- 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 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, 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: 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: Thursday, 28 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 11 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to simplify the regulatory system applied to the agriculture industry.
Answer
The Scottish Executive will continue to press the European Commission to allow further simplification of the subsidy schemes on such things as form filling, proportionality of penalties, inspection procedures and detailed scheme rules.
- 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 11 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31074 by Ross Finnie on 20 November 2002, why it will not state which of its representatives spoke at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting on 14-15 October 2002; why it regards such information as confidential, and whether it will now provide the information sought in that question.
Answer
The Scottish Executive's participation in the EU policy-making process is subject to the Concordat on the co-ordination of EU policy issues, which includes explicit provisions on the confidentiality of discussions.
- 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 11 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many sailings have been missed between the mainland and the northern isles since Northlink Orkney and Shetland Ferries Ltd took over the routes from P & O Scottish Ferries.
Answer
I understand that Northlink Orkney and Shetland Ferries Ltd intends to publish detailed information on missed sailings and late arrivals on its website at
www.northlinkferries.co.uk, and I refer the member to that site for regular performance information. I expect to receive a monthly report from the company, in terms of our agreement with them, within six weeks of the end of the month concerned.
- 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.
- 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 consideration it has given to whether bats pose a risk to humans in the transmission of rabies and whether any guidance or advice has been, or will be, issued to the medical profession in respect of patients that may have suffered a bite or an abrasion from a bat.
Answer
The Chief Medical Officer issued guidance to health professionals on 19 November 2002, which included advice on the care of patients who may have suffered a bite or an abrasion from a bat. It also confirmed that bats do not pose a serious risk to the general public or to pets and domestic animals. Bats are naturally timid and at this time are hibernating. The risk to the public is minimal unless they handle bats. Almost all bat-handling licences have been withdrawn by Scottish Natural Heritage.
- 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 11 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in rural areas it estimates have no access to public transport and what assistance it provides to such people under any of its current programmes.
Answer
The Scottish Household Survey (SHS) collects data from a sample of Scottish households on an annual basis. In the three years from 1999 to 2001, on average 7% of people living in rural areas said that they did not have a bus service.The Executive supports transport in rural areas through the Rural Transport Fund (RTF). This supports over 400 new or enhanced bus and ferry services and over 100 Rural Community Transport Initiative projects.
