Chamber and committees

The M74 Completion project was funded by Transport Scotland with contributions from Glasgow City Council, South Lanarkshire Council and Renfrewshire Council. The works were paid for by Glasgow City Council, acting on behalf of the four funding partners and the project, including all acoustic fencing (mainly aluminium with some clear acrylic on the bridges), was delivered by Interlink M74 Joint Venture.

The environmental assessment undertaken as part of the development of the M74 Completion project considered the change in traffic noise level expected as a result of the project and consequently any requirement for noise mitigation measures.

Where these assessments found that the predicted change in noise levels (as a consequence of the project) was greater than one decibel, in accordance with relevant national road design standards and legislation, mitigation in the form of acoustic fencing (mainly aluminium with some clear acrylic on the bridges) was provided.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-04442 on 21 November 2016. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Acoustic barriers (mainly aluminium with some clear acrylic on the bridges) were installed as part of the M74 Completion project following an assessment of the potential noise impacts of the scheme.

Anticipated noise levels before the erection of acoustic fencing were derived from a model which predicted the traffic noise generated by the proposed motorway. As part of the modelling, baseline noise monitoring surveys were undertaken in 2002/03 at 34 locations. Post construction monitoring was undertaken in 2016 as part of the post-construction evaluation. Two of these locations (Toryglen and Rutherglen) are relevant to acoustic barrier locations.

Measurements are summarised in the following table:

The contract for the Design, Build, Finance and Operation of the M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project was awarded to Scottish Roads Partnership (SRP) in February 2014. As such, SRP is responsible for the funding of the project construction, which will be delivered on behalf of Scottish Ministers.

If the air weapon or weapons can fire a missile with a muzzle energy above 1 joule but below 12 foot pounds (or 6 foot pounds for an air pistol) they are not exempt. The person who is in charge of the guns must have an air weapon certificate, and the event organiser must have a permit for the particular event. If both are in place, then any person can use the guns at the event.

Although the eastbound exit and entry slip roads remain open, the westbound exit slip road from the A8 to Newhouse is closed to facilitate the safe construction of the significant improvement works forming the £500m M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project. This slip road is currently planned to open in mid-December.

The westbound entry slip from Newhouse to the newly constructed A8 All-Purpose Road was opened on Monday 14 November 2016.

The A8 eastbound exit and entry slip roads at Eurocentral are closed to facilitate the safe construction of significant improvement works forming the £500m M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project. The westbound exit slip remains open with the westbound entry slip to the A8 closed due to facilitate the A8 to A725 link road.

Scottish Roads Partnership, the project contractor, has confirmed that the slip roads at Eurocentral Junction will remain closed until Spring 2017, however, this will be reviewed as construction progresses.

In 2016-17 the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework was funded as part of the £161 million Outcomes Framework budget. This gives individual Boards flexibility to allocate funding for Sexual Health and Blood Borne virus activity. The Scottish Government has not ring-fenced specific funding for hepatitis C, however boards are expected to continue to meet the Framework target of at least 1,500 people per year initiated onto antiviral therapy.

£28 million was provided to NHS boards in 2015-16 to support the implementation of the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework (breakdown in the following table). NHS Boards determined how best to use this funding, however, under the Framework Boards are set an annual treatment target for Hepatitis C.

NHS National Procurement is responsible for co-ordinating the procurement of medicines on behalf of all Scottish Health boards and there are established Framework Agreements in place for the supply of Hepatitis C medicines. A therapy level treatment cost cap is one of a number of approaches that has been explored however given that prices of hepatitis C medicines are expected to reduce further, there is a significant risk that this approach would result in higher costs for the NHS over the long-term. National Procurement continues to monitor the market to ensure the procurement approach delivers best value.