Fiona McLeod

8 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many eligible applications for free central heating for the elderly under its central heating installation programme received from the Strathkelvin and Bearsden parliamentary constituency (a) have been completed and (b) are still being processed.

Answer · Hugh Henry: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-30388 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/searc…

8 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many homes in the Strathkelvin and Bearsden parliamentary constituency are eligible for free central heating for the elderly under its central heating installation programme and, of these, how many have applied.

Answer · Hugh Henry: I have been considering how best to provide information on progress under the central heating programme. Eaga have set up a website on that programme and the Warm Deal. The address is www.eaga.co.uk. The website gives detail of surveys and installations of ce…

26 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which ministers and officials have met the Health and Safety Commission since May 1999; what issues were discussed at any such meetings; what the results of any such meetings have been; what future meetings have been arranged, and what issues are to be discussed at these meetings.

Answer · Iain Gray: The then Minister for Health and Community Care participated in the Scottish launch of the Health and Safety Commission's (HSC) <I>Securing Health Together</I> strategy. The Scottish Executive's Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Public Health is a member of th…

17 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-28951 by Malcolm Chisholm on 17 September 2002, for what specific reasons the applications for funding from Facilitate (Scotland) were unsuccessful.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive has already explained to Facilitate (Scotland) why their grant applications were unsuccessful.

12 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is in relation to making responses to its consultation papers available for public inspection where respondents have not indicated that their response is to be treated as confidential and when such responses are made available in relation to the closing date of a consultat…

Answer · Andy Kerr: It is Scottish Executive policy to make all responses to consultations (unless confidentiality has been requested) available to the public by placing them in the Scottish Exceutive Library, or on request. Responses are made publicly available as soon as is pr…

5 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in establishing the customer standards code of practice in accordance with section 26 of the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Scottish Water has prepared, in consultation with the Water Industry Commissioner, its customer standards code as required by section 26(1) and (2) of the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002. It will submit its customer standards code to the commissioner along…

5 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress there has been in establishing Water Customer Consultation Panels in accordance with the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Water Customer Consultation Panels were established under the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002 with the convener to be appointed by ministers and the panel members appointed by the convener.<P>The Executive has recently advertised the post of convenor a…

4 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received an application for funding from Facilitate (Scotland) and, if so, what criteria were used to assess it and whether the application was successful.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Facilitate (Scotland) applied for funding for 2002-03 under section 16B of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978. Applications for funding were also made for the previous year both under section 16B, and under section 10 of the Social Work (Scotland…

2 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any funds are available from the European Union for the improvement of flood defences.

Answer · Allan Wilson: There are no specific funds available from the European Union for the improvement of flood defences.

2 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what organisational preparations it has made to deal with civil contingencies involving floods.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The police have a duty to protect life and property and co-ordinate the multi-agency response by local authorities, emergency services and others to a civil emergency including flooding. In areas affected by flooding, multi-agency response groups can be broug…

2 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the transfer of emergency flood defences to areas when needed.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Local authorities have generic multi-agency response plans in place to prepare for a flood emergency in their areas. It is for councils to make appropriate arrangements for the deployment of emergency defences in light of local needs and concerns.

2 Sep 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the current availability of emergency flood defences to local authorities.

Answer · Allan Wilson: It is for local authorities to determine the emergency flood defence needs of their areas and to arrange for the provision of any measures they might identify.

30 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27399 by Cathy Jamieson on 2 August 2002, whether it will consider fully funding the Scottish European Resource Centre when it has established the reasons for the proposed withdrawal of funding by the European Commission office in London.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive will meet the shortfall in funding for the Scottish European Resource Centre created by the withdrawal of funding from 1 January 2003 by the European Commission's Representation in London.

29 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances Scottish Natural Heritage would be expected to undertake environmental impact studies in respect of planning applications in sensitive areas.

Answer · Hugh Henry: There are statutory requirements for planning authorities or developers to consult Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) on proposals in, or affecting, certain areas designated for their natural heritage interest, when such proposals are the subject of planning app…

26 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive (a) to whom and (b) when non-GM crops grown 50 m from the GM crop trial at Munlochy were sold.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive does not hold this information since this is not a matter for regulation. The farmer is at liberty to market, or use as he wishes, any conventional crop beyond the 50 m separation distance. Our advisers are confident that such a crop po…

26 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive (a) how, (b) when and (c) by whom non-GM crops located 50 m from the GM crop trial at Munlochy were tested for contamination.

