Parliamentary questions
Helen Eadie
919 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
30 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what policy it has developed to ensure that support schemes are simple and responsive in order to ensure immediate action to protect life and limb in any flooding emergency.
Answer · Michael Russell: Contingency planning is primarily a matter for local responders, as defined under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004.</p> <p >After the flooding in parts of England during the summer of 2007, the Minister for Environment wrote out to each of the eight regional…
30 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what policy it has developed to support public bodies in the event of catastrophic events and in what circumstances it will provide support funding; whether the funding will be available as a grant or claim-based; what level of funding will be available, and what restrictions will be plac…
Answer · John Swinney: 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 catastrophic event. Through the Military Aid to the Civil Community Scheme, public authorities can request t…
30 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to ensure that arrangements for sharing risks between central government, local government and insurers are transparent and optimal in terms of minimising the overall costs to the taxpayer and ensuring that appropriate measures are taken to reduce risks.
Answer · John Swinney: Scottish Government and local authorities are each responsible for managing the risks attaching to their own property and activities. Scottish Government itself is a sufficiently large body to be able to self insure its risks. As a result, it uses commercial …
30 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it plans to invest in better modelling and prediction of flooding to better assess the risks and costs of flood management.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government has increased the amount distributed to local authorities for flood prevention to £126 million over the next three years. It is for the local authorities to decide how to allocate the funding at their disposal according to local priori…
30 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on its Inquiry Reporter permitting development on land that is already artificial landfill on the coast of the River Forth and in an area designated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency as being at high risk of flooding.
Answer · Michael Russell: Once a reporter, appointed by Scottish ministers, from the Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals has issued a decision on an appeal the decision is final and neither the reporter he/she</b> Thursday, July 29, 1999</b> nor Scottish ministers have …
30 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost is of damage as a consequence of coastal erosion across Scotland and how this compares with costs of damage arising from flooding.
Answer · Michael Russell: This information is not held centrally.</p>
30 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to it of flood damage has been in each of the last eight years.
Answer · Michael Russell: No damage has been done or costs accrued as a result of flooding caused by natural or external influences at any core Scottish Government buildings. The Scottish Government has contributed to the costs to local government responding to flooding emergencies un…
30 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the risk of flooding and coastal erosion will change in Scotland over the next 100 years.
Answer · Michael Russell: Climate change scenarios produced for the UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) and research published by the Scottish Government and the UK Government, mentioned below, indicate that there will be an increase in the frequency of severe rainfall and storm even…
30 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on investigations into good and bad flood management practices across the world and what lessons have been learnt.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government through its Flooding Policy team maintains an overview on all scientific evidence that provides examples of sustainable flood risk management. It is also a founding member of the EU funded CRUE Eranet, which provides a structured frame…
30 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what work it has undertaken on studying the probability of events occurring at the same time, such as a sustained period of rain and a heavy storm and their impacts, with particular regard to the (a) Forth, (b) Tay and (c) Clyde estuaries.
Answer · Michael Russell: The forthcoming Flooding Bill will transpose the EC Directive on the Assessment and Management of Flood Risk, requiring member states to identify and map areas at significant risk of flooding by December 2013. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has pu…
30 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimates have been made of (a) sea-based flooding, (b) coastal flooding and (c) the effects of sea level rise and storm surge in the (i) Forth, (ii) Tay and (iii) Clyde estuaries.
Answer · Michael Russell: A research project is currently underway to scope coastal flood risk in Scotland. The effects of sea level rise and storm surge are being considered as an element of this work.</p> <p >The Scottish Environment Protection Agency published in November 2007 an …
30 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what work it has completed on predicting and identifying the possible severity and frequency of flooding due to climate change and assessing the resulting cost impact.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government has published its research on Climate Change: Flooding Occurrences Review (2002) at:</p> <p ><a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/156664/0042098.pdf">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/156664/0042098.pdf</a>.</p> <p …
30 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to legislate to ensure that regional spatial strategies and local development documents include a strategic flood assessment as part of a sustainability appraisal.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) 7 Planning and Flooding says that the potential of land to flood should be considered during the preparation of every development plan and flood risk areas must be identified early in the plan preparation process. The plans are …
30 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on its Inquiry Reporter giving approval to develop in an area designated as being at high risk of flooding despite objections by the local authority and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
Answer · Michael Russell: Once a reporter, appointed by Scottish ministers, from the Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals has issued a decision on an appeal the decision is final and neither the reporter he/she</b> Thursday, July 29, 1999</b> nor Scottish ministers have …
27 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any ministers have attended any meetings in Europe to discuss matters related to tourism or culture since May 2007.
