- Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 September 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by George Reid on 7 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the total cost was of the security wall that runs between the MSP block at Holyrood and the private residential accommodation off Reid's Close; whether the security wall would have any effect in stopping an attack on the Parliament launched from any floor of the residential accommodation that is higher than the wall; whether the land on which the residential properties are built was originally part of the Holyrood site and, if so, whether the decision to sell the land and allow construction of residential accommodation so close to, and overlooking, Holyrood has made the Parliament more or less secure from attack.
Answer
The exact cost of the Reid’sClose section of the boundary wall is not readily available, as it forms partof a larger works package, but the latest estimated cost we have to hand is £374,000,excluding VAT.
It would not be prudent tocomment on the effectiveness of the Reid’s Close security wall.
The land which theresidential accommodation off Reid’s Close occupies was never part of the newScottish Parliament building site and has never been in the ownership of the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish Office or the Scottish Executive.
- Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
-
Date lodged: Monday, 20 September 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 30 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons are for the main beach at Largs continuing not to reach European bathing water standards, why the reasons were not successfully addressed after previously not reaching the standards; and what steps it will now take to address outstanding issues and ensure that in future the beach reaches and surpasses such standards.
Answer
Largs main beach is not a designated bathing water under the Bathing Waters Directive (76/160/EEC) and there is no statutory requirement for it to meet the standards of that directive.
Diffuse pollution and overflows from the sewage system, both resulting from the severely wet summer, contributed to the situation at Largs main this season. Enforcing compliance with discharge consents are operational matters for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
Subject to planning approval, Scottish Water is developing plans for a £10.8 million project to build a new secondary level waste water treatment works and associated pipe works and storm storage capacity to cater for Largs.
The Executive is funding several pilot projects on retrofitting of sustainable urban drainage, installation of ponds or wetlands on farms, co-digestion of slurry with sewage sludge to produce biogas and on farm-scale biogas or composting to help identify how diffuse pollution might be further reduced.
- Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 September 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 29 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the use of snares; whether it will introduce legislation to ban the use of snares, and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.
Answer
I set out the Executive’s position on snaring in the Parliament on 5 May 2004 during the Stage 3 proceedings of the (now) Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004.
I made it clear that where snares are used, they must be set, monitored and maintained in a professional manner and that the criminal sanctions contained within the Act will apply.
The Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 introduces a new power for Scottish ministers to ban any type of snare by order and a new offence of setting or using a snare which is calculated to cause unnecessary suffering. In addition, it creates a legal obligation for all snares to be checked at least once a day to ensure that no more than 24 hours elapse between such inspections.
Self-locking snares are already illegal, but the act made it an offence to possess, sell or expose for sale a self-locking snare without reasonable excuse. A further offence is being in possession of a snare on any land, and of the setting of a snare where the permission of the owner or occupier of the land has not been sought.
Scottish ministers are given new powers to specify technical criteria, procedures and the detailed circumstances in which an offence is regarded to have been committed. As I made clear at stage 3, I want to ensure that, before any orders are made under the act, these issues will be the subject of full, public consultation.
- Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
-
Date lodged: Friday, 10 September 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 22 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many marketing graduates from Scottish universities have been successful in securing employment in Scotland after graduation in the current year.
Answer
The latest year for which information is currently available on the first destination of graduates from Scottish universities is 2001-02. In that year an estimated 45 per cent of marketing graduates were in permanent employment in Scotland six months after graduation. Among the remainder nine per cent were in permanent employment in the rest of the UK, 10 per cent were engaged in further study, 11 per cent had obtained temporary employment, 11 per cent were believed unemployed and 15 per cent were pursuing other activities.
- Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
-
Date lodged: Friday, 10 September 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 22 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many new graduates from Scottish universities have not found employment in Scotland in their chosen fields; how this figure compares with previous years, and what specific proposals it has to ensure that Scottish graduates can secure employment in their chosen fields in Scotland.
Answer
The relationship between subject of study and the occupation and industry in which graduates are subsequently employed is complicated, with many students choosing to work in areas apparently unrelated to their subject of study. Any estimate based on existing data would inevitably be based on a highly subjective approach. For this reason the Scottish Executive does not make such an estimate.
It is a strength of the Scottish higher education system that it provides a generalist broad-based education. However, higher education institutions need to ensure that courses are relevant not only to the needs of the learner but the wider needs of the economy and society. Whilst many courses are vocational, development of transferable skills must also be part of the core element of the learning experience so that graduates are prepared to meet the demands of the changing labour market. A survey of employers in 2003 found that 82% of employers felt that university leavers were well prepared in terms of soft skills.
- Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 July 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 26 August 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive who is responsible for ensuring that any disused non-coal mines do not represent a danger to the public in respect of any possible subsidence of land located above disused shafts and what funding is available to make safe such disused non-coal mines.
Answer
No one body is responsible fordisused non-coal mines, and no specific funding is earmarked for making such minessafe. Responsibility concerning possible subsidence is dependent on the particularcircumstances of the mining rights or of the land ownership.
- Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 July 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 26 August 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to upgrade the A737 trunk road to allow a dual carriageway link from Howwood, Renfrewshire to Dalry, Ayrshire; what the current status is of any plans to create a by-pass around Dalry, and whether it has any plans to connect the Three Towns By-pass to the A737.
Answer
The Executive has no currentplans to dual the A737 between Howwood and Dalry, nor to construct any direct connectionbetween the A737 and the A78 Three Towns By-pass.
On 28 June, I announced a fullstudy into the road problems at Dalry including proposals for a by-pass, using the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) methodology. The study should be completedby spring next year.
- Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 July 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 26 August 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people there are with atherosclerosis; what the most effective recognised treatment is and whether a cure exists and, if not, what research is currently being carried out into finding a cure or to develop a drug that would be capable of allowing constricted arteries to regain their elasticity.
Answer
Atherosclerosis affects manypeople in varying degrees, and prevalence and severity increase with age. It generallyremains undiagnosed until it is of a severity to cause symptoms. The severity andrate of progression will be determined by both genetic and lifestyle factors. Arange of treatments is available; the most appropriate treatment is a matter forclinical judgement and will depend on the severity of the condition.
The Chief Scientist Office iscurrently funding a study in children to determine whether changing lifestyle –such as diet, exercise or stopping smoking – can have a demonstrable benefit toreduce cardiovascular risk.
- Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 July 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 26 August 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a method for the treatment of existing nuclear waste other than storage and whether the current arrangements would allow it to support a planning application for the creation of any new nuclear power station.
Answer
Low-level waste can be disposedof to the engineered facility at Drigg operated by British Nuclear Fuels. For higher activityradioactive waste the current policy is that it will be stored, after any necessarytreatment, until a long-term waste management option is decided. All options forthe future management of intermediate and high-level waste are being consideredby the current UK-wide process undertaken by the Committee on Radioactive WasteManagement to which the Executive is fully committed.
We will not support the furtherdevelopment of nuclear power stations while waste management issues remain unresolved.
- Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 March 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 29 April 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a scheme similar to the business rate relief scheme could be applied to water charges levied on businesses by Scottish Water and whether the Executive would consider introducing such a scheme as a means of assisting small businesses in meeting water charges.
Answer
For 2004-05, a low user tarifffor those customers who are metered and who have minimal water use is available.This is benefiting many small business.
