Questions · Jackie Baillie

13 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which protocol dictated that the First Minister’s private office should not bring to his attention correspondence from Mr Donald Macdonald’s company and enclosures of further correspondence between the company and the planning authorities, the Cairngorms National Park Authority and Highla…

Answer · Michael Russell: The correspondence of 9 November 2007 was a forwarded copy of a forwarded email, with an attached letter, which was not addressed to the First Minister: in line with established practice, this correspondence was therefore not shown to the First Minister. The …

13 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the First Minister discussed with Mr Donald Macdonald when they met in October 2007.

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9043 on 25 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/weba…

13 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice was given to the First Minister or his special advisers in relation to the receipt of the correspondence and enclosures sent by the First Minister’s constituency office manager to his private office, intimating Mr Donald Macdonald’s intention to show the First Minister the exh…

Answer · Michael Russell: No such advice was given.

13 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether correspondence from Mr Donald Macdonald’s company and enclosures of further correspondence between Mr Macdonald’s company and the planning authorities, the Cairngorms National Park Authority and Highland Council in relation to the Aviemore resort hotels planning application, whic…

Answer · Michael Russell: They were not.

13 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether correspondence from Mr Donald Macdonald’s company and enclosures of further correspondence between Mr Macdonald’s company and the planning authorities, the Cairngorms National Park Authority and Highland Council in relation to the Aviemore resort hotels planning application, whic…

Answer · Michael Russell: No.

13 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a statement to the Parliament on how the actions of Scottish Ministers in respect of the advice of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to the Cairngorms National Park Authority in the planning application for the Aviemore resort hotels master plan and re…

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the Member to the answer to question S3W-10947 on 11 April 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…

13 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the actions of Scottish Ministers in respect of the advice of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to the Cairngorms National Park Authority in the planning application for the Aviemore resort hotels master plan and related planning applications comply with ministers’…

Answer · Michael Russell: I am satisfied that Scottish ministers acted at all times in relation to this application in accordance with their responsibilities and accountabilities as set out in SEPA''s Management Statement.

13 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a comprehensive drainage assessment was required to address groundwater issues and discharges to watercourses in the planning application for the Aviemore resort hotels master plan and, if not, what the reasons were for such an assessment not being required.

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the Member to the answer to question S3W-10935 on 11 April 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…

13 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the advice of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to the Cairngorms National Park Authority in the planning application for the Aviemore resort hotels master plan complied with Scottish Planning Policy 7: Planning and Flooding (SPP 7).

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the Member to the answer to question S3W-10935 on 11 April 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…

13 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the advice of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to the Cairngorms National Park Authority in the planning application for the Aviemore resort hotels master plan complied with SEPA-Planning Authority Protocol: Advice and Consultation and the associated planning advi…

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the Member to the answer to question S3W-10935 on 11 April 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…

13 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that proposals for new housing or retail development requiring new flood prevention measures should proceed only through the development plan process and with full consideration of all the implications of such development.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government considers that in accord with Scottish Planning Policy (SPP)7 Planning and Flooding, proposals for the development of additional undeveloped areas which would require new flood prevention measures should come forward through th…

13 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the Scottish Environment Protection Agency was correct to withdraw its objection on 4 December 2007 to the planning application for the Aviemore resort hotels master plan under consideration by the Cairngorms National Park Authority in the absence of a flood risk…

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the Member to the answer to question S3W-10935 on 11 April 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…

13 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the advice of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to Aberdeen City Council’s public local inquiry in May 2006 and Moray Council’s public local inquiry in November 2007 complied with Scottish Ministers’ strategic objective to develop a close and responsive relationship with …

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the Member to the answer to question S3W-10935 on 11 April 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…

13 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the advice of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to the Cairngorms National Park Authority in the planning application for the Aviemore resort hotels master plan complied with Scottish Ministers’ strategic objective to develop a close and responsive relationship with the p…

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the Member to the answer to question S3W-10935 on 11 April 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…

13 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the advice of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to Aberdeen City Council’s public local inquiry in May 2006 and Moray Council’s public local inquiry in November 2007 complied with Scottish Ministers’ strategic objective to provide clear and readily available advice…

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the Member to the question S3W-10935 on 11 April 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/wa.search…

