Parliamentary questions
Elaine Murray
2,411 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
27 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how assets belonging to area tourist boards will be redistributed after such boards cease to exist.
Answer · Frank McAveety: I intend to lay before the Parliament this autumn Scottish Statutory Instruments that will address the transfer of assets.</p><p>However, the project to developthe new network is exploring mechanisms to ensure that assets built up locally byarea tourist board…
27 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to align the timescales of local authority development plans with that of Scottish Water's Quality and Standards III process.
Answer · Ross Finnie: No. The next water investmentprogramme, Quality and Standards III, will be based upon an eight-year timeframe,2006 to 2014. This is being done to facilitate better business planning, securecompliance with longer term legislative requirements, and assist Scott…
27 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding is available from Communities Scotland for housing associations that have received council housing through stock transfer to assist with the provision of low-cost affordable housing.
Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>Unless a previously agreed fundingarrangement is in place, Registered Social Landlords who have received council housing through stock transfer…
27 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any assistance is available for new tourism businesses to help with the costs of “brown signs”.
Answer · Frank McAveety: Assistance to new tourism businessesfor help with the costs of “brown signs” is a matter for local authorities. In certaincases, local enterprise companies can also provide assistance as part of the start-upcosts of a new business.</p>
25 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many public inquiries have been initiated as a result of applications under section 75 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 since 1 July 1999.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: None.</p>
25 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many proposals for roads have been rejected by it under section 75 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 since 1 July 1999.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: None.</p>
25 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, if Dumfries and Galloway Council's proposals for a footbridge over the River Nith at Troqueer are rejected under section 75 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984, funding for other projects in the region will be lost and, if so, which projects will be affected.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The proposed cycle andfootbridge is part of Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Dumfries Southern SectorAccess Strategy project, which was awarded an overall total of £1.785 million in2001 from the Public Transport Fund. Estimates at the time indicated that thebr…
25 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive who is required to be consulted in respect of applications under section 75 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 for the construction of a public road over navigable waters and what alternative procedures there are if organisations requiring to be consulted have ceased to exist.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: There is no consultationrequirement in respect of a bridge scheme promoted under s.75 of the Roads (Scotland)Act 1984. However, notice of the making of the scheme (and a copy of the schemeand any relevant map or plan) must be served on every navigation author…
25 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consents are required if a former port is to be reinstated.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Any additional powersrequired by a harbour authority beyond those in the original establishing legislationof the port would be conferred by a Harbour Order under the Harbours Act 1964. Suchan order would be required for the purposes of reconstituting a harbou…
25 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what stretches of the River Nith are defined as “navigable waters”
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Harbour authorities derive their basic statutory powers and duties from local legislation. The relevant legislation in this case is the Nith Navigation Order Confirmation Act 1929. Duties related to navigation are specified in that legislation, as is the juri…
25 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its definition of “navigable waters” is.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Navigable waters arereferred to in the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 as such navigable waters (whether the sea,a river or other waters) as may be specified in a particular order or scheme.</p>
25 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has agreed to provide towards the proposed footbridge over the River Nith at Troqueer and whether the availability of this funding is time-limited.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The proposed cycle and footbridgeis part of Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Dumfries Southern SectorAccess Strategy project, which was awarded an overall total of £1.785 millionin 2001 from the Public Transport Fund. Estimates at the time indicated thatthe br…
24 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-7282 by Mrs Mary Mulligan on 18 May 2004, what progress has been made on Dumfries and Galloway Council's application under section 75 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 for construction of a public road over navigable waters in respect of the proposed …
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Dumfries and Galloway’s application under section 75 of the Roads (Scotland) Act1984 for construction of a public road over navigable waters in respect of the proposed footbridge over the River Nith is currently being considered.</p><p>Before reaching a decis…
12 May 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, how frequently and in what ways it engages with local authorities about education improvement in their area.
