- 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 31 January 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer whether any legal action against Flour City International Inc in respect of breach of contract by Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd can be pursued in Scotland and, if not, whether it must be pursued in the United States of America.
Answer
Legal advice is currently being sought which will enable the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body's position to be fully determined in due course.
- 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 31 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to his answer to question S1W-20307 on 7 December 2001, whether a copy of the Parent Company Guarantee provided by Flour City International Inc in respect of the obligations of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
The convenor of the Holyrood Progress Group has confirmed that legal advice is currently being sought as to whether or not it is proper to release into the public domain details of the Parent Company Guarantee. If it is considered that there is no impediment in doing so, the relevant papers will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
- 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 31 January 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to question S1W-20307 on 7 December 2001, whether any other contractor or contractors have been engaged to undertake the work contracted to Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd.
Answer
The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has confirmed that the contractor to supply and install the bay window element of the MSP building cladding has been appointed. Tenders have been returned for the remaining elements and these are being analysed.
- 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 25 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre and make publicly available copies of any communication between it and BEAR Scotland Ltd in connection with its monitoring of BEAR Scotland Ltd's performance under the trunk roads maintenance contract.
Answer
It would not be appropriate to publish copies of correspondence between the Executive and BEAR Scotland Ltd because of contractual and commercial considerations. However, I have undertaken to publish a report by PAG on the first year of operation of the new contracts in line with the recommendation of the Auditor General. A copy of the report, once available, will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.
- 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 25 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether BEAR Scotland Ltd has any plans to reduce costs by lowering the salt content of the grit used on trunk roads and whether it will give details, including dates, of any representations it has made to BEAR Scotland Ltd on this matter.
Answer
There are no plans to amend the quality of salt specified in the contract documents. I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21762 today.
- 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 25 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the tender document which specified the standards required to be met by applicants for the trunk roads maintenance contracts made any stipulation as to the salt content to be used in grit.
Answer
The tender document specified that the Operating Company shall use rock salt complying with BS 3247 for de-icing operations.
- 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 25 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on the required level of salt in grit and how it ensures that there is not a low salt content in the grit used on trunk roads which results in a reduced effectiveness of the grit.
Answer
The policy for salt used to de-ice trunk roads is contained in the contract documents. I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21762 today.
- 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 25 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring it has carried out into the salt content in the grit used by BEAR Scotland Ltd in performing its obligations under the trunk roads maintenance contract; whether it will place a copy of the results of this monitoring in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre and make it publicly available, and what monitoring it plans to carry out in the future.
Answer
The Performance Audit Group (PAG) is appointed by the Scottish Executive to audit and monitor the activities of BEAR Scotland Ltd, including their winter activities, and I have undertaken to publish a report by PAG on the first year of operation of the new contracts in line with the recommendation of the Auditor General. A copy of the report, once available, will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.
- 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 25 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations have been made to it, or what inquiries it has made, into the condition of the pavements in Newtonmore during the week commencing 30 December 2001; whether the salt content of the grit was a factor in the condition of the pavements, and what action it has taken, and with whom, as a result.
Answer
No representations were received by the Scottish Executive concerning the condition of the footways in Newtonmore during the week commencing 30 December 2001.All rock salt used on trunk roads and associated footways complies with British Standard BS 3247 and this material is not considered to be a factor in the condition of the pavements in Newtonmore.
- 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 25 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the salt content of the grit used by BEAR Scotland Ltd in maintaining the trunk roads in the north of Scotland complies with the standards required under its contract; what testing it has conducted to check that BEAR Scotland Ltd are meeting these required standards; what the results of any such testing were, and when the testing was carried out and at what location.
Answer
The contract requires that salt used to de-ice trunk roads must be regularly tested to comply with standards, and the records of these tests must be maintained for inspection. The Performance Audit Group intends to inspect this information as part of their on-going programme of audits.
