Parliamentary questions
Elaine Murray
2,411 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
29 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost has been of consultation and engagement events for Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Bill, including the hire of venues, staff costs, travelling expenses, hospitality and consultants and external advisers.
Answer · Adam Ingram: The total cost of consultation and engagement events for Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the Bill is £152,000. This enabled 19 events to be held allowing more than 1000 stakeholders to share their knowledge, expertise and experience and thus influence the development …
29 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what costs have been incurred in engaging consultants and external advisers in researching and preparing the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Bill.
Answer · Adam Ingram: None.</b></p>
29 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what total staff cost has been incurred in researching, consulting on and preparing the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Bill.
Answer · Adam Ingram: Scottish Government staff complete many tasks, as part of their day to day duties, and as such the information requested cannot be accurately calculated.</b></p>
6 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what legislation applies to student exemption from council tax.
Answer · John Swinney: The legislation governing student exemption from council tax is contained within The Local Government Finance Act 1992, and associated regulations.</p>
6 Sep 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what conditions need to be fulfilled for a student to be exempt from paying council tax.
Answer · John Swinney: The qualifying conditions for a student to be exempt from paying council tax are contained within The Local Government Finance Act 1992, and associated regulations. A summary can be found in The Scottish Government''s publication <i >Council Tax in Scotland: …
31 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executivewhether it considers that the guga hunt on Sula Sgeir is in contravention of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland ) Act 2006.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Gannets are protected under the provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, but section 16 (2) of that act specifically exempts the taking of gannets on the island of Sula Sgeir for the purpose of providing food for human consumption from the provisi…
30 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether individuals who are on probation in Scotland can arrange to complete their probation in other parts of the United Kingdom and, if so, how this can be arranged.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Section 234 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 provides for Scottish courts to transfer probation orders where the offender has attained the age of 16 years and resides or will reside in England and Wales. The offender makes an application for tran…
27 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there have been any objections, or issues raised, by consultees to the Wildlife and Natural Environment Bill consultation regarding the previous recommendation by the Deer Commission Scotland that a duty of sustainable deer management should be placed on individual land managers a…
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Following the formal consultation, we received written representations from one organisation in support of the recommendation from the Deer Commission that a duty of sustainable deer management should be placed on individual land managers. The issue has also …
27 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost has been to Scottish Natural Heritage of implementing control orders on estates under section 7 of the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996 in each of the last five years.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The costs of implementing control agreements made under Section 7 of The Deer Scotland Act 1996, including a profiled estimate for 2010, are set out in the following table:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=552 > <tr > <td width=64 n…
26 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether applications to the biodiversity fund announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment at the Scottish Biodiversity Forum Conference on 25 August 2010 will require to be match funded.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: There is no requirement for match funding.</b></p>
26 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) maximum and (b) minimum grant will be for applications from the biodiversity fund announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment at the Scottish Biodiversity Forum Conference on 25 August 2010.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The maximum grant is £10,000 and the minimum is £300.</b></p>
26 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the biodiversity fund announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment at the Scottish Biodiversity Forum Conference on 25 August 2010 will become available.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Scottish Natural Heritage has contributed £250,000 to the BIG Lottery programme "Community Wildlife" to double the funding available in Scotland for community projects that support biodiversity. Applications are invited for the 24 November 2010 dead…
26 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what organisations will be eligible to bid for the biodiversity fund announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment at the Scottish Biodiversity Forum Conference on 25 August 2010.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Voluntary or community groups, schools, health bodies and community councils. Eligibility criteria are available on BIG Lottery''s website at:</p> <p >http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_community_wildlife.</b></p>
24 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review its trunk road and motorway tourist signposting policy.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: There is no proposal to formally review the current policy. The last policy review was in 2006 when the current <i >Trunk Road and Motorway Tourist Signposting Policy and Guidance</i> document was published by Transport Scotland.</p>
24 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many inpatient beds there were in (a) NHS Dumfries and Galloway and (b) Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09 and (iii) 2009-10.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The requested information is shown in the following table.</b></p> <p >Average Available Staffed Beds in NHS Dumfries and Galloway and Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary: Years Ending 31 March 2008-10</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > …
