Questions and answers

Question reference: S1W-21040

Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 8 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19992 by Lewis MacDonald on 11 December 2001, whether it will alter the trunk road maintenance contracts to allow Amey Highways Ltd and BEAR Scotland Ltd to answer enquiries from MSPs and MPs directly and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Question reference: S1W-20924

Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 8 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20400 by Lewis MacDonald on 10 December 2001, why it did not give its reasons for preventing Amey Highways Ltd and BEAR (Scotland) Ltd from responding directly to enquiries from MSPs and MPs as requested and when it will do so.

Question reference: S1W-20816

Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 7 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-20257 and S1W-20258 by Lewis MacDonald on 6 December 2001, whether the contractual protection of the pension rights of local authority staff in its tender process for the new trunk road maintenance contracts could have been improved.

Question reference: S1W-20923

Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 7 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14451 by Mr Tom McCabe on 6 April 2001, on how many occasions before 10 July 2000 and since 22 March 2001 it has asked back-bench MSPs to lodge parliamentary questions in order to enable it to make an announcement or for any other purpose; whether it will provide a list of such questions, including the date on which they were lodged and the MSP who lodged them, and whether it can provide similar details of any (a) oral and (b) First Minister's questions lodged on the same basis since May 1999.

Due to limited storage space available, central records for individual written parliamentary questions which include details of occasions when the Scottish Executive "has asked back-bench MSPs to lodge parliamentary questions", are held for a maximum period of 18 months. The following 139 questions were lodged between 27 March to 30 November 2001. Oral parliamentary questions and First Minister's questions are not used for this purpose. From 7 January 2002, all questions initiated by the Executive in order to make an announcement will be identified as such in the Business Bulletin.

