Parliamentary questions

Karen Gillon

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

29 Mar 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place within the Executive following the Chancellor of the Exchequer's budget.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive has agreed to allocate the new resources available to the Scottish Budget and the Minister for Finance reported our conclusion to Parliament on 30 March 2000. Ministers are determined to improve services and secure maximum value for thi…

24 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will complete the selection of Special Protection Areas under the EC Wild Birds Directive (79/409/EEC) on land in Scotland.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: I have announced the classification of six sites as Special Protection Areas under the Wild Birds Directive. These are:<DIR><DIR>Inner Firth of Clyde shore and mudflats SPA and Ramsar siteColl corncrake SPA<P ALIGN="JUSTI…

17 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will announce local authority housing capital allocations for 2000-01 and whether there will be any supplementary allocations for 1999-2000.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: I am able to announce both the local authority housing capital allocations for 2000-2001 and supplementary allocations for 1999-2000. These are set out in the following tables.Table 12000-01 Allocations<CENTER><TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING…

16 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-1130 by Susan Deacon on 10 February 2000, what progress has been made in establishing a support group for mental health services.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I am pleased to confirm that a Mental Health and Well Being Support Group has been established under the Chairmanship of Dr Ian Pullen, Consultant Psychiatrist at Borders Primary Care NHS Trust. They will begin their task on 31 March this year.<P ALIGN="JUSTI…

15 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals the Scottish Law Commission has for future law reform projects.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have recently agreed with the Scottish Law Commission a Sixth Programme of Law Reform. This was presented to the Parliament today and will be published tomorrow. Copies have been placed in SPICe. The new Programme, which supersedes and consolidates the exis…

10 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether arrangements have been made to designate receipts to be paid over by Scottish Ministers to the Secretary of State for Scotland.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The Treasury have made, and laid before the UK Parliament, The Scotland Act (Designation of Receipts) Order 2000 (SI 2000/687). This Order replicates the current position as set out in article 8 of The Scotland Act 1998 (Transitory and Transitional Provisions…

10 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what financial help is to be made available to South Lanarkshire Council for expenditure incurred following severe winds which started on Boxing Day 1998 and lasted into the first few days of 1999.

Answer · Jack McConnell: I am pleased to announce that South Lanarkshire Council is eligible for a payment of £234,652 under the Bellwin Scheme. The scheme was triggered on 8 April 1999 following representation from several councils in the central belt and south west of Scotland on c…

6 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it proposes to take to tackle the effects of water pollution from agricultural sources.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: A consultation paper will be released today on regulatory powers for SEPA to prevent and control agricultural water pollution. The new regulations would extend SEPA's powers to allow it to serve notices in relation to silos, slurry stores and agricultural fue…

3 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in preparing the report of the Steering Committee on the Review of Programme Management Executives for the administration of European Structural Funds.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Lex Gold, Chair of the Steering Committee, today presented to me the Steering Committee's report, a copy of which has been placed in SPICe. I am very grateful to him and his colleagues on the Steering Committee for the work they have done to prepare such a us…

25 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in preparing draft plans for the Objective 2 Programmes in the West, East and South of Scotland.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Now that the map of full and transitional eligibility for Objective 2 status in the new Programming round has been approved in principle by the Commission, Plan Teams in each area representing the locally-based partnerships have been working to complete draft…

18 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the first edition of the new Scottish Economic Statistics.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive is publishing the first edition of the new Scottish Economic Statistics today, 21 February, as part of a new series of publications on the Scottish economy. Copies have been laid in SPICe.

18 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to publish the consultation document on the regulatory changes required to implement Council Directive 96/29/Euratom, laying down community basic safety standards for the health protection of the general public and workers against the dangers of ionising radiation.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: After consultation with interested parties last year, I have today published the proposals on the regulatory changes required to implement aspects of the Basic Safety Standards Directive 96/29/Euratom concerned with the control of radioactive waste. The propo…

15 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received a copy of the Report from the North Wales Child Abuse Tribunal of Inquiry and what action it intends to take in respect of the Tribunal's conclusions and recommendations.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: The Scottish Executive has received copies of the Report, published on 15 February. Copies have been placed in SPICe. Copies of the Report or of the Executive Summary, as appropriate, are being sent by the Scottish Executive to relevant statutory agencie…

7 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-850 by Mr Jim Wallace on 16 December 1999, what progress has been made in the preparation of a consultation paper for Scotland on the issue of parental chastisement of children.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I am pleased to announce, following my answer to question S1O-850, that the Scottish Executive has today issued a consultation paper covering the law in Scotland on the physical punishment of children. Copies of the consultation document have been plac…

