- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 27 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it has set for recycling from (a) domestic and (b) commercial sources.
Answer
The
National WastePlan set out targets of 25% recycling and composting of municipal waste by 2006,and 55% by 2020. Spending Review 2004 also set a target of 30% recycling and compostingof municipal waste by 2008.
Municipal waste iswaste collected by, or on behalf of, local authorities and includes waste from bothdomestic and commercial sources.
In addition, the producerresponsibility regimes for packaging, for end of life vehicles and for waste electronicsset recovery targets for these categories of waste.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 03 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 27 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers are satisfied that due process was followed by the relevant NHS boards in putting forward their original proposals regarding accident and emergency services in Lanarkshire and Ayrshire.
Answer
Consideration of theprocess for the original proposals was a matter for the previous administration.As the Cabinet Secretary said in her statement on 6 June 2007, we believe that thedecisions to close the accident and emergency departments at Monklands Hospitaland Ayr Hospital were wrong, because in our view NHS Ayrshire and Arran’s reviewof services and NHS Lanarkshire’s picture of health review failed to address sufficientlythe very real concerns of a significant proportion of their local populations.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 03 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 27 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has been given of the additional cost of retaining accident and emergency services at Monklands Hospital above the estimated cost of implementing the original proposal.
Answer
As outlined in theCabinet Secretary’s statement in the Chamber on 6 June 2007, we have instructed the board of NHS Lanarkshire to reviewtheir original plans and to produce revised proposals that will enable accidentand emergency services to continue at the three main hospital sites in the region.We have been clear that, as far as possible within the resources available to theboard, we want them to retain their primary care and community development programmes.
We recognise thatthere are many issues to address, for example relating to clinical workload andstaffing. We want these challenges to be faced up to in a way that puts patientsfirst and is innovative.
It is now a matterfor the board to determine how best to deliver these services and to produce proposals.Their proposals will then undergo a process of independent scrutiny, following whichthe Cabinet Secretary expects to take a decision by the turn of the year.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 03 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 27 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what service provision in Lanarkshire is to be discontinued, delayed or otherwise affected as a result of the NHS board being required to meet the additional cost of retaining accident and emergency services at Monklands Hospital.
Answer
I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-2932 on 27 August 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website; the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 03 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 27 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what service provision in Ayrshire and Arran is to be discontinued, delayed or otherwise affected as a result of the NHS board being required to meet the additional cost of retaining accident and emergency services at Ayr Hospital.
Answer
As outlined in theCabinet Secretary’s statement in the Chamber on 6 June 2007, we have instructed the board of NHS Ayrshire and Arran to review their original plans and to produce revisedproposals that will enable accident and emergency services to continue at both sitesin Ayrshire. We have been clear that, as far as possible within the resources availableto the board, we want them to retain their primary care and community developmentprogrammes.
We recognise thatthere are many issues to address, for example relating to clinical workload andstaffing. We want these challenges to be faced up to in a way that puts patientsfirst and is innovative.
It is now a matterfor the board to determine how best to deliver these services and to produce proposals.Their proposals will then undergo a process of independent scrutiny, following whichthe Cabinet Secretary expects to take a decision by the turn of the year.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 27 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are employed by (a) it, (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies and (c) local authorities.
Answer
The official sourceof public sector employment is the Quarterly Public Sector Employment in Scotland series. Table 1 shows the number of people employed inthe public sector in Q1 2007 (the latest data available).
Table 1 PublicSector Employment in Scotland Q1 2007
| | Head Count |
| Total Public Sector1 | 580,500 |
| of which | |
| Scottish Executive (core departments) | 4,400 |
| Scottish Executive Agencies and associated departments | 12,200 |
| Other Civil Service in Scotland2 | 33,600 |
| Local Government (excluding Fire and Police) | 290,000 |
| Fire, Police and related service | 30,400 |
| Scottish Non Departmental Public Bodies | 11,100 |
| UK wide Non Departmental Public Bodies | 3,200 |
| Public Corporations3 | 25,500 |
| NHS | 152,800 |
| Armed Forces | 13,500 |
| Other Central Government | 3,400 |
Source: QuarterlyPublic Sector Employment in Scotland
Notes:
1. Based on the NationalAccounts definition.
2. Other civil servicedata are based on permanent staff only.
3. Includes publiccorporations with a UK-wide remit.
4. Data are roundedto the nearest hundred.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 27 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-2534 by Stewart Maxwell on 9 August 2007, how ministers will ensure that investment in the refurbishment and renovation of existing housing in Clydebank, and in replacing obsolete or obsolescent housing in the town, is made available so that Clydebank is not disadvantaged relative to other localities within the Glasgow housing market area.
Answer
I have asked AngelinaFoster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:
Discussions are currentlytaking place between Communities Scotland and West Dunbartonshire Council to identifyunsuitable and low demand housing stock within the Clydebank area, but it is theresponsibility of the council to address such stock deficiencies within their LocalHousing Strategy (LHS). The Strategic Housing Investment Plan, which the councilis required to develop in consultation with Communities Scotland, registeredsocial landlords (RSL) and other partners, will set down, over the medium term,actions and investment levels to address the replacement/refurbishment of poor qualityhousing as identified within the LHS.
A robust LHS and comprehensiveStrategic Housing Investment Plan are key to determining the levels of funding requiredand the allocation of resources. It is the responsibility of West DunbartonshireCouncil to submit these plans to Communities Scotland who will assess them in accordancewith its published guidance. Clydebank will, therefore, have the same opportunitiesto access investment as all other areas across Scotland.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 27 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-2534 by Stewart Maxwell on 9 August 2007, how ministers will ensure that there is adequate provision of new rented and homestake housing to meet the needs of Clydebank and how this will be reflected in the spending priorities of Communities Scotland.
Answer
I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:
Communities Scotland is working with West Dunbartonshire Council, RegisteredSocial Landlords and other partners to develop a medium-term Strategic Housing InvestmentPlan which will link identified housing needs to investment levels. The Councilneeds to supplement Communities Scotland’s investment with a policy of strategichousing land release, and an effective affordable housing planning policy to harnesspotential private sector contributions.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 24 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many days of roadworks have there been on the A82 between the Dumbuck junction and the Erskine Bridge in each of the last three years.
Answer
The numberof notified instances of roadworks (including minor inspections, manhole openings,grass cutting, footway works, line markings and major reconstruction work) on theA82 trunk road between Dumbuck Junction and Erskine Bridge in the last three years is as follows:
2004 -91 notifications
2005 -71 notifications
2006 -53 notifications.
Transport Scotland has operational responsibility for this area and canbe contacted for further information in required.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 23 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1811 by Stewart Stevenson on 24 July 2007, whether the decision to adopt the Miltimber option for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route allows any narrowing of the range of projected costs.
Answer
No. The current costestimate, in the range £295 million to £395 million, is based upon the MilltimberBrae Option including costs for the Stonehaven Fastlink. The cost range gives atruer picture of the inherent risks and uncertainties associated with planning andconstructing such a major piece of infrastructure. The final cost will not be knownuntil tenders have been returned and the contract completed.
