- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 25 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to increase recruitment of special constables.
Answer
Decisions on the recruitment, deployment and the ratio of special to regular constables are operational matters for chief constables. A report on the role of the special constabulary was prepared by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland and presented to the Police Advisory Board for Scotland last year. It recognised that there would be benefits in developing and enhancing the opportunities for members of the special constabulary to contribute to community policing. The recommendations contained in the report are currently being implemented by forces.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 July 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 25 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive (a) how much repairs to the Kingston Bridge have cost at current prices, since its original completion prior to current repairs, (b) who paid for those repairs, (c) how much it will cost at current prices for the repairs being carried out at present and (d) who is paying for current repairs.
Answer
Between the late 1980s when it became apparent that the bridge was suffering from a number of serious structural problems, and 1 April 1996 when the M8 through Glasgow was adopted as a trunk road, Strathclyde Regional Council, the local roads authority, incurred expenditure of approximately 拢11.6 million.
The estimated final cost of the current strengthening contract is 拢31.5 million. Since the M8 was adopted as a trunk road all costs in connection with the bridge have been the responsibility of The Scottish Office, now the Scottish Executive.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 22 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to establish a forum to co-ordinate the work of the NHSiS with that of major health charities.
Answer
The Scottish Executive welcomed the establishment by the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) of a Voluntary Sector Health Network. The Network, which was launched on 10 May, gives the voluntary sector a collective voice to represent its interests and concerns to the Scottish Parliament, statutory health bodies and wider community health interests.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 21 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that all health boards include epilepsy care and treatment in their health improvement plans and develop a managed clinical network of epilepsy services.
Answer
As was made clear in the debate on 17 May, the concept of Managed Clinical Networks has the potential to bring about significant improvements in services for those with epilepsy. The Scottish Executive Health Department has therefore been encouraging clinicians and the voluntary sector to develop the idea of such Networks.Five health boards already include epilepsy in their Health Improvement Programmes.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 July 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 17 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has assessed the possible economic and social impact on the West of Scotland should the Kingston Bridge be closed to traffic.
Answer
No. The current strengthening works will rectify the serious structural problems which have affected the bridge and will with normal maintenance ensure the integrity of this important traffic link.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 July 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 17 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the current repairs to the Kingston Bridge are having on the West of Scotland economy.
Answer
The current strengthening works have been designed so that they could be undertaken with minimal disruption to traffic on this extremely busy and important route. No adverse effects have been reported by commerce and industry in Glasgow and the surrounding area.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 July 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 17 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how much compensation it was paid by the original designers of the Kingston Bridge, at current prices, following discovery of any design faults.
Answer
The Secretary of State inherited two court actions against the consulting engineers who designed the bridge when he took over responsibility for this structure when the M8 through Glasgow was adopted as a trunk road on 1 April 1996. The actions were settled out of court in 1997 without any admission of liability on the part of the defendants. Each party bore its own expenses. Beyond that the terms of the settlement are confidential to the parties.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 14 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with local authorities to ensure that all bridges are assessed to comply with EU regulations with regard to the introduction of higher gross weight lorries.
Answer
The Scottish Executive regularly receives from the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation representing the 32 local authorities, information on the total number of council owned and privately owned road-carrying bridges to be assessed and strengthened to meet the 40-tonne EC standard.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 26 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of the recent Advocate General opinion that the European Court of Justice should annul EU Directive 98/43/EC on tobacco advertising and sponsorship, whether it is planning to introduce primary legislation banning tobacco advertising.
Answer
I refer to the answer I gave to question S1W-2746 on 24 November which outlines the Executive's position on banning tobacco advertising and sponsorship. The Advocate General's opinion is significant, but we await the judgement of the European Court of Justice which is expected later this year. We remain committed to introducing a ban on tobacco advertising and sponsorship and will consider all available options to bring this about, including primary legislation.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 25 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what each local authority's percentage share of Aggregate External Finance was from 1996-97 to 1999-2000 inclusive and what it will be in 2000-01.
Answer
Local authorities' percentage shares of Aggregate External Finance from 1996-97 to 2000-01 inclusive are shown in the following table:
Council | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 |
Aberdeen City | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.6 |
Aberdeenshire | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.9 |
Angus | 1.9 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
Argyll & Bute | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
Clackmannanshire | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.9 |
Dumfries & Galloway | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.9 |
Dundee City | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.2 |
East Ayrshire | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
East Dunbartonshire | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.7 |
East Lothian | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
East Renfrewshire | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
Edinburgh, City of | 7.5 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.7 |
Eilean Siar | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.3 |
Falkirk | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.6 |
Fife | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 |
Glasgow City | 15.6 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 14.9 | 14.8 |
Highland | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.5 |
Inverclyde | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
Midlothian | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
Moray | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 |
North Ayrshire | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.7 |
North Lanarkshire | 6.3 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.2 |
Orkney | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
Perth & Kinross | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
Renfrewshire | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.3 |
Scottish Borders | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
Shetland | 0.9 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
South Ayrshire | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 2.0 |
South Lanarkshire | 5.7 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.6 |
Stirling | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 |
West Dunbartonshire | 2.2 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
West Lothian | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.8 |
