Chamber and committees

The full costs of the Private Water Supplies Grant Scheme will depend on several factors, including the number of supplies identified through the Private Water Supplies (Scotland) Regulations as requiring improvement, take-up rates, and associated administration costs incurred by local authorities. A budget of up to £8 million a year has been identified for each of the years 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08.

On the availability of MRI scanning equipment, I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-16671 on 1 June 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/wa.search.

As far as the assessment of demand for radiology and consultant staff is concerned, workforce planning arrangements are in place across NHSScotland at national, regional and local levels to ensure that workforce supply meets the needs of future service demand.

A site being considered for pedestrian crossing facilities is assessed and designed using the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) Volume 8 Section 5 Part 1 (TA 68/96), Local Transport Note 1/95 The Assessment of Pedestrian Crossings and Local Transport Note 2/95 The Design of Pedestrian Crossings. These national documents are published by the Department for Transport and provide accepted standards for assessment, design and construction for use on trunk roads.

I refer the member to the answer to S2W-16177 on 10 May 2005. All answers to written Parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

It would not be appropriate for Scottish ministers to comment on the arguments that have been made by Mr Robert Sanger in his defence of Michael Jackson.

The Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003 and the forthcoming Controlled Activities Regulations contain provisions that will supersede section 24 of the Environment Act 1995. The Executive therefore intends to lay an Order before Parliament which, among other things, will repeal section 24 with effect from 1 April 2006.

Often acts will require to becommenced in stages (for particular provisions or particular purposes) for policyor practical reasons. Decisions about such matters are the responsibility of theminister in charge of the act and so the information requested is not held centrally.Acts of the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Statutory Instruments, including CommencementOrders, are published on the HMSO website. Is it in Force? 2004 which ispublished by LexisNexis, Butterworths, provides full details of provisions in Actsof the Scottish Parliament which had not yet been brought into force as at 17 February2004. If the member would like information about any specific act or any specificprovision or provisions in an act, the relevant portfolio minister will be happyto provide that information. 

I have asked Martyn Wade, National Librarian of the National Libraries of Scotland, to respond. His response is as follows:

The cost of storing the material is £60 per annum. No costs have, as yet, been incurred in splitting the papers into two categories. A request to split the papers has recently been received from the depositor and this is now being considered in the usual way. We believe the costs of splitting the papers will not exceed £1,000.

The information requested isnot held in this form. However, full details of the commencement dates of provisionsin Acts of Parliament passed between 1 January 1979and 31 December 2003, together with provisions not yet in force as at 17 February 2004, canbe found in Is it in Force? 2004 published by LexisNexis, Butterworths.

None. Copies of the relevantreports will be laid before the Parliament as soon as possible.