PQ ID (S1W-)	MSP	Date Lodged*
14552	Dr Elaine Murray	27/3/01
14582	Scott Barrie	28/3
14612	Robert Brown	29/3
14753	Pauline McNeill	3/4
14765	Cathy Peattie	3/4
14766	Scott Barrie	3/4
15188	Bristow Muldoon	19-20/4
15190	Pauline McNeill	19-20/4
15191	Paul Martin	19-20/4
15338	Mr John McAllion	26/4
15346	Paul Martin	26/4
15380	Pauline McNeill	26/4
15408	Elaine Smith	27/4
15502	Dr Sylvia Jackson	1/5
15511	Cathy Jamieson	1/5
15535	Mrs Mary Mulligan	2/5
15559	Hugh Henry	2/5
15561	Pauline McNeill	3/5
15586	Tavish Scott	3/5
15653	Rhoda Grant	8/5
15654	Dr Elaine Murray	8/5
15655	Mr Michael McMahon	8/5
15656	Gordon Jackson	8/5
15701	Rhoda Grant	9/5
15706	Maureen Macmillan	9/5
15741	Mr Frank McAveety	10/5
15787	Maureen Macmillan	15/5
15815	Ian Jenkins	16/5
15817	Iain Smith	17/5
15818	Margaret Jamieson	17/5
15834	Cathy Jamieson	17/5
15930	Elaine Thomson	22/5
15961	Mr Michael McMahon	24/5
16137	Mr Michael McMahon	31/5
16187	Paul Martin	6/6
16188	Dr Sylvia Jackson	6/6
16208	Mr Michael McMahon	7/6
16209	Mrs Mary Mulligan	7/6
16219	Elaine Smith	11/6
16223	Mr Duncan McNeil	11/6
16228	Dr Elaine Murray	11/6
16447	Ian Jenkins	20/6
16460	Tavish Scott	21/6
16461	Mr Jamie Stone	21/6
16544	Tavish Scott	25/6
16548	Bristow Muldoon	25/6
16556	Mr Jamie Stone	26/6
16557	Brian Fitzpatrick	26/6
16568	Dr Richard Simpson	26/6
16578	Mr Kenneth MacIntosh	26/6
16596	Scott Barrie	26/6
16664	Mr Jamie Stone	27/6
16672	Maureen Macmillan	27/6
16673	Elaine Thomson	27/6
16687	Mike Watson	28/6
16688	Mr Andy Kerr	28/6
16689	Bill Butler	28/6
16690	Elaine Smith	28/6
16696	Elaine Thomson	28/6
16741	Mrs Mary Mulligan	29/6-5/7
16750	Mrs Mary Mulligan	29/6-5/7
16790	Mrs Mary Mulligan	29/6-5/7
16800	Pauline McNeill	29/6-5/7
16832	Ms Irene Oldfather	29/6-5/7
16833	Mr Jamie Stone	29/6-5/7
16917	Tavish Scott	6-12/7
16942	Mr Duncan McNeil	6-12/7
16998	Tavish Scott	13-19/7
17045	Ian Jenkins	13-19/7
17063	Tavish Scott	13-19/7
17104	Pauline McNeill	13-19/7
17156	Dr Sylvia Jackson	20-26/7
17159	Mr Kenneth MacIntosh	20-26/7
17266	Ian Jenkins	20-26/7
17395	Karen Gillon	3-9/8
17427	Mr Andy Kerr	3-9/8
17431	Dr Elaine Murray	3-9/8
17442	Mrs Mary Mulligan	3-9/8
17524	Karen Whitefield	10-16/8
17807	Mr John McAllion	24-29/8
17828	Mr Kenneth MacIntosh	24-29/8
17829	Mr Michael McMahon	24-29/8
17838	Elaine Thomson	30-31/8
17882	Karen Whitefield	30-31/8
17883	Cathy Peattie	30-31/8
17937	Bristow Muldoon	4/9
17938	Brian Fitzpatrick	5/9
17959	Rhoda Grant	5/9
17969	Mr Duncan McNeil	5/9
17989	Ian Jenkins	7/9
18030	Donald Gorrie	10/9
18044	Karen Whitefield	10/9
18081	Maureen Macmillan	11/9
18107	Elaine Smith	12/9
18158	Pauline McNeill	13/9
18240	Mr Kenneth MacIntosh	18/9
18241	Mr Duncan McNeil	18/9
18246	Des McNulty	18/9
18253	Mike Watson	19/9
18256	Mr John Home Robertson	19/9
18383	Paul Martin	20/9
18461	Mrs Mary Mulligan	21/9
18491	Mr Andy Kerr	24/9
18492	Scott Barrie	24/9
18524	Cathy Peattie	25/9
18539	Mr Kenneth MacIntosh	25/9
18555	Paul Martin	26/9
18622	Dr Elaine Murray	27/9
18787	Karen Whitefield	3/10
18788	Janis Hughes	3/10
18789	Kate MacLean	3/10
18908	Dr Sylvia Jackson	5-11/10
18932	Nora Radcliffe	5-11/10
18945	Marilyn Livingstone	5-11/10
19026	Kate MacLean	5-11/10
19035	Marilyn Livingstone	5-11/10
19085	Mr Duncan McNeil	12-18/10
19149	Kate MacLean	12-18/10
19150	Margaret Jamieson	12-18/10
19289	Rhoda Grant	23/10
19357	Margaret Jamieson	24/10
19358	Bristow Muldoon	24/10
19634	Mr Andy Kerr	2/11
19721	Scott Barrie	6/11
19840	Scott Barrie	9/11
19859	Nora Radcliffe	9/11
19923	Cathy Jamieson	13/11
19948	Johann Lamont	14/11
19977	Marilyn Livingstone	15/11
19978	Elaine Thomson	15/11
20017	Mr John Farquhar Munro	15/11
20077	Dr Sylvia Jackson	19/11
20138	Iain Smith	20/11
20143	Karen Gillon	20/11
20311	Maureen Macmillan	23/11
20386	Robert Brown	26/11
20388	Ms Irene Oldfather	26/11
20533	Des McNulty	28/11
20577	Karen Whitefield	29/11

*These dates have been taken from the appropriate Business Bulletins.

Question reference: S1W-20921

Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 7 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost is of issuing a holding answer to a parliamentary question and how many holding answers it has issued in each six-month period since its inception.

