Questions and answers

Question reference: S2W-18892

Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2005
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 13 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been awarded to companies in North Ayrshire under regional selective assistance (RSA) in each year since 1999 and how many jobs have been safeguarded by RSA, broken down by company.

Since January 1999 to end August 2005, 54 offers of RSA were accepted by businesses in the North Ayrshire Council Area. The total amount of RSA accepted was £29.2 million for projects linked to the planned creation of 1,183 new jobs and the safeguarding of a further 2,295.

The following tables show the accepted offers broken down by company for each calendar year since 1999. However, please note that not all RSA assisted projects proceed, and nor do all accepted offers result in full payment, as projects are sometimes scaled down or abandoned before payments are made.

1999

Company Name	Grant Offered	New Jobs	Safeguarded Jobs
Cenes Drug Delivery Ltd	£650,000	45	0
Sigma-Aldrich Company Ltd	£450,000	26	11
Allenwest Wallacetown Ltd	£250,000	96	0
Smithkline Beecham plc	£1,500,000	19	87
Troon Investments Ltd	£1,535,000	0	225
Simclar (Ayrshire) Ltd	£1,500,000	0	160
Marlin Scotland Ltd	£25,000	3	3
Total	£5,910,000	189	486

2000

Company Name	Grant Offered	New Jobs	Safeguarded Jobs
Wellhall Foods (Scotland) Ltd	£15,000	4	0
Smithkline Beecham plc	£2,250,000	0	200
Planopack (UK) Ltd	£25,000	3	0
Arthur McLuckie & Son Ltd	£170,000	11	9
Rockware Group plc	£900,000	17	197
Robertryan Timber Engineering Ltd	£64,000	8	0
Roche Vitamins (UK) Ltd	£629,000	27	10
Irvine Spring Company Ltd	£20,000	1	2
Total	£4,073,000	71	418

2001

Company Name	Grant Offered	New Jobs	Safeguarded Jobs
Abbey Electronics (Scotland) Ltd	£50,000	50	0
Citiraya UK plc	£125,000	28	0
Excell Contact Centres	£250,000	211	6
Johnstone Castings & Engineering Ltd	£700,000	35	10
Streetprint Impressions Ltd	£64,000	14	0
AGB Engineering Services	£16,500	4	0
Orcam Engineering Ltd	£12,000	3	1
Total	£1,217,500	345	17

2002

Company Name	Grant Offered	New Jobs	Safeguarded Jobs
Smithkline Beecham plc	£4,000,000	0	310
Music Mountain Music Ltd	£40,000	4	0
Evolvon Ltd	£18,000	1	12
SSI Enclosures	£38,000	6	0
Kingstone & Mortars Ltd	£36,000	3	0
British Polythene Ltd T/A BPI Industrial	£450,000	10	20
Glen Foundry plc T/A Anderson Stewart	£84,000	0	10
NACCO Materials Handling Group Ltd	£48,000	0	28
Wescot Credit Services Ltd	£240,000	110	0
AEA Technology plc	£900,000	96	0
Total	£5,854,000	230	380

2003

Company Name	Grant Offered	New Jobs	Safeguarded Jobs
Calman Technology Ltd	£30,000	3	0
Excell Contact Centres	£450,000	128	0
Kingstone & Mortars Ltd	£175,000	18	0
NACCO Materials Handling Group Ltd	£850,000	0	279
Millar Callaghan Engineering Services Ltd	£30,000	4	0
Simclar (Ayrshire) Ltd	£1,100,000	0	120
Bioforce UK Ltd	£170,000	25	5
Total	£2,805,000	178	404

2004

Company Name	Grant Offered	New Jobs	Safeguarded Jobs
Plastic Mouldings Ltd	£80,000	8	0
NACCO Materials Handling Group Ltd	£100,000	32	0
EDC (Scotland) Ltd	£70,000	6	0
W & J Knox Ltd	£12,000	0	1
Volaro Ltd	£135,000	9	0
Airframe Components Europe Ltd	£150,000	21	0
Hugh King & Co	£50,000	2	5
Prestwick Circuits Ltd	£1,000,000	0	200
British Polythene Ltd T/A BPI Industrial	£700,000	1	129
Total	£2,297,000	79	335

