- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 7 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what regulation and requirements it proposes to ensure that consumers are told of the possibility of high lead content in their water supply, and what powers will be made available to require that action is taken to remedy the situation.
Answer
The Water Supply (Water Quality) (Scotland) Regulations 1990 require random samples to be taken from household dietetic taps within each water supply zone. Where lead is detected in a tap sample, in breach of the current regulatory requirement, the householder is notified and advised of the measures that they can take to reduce the risk to their health from lead.
Despite the tighter lead standard in the new Drinking Water Directive, if non-compliance with the standard is due to domestic plumbing then a failure to meet the standard will not be considered to be a breach of the Directive. Consumers and property ownners must be alerted to the risk but it is not practical to require them to replace their lead plumbing. This is not the case with public buildings such as schools, hospitals and restaurants. Public buildings must fully comply with the Directive. Any failure to meet the lead standard in a public building as a result of lead plumbing will require the plumbing system to be replaced.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2000
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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.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 7 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the number of households whose internal plumbing is (a) of lead construction and (b) of a construction which uses leaded solder joints, and whether it intends to undertake work to establish how many households are affected by this problem.
Answer
Drinking Water Quality in Scotland 1994 reviewed the extent of lead pipes in domestic plumbing. The estimate then was that there were 589,000 properties in Scotland with lead plumbing. The results of a lead sampling programme about to be undertaken by the water authorities should provide a more up-to-date estimate of the number of households with lead plumbing.
It is not known how many properties have internal plumbing with lead soldered joints but such joints were the normal form of construction until lead solder was banned from water fittings in 1987. The Executive has asked the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health to carry out a survey of new houses to determine the extent to which lead soldered joints have been used in new homes.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2000
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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.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2000
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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.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 5 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of fuel was for vehicles for the ambulance service for each year since 1997.
Answer
The cost of fuel for vehicles for the ambulance service for each year since 1997 is detailed below.
Year | Cost (£million) |
1997-98 | £2.77 |
1998-99 | £2.85 |
1999-2000 | £3.21 |
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 31 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive (a) what steps it has taken to facilitate the reintroduction of a tram network in Edinburgh, (b) whether it has met the owners of the New Edinburgh Tramways Company (NETco) and whether it will provide details of any meetings and (c) whether it will provide funding to NETco in the light of their proposals to reintroduce trams to Edinburgh and to provide details of any funding packages that it might offer.
Answer
This is a commercial venture and its success will be dependent upon demand for the service. Before NETCo can proceed it will have to secure the appropriate parliamentary powers and permissions.
Scottish Executive officials met with representatives of NETCo on 10 April to discuss this project. NETCo has emphasised that the project's initial phase would not require public funding.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 31 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce a series of seminars, similar to those run by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions on methods of school travel in order to give advice on the promotion of walking, cycling and public transport for all types of schools.
Answer
The Scottish Executive intends to organise an awareness seminar or seminars, similar to those being run by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, on school travel as a follow up to the guidance I launched in December on How to Run Safer Routes to School.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 31 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4878 by Susan Deacon on 2 May 2000, whether it will provide details of any representations it has made to the European Community, the European Parliament or the European Union relating to genetically modified organisms during the last six months.
Answer
Relations with EU institutions are a reserved matter, responsibility for which lies with the UK Government. Representations to the EU institutions on issues such as GMOs are made on the basis of a common UK line which is developed with the full involvement of the devolved administrations.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 07 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 30 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what each local authority charges for cards for concessionary fare schemes for pensioners.
Answer
The details, from the latest information we have available, are as follows:
LOCAL AUTHORITY | CONCESSION CARD CHARGE |
| Aberdeen City Council | £5 per annum |
| Aberdeenshire Council Moray Council(Joint Scheme) | £5 per annum |
| Angus Council | £2.50 for 5 year card |
| City of Edinburgh CouncilEast Lothian CouncilMidlothian Council(Joint Scheme) | Free of charge (Replacement Card £2)£3 for 3 year cardFree of charge (Replacement Card £1) |
| Clackmannanshire Council Falkirk CouncilStirling Council(Joint Scheme) | Free of charge |
| Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar | £4 per annum |
| Dumfries and Galloway Council | Annual Travel Card -£10 (free travel)or5 Year Travel Card-£2 (10p flat fare) |
| Dundee City Council | £2.50 per annum |
| Fife Council | Free of charge - 5 year travel card |
| Highland Council | £3 for 5 year card |
| Orkney Islands Council | Free of charge |
| Perth and Kinross Council | £2.50 for 5 year card |
| Scottish Borders Council | £3 per annum |
| Shetland Islands Council | Free of charge |
| SPTA * | Free of charge |
| West Lothian Council | Free of charge |
* The scheme operated by the SPTA covers the following local authority areas:-
Argyll and Bute | North Ayrshire |
East Ayrshire | North Lanarkshire |
East Dunbartonshire | Renfrewshire |
East Renfrewshire | South Ayrshire |
City of Glasgow | South Lanarkshire |
Inverclyde | West Dunbartonshire |
