- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 10 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 2 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to reduce the level of lead in domestic water supplies.
Answer
The tighter standards for lead prescribed in the EC Drinking Water Directive published in December 1998 are being transposed into Scottish legislation. The existing drinking water quality regulations set a maximum level for lead in drinking water of 50 microgrammes per litre. This level will be reduced to 25 microgrammes per litre in 2003 and then reduced further to 10 microgrammes per litre in 2013.
Failure to meet the lead standard in domestic water supplies is generally due to the presence of lead plumbing. Plumbosolvency control is already practised at many water treatment works but the water authorities have recently identified additional areas where treatment may help meet the new standards. The authorities should have additional plumbosolvency control measures in place by December 2001.
The only lead pipes owned by a water authority are lead communication pipes running between the water main in the street and the boundary of a property. The use of lead communication pipes stopped around 1960. Lead communication pipes are being replaced by water authorities as part of their mains rehabilitation programmes. If, despite the actions taken by a water authority, a domestic property fails to meet the new standard after the prescribed date, water authorities will provide consumers and property owners with advice on remedial action that they can take.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 18 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to increase the civil legal aid hourly rate of remuneration.
Answer
Discussions have taken place in the Tripartite Working Group which comprises officials from the Scottish Executive, the Law Society of Scotland and the Scottish Legal Aid Board on the question of an increase in legal aid fees. The society intend to make proposals to the group and these will be considered by my Department
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 18 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive when the civil legal aid hourly rate of remuneration last increased.
Answer
The fees for civil legal aid work were last increased in 1995.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 18 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received representations from the Scottish Legal Aid Board regarding rates for pay for solicitors who undertake legal aid work both in the civil and criminal fields.
Answer
The Scottish Legal Aid Board has raised the issue of remuneration rates for solicitors who undertake civil and criminal legal aid work. Initial discussions have taken place within the Tripartite Working Group which comprises officials of the Scottish Executive, the Board and the Law Society of Scotland.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 14 April 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government as to whether it will make public the report circulated by Professor Philip Oxley of Cranfield University into the cost/benefit effect of the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act on taxi services in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues including the taxi provisions contained in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. We anticipate that consultation on the taxi proposals will take place later this year and will take account of the information contained in Mr Oxley's Report.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 23 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take in order to improve transport provision for disabled people.
Answer
I announced on 13 March that I have decided to set up a national group to advise the Executive on the transport needs of people with disabilities. The group, on which a variety of organisations concerned with people experiencing mobility problems, including blind and deaf people will be represented, will be able to contribute to the formation of policies on access to all forms of public and private transport. The full remit and membership of the group will be announced following consultation with disability groups and transport bodies.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 22 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take to tackle increases in male unemployment in the Falkirk area.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is very conscious of the particular problems of areas such as Falkirk and we shall seek to ensure through investing in jobs and skills, fostering enterprise and encouraging the growth of new businesses that we create sustainable economic growth and employment opportunities for all members of the community.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 22 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what is the timescale for the implementation of a priority-based dispatch system for the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Answer
I refer Mr Matheson to my answer to his question S1W-5172.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 22 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the level of funding over the last five years provided to organisations specifically involved in tackling poverty among disabled people.
Answer
An annual grant of £10,150 was awarded to the Disablement Income Group Scotland from 1995-96 until 1998-99. This funding ceased at the end of March 1999 because of the decision to establish a new disability information service, UPDATE. UPDATE will receive funding of £227k in 1999-2000, £238k in 2000-01 and £235k in 2001-02.
People with disabilities will also benefit from a wide range of policy initiatives including our Social Justice programme addressing the multiple causes of poverty and social exclusion.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 22 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve the response times of the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Answer
The Scottish Executive along with health boards and NHS Trusts work in partnership to ensure the delivery of a responsive, high quality ambulance service. A range of measures with the Scottish Ambulance Service have been or are being taken to improve the service given to patients including:
- changes to crew shift patterns and working practices
- new radio and communications and control system
- investment in ambulances and ambulance station and front line staff
For the future, the Ambulance Service's revenue allocation for 2000-01 provides new development funding, including an extra £500,000 to put 20 more frontline staff into Glasgow, £115,000 in further support of the improvements being made to the Air Ambulance Service, and £485,000 to enable the service to train an extra 75 paramedics in the coming year. This is in addition to the funding being provided to enable the service to investigate the case for introducing a priority-based dispatch system for emergency ambulances. Plans are also being progressed to provide new ambulance stations in Edinburgh.