- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 26 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-30963 by Lewis Macdonald on 13 November 2002 and S2W-1722 by Nicol Stephen on 29 August 2003, whether it regards Glasgow as a town or a city and what criteria it uses when assessing town or city status in relation to such questions.
Answer
A city. For the sake ofcompleteness the answer covered towns and other locations with a population ofmore than 5,000.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 07 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 21 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish estimates of any expected increase in traffic volume on ancillary roads adjacent to the proposed on-line upgrade of the A80 during the work.
Answer
It is not anticipated therewill be any significant increase in traffic volumes on ancillary roads as twolanes in each direction will be maintained at times of peak demand on the A80during the works contract.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 07 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 21 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional funds it will make available to North Lanarkshire and Falkirk councils to enable them to maintain the roads for which they are responsible that will be subject to additional traffic use during the proposed on-line upgrade of the A80.
Answer
A requirement of the workscontract will be that two lanes in each direction are made available to trafficat times of peak demand and traffic diversion onto the local network should beminimised. At this stage, I do not anticipate significant additional wear onlocal roads that will require specific funding.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 07 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 21 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive in respect of the progress of the development of extended park-and-ride facilities at Croy Station.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive ona wide range of issues, including the development of extended park and ridefacilities at Croy Station.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 07 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 20 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to collect and examine evidence into the impact of programmes supplying elderly people with appropriate vitamins and minerals on the number of visits by them to GP surgeries.
Answer
The risks and benefits ofproviding vitamin and mineral supplements are being addressed as part of theimplementation of Adding Life to Years, the report of the expert groupon the health care of older people. Visits to GPs by older people aredetermined by a number of complex factors. There are no plans at present toexamine a causal link between the provision of vitamins and minerals to olderpeople and the number of visits made to their GP.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 07 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 20 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider reinstating a full annual medical check up for over-75s in their own homes or in GP surgeries.
Answer
Arrangements for annualcheck-ups for over-75s are currently in place.
The existing terms ofservice for general practitioners require them each year to invite each oftheir patients aged 75 or over to participate in a consultation to assesswhether the patient has any need for general medical services. The invitationshould include an offer to make a house call to carry out the assessment ifrequired.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 13 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of whether a British Olympic football team would affect the status of Scotland's international football side and the Scottish Football Association (SFA).
Answer
This is amatter for the Scottish Football Association but we would not wish to see thecurrent status of the SFA or any Scottish places in European and world footballcompetitions jeopardised.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce into the NHS the whistle-blowing toolkit produced by Public Concern at Work in light of Her Majesty's Government ordering the tool kit for all NHS trusts in England.
Answer
There are no present plansto introduce the Public Concern at Work whistle-blowing toolkit into NHSScotland.
The Partnership InformationNetwork (PIN) issued a PIN Guideline prepared by the service for the service inJanuary last year entitled “Dealing with Employee Concerns”.
This partnership prepareddocument includes guidance and a model freedom of speech policy. NHSScotlandemployers are required to meet or exceed the guideline. It is intended toreview the PIN Guidelines every two years to ensure they keep pace withrecognised good employment practice.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 3 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had, or plans to have, with Her Majesty's Government regarding the sale of Motherwell Bridge
Answer
There have been no discussionswith Her Majesty’s Government regarding the sale of Motherwell Bridge andcurrently there are no plans to do so.
My department is in contactwith both the company and the local enterprise company and will continue tomonitor the situation.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 3 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to protect the interests of any workers affected by job losses following the sale of Motherwell Bridge
Answer
My department is in contactwith the company and the local enterprise company to monitor the implicationsof the restructuring at Motherwell Bridge and the sale of the main operating divisions to MBEngineering Solutions and any support which may be appropriate.
