- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 26 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate Transport Scotland has made of the cost of the additional rolling stock needed to avoid night-time operating on the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine railway line.
Answer
Provision of rolling stock for the operation of freight trains is a matter for freight train operating companies.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 26 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change, Scottish Government officials or Transport Scotland consulted Clackmannanshire Council or the affected communities about the night-time operation of freight trains on the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine railway line and, if so, when and how they consulted.
Answer
No because the Scottish Government''s powers are limited to the specification of a franchise for the operation of passenger services in Scotland and for overnight sleeper services to London. Scottish Government powers do not extend to the operation of freight trains.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 26 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18865 by John Swinney on 8 January 2009, when the guidance on consulting service users before and during any tendering or retendering process will be published.
Answer
The development of guidance on social care procurement, including advice on consultation with service users, is being take forward by the joint improvement team as a priority. Service users and their representative bodies are fully involved in the development of the guidance, which we now believe will be available in the autumn.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 26 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take into account when reaching a decision on the proposed Beauly to Denny power line (a) the Health Protection Agency’s acknowledgement of an association between prolonged exposure to intense power frequency magnetic fields and a raised risk of childhood leukaemia, (b) proposed legislation in Germany and Austria in relation to undergrounding 400kV overhead power lines that pass within 200 metres of single homes and 400 metres of residential areas, (c) that the proposed legislation in Germany and Austria could result in the undergrounding of up to 250 kilometres of 400kV power lines in Lower Saxony and Thuringen in Germany, (d) the decision last year to underground 60 kilometres of the interconnector between France and Spain and (e) the decision to remove 52 pylons, 60 metres high, and underground 130 kilometres of overhead lines in east London for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Answer
The Beauly Denny Local Public Inquiry considered a wide range of issues and the inquiry report was submitted to the Scottish Government on 18 February 2009. Ministers are now considering the report and will take a decision as soon as possible, after due consideration of the report and any other material considerations.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 26 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that effective statutory, voluntary and peer support is readily available for people being tested and going into treatment for hepatitis C.
Answer
Under the Hepatitis C Phase 2 Action Plan, significant funding has been provided to NHS boards to improve the support services for those infected with hepatitis C. Managed Care Networks for hepatitis C have been set up in every NHS board area and all NHS boards have a local MCN Steering Group which includes representation from statutory and voluntary sector providers. The role of these steering groups is to drive the development of care pathways and associated service development, including support and care, in line with actions 1, 6 and 8 of the action plan.
In addition, the Scottish Government has commissioned further support services for people with hepatitis C through a national tender open to local authorities and voluntary sector agencies. This tender has resulted in the funding of a number of charities providing a range of support and care services including peer support initiatives.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 26 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it or the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland has issued on the provision of substitute medicine and HIV medication, in particular highly active antiretroviral therapy, to people in police custody already prescribed such medicines.
Answer
The provision of medical care in police custody is determined at a local level, and each police force in Scotland has arrangements in place for the health care of those in their custody. The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland Health and Medical Services Reference Group, on which the Scottish Government is represented, is currently considering a range of issues relating to medical in police custody, with a view to identifying effective and efficient practices in the custody setting.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued on the use of burprenorphine or suboxine in the treatment of heroin addiction as part of choice in management and recovery for addicts.
Answer
The Drug Misuse and Dependence: UK Guidelines on Clinical Management (sometimes known as the Orange Book) provide guidelines for clinicians on the treatment of drug misuse. This includes information on pharmacological interventions including buprenorphine and Suboxone®. The Scottish Government strongly supports these guidelines as stated in the drug strategy -
The Road to Recovery.
A copy of the guidelines can be found at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/09/drug-clinical-guidelines.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 26 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is promoting the use of dried spot blood testing for hepatitis C virus infection.
Answer
As part of the Hepatitis C Action Plan, funding has been provided to evaluate dried blood spot testing for hepatitis C diagnosis. If evaluation shows that testing of dried blood spot specimens is as accurate as using conventional blood testing, such an approach could provide a convenient alternative for use across different settings and would be supported by the Scottish Government.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 26 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, given the emails from DB Schenker Rail to Transport Scotland, First ScotRail and Network Rail on 30 November and 11 December 2007 regarding the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine railway line freight timetable study five showing “EWS horror at the loss of in excess of one hour in 83 mile (train) run” from Hunterston to Longannet, how many journeys were proposed by DB Schenker Rail prior to 13 May 2008; when night-time operation was first proposed and by whom, and what information it has on when the Office of the Rail Regulator granted rights to a timetable that included operation between 11 pm and 7 am on the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine section of the Hunterston to Longannet line.
Answer
The Scottish Government is not aware of how many journeys were proposed by DB Schenker but Network Rail offered 12 paths, Hunterston through to Longannet and return, in their initial offer based on no overnight working.
Proposals to undertake nighttime operations on the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine railway line were first communicated to Transport Scotland by EWS (now known as DB Schenker) on 15 February 2008.
The Office of Rail Regulation grant Network Rail a licence to operate the rail system, which is reviewed from time to time, and a revised licence came into operation on 1 April 2009. DB Schenker hold a network wide access agreement with Network Rail that is approved by the Office of Rail Regulation. Network Rail is responsible for determining freight timetables in conjunction with freight operating companies in accordance with their access agreements.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 26 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what requirement exists for Transport Scotland, Network Rail, freight train operators and the Office of the Rail Regulator to consult the affected communities prior to amending train timetables to include night-time operating and what requirements exist for these organisations to undertake a revised impact study when the original study specifically excludes freight trains between certain hours, such as between 11 pm and 7 am in the case of the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine railway line.
Answer
During the parliamentary process to support re-opening the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine railway line the Promoter, Clackmannanshire Council, submitted a memorandum to the parliamentary committee entitled the
Promoters Memorandum on Existing Railway Processes. This document set out that the hours of operation of the railway are not within the powers to be granted under the Bill and are regulated by other public bodies under a range of different legislation.
The Committees Consideration Stage Report May 2004 acknowledged these restrictions upon the Promoters by stating It is important to note that the scope of the Bill includes only the construction of a railway between Stirling and Kincardine (via Alloa) together with associated works. It is not within the scope of the Bill for it to be amended to include matters that pertain to the operation of the railway (for example the speeds of trains or the times at which they should run).
Network Rail is responsible for operation of railway infrastructure under the Railways Act 1993 and is responsible for determining freight timetables in conjunction with rail freight operating companies, who in turn respond to the needs of their freight customers.
