- 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 Glasgow is successful in securing the 2014 Commonwealth Games, it considers that there will be a similar benefit to all of the United Kingdom that Her Majesty’s Government considers that there will be by virtue of London hosting the 2012 Olympic Games.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is committed to working with UK government departments to ensure continued support for Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games 2014 bid. The Commonwealth Games is not as large an event as the Olympics. Whilst it is difficult to quantify the benefits to the UK at this stage it is possible that the UK will accrue similar benefits on a smaller scale.
- 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-17563 by Patricia Ferguson on 18 July 2005, whether it will be making estimates at any stage as to how much additional growth the Scottish economy will accrue as a direct result of London hosting the 2012 Olympic Games.
Answer
All efforts to maximise the economic, social and cultural benefits of the 2012 Olympic Games to Scotland will be co-ordinated through the Scottish Steering Group for London 2012 which will meet for the first time in January 2006. It will be part of the remit of that group to monitor the potential beneficial effects on the Scottish economy.
- 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, how it was in a position to support London’s bid for the 2012 Olympic Games without undertaking an independent and detailed assessment of the costs and benefits to Scotland of the Games beforehand.
Answer
The Scottish Executive was proud to support London’s bid to bring the Olympics to the UK in 2012.
The benefits to a nation from hosting the Olympic Games are well established. It can lead to increased participation in sport, better health and increased national confidence.
The Scottish Executive is committed to working with LOCOG and other UK government departments to maximise the potential benefits to Scotland from the Games.
Scotland is well placed to assess the costs and benefits of the London Olympics through membership of the Nations and regions group, London 2012. A Scottish steering group for London 2012 will meet for the first time in January 2006.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 12 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21279 by Mr Andy Kerr on 12 December 2005, which local authority areas have been identified as having low air quality standards as defined in the Air Quality Strategy since the Environment Act 1995 came into force.
Answer
The following table lists the local authorities which have declared Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs). Declaration follows air quality review and assessment work indicating that the Air Quality Strategy objectives for these pollutants are at risk of not being achieved by the due dates.
The authorities concerned are addressing the issues identified through air quality action plans.
| Authority | Date AQMA Declared | Location | Pollutants | Pollutant Source | Action Plan |
| Aberdeen City Council | June 2001 | city centre | NO2, PM10 | Transport | In place |
| City of Edinburgh Council | December 2000 | city centre | NO2 | Transport | In place |
| East Dunbartonshire Council | December 2005 | Bishopbriggs | NO2, PM10 | Transport | Not yet in place |
| Falkirk Council | October 2005 | Grangemouth | SO2 | Industry | Not yet in place |
| Glasgow City Council | January 2002 | city centre | NO2 | Transport | In place |
| North Lanarkshire Council | December 2005 | Chapelhall, Coatbridge, Motherwell | PM10 | Transport | Not yet in place |
Notes:
NO2: nitrogen dioxide.
PM10: particles.
SO2: sulphur dioxide.
Dundee City Council (city centre) Perth and Kinross Council (Perth town centre) and Renfrewshire Council (Paisley) have also identified a need to declare AQMAs, but the declaration process is not yet complete.
- 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 12 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20860 by Cathy Jamieson on 29 November 2005, whether the Scottish Prison Service aims to meet or exceed performance targets set by ministers.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:
The Scottish Prison Service aims to deliver Key Performance Indicators set by ministers and reported to Parliament. Figures contained in previous years’ SPS annual reports and the Decade of Achievement paper published by SPS in 2003 indicate that the agency has been successful in surpassing most of its targets over the last 10 years.
Our performance results for 2005-06 will be published in the SPS annual report.
- 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 Tom McCabe on 12 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how it measures the quality of its answers to written questions received from MSPs.
Answer
The Scottish Ministerial Code sets out clearly the responsibilities on ministers to Parliament and to the wider public. In line with the code, responsibility for the content of answers to written questions from MSPs rests with the minister issuing each reply.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 12 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20862 by Cathy Jamieson on 12 December 2005, what the difference is between registered mental health nurses and “nursing staff with mental nursing skills and qualifications”.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
Nursing staff may have mental health nursing skills and qualifications but not have undergone the registration process as defined by the Nursing Midwifery Council (formerly the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting).
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 12 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what it understands is covered by the term “prisoner”.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-21502 on 14 December 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: Friday, 16 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 12 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-17566 and S2W-17792 by Patricia Ferguson on 18 July and 5 August 2005, how it can justify its position of believing that Scotland will benefit from London hosting the 2012 Olympic Games, given that the report of the impact study into the Games, undertaken by PricewaterhouseCoopers, indicates that whilst London’s economy can expect to gain some £5.9 billion, there will be a displacement effect on the rest of the UK economy which will be some £2.8 billion worse off than if the Games were held elsewhere.
Answer
The findings of the Price Waterhouse Cooper report are based on what will happen if no action is taken. The UK and Scottish Governments are committed to ensuring that the benefits of London 2012 are spread across the UK. The main route for this is through the Nations and Regions Group where Julia Bracewell, chair of sportscotland, is the Scottish representative. It will be through Nations and Regions that we will work to ensure that Scotland can maximise the benefits that could accrue from the London 2012 Olympics. The Scottish steering group for London 2012, whose aim is to ensure the maximum benefits for Scotland, is meeting for the first time in January 2006.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 12 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what its procedures are for acknowledging and replying to e mail enquiries from members of the public and what targets have been set for how long it should take to acknowledge and reply to such enquiries.
Answer
Replies to e-mails are sent as quickly as possible and within 20 working days of receipt. If for any reason a full reply cannot be sent within 20 working days, an interim reply is sent explaining the reason for the delay and giving an indication of when a full reply can be expected. These standards apply to all our customers.
Automatic acknowledgements are sent to e-mails addressed to the Scottish ministers mailbox.
