Parliamentary questions

Elaine Murray

2,411 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

15 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, under National Planning Policy Guideline: NPPG 19 - radio telecommunications, a local authority is obliged to inform the Executive of any planning application which would involve the authority receiving rental from the applicant for a development on land which the authority owns.

Answer · Johann Lamont: NPPG 19 does not in itselfplace an obligation on planning authorities to notify Scottish Ministers of aparticular planning application. Paragraph 69 does, however, refer to instanceswhere planning authorities are required to give such notification underplanni…

14 Dec 2005 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its relocation guide, published in June 2005, will ensure a fair distribution of civil service jobs around Scotland.

Answer · George Lyon: The relocation guide, publishedin June 2005, will contribute significantly to the three objectives of our relocationpolicy: government decentralisation and efficiency; cost-effective delivery solutions,and supporting communities with social or economic needs.…

12 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities will be penalised if they fail to achieve the target to recycle 25% of municipal waste by 2006.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The 25% recycling and composting target by 2006 is a Scotland wide target, not an individual local authority target. As the latest figures from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency show, we are making good progress. The Landfill Allowance Scheme imposes…

9 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what conditions apply to probationer teachers in Scotland who have been pursued their Postgraduate Certificate of Education at an English establishment and in what way these conditions differ from those applying to probationers whose postgraduate qualification was awarded by a Scottish es…

Answer · Peter Peacock: Probationer teachers who have graduated from Scottish higher education institutions, whose places have been publicly funded, are guaranteed the offer of a place on the teacher induction scheme. This comprises a one-year teaching contract with a Scottish local…

1 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities may make referrals under section 5 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 to private landlords and, if so, what conditions are placed on the type of tenancy and condition of property to be offered.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Section 5 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 is limited to referrals made by local authorities to registered social landlords. If local authorities are able to discharge their duties to homeless people by entering into agreements with private landlords for th…

30 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what sources of financial support are available to community business initiatives.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows: Certain community business initiatives are able to access the Futurebuilders Scotland fund where they are part of the social economy and mee…

28 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether legislative changes are obliging local authorities to collect their first payment of council tax for the financial year 2006-07 in April rather than in May.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) (Scotland) Amendment (No.2) Regulations 2000 (SSI 2000/261) provide for local authorities to collect their first payment of council tax in April. Prior to this, the first payment was in May. This change in the …

28 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the views of carers are represented on the Board of the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Ministers are responsible underthe Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 for the appointment of Care Commissionboard members. The act requires that the board has at least two members who eitheruse or have used care services or are carers for persons who use …

25 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) fatal, (b) serious and (c) minor road accidents have been recorded on each section of the A76 over the last five years.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The number of injury accidents recorded on each section of the A76 in each of the last five years (January 2000 to December 2004) is as follows: 1. A75 Glasgow Road Roundabout to B729 Junction<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> …

24 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what penalties can be imposed, under existing legislation, on producers of crops such as hay and haylage who fail to prevent these crops from being contaminated by ragwort and whether the provisions of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Bill will affect these penalties.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Any feed or forage that contains ragwort is unsafe to feed to horses and other animals. The Agriculture Act 1970 and the Feeding Stuffs (Scotland) Regulations 2000 govern the sale of animal feed and forage. Regulation 14 makes it an offence to sell any materi…

24 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what penalties can be imposed, under existing legislation, on the occupiers of land who neglect to control injurious weeds that are adversely affecting other land.

Answer · Ross Finnie: An occupier who unreasonably fails to comply with a notice served under Section 1 of the Weeds Act 1959 is committing an offence and may, on summary conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding level 3 of the standard scale (currently £1,000). Where a…

24 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what sections of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 give local authorities powers to serve notice requiring the occupiers of land to control injurious weeds that are adversely affecting other land.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Local authorities have powers under Section 179 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 to serve notice requiring occupiers to take steps to rectify the condition of land that is adversely affecting the amenity of the surrounding area. This could…

23 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2O-7959 by Tavish Scott on 3 November 2005, whether it will investigate urgently the safety of the A76, consequent to the fatal accident involving a school bus one mile north of Auldgirth on 22 November 2005.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive’s Accident Investigation and Prevention (AIP) Unit investigate all fatal accidents which occur on the trunk road network. Investigations into the circumstances of the accident at Auldgirth on 22 November 2005 are underway. More g…

23 Nov 2005 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that efficiency savings required of local authorities will not be passed on as reductions in frontline services.

