- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 14 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the standards of maintenance of trunk roads will change from 1 April 2001; if so, in what precise respects and whether it will decline to award contracts to any private sector bidders for any trunk road unit contract unless it is satisfied that such bidders can provide, without a radio network, a service in winter emergency conditions which is fully comparable to the current service.
Answer
The standards of maintenance contained within the new contracts are generally the same as specified in the existing contracts. In respect of the communications system specified in the contract, it is for the operators to examine carefully the technology they require to ensure safe communications across the unit. We are satisfied from the tender submissions that the contract specification will be met.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 10 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14258 by Angus MacKay on 17 April 2001, which persons or bodies were consulted in the formulation of the guidance to be issued to local authorities on hardship relief, on what date the guidance will be issued and whether it will place a copy of the guidance in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
CoSLA and the Scottish Assessors' Association were consulted in the preparation of the guidance to local authorities on hardship relief, which was issued on 10 April. A copy is available in the Scottish Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. no. 12527).
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 9 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the report by George Street Research, Development Department Research Programme Research Findings No.111: Sharing Road Space; Drivers and Cyclists as Equal Road Users, and what policy measures it plans to take in the light of the report, in particular, whether it will introduce a programme of formal cycling training, including road experience, for all primary six and seven children.
Answer
The Executive is currently considering the recommendations of the report and what policy measures may be appropriate.As regards cycle training, the provision of cycle training for children is a matter for schools, police and local authority Road Safety Units. The Executive has commissioned a survey of cycle training provision in Scottish schools to provide baseline information on the numbers of children trained; that is currently being carried out. The Scottish Cycle Training Scheme, overseen by the Scottish Road Safety Campaign, itself funded by the Executive, recommends that on-road training should be provided where possible. Road Safety Units are responsible for carrying out risk assessment on any roads to be used for on-road training and for decisions on whether it is appropriate to conduct on-road training in any particular case. A new resource for Road Safety Officers to use when training volunteer trainers, developed by the campaign, was issued to Road Safety Units in March.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 8 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease reported in the Sunday Post on 22 April 2001 as having been caused by migrating geese and whether it will place the findings of any such investigation in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
Geese are not considered to be the source of foot-and-mouth disease spread. This is due to the birds natural behaviour. Geese have to keep themselves clean in order to migrate successfully and there is a high probability that most of the geese will not come into contact with susceptible livestock. Based on initial analysis and epidemiological information, it is estimated that around 90% of the cases of infection are attributable to local spread between premises caused by animal and people movements.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 4 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the estimated cost of the artificial fluoridation of water throughout Scotland.
Answer
Initial estimates by the Scottish water authorities suggest that fluoridating the water supplies where it is possible to do so, serving the majority of the population, would imply capital expenditure in the order of £29 million and annual running costs of £4 million. It is not practical technically to fluoridate some 15 per cent of public water supplies in Scotland. Some 2-3 per cent of the population is served by private water supplies. These costs might vary considerably if fluoridation schemes were introduced at local level at different times.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 4 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how the cost of the artifical fluoridation of water compares with fluoridated drinks or tablets.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to S1W-14947, which gives initial estimates of the cost of fluoridating public water supplies. Directly comparable costs for fluoridated milk or tablets are not available, since such schemes would normally focus only on particular population groups, especially children.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 4 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the rates relief scheme for businesses affected by the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak is to be granted by local authorities under the terms of the Local Government Finance Act 1966 and, if not, on what statutory basis the scheme rests.
Answer
Local authorities have the power to remit rates on account of hardship in accordance with section 25A of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1966 as inserted by section 156 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 4 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider increasing its estimated contribution of #3.5 million to the cost of meeting a rates relief scheme for businesses affected by the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak and, if so, what sum it will make available for such an increase.
Answer
We will meet 95% of the cost of providing hardship relief from rates for businesses affected by the foot and mouth outbreak occupying property with a rateable value up to £12,000 in 17 rural local authority areas. We will also fund 75% of the cost of providing such relief for larger businesses and those in other areas. However, the scheme is not cash limited and its terms will be kept under review.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 2 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the estimated #492,000 strategic co-ordination costs referred to in Proposals for a Highlands and Islands Integrated Transport Authority.
Answer
These calculations were based on the estimated salary and employer costs of those Executive staff who have responsibility relating to one or more functions that could be transferred to a HIITA. This extended to over 40 staff, principally in the roads and ferries Divisions, within the Executive's Development Department. Many of these staff also have responsibilities that would not be transferred, so an estimate was made of the time they spend on the "transferable" functions only and costs were adjusted accordingly.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 30 April 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive from which countries meat imports into Scotland are banned and whether meat is permitted to be imported into Scotland from any country in which foot and mouth disease is endemic.
Answer
Bans are imposed by the EU Commission as and when disease outbreaks are confirmed. As a result of the current outbreak of FMD, meat imports from three departments in France, four provinces in the Netherlands, one county in the Republic of Ireland and the areas of Newry and Mourne in Northern Ireland are banned. These restrictions are adapted as circumstances change. Meat imports are only permitted from countries or regions which are guaranteed free from FMD.