Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S2W-18110

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 July 2005
Current Status: Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 25 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that members of the public have access to the Cultural Commission’s final report.

The Executive believes that members of the public should have access to the final report of the Cultural Commission, which was published on 23 June. The document is available via the Scottish Executive’s website - http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Arts-Culture – and can be accessed online in public libraries. An electronic “html” version is also being produced for posting on the Executive’s website.

The commission was responsible for printing the report. Since the launch – for which the commission had 100 copies printed, all of which have been distributed - the Scottish Executive has arranged for an additional 1,000 printed copies of the report to be produced. They are being distributed to main public libraries, local authorities, those who provided assistance to the commission, including respondents who have not yet received copies, and others who have requested a copy.

Question reference: S2W-18109

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 July 2005
Current Status: Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 25 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many copies of the Cultural Commission’s final report were printed and distributed.

Question reference: S2W-18195

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 July 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 24 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how much public subsidy P & O Scottish Ferries received to operate Northern Isles ferry services in each year from 1990 to 2002.

The following table lists thepayments made to P&O Scottish Ferries between 1990 and 2002. The figures aretaken from Scottish Transport Statistics and other sources.

Calendar Year	Subsidy (£ Million)	SOLAS*	Total (£ Million)
1990	4.659		4.659
1991	4.100		4.100
1992	4.284		4.284
1993	6.027		6.027
1994	6.519		6.519
1995	7.622	0.478	8.100
1996	8.100		8.100
1997	9.412		9.412
1998	12.990	1.270	14.260
1999	11.400		11.400
2000	11.500		11.500
2001	11.472	0.128	11.600
2002 (January to September)	10.608	0.598	11.206

Note: *Grants paid to P&Oto make the necessary vessel modifications to meet safety requirements under theSafety of Life at Sea Regulations (SOLAS).

The system of support for ferryservices to the Northern Isles changed in 1998. Prior to this, P&O receivedTariff Rebate Subsidy (TRS), based on volumes carried. From 1998, a block grantpayment mechanism was used. The higher levels of subsidy paid to P&O from 1998partly reflect that change.

Question reference: S2W-18190

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 July 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 24 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how much (a) P & O Scottish Ferries and (b) NorthLink Ferries bid to run the current Northern Isles ferry tender.

Question reference: S2W-18191

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 July 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 24 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive which companies expressed an interest in bidding for the new Northern Isles ferry tender and what criteria were used to compose the short list of three companies.

Expressions of interest in the Northern Isles ferry contract were received by the Scottish Procurement Directorate from:

ASP-Seascot Ship Management Ltd

Aberdeen Harbour Board

Adsteam(UK) Ltd

Anglo-Eastern Ship Management (UK)

Braeside Shipping

Burness

Caledonian MacBrayne

Clyde Marine Group

Harrisons (Clyde) Ltd

Irish Continental Group plc

Milford Haven Port Authority

Nor-Cargo Ltd

Northern Marin Management Ltd

NorthLink Orkney and Shetland Ferries Ltd

Orkney Islands Council

P&O European Ferries (Irish Sea) Ltd

Pentland Ferries Ltd

Scot Ferries Ltd

Sea Containers

Serco Denholm

Smit International.

Not all of these companies submitted Pre-Qualification Questionnaires. The Pre-Qualification Questionnaire process assessed the technical capacity, experience and financial standing of the applicant in deciding the short list of bidding companies invited to tender

Question reference: S2W-17813

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 July 2005
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 3 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what the output from hydro-electric generating stations was in each year since 1999 (a) in total and (b) broken down by station.

The requested information isnot held by the Scottish Executive. The UK Government’s Department of Trade andIndustry (DTI) has collected statistics from generating companies in respect oftotal output across all hydro stations since 2000.

Hydro output statistics for Scotland havebeen published in the September editions of the DTI “Energy Trends” publication,which may be found on the DTI internet site at:

http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/inform/energy_trends/.

Pumped storage hydro isexcluded as the energy which is used to pump the water may not originate fromrenewable sources. Information is not disaggregated to the level of individualstations. This information is only held by the generating companies themselves.

Question reference: S2W-17812

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 July 2005
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 3 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what the capacity was of each hydro-electric station in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S2W-17870

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 July 2005
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 3 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people suffer from myasthenia gravis, broken down by NHS board.

The majority of patientsdiagnosed with myasthenia gravis are likely to be admitted to hospital fordiagnosis. An estimate of the prevalence of myasthenia gravis derived usinghospital discharge information is shown in the following table.

NHS Board of Residence	Prevalence (estimated number of individuals)
Argyll and Clyde	74
Ayrshire and Arran	68
Borders	9
Dumfries and Galloway	28
Fife	57
Forth Valley	50
Grampian	89
Greater Glasgow	161
Highland	34
Lanarkshire	102
Lothian	133
Orkney	6
Shetland	10
Tayside	76
Western Isles	4
All Scotland	901

Question reference: S2W-17871

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 July 2005
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 3 August 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to support those diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, what treatments are being offered to them by the NHS, and what research into the disease is taking place.

The Executive does notmanage the care of people with myasthenia gravis directly. We would expect NHS boardsto provide treatment and, with local authorities, support services based ontheir assessment of local needs.

The treatment given for myasthenia gravis or anyother any illness is a matter for clinical judgement based on the individualcircumstances of each case. There is nocure for myasthenia gravis but the effects may be alleviated by drug treatments,and it is possible in some cases for the condition to be improved by surgicaltreatment. Treatment by plasma exchange or an infusion of intravenousimmunoglobulin, both of which would require admission to hospital, may be givenwhen the effects of the condition have become life-threatening.

The National ResearchRegister (NRR) records three ongoing studies and 28 completed studies onmyasthenia gravis in the UK. Details of these projects are available from theNRR, a copy of which is in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number17404).

Question reference: S2W-17658

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 June 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 26 July 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to change the law on heritable succession.

The Scottish Law Commission’sseventh programme of law reform, which will run from 2005-09, was published on 21 February 2005 andincludes a project on the law of inheritance, including heritable succession. Iattach a link to the seventh programme on the Scottish Law Commission’s websitehttp://www.scotlawcom.gov.uk/html/law_reform.html.

Work has begun on the projectand a discussion paper will be published around the end of the year. A report willbe published well before the end of the programme. We will consider the report carefullywhen it is available.