- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 14 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional measures are being put in place for accident and emergency cover in Edinburgh's Hospitals over the millennium, and what additional staff cover will be made available over this period.
Answer
Lothian Health Board is planning a range of measures for accident and emergency cover in Edinburgh's Hospitals over the millennium period.
Medical staffing levels are planned to approximately double between 24 December to 5 January, rising to three times normal staffing levels between 31 December to 1 January.
Nurse staffing levels are planned to increase by about one third between 24 December to 5 January, rising to three times normal staffing between 31 December to 1 January. It is also intended that additional support staff will be on duty, extra facilities will be opened and overflow patient treatment areas will also be available.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 July 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 10 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to publish the outcome of its investigations into the Gourock to Dunoon ferry services.
Answer
In 1997 The Scottish Office commissioned consultants Deloitte & Touche to examine future options for the provision of ferry services between Gourock and Dunoon. The report was received by the Government at the end of last year. One of the options was identified late in the research and the Government commissioned additional work to explore this more fully. This has now been received and I plan to publish the reports shortly.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 July 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 10 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the development of superquarries prior to a decision being taken regarding the development of a superquarry at Lingerbay on the Isle of Harris.
Answer
We have no such plans.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 3 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive in the light of its power to give grants for rail services, what representations it intends to make to Her Majesty's Government in order to ensure that Scotland has adequate independent representation on the Strategic Rail Authority.
Answer
The G.B. Railways Bill, introduced on 7th July, will give statutory authority to the new Strategic Rail Authority . The Scottish Executive, the Scotland Office and the U.K. Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions are in regular contact on matters in the Bill relating to the devolution of executive functions to the Scottish Ministers.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 2 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of its power to give grants for rail services, what representations it intends to make to Her Majesty's Government in order to ensure that Scotland has adequate independent representation on the Strategic Rail Authority.
Answer
The G.B. Railways Bill, introduced on 7th July, will give statutory authority to the new Strategic Rail Authority. The Scottish Executive, the Scotland Office and the U.K. Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions are in regular contact on matters in the Bill relating to the devolution of executive functions to the Scottish Ministers.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 25 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question SW1-292 by Susan Deacon on 29 July 1999, whether any discussions took place with representatives of motoring and insurance organisations in regard to the increase in charges under the Road Traffic (NHS Charges) Act 1999 and, if so, to provide details of those discussions.
Answer
Meetings and correspondence to discuss the proposed changes took place with a range of organisations including the Association of British Insurers (ABI), representatives from the smaller Insurance Companies, and the Motor Insurance Bureau.
The discussions were led by the Department of Health and took place in 1997. They centred on the compliance costs associated with the proposed changes. None of the insurance companies felt that they would be differentially affected by the changes, either in terms of NHS charges or additional administration costs, and for this reason their compliance costs would be in proportion to their exposure to motor liability insurance.Whether or not those compliance costs are passed on to motorists in the form of additional premiums will be for the individual companies to decide.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 July 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 24 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what it estimates will be the reduction in the number of car journeys in Scotland as a result of its proposed road tolling.
Answer
The effect on the number of car journeys arising from any road charging scheme would depend critically on the characteristics of the scheme, including the charge levels set, the hours over which they applied, the categories of vehicle/road user exempt from charges and the alternative transport options put in place using the resulting revenue.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 July 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 19 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals it has to introduce a statutory obligation on local authorities to fund providers of free independent consumer advice.
Answer
The level of support for consumer advice services is a matter for local authorities to consider in the light of local needs and priorities and the resources available to them. The Executive has no plans to curtail this discretion.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 30 July 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 18 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the volume of green-house gas emissions that have been produced in Scotland (a) as a whole and (b) from each economic sector, in each of the last 10 years.
Answer
These figures are not available. In conjunction with the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, the Department of the Environment (NI) and the Welsh Assembly, we have, however, let a research contract to disaggregate UK emissions of greenhouse gases. Initially, the 1990 and 1995 totals will be disaggregated and, depending on the outcome, we shall consider if and how we should take this exercise forward in future.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 30 July 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 18 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the targets that have been set for Scotland to reduce greenhouse gases, and how progress towards these targets will be monitored in relation to Scotland's contribution to UK targets.
Answer
No specific target has been set for Scotland. I am keen, however, that we should play a full part in meeting the UK target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5% of the 1990 figure by the period 2008-2012.The UK Government, in conjunction with the devolved administrations, recently concluded a climate change consultation exercise in which comments were sought on any distinctly Scottish issues. We shall soon issue a report of the outcome of that exercise. We plan to issue a further consultation paper on a climate change programme before the end of the year. This will include our thinking on the appropriateness of a programme of Scottish measures.