Answer · Linda Fabiani: I undertook a number of engagements related to culture during my visit to Brussels on 29 January 2008. I held meetings with Members of the European Parliament and with representatives of the British Council; hosted a seminar on the contribution of culture to …
27 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any ministers have attended any meetings in Europe to discuss matters related to skills training since May 2007.
Answer · Linda Fabiani: Although no minister has so far attended a meeting in Brussels to discuss such matters, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning discussed a number of issues related to skills, including the importance of lifelong learning to economic growth …
27 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any ministers have attended any meetings in Europe to discuss matters related to transport since May 2007.
Answer · Linda Fabiani: No minister has yet attended meetings in Europe related to transport, but the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change intends to visit Brussels in the near future.</p>
27 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any ministers have attended any meetings in Europe to discuss matters related to health since May 2007.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: There have been no ministerial meetings in Europe since May 2007 to discuss health matters. However, we have good links with the Commission, and I will attend future Council meetings where there is a specific Scottish policy interest in the decisions to be ta…
27 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) longest and (b) average waiting times were for electric wheelchair provision in the last 12 months in (i) the Dunfermline East parliamentary constituency, (ii) Fife and (iii) Scotland.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9454 on 26 February 2008. 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/webap…
27 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that all women and children suffering from total hair loss will benefit from staged reductions in prescription charges for real hair wigs and when it will announce the new charges for such prescriptions.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-10461 on 7 March 2008. 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/w…
27 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that all women and children suffering from total hair loss will have the right to real hair wigs free of charge by the time that free prescriptions are introduced.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is taking forward the implementation of the recommendations of the Supply of Wigs Investigation Group Scotland (SWIGS) including the provision of human hair wigs, where appropriate. The reduction in charges for wigs is being taken forw…
27 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to NHS Fife has been since May 2007 of delayed discharges arising from appropriate care packages not being provided for them.
Answer · Shona Robison: This is a matter for NHS Fife. The information is not held centrally.</p>
27 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost is to NHS Fife of (a) 50, (b) 60, (c) 70 and (d) 100 beds being occupied by patients assessed as fit to go home but unable to do so in the absence of appropriate care packages.
Answer · Shona Robison: This is a matter for NHS Fife. The information is not held centrally.</p>
27 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent research it has commissioned into the number of planning approvals for new housing developments awarded since May 2007 where the proposed development was designated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency as being an area at high risk of coastal flooding.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) flood map shows an <strong>estimate</strong> of the areas of Scotland with a 0.5% or greater probability of being flooded in any given year “ in other words, those areas estimated to have a one in 200 or great…
27 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of each local authority area’s economy is generated by the tourism sector.
Answer · Jim Mather: These figures are not available at local authority level. However, some regional data on tourism spend and employment are available. The following tables provide data on both of these indicative measures for 2006.</p> <p >Table 1 “Tourism Spend in Scotland b…
27 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to promote tourism in Fife in 2008-09.
Answer · Jim Mather: In consultation with Fife Council, VisitScotland market Fife in many ways, including:</p> <p align=left >Promotion of Fife through the VisitScotland website, <u><a href="http://www.visitfife.com/">www.visitfife.com</a>;</u></p> <p align=left >Various broc…
27 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the decision by Fife Council to increase charges for home shopping delivery to £7 per week.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-10443 on 7 March 2008. 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/w…
27 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the decision by Fife Council to increase care charges to £11 per hour.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-10443 on 7 March 2008. 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/w…
27 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the decision by Fife Council to increase charges for rail travel for all senior citizens travelling between Fife and Edinburgh or Glasgow.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: This is a local government matter. At their discretion, local authorities are free to provide for their residents travel concessions which they consider to be appropriate and affordable.</p>
27 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what provision it has made in its outcome agreements with local authorities to ensure that impact assessments are carried out prior to any substantial increases being made in charges for services and what its position is on increases in the cost of community alarms provided for vulnerable…
Answer · Shona Robison: The issue of charging for non-personal domiciliary services is addressed in legislation. Under section 87 (1A) of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 a local authority may charge for certain adult non-residential and domiciliary services it provides. It is fo…