- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 12 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what improvement schemes will begin on the A82 between Glasgow and Inverness from now to 2010; whether each such scheme is projected or confirmed, and what the planned or estimated start date of each scheme is.
Answer
Details of improvement schemes due to be delivered in the current trunk roads programme up to 2006 are set out in the following table. Maintenance and improvement of the trunk road network is an on-going process and new schemes will be identified covering the period up to 2010 as we monitor strategic, operational and safety issues across the network.
| Route | Description of Scheme | Start Date |
| A82 | Glasgow to Inverness | |
| | Dumbuck Junction | 2003-04 |
| A9 (part) | Perth to Inverness Section Only | |
| | North Kessock Junction | 2002 |
| | Bankfoot - Junction Improvements | 2002-03 |
| | Ballinluig Junction | 2004-05 |
| A95 | A9 Junction to Keith | |
| | Advie Bridge -Replacement | 2001-02 |
| | Cromdale Road Phase II - Improvement Works | 2002 |
| | Gaich to Craggan - Road Realignment | 2003-04 |
| A96 | Aberdeen to Inverness | |
| | Newtongarry -Realignment and Climbing lane | 2003 |
| | Coachford - Realignment and Climbing lane | 2003 |
| | Fochabers to Mosstodloch - Single Carriageway Bypass | 2004-05 |
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 12 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what improvement schemes will begin on the A95 between Grantown on Spey and Inverness from now to 2010; whether each such scheme is projected or confirmed, and what the planned or estimated start date of each scheme is.
Answer
The A95 runs from the A9 north of Aviemore through Grantown on Spey to the A96 at Keith. I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-32095 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 12 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what investment it has made in the scallop industry in each year since 1999-2000 and what steps it is taking to ensure the industry's survival.
Answer
Funds committed to scallop sector projects from the Scottish Executive and Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG) grants schemes since 1999-2000 are as follows:
| 1999-2000 | £409,296 |
| 2000-01 | Nil |
| 2001-02 | £9,500 |
| 2002-03 | £250,713 |
If projects are completed as planned, total investment in the sector will amount to around £3 million. Some £462,000 of the committed funds have already been paid to claimants.In acknowledging the difficulties experienced by the scallop sector, the Executive will continue to look sympathetically at applications for FIFG funding from the sector. My officials are currently looking at an application from industry for a scallop portion size study which is designed to inform the science behind the proposal for a tiered testing regime for amnesic shellfish poisoning. The Executive also commissioned an analysis of the economic impact of toxin fishery closures up to 2002 and this was published recently. The analysis will be considered by the Scottish Scallop Advisory Committee.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 12 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what improvement schemes will begin on the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen from now to 2010; whether each such scheme is projected or confirmed, and what the planned or estimated start date of each scheme is.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-32095 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 12 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to whether sentences imposed for convictions in respect of offences under sections (a) 1 or (b) 3A of the Road Traffic Act 1991 are less severe than sentences imposed for convictions in respect of such offences in courts in England.
Answer
Although the number of cases prosecuted under these sections in England and Wales is much greater, there is no significant difference in the pattern of sentences imposed.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 12 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the new tiered testing system for scallops will have on the scallop industry; when any economic appraisal of the impact of such a system will be completed, and when any such appraisal will be made available to (a) it and (b) the Parliament.
Answer
Food Standards Agency Scotland advise me that they are developing a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) designed to evaluate the impact of the proposed tiered system on all parties affected. The RIA includes costings provided by the scallop industry. Once completed, it will be submitted to ministers before being made publicly available.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 12 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will require the Food Standards Agency to make available all information the agency has regarding scallops and amnesic shellfish poisoning, including research data, correspondence with representative bodies of the scallop industry and all other relevant documents.
Answer
Food Standards Agency Scotland advise me that they will adhere to their stated policies of openness and accessibility in dealing with material concerning scallops and amnesic shellfish poisoning. All information the agency has which can be released to interested parties will be made available upon request.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 12 December 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will list, for each works package under the Holyrood project where a performance bond was obtained, (a) the name of the company awarded the contract, (b) details of the work involved and (c) the dates on which (i) the tenders were to have been received, (ii) the construction manager made the recommendation that the contract be awarded, (iii) any first or sole letter of intent was issued and (iv) the trade contract was concluded.
Answer
My letter of 5 December 2002, to the Convener of the Finance Committee, reported that a list of individual contractors or contracts, where performance bonds have, or have not, been requested, cannot be provided for reasons of commercial confidentiality. I am, therefore, unable to provide the information requested.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 12 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will promote the Youth Advantage Initiative, developed by the Northern Constabulary and Grampian Police in conjunction with the army, throughout Scotland.
Answer
I understand that Operation Youth Advantage is one of several schemes by which Northern Constabulary and Grampian Police engage young people in their force areas. Other Scottish police forces do so in other ways. These are matters for individual forces.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost of medical negligence claims against the NHS has been in each of the last 10 years, broken down by the (a) amount of any compensation paid to the claimant and (b) total costs of handling any such claims, and whether it has assessed such costs against those of a "no fault" health insurance scheme.
Answer
The following table provides details of the cost of medical negligence claims over the last 10 years.
| Financial Year | Total Award | Total Expenses | Total Cost |
| 1992-93 | £1,794,429 | £277,558 | £2,071,987 |
| 1993-94 | £1,892,312 | £252,290 | £2,144,602 |
| 1994-95 | £3,051,962 | £342,016 | £3,393,978 |
| 1995-96 | £3,554,930 | £569,043 | £4,123,973 |
| 1996-97 | £4,059,883 | £535,621 | £4,595,504 |
| 1997-98 | £3,521,199 | £623,936 | £4,145,135 |
| 1998-99 | £3,303,709 | £653,383 | £3,957,092 |
| 1999-2000 | £2,955,357 | £555,778 | £3,511,135 |
| 2000-01 | £3,925,462 | £890,870 | £4,816,332 |
| 2001-02 | £6,462,315 | £815,534 | £7,277,849 |
There has been no comparison undertaken between compensation paid in these cases and what the levels of compensation may have been paid under a "no fault" health insurance scheme.There are currently no plans to alter the way in which compensation is claimed and settled for acts of possible clinical negligence. However, you will be aware that in response to the reports published earlier in the year, by the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Church of Scotland, the Scottish Executive established an expert group to look at current compensation arrangements for patients injured by the NHSScotland. This group is due to report by the end of 2002.