2005 (to end August)

Company Name	Grant Offered	New Jobs	Safeguarded Jobs
Datec Technologies Ltd	£140,000	25	0
Pierceton Engineering Ltd	£135,000	13	14
JRG Group Ltd	£470,000	40	0
DSM Nutritional Product (UK) Ltd	£6,000,000	0	225
QinetiQ Group plc	£170,000	2	16
Windhoist Ltd	£100,000	11	0
Total	£7,015,000	91	255

Question reference: S2W-18762

Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
Date lodged: Friday, 26 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 13 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence it has that directional and distance signage for West Kilbride on the A78 Three Towns Bypass is appropriate; what impact the absence of direction and distance signage for West Kilbride has on the ability of road users to find the village, and when it will erect direction and distance signage that will allow road users to drive to the village without having to consult a map.

Question reference: S2W-18890

Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2005
Current Status: Answered by George Lyon on 9 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many drug-related deaths have been recorded in the North Ayrshire local authority area in each year since 1995-96.

The information requested is given in the following table.

Drug-Related Deaths, North Ayrshire, 1996-2004

1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004
2	2	2	5	11	15	14	9	13

Question reference: S2W-18646

Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 9 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any employees from the private sector have been seconded to work within Executive departments; if so, who they are, what departments they have been working in and what has been the duration and purpose of any such secondments.

Since the year 2000 to date, 26 people from private sector organisations have been seconded to the Scottish Executive. The following table gives the names of the exporting organisations rather than the names of individuals, the departments they were seconded to, the duration of the secondment and its purpose.

Organisation	Department	Duration of Secondment		Purpose
Organisation	Department	Start	End	Purpose
Scottish Power	Environment and Rural Affairs	03-04-2000	02-07-2000	Information not available.
Scottish Power	Environment and Rural Affairs	23-08-2000	15-01-2001	Information not available.
Scottish Power	Environment and Rural Affairs	16-10-2000	29-06-2001	Information not available.
Scottish Power	Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning	31-01-2005	31-07-2006	To work with the Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland (FREDS) secretariat in the delivery and implementation of the actions form the sub groups as part of a cohesive renewable energy strategy for Scotland
Stagecoach	Development	01-09-2000	01-12-2000	To manage the SE Travel Awareness Campaign involving developing and delivering an overall awareness implementation strategy for Scotland
Stagecoach West Ltd	Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning	25-07-2005	30-04-2006	To assist with the implementation of the free Bus Scheme for older and disabled people.
Dundas and Wilson	Finance and Central Services	12-07-2004	11-01-2005	Provide skills and experience in the Financial Partnerships Unit.
Dundas and Wilson	Finance and Central Service	22-11-2004	31-03-2005	To advise on legal issues in the Financial Partnerships Unit.
PriceWaterhouseCoopers	Health	04-09-2001	31-03-2004	Develop a proposal for arrangements for financial monitoring within the NHS in Scotland.
Mott MacDonald Ltd	Environment and Rural Affairs	01-10-2001	22-09-2004	Provide engineering support services to the Air, Climate and Engineering Unit.
Creative Services	Education	18-08-2003	17-08-2005	To provide expert advice on Tourism, Culture and Sport.
Scottish Widows	Office of the Permanent Secretary (Formerly Central Services)	13-10-2003	31-12-2003	To manage the project to implement a new payroll system within the Scottish Executive
Henderson Loggie	Development	26-01-2004	26-05-2004	Project Manage a Scottish charity monitoring programme for consultation.
Lloyds TSB Foundation	Health	06-04-2004	05-04-2005	To project manage the implementation of a monitoring programme for Scottish charities.
Royal Bank of Scotland	Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning	19-04-2004-18-04-2006		Develop and deliver a series of Training and Development initiatives to both the education and business community to support the implementation of the ministerial initiative ‘Determined to Succeed’.
PriceWaterhouseCoopers LL	Finance and Central Service	26-07-2004	29-10-2004	To assist in the production of the Scottish Executive Investment Plan.
Ernst and Young LLP	Development	16-08-2004	15-02-2005	The role of Head of Financial Assessment Unit.
Currie and Brown	Communities Scotland	23-08-2004	17-12-2004	To set up a new unit to manage and monitor a range of tasks associated with the delivery of the Scottish Housing Quality Standard and the Community Ownership Programme.
Partnerships UK	Finance and Central Service	20-10-2004	21-10-2005	To support the work of the Financial Partnerships Unit
CMS Cameron McKenna	Finance and Central Service	07-01-2005	07-04-2005	To work in the Solicitors Office in the Scottish Executive
McGrigors	Finance and Central Service	10-01-2005	10-05-2006	To work in the Solicitors Office in the Scottish Executive
Lloyds TSB	Finance and Central Service	10-01-2005	09-07-2005	To project manage the implementation of a monitoring programme for Scottish charities.
Bank of Scotland	Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning	31-01-2005	31-01-2007	To engage national/corporate organisations in the ministerial initiative ‘Determined to Succeed’ agenda.
Burness LLP	Finance and Central Service	16-05-2005	16-11-2005	To work in the Financial Partnerships Unit on legal issues, principally Education and Waste
Halcrow Group Limited	Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning	13-06-2005	12-06-2006	To assist in the development of a National Transport Strategy for Scotland
Anderson Anderson and Brown	Development	13-09-2005	27-01-2006	To develop and manage the financial systems and protocols for Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) policy issues.

