Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S1W-17501

Asked by: Colin Campbell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 August 2001
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 28 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has (a) shared, (b) sole or (c) no responsibility for alleviating flooding problems on the M8 at Blackstone roundabout, Newark, Port Glasgow.

The Scottish Executive, as trunk roads authority, has a responsibility to ensure that the A8 at Blackstone roundabout, Newark, Port Glasgow is properly drained.However, the main cause of flooding at this location is considered to be due to upstream problems with local watercourses which are the responsibility of Inverclyde Council. The Executive is contributing to a study by Inverclyde Council into alleviation measures to deal with flooding problems.

Question reference: S1W-17500

Asked by: Colin Campbell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 August 2001
Current Status: Answered by Iain Gray on 28 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact closure of the HM Customs and Excise drugs collection and co-ordination unit in Paisley will have on the work of the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency and whether it was consulted about this closure.

The Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency (SDEA) works closely with Her Majesty's Customs and Excise Investigation Service and the National Criminal Intelligence Service in providing a co-ordinated partnership approach to tackling drug trafficking in Scotland. The closure of the HM Customs' Collection and Co-ordination Unit in Paisley, which is separate from the Investigation Service, is as a result of the establishment of a centralised unit in Ipswich. This internal reorganisation, about which the Scottish Executive was not formally consulted, will have no direct impact on the Investigation Service's relationship with, nor on the work of, the SDEA.

Question reference: S1W-17070

Asked by: Colin Campbell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 22 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether light rapid transit schemes can share track with normal rolling stock.

Question reference: S1W-17309

Asked by: Colin Campbell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 21 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16249 by Rhona Brankin on 27 June 2001, what meetings have taken place between it or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Ministry of Defence or any other department of Her Majesty's Government on suitable sites for the land storage of cut-out reactors from redundant nuclear submarines and when sites are expected to be selected.

The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) on a wide range of issues. This includes the Interim Storage of Laid-up Submarines study, but such discussions have not included potential land storage sites. I understand that the MOD expects to invite industry to bring forward land storage proposals early next year. Only then would possible sites emerge.Discussions between the MOD and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and other Government Departments are matters for those bodies.

Question reference: S1W-17197

Asked by: Colin Campbell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 20 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16673 by Rhona Brankin on 29 June 2001, whether it will detail any planned meetings with representatives of relevant ministries in other European Union member states or regions or institutions regarding the creation of regional bodies with formal decision-making powers, in advance of the next scheduled European Fisheries Council on 25 October 2001.

Question reference: S1W-17196

Asked by: Colin Campbell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 20 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16673 by Rhona Brankin on 29 June 2001, whether it will detail the names and positions of those with whom she specifically discussed the creation of regional bodies and whether it will provide a summary of their responses and views on the creation of such bodies and on whether or not they should have formal decision-making powers.

Question reference: S1W-17194

Asked by: Colin Campbell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 20 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16673 by Rhona Brankin on 29 June 2001, whether she proposed during the meeting of the European Fisheries Council on 18 June 2001 that the proposed regional bodies, which the UK delegation advocated at the meeting, should have formal decision making powers as recommended in the 3rd Report, 2001 of the European Committee, Reforming the Common Fisheries Policy: A blueprint for negotiations.

Question reference: S1W-17195

Asked by: Colin Campbell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 20 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16673 by Rhona Brankin on 29 June 2001, whether the United Kingdom's representative at the EC Fisheries Council meeting on 18 June 2001 was supportive of the creation of regional bodies, comprising of fishing industry representatives, scientists and conservation bodies, with formal decision-making powers and whether this represented the position of Her Majesty's Government at the meeting.

Question reference: S1W-17065

Asked by: Colin Campbell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 14 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive how many combined sewer overflows there are; what their precise location is, and how are they monitored.

Question reference: S1W-17068

Asked by: Colin Campbell, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 14 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on the provision of rail links to Glasgow and Edinburgh Airports.

I am in the process of commissioning a study to examine in greater detail a number of options for developing rail links connecting Glasgow and Edinburgh airports to the Scottish rail network and to each other.

Six invitations to tender for this study were issued on 25 July. Bids are due back in early September with a view to awarding the contract for the study and commencing work on it later this year.