- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 21 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the consultation by the Department of Transport on proposals to develop Heathrow Airport, in light of the impact of the development on the Scottish economy.
Answer
We will make the Department for Transport aware of our views in due course.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 21 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards have specialist staff dealing with the treatment of epilepsy and what experience staff have in each case.
Answer
The table details whole-time equivalent (WTE) specialist epilepsy staff in post within NHSScotland at October 2007.
| NHS Board | Epilepsy Specialist Nurses | Consultant Neurologist Epilepsy Specialist |
| Adult | Paediatric | Learning Disability |
| Ayrshire and Arran | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fife | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Forth Valley | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Greater Glasgow and Clyde | 2.5 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Grampian | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Highland | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Lanarkshire | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Lothian | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Tayside | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Source: Epilepsy Scotland.
Arrangements are in place for people living in a board with no epilepsy specialist staff to be referred to an appropriate board which employs such specialist staff.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 21 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to publish its conclusions on the West Edinburgh Planning Framework.
Answer
Conclusions on the West Edinburgh Planning Framework are anticipated to be released before the end of the year.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 21 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport Executive on the Glasgow Crossrail project and what its response will be.
Answer
Transport Scotland has received a copy of the final STAG report from Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), and this will be fed into the Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR).
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Maureen Watt on 21 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have submitted funding proposals for their school building programmes since May 2007 and which of these were successful.
Answer
Funding resources provided by government are allocated to local authorities for them to deploy according to their own priorities. The funding arrangements for investment in school buildings do not operate on the basis of authorities applying for and being allocated resources by the government on the basis of their individual proposals.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 20 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cars are in the fleet of cars owned by it for use by Scottish ministers and others and which makes and models they are.
Answer
The Government Car Service (GCS) supports ministers and some senior officials in their official duties across Scotland. The number of cars in GCS'' fleet and the makes and models are shown in the following table:
| Number of Cars | Make and Model | Engine |
| 9 | Volvo S80 - saloon | Dual Fuel (Petrol/LPG) |
| 11 | Volvo S80 - saloon | Diesel |
| 1 | Peugeot 407 - estate | Diesel |
| 1 | Lexus GS 450h SE - saloon | Hybrid (Petrol/Electric) |
| 1 | Toyota Prius - saloon | Hybrid (Petrol/Electric) |
| 2 | Honda Civic IMA “ saloon | Hybrid (Petrol/Electric) |
| Total 25 | | |
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 20 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the use of tasers by police officers.
Answer
In Scotland tasers are only issued to authorised police firearms officers and the circumstances and extent to which tasers are deployed are an operational matter for chief constables.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 20 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is giving to voluntary bodies helping people with personal debt problems.
Answer
The Scottish Government funds Citizens Advice Direct and part-funds National Debtline. These both provide telephone and email money advice services which cover more than one local authority area. We also support national infrastructure for money advice agencies. This includes training, second tier consultancy and the roll-out of the Scottish National Standards for Information and Advice Providers to cover welfare rights and money advice.
We fund local authorities, through the local government settlement, to provide services in a way which reflects the needs of their area. That includes supporting voluntary bodies which provide advice and information to people with debt problems,
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 20 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given or plans to give to the implications for Scotland and Scots Law of the UK Counter-Terrorism Bill, published by the UK Government on 24 January 2008.
Answer
The Scottish Government is continuing to work closely with the Home Office to ensure that the provisions in the bill as they relate to Scotland are proportionate and suitable for the Scottish legal system. I am in correspondence with Home Office ministers on aspects of the legislation and intend to meet with Tony McNulty MP, Home Office Minister of State, in the near future.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 19 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what help it is giving to keep rural post offices open.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises the valuable social role of post offices, particularly in deprived and remote areas of Scotland. However, postal services are a matter reserved to the UK Government.
Scottish Government is monitoring Post Office Limited's restructuring proposals. I have encouraged all MSPs and local authorities to look very carefully at what is proposed to ensure that the interests of the public, particularly vulnerable groups, have been properly taken into account. I have also been in active discussion with Post Office Limited to ensure it has an awareness of potential business opportunities under the Scottish Government's agenda to streamline and improve public services and key stakeholders, and to ensure that the restructuring programme promotes transparency and open discussion of the issues.
