Duncan Hamilton: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the exact wording of the frequency limitation order placed on the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry service from Gourock to Dunoon.
Duncan Hamilton: The minister will be aware of the local campaign in Campbeltown to trunk the section of the road between the town and the rest of Kintyre, and beyond. He will also know that the previous minister for transport ruled out that policy on the grounds that the traffic flow was not substantial enough. Given the imminent return of the Campbeltown to Ballycastle ferry and the expected increase in...
Duncan Hamilton: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to the Department of Trade and Industry to extend the EU Working Time Directive to protect public sector workers in Scotland from working more than seven consecutive days.
Duncan Hamilton: To ask the Scottish Executive whether the review of foot-and-mouth disease surveillance provision announced by the Minister for Rural Development last year has taken place and, if so, when the findings will be published.
Duncan Hamilton: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to limit the number of consecutive night shifts worked by police officers to ensure their health and safety.
Duncan Hamilton: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make additional funding available to tackle wildlife crime in remote areas given the logistical difficulties in policing such areas.
Duncan Hamilton: I associate myself with the remarks at the end of John McAllion's speech. I wish to go back to 1997 and one of Tony Blair's more memorable and destructive contributions to devolution, when he dismissed the Scottish Parliament as a parish council—we should remember that we are talking about a national Parliament. I ask members, when they examine the proposed bills and the programme for...
Duncan Hamilton: The member has just re-entered the chamber. That is rude, so no thanks. Today, the First Minister gave us a paragraph on PR. He said: "We have given a firm commitment"— at long last— "which I restate today—that we will consider the responses to the consultation." Gee, thanks. What would be the point in the Executive's holding a consultation if it did not consider the responses? Of...
Duncan Hamilton: PSOs and their application are matters for national Government. Does the Conservative party agree that the percentage of internal flights that are PSO routes in Scotland—the figure stands at 26 per cent, which is one of the lowest in Europe—should be increased?
Duncan Hamilton: Listening to Alasdair Morrison's speech, one would swear—
Duncan Hamilton: Alasdair Morrison suggested that the Western Isles were somehow in good shape and that the people whom he represents are happy with the situation. I refer him to last week's Stornoway Gazette , in which the headline on the comment page was "Let's have action on air fares". The relevant editorial ended: "You too Mr McConnell, as First Minister, have a responsibility to these islands. Forget...
Duncan Hamilton: In an otherwise good debate, there have been one or two discordant voices. Some people have sought to take partisan advantage. I hope that we can rise above that and move on to the several areas on which we agree. First of all, the Tories have adopted shock tactics by saying that somehow the bad guys will be let out and there will be dangerous people on the streets. Frankly, we can ignore...
Duncan Hamilton: That is correct, but I am asking that the Executive considers similar schemes throughout the world. Most of the countries in the new world are way ahead of Scotland on restorative justice. We have a great deal more to learn and we do not have any room for complacency. On rehabilitation in prison, given that 82 per cent of custodial sentences are for less than six months and 55 per cent are...
Duncan Hamilton: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish any letter of instruction from it to Caledonian MacBrayne in regard to the frequency of ferry services on the River Clyde.
Duncan Hamilton: To ask the Scottish Executive whether Caledonian MacBrayne is under a continuing instruction to provide an hourly ferry service between Gourock and Dunoon and what the reason is for its position on this matter.
Duncan Hamilton: Does not the minister recognise that the threats are more immediate than that? I know that he is aware of the problems of freight transfer to the island of Colonsay. He wrote to me saying that he would investigate the problem with CalMac and come back with a clear solution. Does he know that the current contract expires this month, which gives him two weeks to resolve the problem? Can he give...
Duncan Hamilton: I welcome the First Minister's commitment to meetings between the Scottish Executive and the councils concerned. Will he confirm that the Scottish Executive's position is to dispute Arthur Midwinter's position that there is a funding mismatch? Does he realise that, for councils such as Argyll and Bute Council, that means council tax of £100 above the Scottish average and an increase in local...
Duncan Hamilton: He always agrees with the First Minister—but for once he does not.
Duncan Hamilton: To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) children and (b) adults with alcohol-related problems were admitted to each (i) children's hospital and (ii) acute hospital in each of the last three years, broken down by age profile where appropriate.
Duncan Hamilton: To ask the Scottish Executive whether any economic assessments have been carried out into the viability of introducing half-hourly ferry services between Gourock and Dunoon operated by Caledonian MacBrayne for (a) passengers only and (b) passengers and vehicles and whether any such assessments will be published.