31 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to discharge its commitment, set out in its Programme for Government, to promote renewable energy.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Minister for Energy at the Department of Trade and Industry is today announcing to the House of Commons the Government's intention that 10% of the UK's electricity requirements will be provided from renewable sources by 2010. This target will be an integr…

31 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement to the Parliament by the Minister of Justice on 11 November 1999, what further steps it proposes to deal with any problems caused to the Sheriff Courts by the suspension of the use of temporary Sheriffs.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have today authorised the recruitment of a further six permanent Sheriffs who will be given Commissions as floating Sheriffs enabling them to serve wherever required throughout Scotland. These posts will be advertised and successful candidates will be appoi…

28 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the farm income figures for 1999.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive is today publishing the Scottish farm income figures. The estimated figures show that Total Income from Farming at £239 million showed little change from 1998. Net Farm Incomes averaged across all farm types is expected to fall by 22% i…

28 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3231 by Mr Jack McConnell on 13 December 1999, when it plans to publish the proposed consultation paper on the modernisation of the system of appointments to public bodies in Scotland.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Further to my answer of 13 December 1999, I intend to publish the consultation paper, Appointments to Public Bodies in Scotland: Modernising the System to coincide with a statement to Parliament in early February. The paper will also be placed on the E…

21 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the first edition of the new Scottish Economic Report.

Answer · Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive is today publishing the first edition of the new Scottish Economic Report as part of a new series of publications on the Scottish economy. Copies have been laid before the Parliament.

20 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it proposes to allocate resources which become available to the Executive as a result of decisions by Her Majesty's Government on the levels of fuel duty and tobacco duty.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his pre-budget statement that in England, any increases to fuel duty and tobacco duty above the Retail Price Index would be hypothecated respectively to Transport and Health programmes. The Scottish Executive will …

17 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a statement on the reports and recommendations of the NHS Pay Review Bodies.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Review Body for Nurses, Midwives, Health Visitors and Professions Allied to Medicine (NPRB) has recommended a general pay increase of 3.4% for nurses, midwives, health visitors and the professions allied to medicine. In addition, the Review Body recommend…

14 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to consult further on a Scottish transitional relief scheme for business ratepayers.

Answer · Jack McConnell: I am issuing a consultation paper today following a meeting of the Scottish Valuation and Rating Council. Responses are invited by 18 February.I am also issuing today a note explaining the calculation of the provisional poundage figure of 4…

14 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to monitor the progress made by Social Inclusion Partnerships in deprived areas across Scotland.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: In November 1999 we set out our targets and milestones for establishing social justice and equality of opportunity in Scotland. The implementation of effective monitoring systems within local areas will be an important part of enabling us to measure progress …

14 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce local pay bargaining for teachers.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: No. The Executive stands by the principle of a national agreement on pay and conditions for teachers. Future machinery for determining teachers pay is one of the issues being examined by the Independent Committee of Inquiry into professional conditions of ser…

5 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide updated information on the External Finance Limits for the Water Authorities for the current year and for 2000-01.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The allocation of external finance for the water authorities for the current year and for 2000-01 have been redistributed to accommodate timing adjustments in their capital investment programmes in the current year. This redistribution has no impact on the to…

5 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funds are being made available to health boards for 2000-01.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Health Boards have been given a unified budget of £4100.307m, an increase over 1999-2000 of 5.39%. Details of each Health Board's allocations are as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=500><TR><TD WIDTH="36%" VALIGN="TOP"> </TD><TD WI…

5 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the latest position is as regards the licensing of butchers' shops in Scotland.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Final proposals for licensing butchers' shops have now been lodged with the European Commission.They take into account many of the comments provided by the consultation exercise earlier this year.There is now a …

5 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for modernising its procurement of goods, works and services.

Answer · Jack McConnell: I have announced today the establishment of a Supervisory Board which will consider how the Executive should respond to the challenges of new markets, techniques and technology in its dealings with suppliers. I am delighted that John F McClelland, Senior Vice…

23 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will issue a formal response to "The Road Ahead" consultation process about the review of future management and maintenance arrangements for Scottish trunk roads.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: As part of the process of considering how the Scottish trunk road network should be managed and maintained when the current contracts come to an end in April 2001, a consultation document The Road Ahead was issued on 14 April 1999. This sought the view…

21 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce its response to the recommendations in the report of the Independent Committee of Inquiry into Student Finance.

Answer · Donald Dewar: My Ministerial colleagues and I are grateful to the Independent Committee of Inquiry into Student Finance for the careful consideration it has given to the issues dealt with in its report. We are now considering the recommendations set out in the report and w…