13 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the advice of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to the Cairngorms National Park Authority in the planning application for the Aviemore resort hotels master plan complied with Scottish Ministers’ strategic objective to provide clear and readily available advice and …

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the Member to the answer to question S3W-10935 on 11 April 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…

13 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether and how the advice of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to Aberdeen City Council’s public local inquiry in May 2006 and Moray Council’s public local inquiry in November 2007 complied with SEPA’s general duty to ensure that its activities are compatible with the sta…

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the Member to the answer to question S3W-10935 on 11 April 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…

13 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the advice of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to the Cairngorms National Park Authority in the planning application for the Aviemore resort hotels master plan complied with SEPA’s general duty to ensure that its activities are compatible with the statutory guidan…

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the Member to the answer to question S3W-10935 on 11 April 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…

13 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the evidence of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to Aberdeen City Council’s public local inquiry in May 2006 and Moray Council’s public local inquiry in November 2007 properly exercised its statutory functions to inform policy and promote an understanding of SEPA’…

Answer · Michael Russell: As a statutory public body SEPA is responsible for ensuring that it carries out its functions in accordance with its statutory powers and duties, taking account of any other relevant guidance, policies or regulations. Scottish ministers are responsible for se…

6 Mar 2008 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether the cost of processing freedom of information requests to the Parliament has risen in the last year.

Answer · Tricia Marwick: The total recorded cost of processing freedom of information based on the time recorded by FOI Decision Takers and Action Officers who have answered requests indicates that despite an increase in the number of requests received from journalists during 2007 (o…

6 Mar 2008 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body on which occasions it has had to employ additional staff to deal with freedom of information requests to the Parliament since the enactment of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and what total costs arose from such action.

Answer · Tricia Marwick: On one occasion on receipt of 39 FOI Requests submitted within a period of 17 working days. The cost incurred to date has been £1,053.18.

6 Mar 2008 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how many freedom of information requests have been made to the Parliament by journalists since the enactment of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, broken down by (a) newspaper and (b) cost of processing.

Answer · Tricia Marwick: The supply of a breakdown of information to the level of detail requested would incur a disproportionate cost. However, we can identify that during 2006, 2007 and in 2008 to date, two journalists from two different newspapers have submitted the highest numbe…

6 Mar 2008 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the cost has been of processing freedom of information requests made to the Parliament by (a) members of the public, (b) MSPs, (c) parliamentary researchers and (d) journalists in each month since the enactment of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Answer · Tricia Marwick: The enclosed tables set out the cost of processing freedom of information requests for the specified categories of requesters based on the time recorded by Freedom of Information Action Officers and Decision Takers who have prepared replies to FOI requests up…

6 Mar 2008 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the cost has been of processing freedom of information requests to the Parliament in each month since the enactment of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Answer · Tricia Marwick: The enclosed table sets out the cost of replying to freedom of information requests based on the time recorded by Freedom of Information Action Officers and Decision Takers who have prepared replies to FOI requests up until 6 March 2008. The time recorded doe…

6 Mar 2008 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how many freedom of information requests were made to the Parliament by (a) members of the public, (b) MSPs, (c) parliamentary researchers and (d) journalists in each year since the enactment of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Answer · Tricia Marwick: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=83 valign=top >   </td> <td width=151 valign=top > Requests from Members of the Public </td> <td width=85 valign=top > R…

4 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a minister seeking to accelerate or facilitate a live planning application without a satisfactory flood risk assessment and without speaking to objectors to that application constitutes a breach of the paragraph 6.11 and 6.12 of the Scottish Ministerial Code.

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-10663 on 17 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/webap…

4 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a minister attending a meeting to consider a live planning application with the planning authority in the company of the convener of another planning authority about to call-in that application, if that minister did not also seek to meet other developers or objectors with an inter…

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-10663 on 17 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/webap…

4 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a minister meeting one developer to the exclusion of another in the minister’s constituency and then supporting that planning application to the detriment of the other developer constitutes a breach of paragraph 6.11 of the Scottish Ministerial Code.

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-10663 on 17 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/webap…

4 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers are debarred from taking an active part in supporting a live planning application to the potential exclusion of another developer when the former has donated money to their campaign or political party.

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answers to questions S3W-10663 and S3W-10664 on 17 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.sco…

4 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers take into account whether developers have donated money to their campaign or political party when choosing to publicly support a planning application.

Answer · Michael Russell: No. </di