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-07593

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 16 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has in respect of the rebate scheme relating to heavy oil.

Question reference: S1W-07495

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 15 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4391 by Sarah Boyack on 29 February 2000, whether it will provide a timescale for the publication of each of the reports, consultations and studies listed.

Question reference: S1W-05368

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 13 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what funds it may make available for the electrification of the Scottish rail network.

Question reference: S1W-07060

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 12 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6539 by Sarah Boyack on 18 May 2000, what its precise involvement has been in the consideration of the case, in particular (a) whether the instructions to the legal agents came from the Executive or from a department of Her Majesty's Government and (b) what its role has been in terms of instructions and meetings with the relevant parties.

Question reference: S1W-03611

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 January 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 9 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce a sustainable life campaign in Scotland similar to the "Are You Doing Your Bit?" campaign run by the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions and, if there is to be such a campaign, what level of funding it will receive.

I have commissioned research into the types of campaigning that would most effectively influence people to act in an environmentally sustainable way. When this research is complete I will consider whether the Executive should run a campaign in Scotland similar to the "Are You Doing Your Bit?" campaign run by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, and what level of funding to devote to any such campaign.

Question reference: S1W-04881

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 8 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to assist or promote the use of motorbikes, scooters and other powered two wheelers.

The Scottish Executive recently issued guidance to local authorities to assist them in preparing their full Local Transport Strategies. This provides advice on the contribution powered two wheelers can make in delivering integrated transport policies.The Executive proposes to legislate in the forthcoming Integrated Transport Bill to give powers to local authorities to provide devices for the secure parking of powered two wheelers.Officials from the Executive meet regularly with motorcycle representative groups to discuss issues relating to powered two wheelers as a viable transport mode.

Question reference: S1W-06487

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 7 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive to provide details of all payments made from the Public Transport Fund in relation to the pedestrian and cyclist crossing at the City of Edinburgh bypass at Sheriffhall, including the bodies to whom such payments were made; whether, in the light of the Scottish Borders Railway Feasibility Study, this crossing could be linked with a similar rail crossing and whether it has any plans to make funds available for a rail crossing or to support a study into such a crossing.

Midlothian Council were awarded £802,000 additional capital consent from the second round of the Scottish Executive's Public Transport Fund towards the cost of a bridge to take cyclists and pedestrians across the Edinburgh City Bypass at Sheriffhall. The allocation of this additional capital consent, of which £600,000 has been issued to the council, relates to financial year 2000-01.

The original solum of the Waverley Line, proposed by consultants as the most appropriate location for its reinstatement to link with the existing track at Millerhill, meets the City Bypass approximately 500 metres from the preferred location for the pedestrian crossing. Each project presents very different technical challenges. It will be open to the relevant councils to consider whether project development requirements for the reinstatement of the Borders Railway meet the criteria set out in the Public Transport Fund.

Question reference: S1W-06788

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 7 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to undertake a study to establish the extent of lead contamination in the public water supply.

There is no lead contamination in the public water supply. Lead contamination occurs as a result of the use of lead for internal plumbing or for service pipes which connect properties to the water main in the street. The water authorities own the short length of service pipe from the main to the property boundary but property owners are responsible for the remainder of the service pipe and for all internal plumbing. The Executive has asked the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health to carry out a survey to establish the extent to which lead has been used, in contravention of the water bylaws, in the plumbing systems of new houses.

Question reference: S1W-06789

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 7 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what is the percentage and number of households who rely on a public water-supply main of lead construction.

There are no public water supply mains of lead construction. Historically, lead pipes were only used for internal plumbing or for service pipes connecting properties to the main in the street.

The new Drinking Water Directive tightens the standard for lead in drinking water and requires that member states take all appropriate measures to reduce the concentration of lead in the water as a result of lead plumbing or service pipes. To achieve this goal the water authorities are about to carry out a lead sampling programme to help them identify properties that have lead plumbing and service pipes. The results of the sampling programme will enable the authorities to target areas that would benefit from measures to reduce the uptake of lead from pipework. Many areas already have such measures in place but it is likely that further areas will be identified. The results of the sampling programme will also provide a good estimate of the percentage and number of households with lead plumbing.

Question reference: S1W-06792

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 7 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that consumers receive adequate information regarding lead in their water supply.

The Water Supply (Water Quality) (Scotland) Regulations 1990 require water authorities to notify customers of lead failures associated with water samples taken from their premises and of the measures that could be taken to reduce the risk to health from lead.

The new Drinking Water Directive tightens the standard for lead and it also requires the water authorities to notify both property owners and consumers of any lead failures. The water authorities are about to undertake a lead sampling programme to identify any problem areas within their water supply zones. Property owners and consumers will be advised of any failures detected during the sampling programme.