 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional funding it will provide to colleges that deliver higher education courses.
22 Nov 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many modern apprenticeship places will be offered in the construction industry in 2011-12 and how many of these have been offered since April.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: Modern apprenticeship places (MA) are not allocated by sector, although sectoral demand is taken into account during the contracting process carried out by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) each year. As MAs are demand led, in-year changes are made to contrac…
22 Nov 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will assist tenants in meeting any rent increases that arise as a consequence of the reduction in subsidies to registered social landlords and, if so, for how long.
Answer · Keith Brown: It is up to individual landlords to strike the best balance between rent levels and meeting the housing needs of their local communities, but rents should not be increased without regard for the importance of affordability for tenants. The Scottish Government…
22 Nov 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out affordability tests to determine whether increases in rents that arise as a consequence of the reduction in subsidies to registered social landlords will be able to be met by tenants.
Answer · Keith Brown: It was for individual landlords to strike the best balance between rent levels and meeting the housing needs of their local communities when bidding to the 2011 Innovation and Investment Fund (IIF). The Scottish Government did not therefore carry out separate…
22 Nov 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the reduction in subsidies to registered social landlords will impact on rents.
Answer · Keith Brown: We said in our Strategy and Action Plan Homes Fit for the 21st Century that we would make a decisive change in the way we support new developments, using government funding to maximise the possible leverage from other sources. We also made clear in the stra…
22 Nov 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will spend the £67 million in Barnett consequentials received as a consequence of the UK Government's decision to freeze council tax in England.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government is considering how it will apply Barnett consequentials available in financial year 2011-12, alongside the strategic consideration it is giving the outcomes of the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement. Further information will be provided to …
22 Nov 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it maintains apprenticeships in the construction industry.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Scottish Government, through Skills Development Scotland, supports all apprentices following approved modern apprenticeship frameworks. In 2010-11 there were 2,434 apprenticeship starts supported in construction and related sectors. In 2009, we introduce…
17 Nov 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether CalMac will continue to provide ferry services on the (a) Largs to Cumbrae, (b) Wemyss Bay to Rothesay, (c) Ardrossan to Arran and (d) all other Firth of Clyde ferry routes.
Answer · Keith Brown: We will start work on the tendering of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS) contract in spring 2012. It is a matter for individual ferry operators whether they would want to take part in the procurement process. However, as the incumbent operator, I w…