Answer · Peter Peacock: As well asthe programme of inspections by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education, wewrote to all authorities last year about their published progress reports andmet with almost all of them. We will repeat this annually.</p>
5 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the participation rates in the chartered teacher programme are in each local authority.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The numbers of teachers who have registered interest in undertaking the Chartered Teacher programme and have received certificates of eligibility from the General Teaching Council for Scotland, are shown in the following table. Information on current levels o…
29 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the decline in the red grouse population, the consequent decline in the number of hen harriers resident on the Langholm moors and the designation of the moor as a Special Protection Area, it has any plans to encourage the reintroduction of professional grouse keepers …
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive has no plans to reintroduce professional grouse keepers to increase thehen harrier population.</p><p>There is no scientific evidenceto link the decline of breeding hen harriers at Langholm moors with a decline inred grouse. Numbers of b…
28 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-26439 by Lewis Macdonald on 2 July 2002, what the current position is regarding the properties at Longbedholm Cottage, Longbedholm Farmhouse, Middlegill, Milagro, Nether Howcleugh and Raecleugh Farm which were acquired during the construction of the …
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The properties known as LongbedholmCottage, Longbedholm Farmhouse and Middlegill have been offered back to the previousowners in accordance with the Crichel Down Rules. A positive response was receivedin respect of Longbedholm Cottage and this has been referr…
6 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has in relation to granting consent to offshore renewable energy generation plants outwith the 12 nautical mile territorial sea limit around Scotland and what powers it will have once the UK Energy Bill is enacted.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive has no such powersat present. We have agreed with DTI ministers that the powers to grant these consentsin the renewable energy zones will be executively devolved to the Scottish ministers.We are also in discussion with Her Majesty’s Government a…
6 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the enactment of the UK Energy Bill will have on its functions in relation to granting consent to offshore renewable energy generation plants within the 12 nautical mile territorial sea limit.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The enactment of the Energy Billwill have no immediate impact on the Executive’s functions within the territorialsea as we already have powers to consent proposals under section 36 of the ElectricityAct 1989 within these waters. The Energy Bill contains addit…
29 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made a decision with regard to planning permission for the proposed footbridge over the River Nith at Troqueer, Dumfries, and, if so, what that decision is.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: This planning application byDumfries and Galloway Council was notified to the Scottish ministers in November2002. After careful consideration of the case, the Scottish ministers decided thatthere were no issues of national significance that would justify thei…
29 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to train midwives in order that people from all parts of Scotland can contribute to the new stem-cell bank operated by the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Plans for the training of midwivesto support the future operation of the Scottish National Cord Cell Bank are beingdeveloped by the Scottish Blood Transfusion Service.</p>
9 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will appoint external members to the cabinet sub-committee on sustainable Scotland.
Answer · Allan Wilson: Cabinet has agreed toappoint three external members to the cabinet sub committee on sustainable Scotland. Iam sure that Jan Bebbington, Professor of Accountancy and Finance, University of Aberdeen; Ian Good, Chairman of the Edrington Group; andSimon Pepper, D…
4 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when decisions will be made with regard to bids for the Rural Challenge Fund for 2004-05 and when it will announce the successful applicants.
Answer · Allan Wilson: I hope to be in a positionsoon to announce decisions on the 2004-05 Scottish Rural Partnership Fund, ofwhich Rural Challenge Fund is a strand. The Executive recognises thatapplicants need to know the outcome and will let them know whether they havebeen succes…
27 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider providing financial assistance for the removal of asbestos from the homes of pensioners who wish to apply for central heating under its central heating installation programme.
Answer · Margaret Curran: There is no provision underthe terms of the central heating programme for the removal of asbestos. I currentlyhave no plans to alter the terms of the programme.</p>
23 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make any changes to the current planning guidance regarding the erection of mobile phone masts.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: We expect to publish shortlyrecent research on the evaluation of revised planning controls fortelecommunications development introduced in 2001. We will consider whether anyrevision of the existing planning guidance is required in light of the findingsof this…
19 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is factoring into its lifelong learning budget the funds necessary to make a pay award to higher education staff.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Executive plays no partin setting the levels of pay or conditions of service in higher educationinstitutions. We are however aware through the Higher Education Phase 3 Reporton “The Competitiveness of Higher Education in Scotland” that there isevidence th…
13 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to address any shortage of physiotherapists.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive recognises theimportant contribution that allied health professionals (AHPs), includingphysiotherapists, make to the wellbeing of patients throughout Scotland.</p><p>In partnership withNHSScotland, the Executive is supporting enhanced access to …
13 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in extending the remit of the Security Industry Authority to include Scotland and how it will consult the Scottish security industry on the new arrangements, particularly in relation to training.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Home Secretary is awarethat we are keen to make early progress in extending the remit of the SecurityIndustry Authority (SIA) to include Scotland and Whitehall officials are pursuing a number of potentialvehicles for making the necessary legislative chang…
9 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures will be undertaken to improve and upgrade the A75 in each of the next five years and what funding has been allocated to each of these projects.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The following improvementsto the A75 are currently being prepared and their cost has been included in the Scottish budget settlement for 2003-06. The settlement will ensure that subjectto the satisfactory completion of the statutory procedures the schemesrequ…
9 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any estimate has been made of the cost of connecting 95% of the population to broadband and, if so, what that cost is.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Executive is consideringhow to expand affordable broadband coverage well beyond the 70% target we have alreadyreached. Our independent advisers have made cost projections of the likelystages. However, it could prejudice the value for money of any futurepr…