- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 18 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the definition of abduction is within Scots Law.
Answer
Abduction is a common law crime in Scots law. The crime of abduction is committed by carrying off or detaining a person against his or her will without lawful authority.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 18 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21273 by Tavish Scott on 15 December 2005, whether this indicates that the new Auchenkilns Junction is an integral part of the plan to undertake an on-line upgrade of the A80 to full motorway status.
Answer
The new Auchenkilns Junction is being designed to integrate with an on-line upgrade of the A80 to motorway status should that successfully negotiate its statutory procedures. However, the scheme stands alone economically in that the benefits accrued from it over the period between its opening and the opening of the new M80, on whatever line, will outweigh the cost of providing the junction.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 18 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21290 by Tavish Scott on 15 December 2005, whether, if it accepts the logic of bypassing Muirhead, Chryston and Moodiesburn with the upgraded A80, it considers it logical to bypass Cumbernauld as part of the upgrade as well and what the reasons are for its position on the issue.
Answer
Constructing an on line upgrade through Muirhead, Moodiesburn and Chryston would be impractical due to the significant degree of frontage access on that section of the route. The limited frontage access on the remainder of the route can be accommodated through the provision of an alternative access.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 17 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21290 by Tavish Scott on 15 December 2005, what areas have been identifed that will experience an adverse effect on air quality as a result of the upgrade of the A80 to full motorway status.
Answer
In respect of the online section between Mollinsburn and Haggs the majority of air quality impacts will be insignificant. The predicted impacts of the whole scheme are shown in Section 14 of the Environmental Statement (the Air Quality section) which is available on the scheme website at
http://www.m80steppstohaggs.com.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 16 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20860 by Cathy Jamieson on 29 November 2005 and whilst Scottish Prison Service staff turnover is significantly below the UK average, what information it has on how it compares to the turnover level of prison service staff of each (a) OECD nation and (b) EU member state.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:
The SPS does not hold such information.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 13 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been confirmed that Hampden Park will be used as a venue in the 2012 Olympic Games and whether it is now in a position to state whether any other venues in Scotland will be used for events at the Games.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-17793 on 3 August 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.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 13 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any views on the advice given to the All-Party Group on Extraordinary Rendition at Westminster by the Centre for Human Rights and Global Justice of New York University School of Law that “seemingly innocuous acts (e.g. allowing refuelling at airports of aircraft of another state) can become wrongful under international law if those acts facilitate Extraordinary Rendition” in respect of the allegations that US agencies have been using Scottish airports for these purposes.
Answer
The control of flights in and out of Scotland is a reserved matter. Under international law the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation entitles foreign civil aircraft to make technical stops, for example for refuelling, without requiring the permission of the state in which they stop.
If the police receive specific information that crimes are being committed in Scotland they will be responsible for conducting an investigation into these offences. To date, no specific, credible allegation has been brought to the attention of the police that the “extraordinary rendition” of any individual has been unlawfully facilitated through a Scottish airport.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 12 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-17794 by Patricia Ferguson on 3 August 2005, whether it has ruled out undertaking an independent and detailed assessment of the costs and benefits to Scotland of the 2012 Olympic Games being hosted in London.
Answer
There are no plans to undertake such an assessment at this time.
Scotland is well placed to assess the costs and benefits of the London Olympics through membership of the Nations and Regions group, London 2012. The Scottish steering group for London 2012 will meet for the first time in January 2006 and will work to maximise the benefits to Scotland of London 2012.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 12 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, if it believes that a successful bid by Glasgow to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games will have a UK-wide benefit, it considers that it would be equitable for Her Majesty’s Government to either create a Commonwealth Games lottery or make the newly-created Olympics Games lottery a joint Olympic-Commonwealth Games lottery.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-18526 on 5 September 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/wwa.search.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 12 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-17566 by Patricia Ferguson on 18 July 2005, what the reasons are for its position that the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games “could feasibly only be staged in London” rather than anywhere else in the United Kingdom.
Answer
Previously both Birmingham and Manchester have produced bids to stage the Olympic Games. The feedback received by the UK government from the International Olympic Committee after the failure of those bids was that the IOC would only consider a bid from London. This was due to London’s status as a world city, the infrastructure that was already in place and its transport and travel links.