The estimated cost of issuing a holding answer is £2.20, based on the average gross salary of the officials involved, accommodation, establishment and overhead costs.Official records on the total number of holding answers issued to written parliamentary questions have only been maintained since April 2001. The number of holding answers which have been issued in each month from April to September 2001 is as follows:

Month (2001)	Number of holding answers
April	265
May	226
June	103
July	149
August	155
September	159

Question reference: S1W-20920

Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 7 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive how many parliamentary questions it has responded to in each six-month period since its inception and what the average time taken to reply to parliamentary questions was in each six-month period.

Official records on the total number of written parliamentary questions answered daily have only been maintained since April 2001. The number of questions which have been answered substantively in each month from April to September 2001 is as follows:

Month (2001)	Number of questions answered
April	760
May	891
June	546
July	412
August	728
September	662

Information on the number of parliamentary questions due for answer and answered each month from May 1999 is available in the Audits of Parliamentary Questions published by the Scottish Executive quarterly, copies of which are available from the Parliament's Reference Centre.The average times taken to reply to parliamentary questions could only be provided at disproportionate cost. However, work is proceeding on the development of management information linked to the new electronic PQ tracking system which was introduced earlier in the year. It is hoped that, once complete, the system will be able to provide detailed information such as the average time taken to respond. In the light of provisions of the Parliament's Standing Orders, ministers aim to answer parliamentary questions for written answer within 14 days (or 28 days for those lodged in the seven days before, or during, a period of recess of more than four days).

Question reference: S1W-20116

Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 November 2001
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 7 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Amey Highways Ltd or BEAR (Scotland) Ltd have been involved in 'partnering workshops' since 1 April 2001 and, if so, (a) on what dates and where each workshop took place; (b) what organisations were represented by how many persons on each occasion; (c) what the agenda was for each workshop and (d) what the cost was to the public purse for these workshops, to the nearest pound, in total and for each individual event, broken down by contract area.

The Scottish Executive has held Partnering Workshops with Amey Highways Ltd and BEAR Scotland Ltd. A joint workshop was held for the South East and South West Units on 31 May and 1 June 2001 at the Norton House Hotel, Ingliston. The workshops for the North East Unit and North West Unit were held on 12 and 13 September respectively at the Windlestrae Hotel, Kinross.The organisations represented and participant numbers at each workshop were as follows:

South East/South West	Scottish Executive staff	7
	Performance Audit Group	3
	Amey Highways Ltd	9
	W A Fairhurst	1
North East	Scottish Executive staff	7
	Performance Audit Group	5
	BEAR Scotland Ltd	8
North West	Scottish Executive Staff	9
	Performance Audit Group	5
	BEAR Scotland Ltd	9

The agenda for each workshop included the following topics:contract processes and objectivescommunications between organisationspractical ideas to improve worksworking together to maintain roadssafety improvementsunderstanding other organisations aspirations and objectivesestablishment of working relationsidentification of future benefits for road usersdevelopment of working relationships.The total cost to the Scottish Executive for the four days of the workshops was £5,178. The cost to the Executive for the SE/SW event was £3,178. The cost for the NE and the NW was £1,000 for each event.

Question reference: S1W-20739

Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 3 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Lord Advocate or any department within the Crown Office have been consulted on the proposed Stirling to Alloa Rail link and, if so, on what dates and for what reasons.

Question reference: S1W-19847

Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 November 2001
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 3 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what actions it has taken and representations it has made, specifying where appropriate to whom and on what date, in order to secure and protect the future delivery of the Larkhall to Milngavie rail link and whether any equivalent actions or representations have been taken or made in respect of the Stirling to Alloa rail link.

Question reference: S1W-20022

Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 November 2001
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 3 January 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-4094 by Sarah Boyack on 15 November 2001, what specific powers Scottish ministers have in relation to the rail industry in Scotland; whether it has received any representations regarding these powers from any government agency or external organisation and, if so, who the representations were from, on what date the representations were received and why the representations were made.

For the specific powers that Scottish ministers have in relation to the rail industry in Scotland, I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-19849 on 12 December 2001.As to the second part of this question, I refer the member to the answer given to question S1O-4094 on 15 November 2001. I receive representations from a wide range of interests about this and other issues relating to the rail industry in Scotland.

Chamber and committees