Parliamentary questions

Fiona McLeod

516 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

12 Mar 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer what environmental protocols exist in regard to catering practices in the Parliament; how often these practices are monitored and by whom, and whether the conversion from crockery to plastic containers in the restaurant salad bar is compliant with any such environmental protocol.

Answer · David Steel: The Parliament's Facilities Management Office is responsible for environmental issues within the Parliament and regularly discusses these with contractors at monitoring meetings. The Parliament's catering contractor, Sodexho, currently arranges for recycli…

12 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which European standards, both mandatory and guideline, it is referring to in its commitment to bring the 60 designated bathing beaches up to European standards and over what timescale it expects to deliver this commitment.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive is committed to achieving the mandatory standards of the Bathing Waters Directive (76/160/EEC) at the 60 identified bathing waters in Scotland as soon as practicable. Beyond this, we are seeking to achieve the guideline standards in the…

7 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-4555 by Nicol Stephen on 31 January 2002, how the pay and conditions of school librarians will be reviewed, given that they are not represented on the Scottish negotiating committee for teachers.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: I have looked into this issue further. It has been explained to me that the pay and conditions of service of school librarians has never been part of the negotiations held on behalf of the teaching and related professions. The pay and conditions of service of…

1 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities have any responsibility for reviewing the conduct of community councils.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Local authorities are responsible for the administration of community council schemes, including how they conduct their business.

1 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what powers the Commission for Local Administration in Scotland has in respect of community councils.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The Commission for Local Administration in Scotland has no powers over community councils.

1 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to advise Greater Glasgow NHS board to carry out a survey of existing staff's intentions to transfer from Stobhill Hospital to other board locations.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This is a matter for NHS Greater Glasgow.Where staff transfer proposals are made by NHS management, a Staff Governance Standard requires that staff are kept fully informed and are involved in any decision-making process that affects them. NHS employers …

29 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19009 by Nicol Stephen on 21 January 2001 and with regard to its news release SE1826/2001 on 6 August 2001, on what basis the bandings for primary and secondary schools derived from the si'e of the school roll were selected as the criteria for distri…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The bandings were selected to reflect, in broad terms, the range of different school rolls in the primary, secondary and special school sectors. Five bands were used for primary schools, three bands for secondary schools and two for special schools.

23 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give any financial support to local authorities for the transportation of fridges to an o'one-depleting gas recovery facility.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I announced on 6 December in response to question S1O-4233 on 6 December 2001 that the Executive will provide funding to local authorities towards the additional costs which local authorities will incur in dealing with fridges containing ozone-depleting subst…

23 Jan 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish details of the final sites chosen to grow spring-sown genetically modified oilseed rape.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The selection of proposed sites where crops of GM spring-sown oilseed rape may be sown takes place independently of government. It is anticipated that the selected sites will be notified to the Scottish Executive and UK Government around 31 January and will b…

18 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what directions it has issued to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on prioritising data gathering for the Priority Waste Stream Projects.

Answer · Ross Finnie: No formal directions on this matter have been issued to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

11 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what options it is considering in respect of use of funds from the sale of the former Lennox Castle hospital site and when a decision will be reached on this matter.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: It is initially for NHS Greater Glasgow to consider what use will be made of any receipt available from the sale of Lennox Castle Hospital site. When NHS Greater Glasgow has reached a conclusion this will be considered by the Scottish Executive Health Departm…

11 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in assessing the case for Lennoxtown document presented to it by Scottish Enterprise Dunbartonshire in November 2001 and when it plans to make a response.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: In anticipation of the planned closure of Lennox Castle Hospital, Greater Glasgow Primary Care Trust has been considering the options for the reuse of the hospital site. I understand that the proposed partnership initiative with East Dunbartonshire Council an…

11 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many multinational companies with bases in Scotland have published environmental reports for the year ending 31 December 2001.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the Member to the answer given to question .

11 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many companies have published environmental reports for the year ending 31 December 2001.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The information requested is not collected centrally. Collecting company annual reports is a matter for the UK government. The Executive supports the call made by the Prime Minister for the top 350 companies to publish annual environment reports. We believe t…

10 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20150 by Iain Gray on 17 December 2001, how many local authorities are members of Energy Action Scotland (EAS) and whether COSLA has any involvement in EAS.

Answer · Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21666.

10 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20150 by Iain Gray on 17 December 2001, what costs the funding received by Energy Action Scotland (EAS) from the Executive is intended to cover and whether EAS makes financial awards for energy efficiency or energy poverty projects.

Answer · Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21666.

10 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20150 by Iain Gray on 17 December 2001, how Energy Action Scotland's targets are assessed and what specific targets have been set.

Answer · Iain Gray: Energy Action Scotland is an independent registered charity. It is sponsored by the Scottish Executive to enable it to carry out activities which reflect ministers' aims to tackle fuel poverty and its effects. Sponsorship is not awarded for particular activit…

12 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to section 47 of Chapter 45, Part IV of the Water (Scotland) Act 1980 and section 28 of Part 3 of the Water Industry (Scotland) Bill, what types of premises are entitled to a supply of water free of charge by virtue of having such an entitlement prior to 16 May 1949 and what …

Answer · Ross Finnie: Premises receiving a free supply of water are generally farm properties connected to aqueducts running between water sources and treatment works. Such supplies were often provided to land owners when aqueducts were being constructed as part of the deal for al…

11 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of its members or officials has attended any meetings of the partnership between the shadow form of Scottish Water and the trade unions and, if so, (a) on what dates those meetings were held, (b) what the outcomes of any such meetings were and (c) whether it will publish minut…

Answer · Ross Finnie: No, these meetings are arranged and attended by the Scottish Water Transition Partnership Group comprising water authority Human Resources staff and Union representatives.

11 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any problems have been anticipated in respect of the transfer of PFI projects in the water industry in preparation for the formation of the proposed Scottish Water.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-20964.

11 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any legal issues have been identified in respect of transfer of PFI projects in the water industry in preparation for the formation of the proposed Scottish Water.

Answer · Ross Finnie: No. We are satisfied that the provisions being set out in the Water Industry (Scotland) Bill relating to the transfer of property and assets will cover contractual rights and duties and liabilities.

11 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what method of valuation it plans to use for valuing the assets of the proposed Scottish Water at 1 April 2002 and how it plans to ensure that any such valuation represents a true and fair view of the organisation's position at that date.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The basis of valuation to be applied in valuing the fixed assets transferred to the proposed Scottish Water is primarily a matter for the Board of Scottish Water and is a matter that will be discussed with the board in due course. The basis and resultant valu…

11 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive (a) on what basis the assets of each water authority were valued on formation in 1996, (b), if different methods of valuation were used for each authority, what the reasons were for using different methods and (c) what the value of the total assets of each authority was at that date.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The basis for determining the values attributed to fixed assets on formation are set out in the accounting policies note in the notes to the accounts of each of the new water authorities.The net asset values on creation as shown in the water authorities' a…