Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has requested that both SSE Power Distribution and Scottish Power Transmission Ltd examine options for undergrounding the Beauly Denny upgrade in their respective areas as part of the process of developing proposals for visual mitigation schemes. The Scottish Government have taken advice on the options for these schemes from Stirling Council, Scottish Natural Heritage, internal planning colleagues, and local parties and landowners, as well as maintaining an interest in developments elsewhere in Europe, and the publication of reports on undergrounding such as the recent ENTSO-E report published in December 2010. Scottish ministers recently requested that further dialogue take place between Stirling Council and Scottish Power Transmission Ltd to examine all the options, including partial undergrounding of the main Beauly Denny line, to inform proposals for the Stirling Visual Impact Mitigation Scheme.

ScotRail is currently finalising designs for the refurbishment of public toilets at Perth Station, which is expected to take place this summer. The refurbishment will be funded through the Station Investment Fund.

Network Rail is also developing plans to install three new lifts and a footbridge to provide step free access to all platforms at the station. The work will be funded through the Department for Transport''s Access for All Fund, and is expected to commence in late 2012.

This is in addition to the £350,000 invested to renew the Customer Information System (CSI), as well as installing CCTV and expanding the station car park.

In responding to the SAGE report and following a direct request from the Scottish Government Health Directorate, our principal advisers on the health effects of radiation, the UK Health Protection Agency (HPA) has agreed to keep under review the possible relationship between childhood leukaemia, other causes of ill-health and exposure to elevated levels of extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields in the home and/or through proximity to powerlines, and to advise the UK Government and devolved administrations accordingly.

Since the Beauly Denny public inquiry closed, no new advice has been forthcoming from the HPA that would affect the stance of the Scottish Government on this issue.

As at 31 December 2010, 79.8% of children and 67.9% of adults living in Tayside were registered with an NHS dentist.

Source: MIDAS (Management Information and Dental Accounting System).

Our digital strategy, Scotland''s Digital Future: A Strategy for Scotland, published on 3 March 2011, outlines our ambition for availability of next generation broadband throughout the whole of Scotland, including highland Perthshire, by 2020 with significant progress being made by 2015.

To achieve this, we are already working with local authorities, enterprise agencies, industry and others to collectively develop a strategic Scotland-wide broadband plan. I jointly hosted a Rural Broadband Summit on 9 March 2011 with the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment to progress this issue, and Perth and Kinross Council were represented at the meeting.

Our digital strategy, Scotland''s Digital Future: A Strategy for Scotland, published on 3 March 2011, outlines our ambition for availability of next generation broadband throughout the whole of Scotland, including eastern Perthshire, by 2020 with significant progress being made by 2015.

To achieve this, we are already working with local authorities, enterprise agencies, industry and others to collectively develop a strategic Scotland-wide broadband plan. I jointly hosted a Rural Broadband Summit on 9 March 2011 with the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment to progress this issue, and Perth and Kinross Council were represented at the meeting.

The Scottish Government has published The Economic Impacts of Wind Farms on Scottish Tourism at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/03/07113554/0.

A key finding of the report is that wind farms and tourism can be compatible where wind farms are well sited.

This is a matter for the Scottish Ambulance Service. The information requested is not held centrally.

NHS National Services Scotland''s National Procurement Division (NPD) is NHSScotland''s centre of procurement expertise. In considering the procurement of implantable medical devices, NPD adopts the same principles it applies to the procurement of all other commodities ensuring; cost improvements and efficiency savings; products and services are fit for purpose and of top quality; current and future generations of NHS products remain up to date and valid; an effective supply service, reducing stockpiling and wastage and improving timely distribution and; continued quality assurance.

Cost is one of the most significant contributions to the value of a contract, however, when considering a contract such as for medical devices, there are many other components of value. These include fitness for purpose, whole life costs and consumables, and any cost of change.

NHS National Services Scotland''s National Procurement Division (NPD) is NHSScotland''s centre of procurement expertise. In considering the operational lifetime and period of manufacturer''s guarantee, NPD ensures that whole life costs of the commodity are taken fully into account at the evaluation stage. Consideration of a contract for a medical device takes into account both the anticipated life of the device, as anticipated by the manufacturers and clinical experts, and the period of manufacturer''s guarantee.