- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 27 October 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to resolve the Junior Hospital Doctors' grievances over long hours, working conditions and out of hours pay.
Answer
On 22 September I announced a package of measures designed to accelerate progress in reducing junior doctors' hours and improving existing working conditions in line with the New Deal targets and standards. The key elements of the package include:
a new quality incentive scheme to reward NHS Trusts which achieve full compliance with the New Deal and encourage others to do so quickly;the removal of Trusts' discretion to charge for sub-standard junior doctors' accommodation;compliance with the New Deal targets and standards to become an integral part of the personal objectives of Trust Executive Board members;a new system of kite marking or New Deal accreditation to signify a Trust's compliance with the New Deal targets and standards;a willingness to work with the medical Royal Colleges to examine howconsultants might be encouraged and enabled to improve the support they provide for junior doctors in training;work with Trusts to pilot imaginative and cost effective ways of reducing junior doctors hours still further towards the 48 hour Working Time Directive.These measures will complement the work of a New Deal Implementation Support Group (ISG) which the Scottish Executive has established, in partnership with the Scottish Junior Doctors' committee of the BMA, to work with Trusts and help them reduce junior doctors' hours and improve living conditions still further.
- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 October 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 25 October 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government regarding the allocation of revenue raised through transport taxes to rail freight investment, and how much of that investment is made in Scotland.
Answer
The U.K. Government treats all taxes as revenues and uses them to fund government expenditure generally. This rule applies equally to transport taxes. The present allocation for rail freight grants in Scotland totals £18.3 million for the period 1999-2002.
- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 17 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to allocate funds to universities to develop techniques to produce new products out of recyclable waste.
Answer
I refer to the answer (S1W-868) I gave to Richard Lochhead on 24 August.
- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 16 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive how much contingency funds within its budget are as yet uncommitted in the current financial year.
Answer
Scotland's Supply Estimates for 1999-2000, published on 4 February 1999, fully allocate all the funds available to the Scottish Executive to expenditure programmes.
- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 16 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive how much contingency funds within its budget are as yet uncommitted in the current financial year.
Answer
Scotland's Supply Estimates for 1999-00, published on 4 February 1999, fully allocate all the funds available to the Scottish Executive to expenditure programmes.
- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 14 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce legislation relating to mental health issues other than the proposed Incapable Adults (Scotland) Bill.
Answer
Scottish Ministers confirmed on 24 August their intention to put a Mental Health Bill before the Scottish Parliament using emergency procedures upon the resumption of Parliament. This Bill addresses issues raised by the case of Noel Ruddle. The Mental Health (Public Safety and Appeals) (Scotland) Bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament on 8 September.
The Mental Health (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill was introduced in the House of Commons in Westminster on 13th January 1999 by Eric Clarke MP. That Bill would amend s94 of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984.The Executive intends to bring forward legislation to reform mental health law, once the reports of the committee chaired by Lord MacLean into serious violent and sexual offenders and the committee chaired by the Right Honourable Bruce Millan have been considered. Lord MacLean's report is expected by early next year and that of the Millan committee by summer 2000.
- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 7 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to amend the Environmental Protection Act (1990) to give Environmental Protection Officers power to require a person to give their name and address in order to enforce penalties for littering.
Answer
We have no such plans.
- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 31 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made or intends to make to Her Majesty's Government regarding British Telecom's proposed plans in Scotland for new high speed data services, technically known as asymmetric digital subsriber line (ADSL), and whether it will seek to encourage their installation in North East Scotland as part of their initial introduction.
Answer
The question of the roll-out of high speed data services such as ADSL is a commercial matter for BT. However, OFTEL is currently consulting on the issue of access to bandwidth in general, and my officials intend to respond, drawing the regulator's attention to the needs of rural and remote areas.
- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 24 June 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a statement on the total cost of abolishing Skye bridge tolls with immediate effect.
Answer
The basis for costing abolition of the tolls is stipulated in the contract for procuring the bridge. The Scottish Executive has no plans to initiate any negotiations about abolition with the concessionaire. Its policy is to freeze tolls at 1999 cash levels for the remainder of the contract. This will benefit all users of the bridge.
- Asked by: Brian Adam, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 24 June 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a statement on the total cost of abolishing Skye bridge tolls
Answer
The basis for costing abolition of the tolls is stipulated in the contract for procuring the bridge. The Scottish Executive has no plans to initiate any negotiations about abolition with the concessionaire. Its policy is to freeze tolls at 1999 cash levels for the remainder of the contract. This will benefit all users of the bridge.
