Parliamentary questions
Elaine Smith
1,153 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
12 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what considerations were taken into account before appointing a reporter to examine the North Lanarkshire local plan.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: Section 19(3) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 requires ministers to appoint a person to examine a proposed local plan if they have been requested to do so by the planning authority or it appears to them that there are outstanding represen…
12 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what powers ministers have to intervene in the planning process.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-02187 on 12 September 2011. 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/parliamentar…
12 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what circumstances would be required to satisfy the necessity test in Scottish Planning Policy when releasing land previously zoned as greenbelt.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-02202 on 12 September 2011. 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/parliamentar…
12 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which ministers were involved in the examination of the North Lanarkshire local plan when submitted on 22 September 2010.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: No minister was directly involved. The appointment of reporters to examine development plans is delegated to the chief reporter.
12 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discretion ministers have to intervene as part of a local plan examination process.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: Scottish Ministers appoint the person who is to carry out the examination, but they have no powers to intervene in the running of the examination. Section 19(5) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 states that the form that the examination is …
12 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the definition is of “necessary” under section 161 of Scottish Planning Policy.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The word “necessary” in this context is considered to carry its normal meaning.
12 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the number of houses required to meet the definition of “effective housing land" under Scottish Planning Policy is reduced during a downturn in the housing market.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: Scottish Planning Policy requires that a five-year ongoing effective land supply is available to meet the identified housing land requirements. Housing land requirements are ultimately to be derived from housing need and demand assessments prepared by local a…
12 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what avenues of appeal exist after a local plan has been adopted.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: Following the adoption of a local plan, any aggrieved person may question the validity of the plan through an application to the Court of Session under Section 238 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997. Such an application must be made within s…
12 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive at which point in a local plan examination process ministers are no longer able to intervene.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: Ministers have no powers to intervene in the examination process, but may intervene in the planning authority’s subsequent actions to adopt the plan. I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-02188 on 12 September 2011. All answers to written parliam…
12 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what procedure reporters follow when making a decision on a local plan examination.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The procedures are set out in Part 4 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Planning) (Scotland) Regulations 2008.
12 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what presumption exists against building on greenbelt land.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-02199 on 12 September 2011. Scottish Planning Policy states that the purpose of green belt designation in the development plan as part of the settlement strategy for an area is to: direct planned growth to the…
12 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are in place for the transition from local plans to local development plans.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: These are set out in the Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006 (Development Planning) (Saving, Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Order 2008. The effect is that those local plans which had progressed through the consultation stage but not to public local …
12 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it will give to intervening in the North Lanarkshire local plan.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: This matter will be considered after North Lanarkshire Council have sent Scottish Ministers a copy of the plan they wish to adopt and the advert of their intention to adopt the plan.
12 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances it would be acceptable to build on greenbelt land.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: It is for planning authorities to set out their policies to manage development in green belt areas in their development plans. Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) states that green belt designation should provide clarity and certainty on where development will and…
12 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discretion ministers have in choosing whether a reporter should examine a local plan.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: Section 19(3) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 requires ministers to appoint a person to examine the proposed plan if they have been requested to do so by the planning authority or it appears to them that there are unresolved representatio…
12 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discretion ministers have in making planning decisions.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Planning Act includes powers which allow ministers to intervene in development management procedures.
12 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what powers ministers have to alter a decision made by a reporter in a local plan examination.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: I refer the member to the answer to questions S4W-02188 and S4W-02209 on 12 September 2011. 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.…
12 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances it considers that every household in a community affected by a local plan should be consulted as part of the local plan examination process.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: It is impossible to anticipate every possible circumstance, but it will rarely be appropriate to consult every household in a community as part of a development plan examination process.
12 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what presumption exists against altering land zoned for greenbelt to that suitable for construction.
Answer · Aileen Campbell : The green belt boundaries identified in local development plans should reflect the long term settlement strategy. However, there may be circumstances where it is appropriate to redesignate previously green belt land for other uses through the development plan…
12 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what circumstances would require to prevail for a reporter to overcome the presumption against building on greenbelt land and alter the zone to one suitable for construction.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: In their consideration of issues raised at the examination, reporters will be informed by Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) and any other material considerations. SPP notes that where it is considered necessary, the proposed release of land previously designated…
12 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its definition is of “effective housing land" under Scottish Planning Policy.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: Scottish Planning Policy defines the effective housing land supply as the part of the established housing land supply which is free or expected to be free of development constraints in the period under consideration, and will therefore be available for the co…
12 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a decision made by a reporter in a local plan examination requires to be signed off by ministers.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: Development plan examination reports are not signed off by ministers, but ministers do have the opportunity to intervene later in the process. I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-02188 on 12 September 2011. All answers to written parliamentary q…
12 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances it would be acceptable to alter land zoned as greenbelt to land suitable for construction.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-02199 on 12 September 2011. 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/parliamentar…
12 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its definition of “effective housing land" under Scottish Planning Policy changes depending on variations in the housing market.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The definition of effective housing land does not change, but the effectiveness of individual sites may change in the light of economic circumstances. The chief planner wrote to planning authorities on 29 October 2010 (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/…
12 Aug 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what powers ministers have to intervene in the local plan examination process.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-02188 on 12 September 2011. 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/parliamentar…
8 Mar 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much public money has been spent subsidising bus services in each year since 1999, broken down by parliamentary constituency.
Answer · Keith Brown: Local authorities can provide subsidy for services that are not provided on a commercial basis. In addition, the Scottish Government provides subsidy to all local bus services through the Bus Service Operators Grant scheme. Scotland level figures are availabl…
8 Mar 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many car owners there have been in each year since 1999.
Answer · Keith Brown: As a reserved matter, this information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government but collected by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).</p>
8 Mar 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many car owners there have been in Coatbridge and Chryston constituency in each year since 1999
Answer · Keith Brown: As a reserved matter, this information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government but collected by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).</p>
8 Mar 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of adults travel to work by bus, also broken down by (a) local authority area and (b) parliamentary constituency.
Answer · Keith Brown: (</b>a) Local authority figures are available from the Scottish Household Survey (SHS). Figures are published online as part of the SHS Transport: Local Area Analysis web tables. Table 1 shows the relevant data and can found at: </p> <p ><a href="http://www.…
8 Mar 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the satisfaction levels are of bus passengers.
Answer · Keith Brown: Scotland level figures are available from the Scottish Household Survey. Figures are published online as part of the SHS Transport: Local Area Analysis web tables. Table 16 includes a breakdown by Local Authority and Regional Transport Partnership, as well as…