Answer · Ross Finnie: No specific monitoring was carried out on non-GM crops situated in the vicinity of the GM crop trial at Munlochy.<P>Separation distances are in place around GM crop trials to minimise the potential for cross-pollination. They do not reflect any doubts about s…

23 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27773 by Ms Margaret Curran on 16 August 2002, what disproportionate costs are associated with obtaining information on organisations to which it has given money to in the East Dunbartonshire Council area in (a) 2001-02 and (b) 2002-03.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive has provided £228 million to more than 700 voluntary groups in 2002-03. The majority of these operate at a national level and their programmes and services are not always disaggregated by geographical area. Although many of these will i…

16 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when and by whom it was informed of impurities in oil seed rape which was planted as part of the field scale trials of genetically modified organisms.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-28462.

16 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when Aventis CropScience Ltd knew of impurities in oil seed rape in the field-scale trial of genetically modified organisms and who it subsequently informed.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive is unable to confirm when Aventis CropScience first knew of impurities in their GM seed. However, Aventis formally notified the Scottish Executive of low levels of additional GM material in the oil seed rape seeds used in farm scale tri…

15 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities are ineligible to receive funding for free personal care because they are not in a position to provide or arrange the required services.

Answer · Frank McAveety: Every local authority has been allocated sufficient resources from the Scottish Executive to fund free personal care.

15 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) negotiations it has had with and (b) instructions it has given to, (i) the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and (ii) Her Majesty's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate regarding the closure of reactor two due to problems with a gas circulator at Torness Power Station in May…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: None. No such concerns arise in relation to the current shutdown at Torness.

15 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact will be on businesses and domestic consumers of the reduction in electricity supply as a result of the closure of Torness Power Station and what negotiations it has had with ScottishPower on this matter.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Scotland has an excess of generating capacity, much of it flexible and responsive to changes in demand. The temporary shutdown of two reactors at Torness Power Station should have no impact on businesses and domestic consumers.

8 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether East Dunbartonshire Council has been awarded the maximum available funding of #150,000 towards the creation of an outline business case for its application for funding for schools and for what this funding is expected to be used.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: We announced on 25 June 2002 that up to £150,000 is available to each of a number of authorities which had not previously been allocated financial support to assist with the development of an Outline Business Case for a schools public private partnership proj…

31 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with European Commission (EC) representation in the United Kingdom on the transition from the EC of European resource centres for schools and colleges funding.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: We have written to the EC representation in Edinburgh asking for clarification of these proposals and have received confirmation of the EC's intention to cease funding the European resource centres as from 31 December 2002. The Scottish Executive will meet th…

26 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what provision it has made to adopt the principles of the Environmental Audit (No.2) Bill into Scots law, in particular by giving to the Auditor General for Scotland the role proposed for the Comptroller and Auditor General in respect of the environment.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has no such plans.

19 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has given to voluntary organisations in the East Dunbartonshire Council area that required match funding by another organisation in 2001-02 and 2002-03; which organisations it gave such funding to, and how much each received.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

19 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it has given to voluntary organisations in East Dunbartonshire Council area in 2001-02 and 2002-03; what organisations it gave funding to, and how much each received.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

19 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it will give to East Dunbartonshire Women's Aid in 2002-03 and how much it gave in 2000-01 and 2001-02.

Answer · Margaret Curran: Through Communities Scotland, the Scottish Executive is providing £382,376 in the year 2002-03 for a new purpose built refuge to be managed by East Dunbartonshire Women's Aid.<P>£38,588 was awarded from the Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund in each of t…

19 Jul 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will apply for membership of the Regional Government Network for Sustainable Development.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Executive is considering this matter.

16 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what stage the local area plans on waste development have reached.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Eleven draft Area Waste Plans have now been prepared and are publicly available on the Scottish Environment Protection Agency website:<P>(<A HREF="http://www.sepa.org.uk/nws/guidance/dawp.htm">http://www.sepa.org.uk/nws/guidance/dawp.htm</A>).<P>The next stag…