- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 24 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many road gritters BEAR Scotland Ltd is operating on each trunk road within the Highland Council area compared to the previous number operated by the council.
Answer
Information on the number of road gritters operated by BEAR Scotland Ltd can be found in the Winter Maintenance Plans published by BEAR for the North East and North West Units, copies of which are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. No's 18110 and 18114). It is not possible to make direct comparisons between BEAR and the previous operator as Highland Council had resources to fulfil its responsibilities on both trunk and local roads. Other factors that influence direct comparisons are the size and the types of vehicles used, age and reliability of vehicles and modern technology.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 24 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has inspected the vehicles used by BEAR Scotland Ltd to fulfil their obligations under the trunk roads maintenance contract in order to monitor whether the vehicles are fit for their purpose and whether the gritters used by them are able to, and do in practice, disperse sufficient quantities of grit.
Answer
The Trunk Road Maintenance Contracts require all gritters to be calibrated to ensure that they disperse the necessary quantities of salt. The Performance Audit Group has carried out audits on BEAR's winter operations, including winter maintenance vehicles, and these audits have confirmed that their vehicles have been calibrated to disperse the required quantities of salt.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 24 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many workers are currently employed by BEAR Scotland Ltd in relation to the operation of the trunk roads maintenance contract.
Answer
The number of personnel currently employed directly by BEAR Scotland Ltd, in relation to the operation of the trunk road maintenance contracts in the North East and North West Units, is 231.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 January 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 24 January 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer what credit check was carried out in respect of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd prior to 1 August 2001 and whether copies of any relevant correspondence will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
There was no available published credit reference available for Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd, as the company had been operating in the UK for a relatively short period of time. Bovis Lend Lease who have responsibility for credit checks, therefore obtained Flour City International's published accounts, which included the following:Highlights of Financial Summary 1994-98Condensed Balance Sheet 1997-98Condensed Statement of Income 1997-98Condensed Statement of Cashflow 1996-98 The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has confirmed that relevant papers will be obtained from Bovis Lend Lease in order to enable advice to be taken from the Parliament's legal office as to whether or not these can properly be put into the public domain. If there is no impediment to doing so, they will be will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre in due course.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 January 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 24 January 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to question S1W-21201 on 15 January 2002, whether the contract with Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd was not concluded as final and binding until the contract was "completed as a deed" and, if so, on what legal basis the payments in respect of the work undertaken by Flour City on design and specialist cladding services at the new Parliament building at Holyrood, and as specified in his answer to question S1W-20306 on 7 December 2001, were made and, if the contract was concluded as final and binding prior to 1 August 2001, on what date this took place.
Answer
Payments were made to Flour City under the terms of a Letter of Intent, issued to Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd on 26 January 2001, which forms a legally binding agreement. The formal contract, concluded on 1 August 2001 superseded the letter of intent and finalised the full terms and conditions.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 January 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 23 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-15191 by Mr Jim Wallace on 23 April 2001, whether it has received a report from the Law Commission in respect of title to sue for non-patrimonial loss under the Damages (Scotland) Act 1976 and when it will bring forward proposals to the Parliament for reform of the Act.
Answer
The Executive expects to receive the Scottish Law Commission's report by the end of March. We will then consider whether any legislation is necessary in the light of the commission's recommendations.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 January 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 22 January 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will request that an Official Report be taken of the proceedings in any future Holyrood Progress Group question and answer sessions.
Answer
The Standing Orders stipulate that an Official Report shall be provided for all meetings of the Parliament. The question and answer sessions held by the Holyrood Progress Group are not formal meetings of the Parliament and it would not be appropriate, therefore, for an Official Report to be published.A summary of these sessions is provided in the Progress Group's Newsletters, which are issued to all Members and are available on the web. The next Newsletter is due to be published in February. I am also advised by the Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group that it is the Group's intention to provide a live webcast of future events.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 January 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 22 January 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer whether any losses to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body following the insolvency of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Limited are considered to have arisen as a result of force majeure.
Answer
There have been no losses to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body as a result of "force majeure", following the insolvency of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Limited.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 January 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 22 January 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to question S1W-21035 on 3 January 2002, whether Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd used the Holyrood site as its business address.
Answer
As with all other trade package contractors taking occupation of the accommodation at the Holyrood site, Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd used the site address for business relating to the Holyrood Project.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 January 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 22 January 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to question S1W-21034 on 3 January 2002, whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will provide a list of the sub-contractors of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd and a list of the sums of money claimed by each sub-contractor as due to them by Flour City.
Answer
The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body is not party to sub-contracts let by Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd and does not hold the information requested. This type of information is held by the official receiver.
