Chamber and committees

The Scottish Executive has notcommissioned any research on links between cessation of smoking and obesity andcurrently has no plans to do so.

I understand there are no patientsat The State Hospital in receipt of the disability living allowance. The allowancewill usually stop after an adult has been in hospital for more than four weeks,or a child under 16, after 12 weeks.

Policy and operation of the DisabilityLiving Allowance is reserved to the Department of Works and Pensions.

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-28095 on 14 September 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Since the introduction ofwire rope safety fencing in the early 1990s, 31 injury accidents have beenrecorded involving motorcycles hitting centre reserve safety barrier onScottish trunk roads. Seven of these accidents involved wire rope safety fence,the other 24 involved other types of safety barrier.

Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for the area and can be contacted for moreinformation if required.

Information on accidents onlocal roads can be obtained from appropriate local authorities.

The report on the STAG 1transport study for Maybole was published on 29 June 2006.

The Scottish Executive hasnot commissioned any research into motor cyclist safety regarding the provisionof wire rope central reservation divisions on Scottish roads. However, TransportScotland has briefed a consultant to undertake a research study looking directlyat these issues.

Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area and can be contacted for moreinformation if required.

The UK Governmentwith Scottish Executive support has agreed to ratify the European Landscape Convention. The processof formal ratification will be concluded later this year.

The convention serves to highlightthe importance of landscape considerations in the widest sense. Our existing planninglegislation and policy guidance already fulfil the requirements which it sets out.

The contractor for the worksat Whitletts Roundabout submitted a tender which specified that the works wouldbe completed in 119 days subject to a bonus/penalty charge for each day thework is completed either ahead of or behind schedule. The contract does,however, makes provision for additional time to be granted to the contractor shouldTransport Scotland require to vary the contract to include significantadditional works.

Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for moreinformation if required.

Scottish ministers have not yetreceived this report but expect to receive it as part of the supporting documentsto the review of services and outcomes for Looked After Children being undertakenby the Social Work Inspection Agency (SWIA).

We understand that SWIA are currentlyfinalising their review and making plans for a publication date.

The Scottish Executive’s policyis that consultation exercises must allow a minimum of 12 weeks for responses, exceptin exceptional circumstances. The duration of the consultation exercise on the proposedlegislation to provide improved Regulating Order enforcement powers was dictatedby exceptional circumstances. These were the pressing need for new enforcement powersto help to tackle alleged illegal fishing on the Solway and the danger to humanlife which this presents, and the need to meet the Police, Public Order and CriminalJustice (Scotland) Bill timetable.