Question reference: S2W-16173

Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
Date lodged: Monday, 25 April 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 9 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many former UK services personnel are being treated by NHS Scotland, broken down by NHS board area, for illnesses that may be connected with the patients having attended nuclear weapons tests carried out by Her Majesty's Government in the Pacific Ocean and at Maralinga in Australia between 1952 and 1967 and what the financial implications to NHS Scotland are of providing treatment for such patients.

Question reference: S2W-16174

Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
Date lodged: Monday, 25 April 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 5 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any studies carried out to determine whether any specific illnesses or conditions in former UK services personnel, their children and grandchildren, could be related to radiation present at nuclear weapons tests carried out by Her Majesty's Government in the Pacific Ocean and at Maralinga in Australia between 1952 and 1967 and what the results of any such studies were.

Epidemiological studies carried out by the National Radiological Protection Board have found that overall levels of mortality and cancer incidence in UK nuclear weapons test participants have continued to be similar to those in a matched control group.

We are not aware of any peer-reviewed studies of health of the children and grandchildren of UK Nuclear Test Veterans having been undertaken nor have we any evidence to suggest that such a study is required. The Seventh Report of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) dismissed ideas of a general link between paternal preconceptional exposure to radiation and childhood cancer.

Question reference: S2W-15352

Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 12 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14677 by Mr Andy Kerr on 4 March 2005, which public agencies, representative bodies and tattooing and skin and body piercing businesses were consulted during its consultation on the possible tighter regulation of skin and body piercing and when it will publish the outcome of the consultation.

Question reference: S2W-15224

Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
Date lodged: Friday, 11 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 12 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many ex-armed services personnel have presented themselves to the NHS citing some form of illness as a result of service in the Gulf War of 1991 and, if it does not have such information, whether it will ensure that action is taken to collate such information in future, including the nature of the illnesses reported, treatments offered and cost to the NHS.

Question reference: S2W-14677

Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 February 2005
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 4 March 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-13123 by Mr Andy Kerr on 25 January 2005, who carried out the consultation referred to; who was consulted, and when it expects to bring into effect a Scotland-wide licensing regime monitored by local authority environmental health officers and supported by appropriate non-compliance penalties.

The Scottish Executive undertook a consultation with stakeholders in public agencies, representative bodies, tattooing, and skin and body piercing businesses, about the possible tighter regulation of skin and body piercing to reduce the risk of transmission of blood-borne and other infections.

The purpose of the consultation was to assess the need for further controls of skin and body piercing and to explore the form such controls might take. The outcome of the consultation will be announced shortly.

Question reference: S2W-14676

Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 February 2005
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 3 March 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many directors of HABIA are from Scotland or represent Scottish-based companies or businesses, which companies such directors represent and how they are appointed.

Chamber and committees