11 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Sites of Special Scientific Interest have been (a) notified and (b) denotified for biological features and what the cumulative total area of notified land has been in each year since 2000.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: There are 1,135 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in Scotland where the list of notified features include biological features. To date four SSSIs have been completely denotified.</b></p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <…
9 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each local authority area have entrances opening onto roads with a speed limit of 60 mph.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The information requested is not held centrally. A request for the information has been made to local authorities. I will write to the member after the responses have been received and will arrange for a copy of the reply to be placed in the Scottish Parliame…
9 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it issues guidance to NHS boards regarding the provision of bariatric surgery.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government''s role is to provide policies, frameworks and resources to NHS boards to enable clinicians and service planners to deliver high quality, safe and sustainable services to local communities. It is a matter for NHS boards to plan for and…
1 Jul 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-33328 by Richard Lochhead on 5 May 2010 and given that the Scottish Government confirms the validity of the 2008 protected geographical indication (PGI) amendment as published in the European Union Official Journal, specifying the stages of productio…
Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-34479 on 28 June 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/P…
1 Jul 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on what proportion of the total production of farmed Atlantic salmon in the United Kingdom has been sold under the EU protected geographical indication regulations for Scottish Farmed Salmon in each year since 2004.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: We do not hold information on the amounts of farmed salmon sold as Scottish Farmed Salmon by the industry.</b></p>
30 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities hold a current general licence under section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 for the control of herring gulls and when these licences will expire
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-35007 on 23 July 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business…
30 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities hold a current general licence under section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 for the control of lesser black backed gulls and when these licences will expire.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Local authorities who need to control gulls may do so under the terms of a Scottish Government general licence, provided that they meet the conditions which are set out on the licence. The licence can be downloaded from the link below. The Scottish Government…
25 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what protection is afforded to the species of animals included in Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Special protection is afforded by the Act to animals listed on Schedules 5 as set out in Sections 9(1), 9(2), 9(4), and 9(5) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This includes intentionally or recklessly killing, injuring, or taking any animal on Schedul…
25 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what protection is afforded to the species of plants included in Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Special protection is afforded by the Act to plants listed on Schedule 8 as set out in Sections 13(1) and 13(2) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This includes intentionally or recklessly picking, uprooting, destroying, or offering for sale, any plant…
25 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what opportunities exist outwith the quinquennial reviews to include additional species of animals and plants in Schedules 5 and 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Scottish Ministers may by secondary legislation, add or remove species on Schedules 5 and 8 at any time, following consultation with Scottish Natural Heritage and any other body it deems necessary.</p>
25 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what organisations are consulted during the quinquennial reviews of Schedules 5 and 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) consulted a wide range of interest groups before making their recommendations. These can be found listed in documents on the JNCC website at <a href="http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-4292">http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-…
25 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the next review of Schedules 5 and 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 will take place.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government has received recommendations for species to be added to, or deleted from, Schedules 5 and 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 from the 5th Quinquennial Review carried out by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. The Scottish …
24 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it provides annually to the Langholm Moor project.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government does not provide any funding directly to the Langholm Moor project. Projected Scottish Natural Heritage funding is £973,491 over ten years. The Langholm Moor Project is also funded by Buccleuch Estates, the Game and Wildlife Conservati…
24 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many sporting estates there are.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government does not hold any data on the number of properties which might be classed as sporting estates. Apart from those estates where game sport is the sole or primary activity, sport shooting or angling also takes place on many other properti…
24 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which police forces have full-time wildlife crime officers.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The following table lists the number of full-time police and civilian wildlife crime officers (WCO) employed in each police force. All forces have voluntary coordinators and voluntary WCO.</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > …