Chamber and committees

Transport Scotlandwill consider the case for the provision of new stations at Abronhill and atMossend if a suitable case for either is presented for consideration by theRegional Transport Partnership concerned.

Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for moreinformation if required.

As I stated in my answer toquestion S2W-23743, answered on 14 March 2006, the Scottish Executive does notgenerally disclose whether the advice of the Scottish Law Officers has beensought or obtained in relation to any particular matter.

All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be foundat http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

TheExecutive has been in correspondence with all NHS boards regarding the filling ofvacant consultant posts and is fully committed to increasing the numbers of consultantsin post and reducing vacancy levels.

NHS boards have drawn up detailedbusiness plans setting out the actions they plan to take to fill current vacanciesand these have been agreed with the Executive. Additional funding of £2.5 millionhas been allocated to boards to assist them in taking forward the actions containedin their plans. Other actions being taken by the Executive include placing an advertin the British Medical Journal referring to consultant vacancies in Scotland andintroducing a scheme to match current Specialist Registrars to consultant vacancies.We are also in the process of developing a scheme to allow the advance appointmentof Specialist Registrars into consultant posts.

In August last year, wepublished the National Workforce Planning Framework to introduce a newannual workforce planning cycle for NHSScotland, aligned with service andfinancial planning. It sets processes in place at local, regional and nationallevels for strategic planning across the range of staff groups, including consultants,that contribute to our NHS services. National decisions affecting workforcesupply will be made on the basis of NHS board and region projections of demand.

We have already increasedthe number of Specialist Registrar training places by 375 since 2001, toimprove the available supply of specialists for consultant posts. A scheme hasalso been developed with NHS Education for Scotland to help improve theretention of this increased supply of Specialist Registrars after successfulcompletion of training. The scheme involves establishing the career aspirationsof specialist registrars at an early stage and alerting them to current andpotential consultant vacancies across NHSScotland. At the same time, NHS boardswill be alerted to Specialist Registrars about to gain their Certificate ofCompletion of Training.

The proposed station atRavenscraig is being developed by the Ravenscraig Partnership. We await theirdetailed evaluation of the service options.

Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for moreinformation if required.

The case for a new stationat Ravenscraig is being developed by the local authorities and a private sectordeveloper in partnership. The basis for the proposal is that the commercial andretail development in Ravenscraig will serve a wide catchment area requiringgood access, and that a station site in Ravenscraig will provide a goodopportunity for bus-rail integration. However, a detailed evaluation has notyet been submitted for my consideration.

Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for moreinformation if required.

The estimated cost ofconstructing the on line route is between £127 and £146 million. The cost of the Auchenkilns Junction was £25 million. The cost of the Millennium Bridge was£2.44 million.

Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for moreinformation if required.

The choice of an on-lineroute was fully discussed at the Public Local Inquiry held in October 2005 whereofficials were able to answer specific questions on this issue. As the reportis currently being considered, it would be inappropriate for me to commentfurther at this stage.

Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for moreinformation if required.

The Scottish Executiveprovided no direct funding. The bridge was part of British Waterway’sMillennium Link project which was funded by the following organisations - theMillennium Commission, Scottish Enterprise, British Waterways, StrathclydeEuropean Partnership, Eastern Scotland European Fund, Glasgow City Council,City of Edinburgh Council, North Lanarkshire Council, West Lothian Council,Falkirk Council, East Dunbartonshire Council and West Dunbartonshire Council. Thefunding totalled £84.5 million which British Waterways utilised for all thespecific projects comprising the Millennium Link.

Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for moreinformation if required.

The fingerprint officers involvedin the court presentation of fingerprint evidence in the Marion Ross murder caseare not providing and are not eligible to provide fingerprint evidence in court.