- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 11 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the administrative costs are to Scottish police forces of the issuing of fixed penalty fines broken down by type of fine and by constabulary area.
Answer
Administrative costs of issuing fixed penalties are not calculated in the form requested.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 6 January 2000
To ask the Presiding Officer what plans there are to make use of solar power in the new Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood.
Answer
The use of solar power is just one of several energy consumption reduction measures planned for the Holyrood building. An area of roof has been identified where the fitting of solar panels would have minimal visual impact in this architecturally sensitive site. The power generated will contribute to the domestic hot water supply.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 6 January 2000
To ask the Presiding Officer what percentage of building materials used at the Holyrood site will be recycled, materials broken down by category of material.
Answer
This information is not yet available. Reconstituted stone from the demolition of the old Scottish & Newcastle buildings on the site will be used but the percentage against the total amount of stone required is not yet known. The remainder of the materials from the demolition was used for land reclamation at another site.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 27 December 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2168 by Mr Jack McConnell on 29 November 1999, what receipts were given to Her Majesty's Treasury under the heading "road traffic fixed fines and penalties" in each year for which figures are available in 1998-99 prices.
Answer
The table below gives details of receipts in respect of District Court activity and paid into the Consolidated Fund as Fixed Fines and Penalties:
£000 1998-99 prices |
1994-95 | 1995-96 | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 |
13,930 | 12,320 | 11,484 | 11,956 | 12,311 |
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 22 December 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the method of administration that will be used for the fuel duty rebate and whether it will detail the powers, if any, that it has to alter the rate set.
Answer
Payment of Bus Fuel Duty Rebate is made for eligible local registered bus services based on total mileage and fuel consumption. The Scottish Parliament has the power to alter the rate used in the calculation of the rebate.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Andrew Hardie on 21 December 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2585 by Lord Hardie on 26 November 1999, whether it will give details of what enquiries or representations it has made or proposes to make and what has prompted it to make such enquires or representations, as to why the information relating to the litigation in the United States by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) against the manufacturers of the Chinook FADEC system, which was concluded in or about November 1995, was not made available to the Crown Office until December 1997 and why it was not produced by the MoD at the time of the fatal accident inquiry held in 1996, and to detail any response from the MoD.
Answer
When allegations about the FADEC system were first made the Crown Office immediately sought and thereafter obtained a very full account of the issue from the Ministry of Defence. The litigation, which was settled out of court, related to the test of a pre-production version of the software in conditions of simulated battle damage. There is no evidence to suggest that information about that matter would have made a difference to the outcome of the Fatal Accident Inquiry and, accordingly, no further documentation is required.All information known to the Lord Advocate and Crown Office was made available to those representing the families of the deceased, the Ministry of Defence and the aircraft manufacturers. All evidence known to the Lord Advocate and Crown Office which was considered to be in any way relevant to the Fatal Accident Inquiry was led at that Inquiry.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 16 December 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Treasury in order to protect local bus operators in Scotland from the effects of any increases in fuel taxation.
Answer
Direct contacts with Treasury Ministers and the Scotland Office ensure that Scotland's interests are placed firmly on the agenda in Whitehall, on tax as on other matters.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 16 December 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Treasury in order to protect local bus operators in Scotland from the effects of any increases in fuel taxation.
Answer
Direct contacts with Treasury Ministers and the Scotland Office ensure that Scotland's interests are placed firmly on the agenda in Whitehall, on tax as on other matters.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Andrew Hardie on 14 December 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2120 by Lord Hardie on 8 November 1999, whether the allegations referred to were made in the media coverage regarding the FADEC system and whether any information was provided by the Ministry of Defence regarding the FADEC litigation prior to the Crown Office seeking information.
Answer
Questions about the FADEC software were first brought to the attention of the Crown Office by solicitors acting for the family of one of those killed in the accident.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 10 December 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the number of clients seen to date by the Public Defence Solicitors' Office in Edinburgh as part of the pilot project and (a) the number of individual cases conducted, (b) the number of cases prosecuted in which representation was given, (c) the number of guilty pleas tendered at the initial diet, intermediate diet and trial diet and (d) the number of cases proceeding to trial.
Answer
Excluding clients using the services of the PDSO under the duty solicitor scheme but not continuing with the PDSO, as at 12 November 1999, the PDSO had seen 682 clients, in respect of whom they conducted 1053 individual cases.
Information on the number of cases in which a decision to prosecute was taken and which involved representation by a solicitor from the PDSO is not held in this form.
Information regarding guilty pleas tendered against charges by clients represented by a solicitor from the PDSO is provided in the table below:
Initial Pleas (including custody diets) | 228 pleas of guilty |
| | 6 pleas of guilty to a lesser charge |
| | 17 pleas of guilty under deletion of part of charge |
| | |
Intermediate Diet | 71 pleas of guilty |
| | 23 pleas of guilty under deletion |
| | 2 pleas of guilty to a lesser charge |
| | |
Trial Diet | 63 pleas of guilty |
| | 19 pleas of guilty under deletion |
| | 2 pleas of guilty to lesser charge |
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By 19 November 1999 the number of cases which had proceeded to trial, i.e. where evidence was led, was 66.