Answer · Tom McCabe: We have always been quite clear: the purpose of pursuing efficiency savings is to enhance levels of service not to reduce them. Only those savings which meet the criteria set out in our definitions of time or cash releasing savings can be counted as efficienc…

15 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria are used to assess the concept notes which comprise the first stage of bidding for funding from its International Development Fund.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Concept notes were assessed against the criteria published on our website: <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/International-Relations/internationaldevelopment/fundingguidance">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/International-Relat…

15 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications for funding from its International Development Fund have been rejected.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: One hundred and two applications were received in the first funding round. Of these, 38 were accepted on to the second stage of the application process. Two projects withdrew at this stage, and of the 36 second stage applications received, 33 were approved fo…

15 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which projects have been successful in applying for funding from its International Development Fund and how much funding each project will receive.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Details of the projects which have received funding from the first round of the International Development Fund are available on the Scottish Executive website at: <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/news/releases/2005/11/04144130">www.scotland.gov.uk/n…

14 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has given any further consideration to proposals for a rail halt at Beattock on the West Coast Main Line.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The proposal for a rail halt on West Coast Main Line was included in Dumfries and Galloway Council’s West Coast Main Line local services study. The Scottish Executive responded to the Council with comments on the study on 30 June 2005. A copy of the Executive…

11 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any threat to public health associated with the burning of timber from trees grown on land which was contaminated by caesium as a consequence of the Chernobyl disaster.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The risk to public health due to the release of radioactive caesium from burning timber depends on both the concentration of the material in the timber and the level of exposure to combustion products. Measurements of the radionuclide concentration in woods f…

11 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a business which does not have a water supply should be charged water charges based on the rateable value of the property, in addition to waste water and drainage charges.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The details of individual customers’ charges for water and sewerage services is a matter for the customer and Scottish Water in the first instance. Customers with concerns about their charges should draw these concerns to Scottish Water.

11 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why water charges are based on the 1999 rateable value of business properties rather than the most recent evaluation.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: In response to the views expressed in the public consultation Paying for Water Services, the Scottish Executive announced to the Parliament in February 2005 its intention to end the link between rateable values and charging non-domestic customer…

8 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has undertaken or plans to undertake research into the reasons for differences between entitlement to, registration for and actual uptake of free school meals across local authorities.

Answer · Peter Peacock: In August 2002, the Executive commissioned qualitative research to gather the views of primary and secondary pupils on various aspects of school meals, to support the work of the Expert Panel on School Meals. The study was carried out by NFO Social Research. …

8 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it gives to local authorities on how to encourage pupils who are entitled to free school meals to register for them.

Answer · Peter Peacock: A leaflet entitled Do you know what’s happening to school lunches?, was produced by the Executive and distributed to all primary pupils in September 2004, and to pupils starting primary school in September 2005. The leaflet sets out the improvements to…

8 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider giving local authorities the power in legislation to require owners or occupiers of land to take action to prevent seagulls from nesting, or to remove or destroy their eggs, in locations where seagulls are a significant nuisance.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Local authorities already have the powers, expertise and knowledge within their environmental health responsibilities to deal with the nuisance caused by seagulls. In addition, the Scottish Executive already issues General Licences to all local authorities to…

4 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what resources it is making available to Dumfries and Galloway Council to support the provisions of the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004.

Answer · Robert Brown: The answer to question S2W-20375 on 14 November 2005, sets out the resources which have been made available to all local authorities, including Dumfries and Galloway Council. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s web…

4 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what resources it is making available to local authorities to support the provisions of the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004.

Answer · Robert Brown: The Scottish Executive has provided £17.5 million of financial support to local authorities and £6 million to NHS boards in 2004-06 to assist with the preparation for, and implementation of, the act. I have recently announced continued funding to local author…

3 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which sections of the A701 have accident statistics that are above the Scottish average.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The review of accidents for the period January 2002 to December 2004 show that three of the four sections on the A701 Dumfries to Beattock trunk road have accident statistics that are above the Scottish average. These are: 1. Edinburgh Road Roundabout,…

3 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many accidents have been recorded on the A701 in each of the last five years.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The number of injury accidents on the A701 in each of the last five years (January 2000 to December 2004) is as follows: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> Year</td> <td> Fatal</td>…

28 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it provides funding for flood protection other than to local authorities and, if so, what funding is available and how it may be accessed.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Executive provides fundingfor flood protection only to local authorities, as they are best placed to assessthe local need. Funding is in the form of specific capital grants for confirmedflood prevention schemes and revenue support for other operations to …

28 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it offers to local authorities regarding charging for respite care.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Scottish Office Circular SWSG 10/96 provides local authorities with guidance on how respite care should be developed and delivered. This includes guidance on charging. Further guidance that relates to charging for respite can be found in Circular SWSG 1/97 on…