- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 15 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what its strategy is for increasing the use of public transport.
Answer
In 2005-06, for the first time, we are spending over £1 billion on transport, increasing to almost £1.4 billion by 2007-08. 70% of this will be spent on public transport over the period of the long-term investment plan.
This investment will lead to sustained improvements in public transport and encourage people to use sustainable forms of transport in preference to the car.
In terms of longer term strategy, the Executive is in the process of developing a National Transport Strategy (NTS) for Scotland. The NTS will give a long-term strategic framework for developments in all modes of transport, including public transport.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 15 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20863 by Cathy Jamieson on 29 November 2005, what the distinction is between “failure to meet a particular contractual commitment” and “a breach of contract”.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-21258 on 15 December 2005. 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/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 15 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how many bidders there have been for each competitive tender for road capital projects over the value of £10 million in each of the last 10 years.
Answer
The number of bidders for trunk road contracts over £10 million in value let by the Scottish Executive is tabulated in the following:
| Year | Scheme | No. of Tenderers |
| 2001 | A830 Arisaig to Kinsadel | 3 |
| 2001 | A1 Haddington to Dunbar Expressway | 5 |
| 2002 | A8 Baillieston to Newhouse | 3 |
| 2002 | M77 Fenwick to Malletsheugh | 3 |
| 2003 | A78 Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenson Bypass | 3 |
| 2003 | A80 Auchenkilns Junction Improvement | 2 |
| 2003 | A985 Kincardine Eastern Link Road | 3 |
| 2005 | A68 Dalkeith Bypass | 3* |
| 2005 | A90 Glendoick and Kinfauns Interchanges | 4* |
| 2005 | A830 Arisaig to Loch Nan Uahm | 3* |
| 2005 | A876 Upper Forth Crossing at Kincardine | 3* |
Note: *The number of bidders invited to tender for contracts that are currently out to tender.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 15 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact would be on air pollution and noise pollution in the immediate vicinity of the A80 through Cumbernauld if it was upgraded to full motorway status.
Answer
In terms of air quality, more locations will experience beneficial rather than adverse impacts. The benefits would be greatest in the bypassed communities of Muirhead, Chryston and Moodiesburn. Between Mollinsburn and Haggs the majority of impacts will be insignificant. In terms of noise, the proposed scheme would result in a mostly beneficial impact on the area.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 15 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reduce the volume of traffic on the A80.
Answer
Should it be necessary to control the volume of traffic on the new route to preserve good traffic flow conditions, then measures will be considered to restrict access to the road at junctions and on the motorway upstream of the scheme to give priority to busses, HGV’s and multiple occupancy vehicles.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 15 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on the construction of motorways through major urban settlements.
Answer
There is no pre-defined policy. The options for the route of a new motorway are judged against the Governments five assessment criteria of Integration, Economy, Safety, Environment, and Accessibility.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 15 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how long it estimates that the (a) upgrading of the A80 from Stepps to Haggs through Cumbernauld to full motorway status and (b) construction of a motorway through the identified Kelvin Valley route to join the M80 at Stepps to the M80 at Haggs would take.
Answer
The current estimate for both routes is a maximum of three years.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 13 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is able to state its position on whether, had the way forward contained in a letter from William Rae to it on 12 December 2000 been acted upon, public money could have been saved.
Answer
The main allocations for the delivery of the Working for Families fund in local authorities are £10 million per annum for 2004-06 and £15 million per annum for 2006-08.
In addition to the main allocations, piloting, development and evaluation activities have also been carried out as shown in the following table:
| | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 |
| Pilot Projects | £565,000 | £0 | £0 |
| Rosemount Lifelong Learning Centre | £133,197 | £116,559 | £185,955 |
| Local Authority Project Development | £54,543 | £36,000 | £400,000 |
| Miscellaneous (including training events) | £9,285 | £9,780 | £3,708 |
| Evaluation | £48,085 | £38,989 | £77,978 |
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 12 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-15617 and S2W-15618 by Cathy Jamieson on 14 April 2005, how the Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service can be aware that Premier Prison Services Ltd has, at all times, met its contractual commitment in respect of employing one or more registered mental health nurses when he is unable to say whether a registered mental health nurse was employed in HM Prison Kilmarnock between 1 and 11 January 2002.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:
The contract does not require the contractor to employ registered mental nurses but does commit the contractor to having “nursing staff with mental nursing skills and qualifications.
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-17042 on 17 June 2005. 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/webapp/wa.search.
The SPS also have a controller team based in the establishment whose role is to keep under review the running of the prison.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 12 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20285 by Mr Andy Kerr on 10 November 2005, whether there have been any instances where the Scottish Medicines Consortium has made a recommendation on the use of a drug to NHS Scotland but has been subsequently contradicted by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence’s advice to the NHS in England and Wales which has then been implemented in Scotland and, if so, whether it will provide details of such instances.
Answer
The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) reviewed Pimecrolimus cream (Elidel
Ò) in July 2004, and did not recommend it for use. SMC advice was:
“Pimecrolimus cream is the first topical immunomodulator licensed for the treatment of signs and symptoms of mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis. There is no evidence that it has clinical advantage in terms of efficacy or safety when compared with the alternative treatments, which include mild-to-moderately potent topical corticosteroids. The economic case for using this preparation is unproven.”
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued guidance to the NHS in England and Wales on the use of tacrolimus and pimecrolimus for atopic eczema in August 2004 which allowed use of use of tacrolimus and pimecrolimus for atopic eczema in defined circumstances. This information can be found at http://www.nice.org.uk/page.aspx?o=217941.
NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS) validated the NICE appraisal and advised that
“NHSScotland should take account of NICE appraisals in its planning, funding and provision of services to ensure that recommended drugs or treatments are made available to meet clinical need. NHS QIS noted the differences between SMC advice and the NICE appraisal.”
Any NICE appraisal validated by NHS QIS for NHSScotland will supersede previous SMC advice for a particular medicine.
