- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 04 February 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 15 February 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre details of the specification of the windows to be fitted in the new Parliament building at Holyrood and whether any independent testing such as accelerated weathering testing will be carried out prior to work proceeding on their installation.
Answer
Legal advice has indicated that the documents requested may form part of the productions in any litigation that may follow and therefore cannot be made available at this time. All suppliers have a duty to satisfy the client that their product is fit for purpose and the Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has confirmed that weather testing will be carried out by the appointed contractor and the results made available thereafter.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 04 February 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 15 February 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to question S1W-22107 on 4 February 2002, whether Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd provided all of the design services which they were under contractual obligation to provide.
Answer
I understand from the Convener of the Holyrood Progress that Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd had not completed all of the design services required under contract prior to the company's insolvency.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 04 February 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 15 February 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer, further to the answer to question S1W-22106 by Sir David Steel on 4 February 2002, who the contractor is who has been appointed to supply and install the bay window element of the MSP building at the new Parliament building at Holyrood.
Answer
The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has confirmed that Baydale Architectural Systems Ltd is the contractor appointed to supply and install the bay window element of the MSP building.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 01 February 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 15 February 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer what the estimated cost is of the landscaping works for the Holyrood Project; whether this contract was put out to tender; whether less expensive plans for landscaping were considered and, if so, whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will detail the costs and plans for any such less expensive options.
Answer
The estimated cost of the landscaping works must remain commercial-in-confidence at this stage since the tender documents for the works are not due to be issued until the end of February. I am informed by the Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group that, since the landscape scheme needs to be conceptually consistent with the building in terms of planning for the Holyrood site as a whole, the plans have not changed significantly since those first made public in 1999. The overall cost of the landscaping is unchanged from that made public in September 2000 and is based upon more detailed plans approved by the City of Edinburgh Planning Department in September 2001.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 February 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Mike Watson on 14 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive when a minister will visit Nairn to promote its golf tourism strategy and what steps it is taking to promote Nairn's golf clubs as part of this strategy.
Answer
I have no immediate plans to visit Nairn. Nairn Golf Club is part of the Golf Highland initiative, which works closely with VisitScotland. The Nairn golf courses feature strongly in VisitScotland promotional activities.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 12 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive which learning providers based in Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber were recipients of Individual Learning Account payments in each of the last two years.
Answer
The following learning providers based in Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber have been recipients of Individual Learning Account payments in each of the last two years:2000-01Development PartnersForemost ITInverness CollegeNevis Training CentreStrathnairn Management2001-02B.A.S.P.Development PartnersEagle ConsultingForemost ITGHMSHotscotHTL (Highland Training Ltd)Inverness CollegeJohn Rose PCLochaber Business Development ServicesMoray Firth Training GroupNevis Training CentreNorcomStrathnairn Management.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 11 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will specify the powers it possesses under the trunk roads maintenance contact with BEAR Scotland Ltd to issue directions, orders or instructions to BEAR Scotland Ltd in respect of BEAR Scotland Ltd fulfilling its obligations under the contract and, in particular, what powers it has to issue directions, orders or instructions to BEAR to use more vehicles, workers and grit when necessary.
Answer
The powers to issue directions, orders or instructions to BEAR are contained in the legal contact documents that form the contract.Provided BEAR meets its contractual obligations, the Executive would not expect to interfere in the way BEAR uses its resources. Any such interference could have serious contractual implications for either or both parties to the contract.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 7 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18204 by Lewis Macdonald on 24 October 2001, what response it has received to its formal request that Her Majesty's Government impose a public service obligation on the Inverness to Gatwick route and implement measures that will secure the slots required to maintain the service.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is awaiting response from the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions to the case for measures to protect access to Gatwick for the Inverness service.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 21 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 6 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether an independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding any losses incurred following the insolvency of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd should be carried out; what grounds there are for such an inquiry; what the remit of such an inquiry should be; whether a request for such an inquiry should be referred to Audit Scotland, and what the reasons are for the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body's position on this matter.
Answer
Audit Scotland is currently reviewing the Flour City contract as part of the routine audit of the SPCB's accounts. The SPCB decided at its meeting on 5 February 2002 to consider any further action in the light of Audit Scotland's findings.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 14 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 4 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive why BEAR Scotland Ltd has not responded to correspondence from Strathdearn Community Council dated 10 November 2001 regarding snowclearing and gritting on the A9 and what monitoring it conducts in respect of BEAR Scotland Ltd's response to correspondence.
Answer
BEAR has replied to outstanding correspondence from Strathdearn Community Council on 12 November 2001 and apologised for overlooking earlier correspondence.The Performance Audit Group carries out audits of the Operating Companies across a wide range of functions, including dealing with correspondence.Scottish Executive managers are aware that BEAR has not complied with contractual requirements with regard to general correspondence. A default notice has been issued and monies withheld. The Executive will continue to keep this matter under review.
