- Asked by: Alex Salmond, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 26 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to the taxpayer is of the contract awarded to Premier Prison Services to plan, build and manage the Private Finance Initiative project at Kilmarnock Prison.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
The cost over the 25-year period of the contract is approximately £130 million in Net Present Value terms.
- Asked by: Alex Salmond, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 26 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs has any plans to meet representatives of the Prison Officers' Association Scotland to discuss repeal of sections 127 and 128 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.
Answer
I am meeting the Prison Officers' Association Scotland on 10 October 2000, and will be happy to discuss this if it is raised.
- Asked by: Alex Salmond, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 26 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Premier Prison Services about the recommendations contained in the recent Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons report on Kilmarnock Prison.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
The Scottish Prison Service and Kilmarnock Prison Services Limited discussed the recommendations and the responses to HM Chief Inspector's Report were published on 6 July as part of the report.
- Asked by: Alex Salmond, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 20 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Justice will reply to my letter of 22 June 2000 regarding Ms L Cohn of Peterhead which was transferred from the Lord Advocate's office on 4 July 2000.
Answer
I regret that due to an administrative error, no response was issued to the member's letter. A reply has now been sent.
- Asked by: Alex Salmond, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 1 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Transport and the Environment will provide a further reply to that of 4 May 2000 to Mr G McKay regarding the Scottish Transport Group Pension Scheme.
Answer
My letter to you of 4 May, in response to the query by Mr McKay which you had raised with me, promised a further letter when complex processes involved in the wind-up of the STG pension schemes were complete. You also wrote to me on 28 June 2000 about this matter. The matter is under active consideration and I shall write again when I am in a position to make an announcement.
- Asked by: Alex Salmond, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 09 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 22 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has made available in each of the last five financial years for research into E.coli 0157.
Answer
The table below lists the funding given by both the Health Department Chief Scientist Office and the Rural Affairs Department in the last five financial years.
| Financial Year | CSO | SERAD |
| | £ | £ |
1995-96 | NONE | NONE |
1996-97 | 58,260 | 61,224 |
1997-98 | 48,914 | 351,801 |
1998-99 | 107,174 | 505,911 |
1999-2000 | 80,984 | 447,553 |
- Asked by: Alex Salmond, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 09 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 22 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it gave local authorities following the investigation into the E.coli 0157 outbreak at MacDuff Primary School, Banffshire in 1999.
Answer
The Executive produced a food safety leaflet for distribution to voluntary groups, churches, schools and nurseries. Copies were sent to all local authorities in December and January for local distribution.
- Asked by: Alex Salmond, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 09 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 22 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what has been the number of cases of E.coli 0157 in Scotland in each of the last five years.
Answer
The numbers of confirmed cases of E.coli 0157 reported by laboratories to the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health were: -
1995 | 247 |
1996 | 506 |
1997 | 423 |
1998 | 216 |
1999 | 294 |
- Asked by: Alex Salmond, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 09 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 22 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it held with local authorities following the E.coli 0157 outbreak at Macduff Primary School, Banffshire in 1999.
Answer
The Food Standards Agency confirmed that no discussions were held with local authorities since legal action was under consideration. A short life working group to consider food poisoning outbreaks, food incidents and product recalls in Scotland associated with the production, distribution and retailing of cheese by small scale cheesemakers was established.
- Asked by: Alex Salmond, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 09 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 22 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what priority it attaches to research into the causes of E.coli 0157 and the recent instances in Scotland and, in particular, north-east Scotland.
Answer
Research into E.coli 0157 remains a priority for the Executive. The Food Standards Agency, which was established in April, has an important role to play in minimising the risk of E.coli 0157 infection. That is why the Scottish arm of the Agency has recently established an E.coli Task Force, along with the Scottish Executive. The Task Force will be responsible for developing a co-ordinated strategy for minimising the risk of infection and ensuring the public are aware of the best hygiene precautions to take.
In addition, the Scottish Food Advisory Committee, which advises the Agency, agreed at its first public meeting on 12 July that E.coli 0157 was one of its top priorities. Committee members will play a vital role in the E.coli Task force.
