- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 June 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 27 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive when and from whom it discovered that the control seed for the farm scale trial at Daviot contained GM contaminated seed.
Answer
I refer to my answer to question S1W-8169.Following enquiries, my officials received this information on 9 June from a representative of Aventis, the company undertaking the trial at Daviot.
- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 June 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 27 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what investigations it carried out and when to determine whether the control crop planted at Daviot might contain contaminated seed.
Answer
Information on the location of sites where the contaminated seed had been planted was requested from Advanta on 19 May. We understand that the complex distribution chain made it difficult for Advanta to provide this information readily. It was not until 9 June that those responsible for the trial at Daviot were able to respond to our enquiries and confirm that the control crop contained a small proportion of contaminated seed.
- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 02 June 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 25 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive which of its departments have leased offices; where they are located, and when these leases are due for renewal.
Answer
With the exception of the Department of Health all of the Scottish Executive departments (including Corporate Services and the Finance Group) have staff in leased offices.
Leased offices are present in the locations set out in the table below along with their lease renewal date.
Building | Lease Expires |
7/21 Mill Street Perth (2 leases) | 2000* and 2008 |
Charlotte House Commercial Road Lerwick Shetland | 2001 |
Mulberry House 16-22 Picardy Place Edinburgh | 2001 |
Northern College of Education Gardyne Road Broughty Ferry | 2002 |
17 Waterloo Place Edinburgh | 2003 |
2 Greenside Lane Edinburgh | 2004 |
Corunna House 29 Cadogan Street Glasgow | 2004 |
Ord Croft Lairg | 2005 |
Scotland House Rond-Point Schuman 6 1040 Brussels | 2008 |
Wellgate House Marketgait Dundee | 2009 |
Heriot Watt Research Park Edinburgh | 2011 |
Meridian Court 5 Cadogan Street Glasgow | 2012 |
Russell House King Street Ayr | 2012 |
Southlands 32 Reidhaven Street Elgin | 2012 |
Glasgow Fruit Market Blochairn Road Glasgow | 2015 |
Europa Building Argyle Street Glasgow | 2016 |
37 Rankin Avenue Technology Park East Kilbride | 2017 |
Pentland House 47 Robbs Loan Edinburgh | 2017 |
George House 126 George Street Edinburgh | 2022 |
*This building is held on a year-to-year lease.
- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 02 June 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 25 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any offices which it owns or leases are empty or not fully occupied.
Answer
St Andrew's House in Edinburgh is not fully occupied during the refurbishment of the building.
- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 02 June 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 25 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff are employed by its departments in offices which are leased.
Answer
1,106 staff of the Scottish Executive are employed in leased buildings.
- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 July 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 18 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7951 by Sarah Boyack on 28 June 2000, when the review of road safety on the A90 will be completed; when the results will be published and when an action plan will be completed.
Answer
The report of the review of the road safety measures implemented as part of the A90 Balmedie to Tipperty 1996 Route Accident Reduction Plan is expected by the end of July. The report will be considered by the Road Network Management and Maintenance Division. Any measures identified to improve safety will be programmed for implementation in the current financial year subject to the availability of funds and other competing priorities.
- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 26 June 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 18 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider Professor Robert Black's opinion on the legality of the collection of tolls on the Skye Bridge.
Answer
Professor Black's opinion appears to mirror the points of appeal that were rejected by the Appeal Court, the High Court of Justiciary in the stated cases of Smith, Miller, McMorrine and Robbie the Pict on 16 December 1999. The assignation statement complies with all the statutory requirements as set out in Paragraph 14A of Schedule 1 to the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984. The Appeal Court was satisfied as to the legality of the collection of tolls on the Skye Bridge.
- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 June 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 17 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to restrict the indications for prescribing interferon.
Answer
The prescribing of beta interferon depends on the clinical judgement of the specialist concerned, informed by advice and evidence regarding this treatment.
At present local Drug and Therapeutic Committees provide advice to clinicians in their health board on the use of beta interferon in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. To provide a single national focus for this advice, I recently wrote to the Health Technology Board for Scotland asking them to provide advice on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of beta interferon as a treatment for multiple sclerosis as an early priority.
- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 30 June 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 14 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is notified of any problems with individual's clinical practices, as identified by clinical audit and governance procedures.
Answer
The Scottish Executive would not expect to be notified of individual clinical issues as these will be for the attention of local clinical governance systems with local action as appropriate. The Scottish Executive is developing quality assurance mechanisms to assure patients and the public that these local governance arrangements are working effectively.
- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 30 June 2000
-
Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 14 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list, by health trust, details of any poor performance in clinical practice, as identified by clinical audit and governance procedures.
Answer
The Scottish Executive will continue to encourage the development and open reporting of clinical performance indicators including the Clinical Outcome Indicators, national audits such as the Scottish Audit of Surgical Mortality and regular reports from the Clinical Standards Board.
