- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 14 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive when Highland Council referred to it the application for closure of a stretch of the Mid-Coul road to Inverness Airport, following an objection being made; when it will make a decision in respect of the granting of a closure order, and whether it considers the instrument landing system to be important to the future development of Inverness Airport.
Answer
The order was received by the Scottish Executive on 13 August 2003. A decision letter confirming the order was sent to HighlandCouncil on 1 June 2004.
The Executive regard the instrumentlanding system as important and helped to fund it. The system will improve safetyand enhance the operational reliability of the airport.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 14 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce an ultrasound screening programme for risk families at risk and all 16-year-olds embarking on a sports career, as recommended by Scottish HART.
Answer
In considering the introductionof population screening programmes, the Executive is advised by the National ScreeningCommittee (NSC), an independent UK-wide expert body. The NSC’s Child Health Sub-Grouphas advised that, in the light of current evidence, pre-participation screeningfor Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) in young people intending to engage in competitivesport should not be introduced outwith carefully-designed research projects. Thecommittee will, however, keep this advice under review, and has offered to meetScottish HART to explain the reasons for its recommendation. This does not preventScottish HART from providing its own screening programme.
The Executive would encourageyoung people with a strong family history of HCM and who would wish to be testedto consult their GP, who can then refer them to a cardiologist for specialist advice.
The Executive’s National AdvisoryCommittee on Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is also keeping in touch with currentwork on sudden cardiac death and screening which is being taken forward in Englandas part of the National Service Framework for CHD.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 4 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to sell its stud farms in the Highlands and Islands and, in particular, Beechwood Farm and Knocknagael Farm.
Answer
There are no current plans tosell Beechwood Farm or Knocknagael Farm.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 4 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government in respect of adding impingement syndrome of the shoulder to the list of prescribed diseases and whether it has made any representations to the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council about the matter and whether those who have sustained impingement syndrome of the shoulder as a result of their occupation should be entitled to receive compensation under the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit scheme.
Answer
This is a reserved matter. Thedecision on which diseases should be prescribed for Industrial Injuries DisablementBenefit purposes is a matter for the Department of Work and Pensions acting on advicefrom the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council and that body is open to receivingany evidence which may pertain to the prescription of a condition as an industrialdisease.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 4 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-8057 by Ross Finnie on 19 May 2004, which officials from its Environment and Rural Affairs Department, the Food Standards Agency, the State Veterinary Service and Forestry Commission Scotland are preparing the report for ministers on the conduct of recent culls in Glenfeshie.
Answer
The report was prepared withcontributions from all these bodies. It is current practice not to nameindividual officials.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by George Reid on 3 June 2004
To ask the Presiding Officer what the present estimate is of losses arising from the failure of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Limited and whether this represents an increase from the total previously estimated.
Answer
I refer the member to the answergiven to question S1W-30745 on 14 November 2002, and confirm that there has beenno change to the previously reported cost to the project of £3.85 million.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 2 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-7432 by Ross Finnie on 4 May 2004, on what date it expects to receive the report on the culls in Glenfeshie.
Answer
Ministers received the reporton 26 May 2004.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 25 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people reside permanently in caravans and, of these, how many are travelling people.
Answer
The 2001 Census records 8,187people (4,547 households) living in a caravan or other mobile or temporary structureat the time of the census.
The total gypsy/traveller populationwas estimated in July 2003 to be 1,789 people (559 households), compared with anestimate of 1,353 people (410 households) in January 2003.
Estimates of numbers of gypsies/travellersare based on a twice yearly count in summer and winter undertaken by councils onbehalf of the Executive. The aim is to provide estimates covering numbers on councilsites, privately owned sites and unauthorised locations. All users of sites andencampments are included, whether they would consider themselves to be gypsies,travellers or Romany. It is also important to note that the figures include estimates,particularly for numbers on private sitesand unauthorised locations.
The full background to the methodologyused to compile the estimates can be found in
GYPSIES/ TRAVELLERS IN SCOTLAND The Twice-yearly Count - No. 4 : July 2003. Available on the Scottish Executive website at
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/social/gts4-00.asp.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 25 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimate is of the final expenditure under the 2003 fishing vessel decommissioning scheme and, if this is less than the total of #40 million, whether the unused surplus will be earmarked for other financial assistance to the fishing industry and, if not, for what purpose it will be used.
Answer
We made provision for expenditureof up to £40 million on the 2003 decommissioning scheme. In the event, expenditureon decommissioning is expected to come to just over £30.5 million.
Any funds allocated to decommissioningand not used for that purpose will be available for reallocation. Ministers willcollectively consider that reallocation in the light of present and future spendingpriorities. An announcement on the use of all 2003-04 under spend will be made indue course by the Minister for Finance and Public Services.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 24 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-7480 by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 May 2004, when it received the final report referred to in the answer; whether the final report will be published before the summer recess, and whether it intends to publish the preliminary report and what the reason is for its position on the matter.
Answer
The Temple Report –
SecuringFuture Practice – was commissioned by the Executive and submitted on 17 December 2003.
Following this, preliminary clarificationof the detail within the report was sought and provided.
Medical education can be consideredin terms of a continuum from entry to medical school until the end of the medicalcareer. To enable the fullest consideration of all the issues raised, it is beneficial for publication of the Temple Report to takeplace around the same time as the release of the related report, on Basic MedicalEducation, from the review group chaired by Professor Sir Ken Calman.
Officials are in the final stagesof securing a date for publication of Securing Future Practice. The reportwill be published before recess.
