- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 27 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16761 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 17 July 2001, whether it will detail the projects whose implementation was delayed and the implications for project timescales.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-17081 answered on 15 August 2001.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 26 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive why lighting was active on Kincardine Bridge in daylight on the afternoon of 10 September 2001; on what dates and for what reason any similar situation has arisen since AMEY Highways Ltd took over the maintenance contract from April 2001, and why the bridge's "magic eye" system was not operational.
Answer
Following recent repairs to electrical equipment on Kincardine Bridge, the road lighting was subject to extensive testing between 4 and 17 September 2001 to check the performance of the system. During this period the "magic eye" was de-activated and the lighting was on 24 hours a day. The tests confirmed that the system is operating satisfactorily and the "magic eye" has been re-activated.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 10 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 25 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether permission to use salt for the purpose of clearing ice on the Kincardine Bridge has been sought by or given to AMEY Highways Ltd since they became responsible for the maintenance of the bridge.
Answer
In winter certain major bridges are sprayed with the anti-icing chemical ethylene glycol rather than salt. During a short period pending the release of spraying equipment by the former maintenance organisation, AMEY Highways Ltd requested and were given permission to use de-icing salt on the bridge on a temporary basis for safety reasons in the event of adverse weather.
The necessary equipment is now ready for winter maintenance of the bridge using ethylene glycol as a de-icing period.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 10 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 24 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether lighting to assist motorists has been operational on the Kincardine Bridge every night since AMEY Highways Ltd became responsible for the maintenance of the bridge and, if not, whether it will detail any dates when no lighting was provided, specifying the reason in each case.
Answer
The road lighting on Kincardine Bridge is at the end of its useful life, much of it dating back to 1936 when it was first installed. AMEY Highways Ltd has experienced intermittent problems with the road lighting since they took over responsibility for maintenance of the bridge. On 11 May 2001, the system failed completely and an investigation attributed the problem to the outdated electrical equipment. Following repairs the lighting was restored on 28 July 2001. However, as a result of a fire on the timber jetty, the lighting was switched off on 3 August 2001 as a safety precaution at the request of the Fire Brigade. After further inspection and testing the lighting was restored on 5 September 2001.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 10 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 24 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a contractual obligation on AMEY Highways Ltd to employ a full-time bridge attendant in connection with the maintenance of the Kincardine Bridge; if so, whether such an attendant has been employed, and, if not, why no such attendant has been employed.
Answer
There was no requirement in the term road maintenance contracts for the South East Unit for AMEY Highways Ltd to employ a full-time bridge attendant in connection with the maintenance of the Kincardine Bridge.
However, the contract requires weekly inspections of the Kincardine Bridge, which the Executive believe to be sufficient to enable any potential problems to be identified.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 10 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 24 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how regularly and by whom locking bolts/pins and expansion joints were checked for the local authority responsible for maintenance on the Kincardine Bridge prior to the contract being awarded to AMEY Highways Ltd and how regularly and by whom these points have been checked since.
Answer
Prior to April 2001, when responsibility for maintenance of the Kincardine Bridge passed to AMEY Highways Ltd as part of the trunk road maintenance contracts, this responsibility lay with Falkirk Council on behalf of the Forth Local Authority Consortium. As part of his duties in connection with the Kincardine Bridge, adjacent depot and the emergency bridging stock depot at Bandeath, a Falkirk Council employee walked across the bridge each working day to check for obvious defects. This superficial inspection included the expansion joints. The moving components of the bridge's opening mechanism have been immobilised and unable to move since 1988. There is therefore no need to inspect them outwith the formal inspection cycle by specialist bridge staff. The frequency of checking for the locking bolts by Falkirk Council is unknown.
AMEY Highways Ltd carry out weekly routine inspections for the carriageway, including the expansion joints, as part of their contractual duties. This frequency is considered adequate for this type of bridge component. The locking bolts will be inspected as part of the formal inspection regime for the structure.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 18 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it will allocate to the planned Larkhall to Milngavie rail link; to which organisation that funding will be paid, and what rights of ownership and management direction it will have in relation to the link as a result of this funding.
Answer
The Executive is taking forward the Larkhall to Milngavie rail route project in partnership with Strathclyde Passenger Transport and will allocate £16 million to Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority as part of a joint £23 million package. All enhancements to the UK Railway network are added to Railtrack's Regulated Asset Base for maintenance and renewal.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 14 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the destinations of all those leaving each New Deal programme in each year since the inception of each programme.
Answer
Information is available on the destinations of leavers from New Deal for Young People, New Deal 25+ and New Deal for Lone Parents on the Scottish Executive website (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00105-00ap). Data from this is shown as follows:
New Deal for Young People
| Year | Unsubsidised Employment | Other Benefits | Other Known | Unknown |
| 1998 | 3711 | 1175 | 1276 | 1648 |
| 1999 | 8030 | 2929 | 5199 | 5210 |
| 2000 | 8128 | 3144 | 5568 | 6167 |
| 2001 | 3443 | 1402 | 2047 | 2706 |
| Total | 23312 | 8650 | 14090 | 15731 |
Data from Jan-98 to May-01.ND25+
| Year | Unsubsidised Employment | Other Benefits | Other Known | Unknown |
| 1998 | 264 | 249 | 454 | 224 |
| 1999 | 1277 | 1360 | 7253 | 840 |
| 2000 | 1488 | 1655 | 8704 | 818 |
| 2001 | 644 | 724 | 3063 | 338 |
| Total | 3673 | 3988 | 19474 | 2220 |
Data from Jul-98 to May-01.NDLP
| Year | Left Income Support | Still on income support |
| | Employment | Other Benefits | Ineligible | Employment | Withdrawn for other reasons | Unknown |
| 1998 | 67 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 12 |
| 1999 | 1975 | 52 | 125 | 31 | 1965 | 289 |
| 2000 | 2935 | 81 | 135 | 27 | 1851 | 157 |
| 2001 | 1180 | 26 | 55 | 15 | 758 | 63 |
| Total | 6157 | 159 | 316 | 73 | 4611 | 521 |
Data from Oct-98 to May-01.Note: Research has found that leavers for unknown destinations are as likely to enter employment as leavers to known destinations (New Deal for Young People: Survey of Leavers to Unknown Destinations, ESR63, January 2001).
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 14 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the private sector training providers involved in delivering employment training, skills or other related initiatives, broken down by initiative, and what relationship it has with such providers.
Answer
This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands & Islands Enterprise.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 14 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people who have taken part in an employment training, skills or other related initiative in the last five years are now in work.
Answer
Information on the current status of all such people is not available. However, data is collected on job outcomes following the completion of training programmes. For the Training for Work programme, the number of starts and the percentage of programme leavers gaining a job in each of the last five years is shown in the following table.
| 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99* | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 |
| Starts | 28,023 | 26,596 | 16,559 | 16,304 | 14,390 |
| Job Outcomes (%) | 38 | 34 | 45 | 47 | 44 |
*Programme re-aligned to focus on 25 plus client group following introduction of New Deal 18-24.In addition, New Deal statistics for Scotland are published and available by visiting the Scottish Executive website at:http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00105-00.asp.
