Parliamentary questions
Karen Gillon
705 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
14 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will support the Earth Hour event taking place at 8.00 pm on 29 March 2008.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: We had no specific plans to support the Earth Hour initiative on 29 March 2008. However, we are continuing to consider a range of ideas which we will develop in the context of our Greener Scotland 10 steps initiative and wider efforts to encourage and suppor…
5 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it believes that Scotland should implement a compulsory vaccination scheme against bluetongue and, if so, when such a vaccination programme should take place.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The veterinary advice is that any mass vaccination programme would be best delivered during the winter when we are in a vector free period. Discussions are on-going with stakeholders as to how a vaccination programme would be most effectively delivered, inclu…
5 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make an order for bluetongue vaccine now to ensure that a bank is available as soon as possible after the product comes on the market.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government is committed to working with industry to protect Scotland from bluetongue and minimise its impact should it occur. As part of this my officials are in close liaison with stakeholders to consider how vaccination would be best used in Sc…
28 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the 67,000 agricultural workers covered by the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board remain in the industry longer than 26 weeks, at which point a higher pay threshold currently begins.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: In order to minimise the burden of form-filling on farmers, this information is not collected.></b></p>
28 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, as part of the review of the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board, it will seek to expand the remit of the board to include workers in all areas of agriculture and horticulture including private and ornamental gardens and all types of fish farming.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: We will take decisions on the future of the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board following the review that was announced by the First Minister on 30 January 2008.></b></p>
28 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, as the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board was established as a result of the Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Act 1949 which consolidated the acts of 1937 and 1940, whether it believes that in this context it is essential that the board retains its powers to make orders fixing minimum wage r…
Answer · Richard Lochhead: We will take decisions on the future of the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board following the review that was announced by the First Minister on 30 January 2008.></b></p>
28 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, as part of any review of the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board, it will give consideration to bringing in higher pay to the levels that agricultural workers in England and Wales benefit from.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: We will give very careful consideration to future arrangements for determining the pay and conditions of service of agricultural workers in Scotland as part of the review of the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board.></b></p>
28 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will guarantee that wages and other terms and conditions afforded to workers by the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board will not be detrimentally affected by the review which has been brought forward.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: We will give very careful consideration to future arrangements for determining the pay and conditions of service of agricultural workers in Scotland as part of the review of the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board.></b></p>
25 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, under a separate fish quota management system for Scotland, how the interface with the European Union would be handled in terms of quota swaps with other member states, end year flexibility and deductions for overfishing and responding to infractions.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government proposes to give effect to the devolution of quota management and licensing in Scotland. We will consult stakeholders in April, setting out detailed proposals and options to improve quota management and licensing. Any changes to the cu…
25 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, under a separate fish quota management system for Scotland, there would be an opportunity in the run-up to separation for vessels registered and licensed in Scotland to re-register and re-license in another part of the United Kingdom and to take their FQA units with them.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government proposes to give effect to the devolution of quota management and licensing in Scotland. We will consult stakeholders in April, setting out detailed proposals and options to improve quota management and licensing. Any changes to the cu…
25 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the outcome would be under a separate fish quota management system for Scotland if Scotland were to overfish its quota and the rest of the United Kingdom to underfish or be prevented from fishing so that the United Kingdom collectively remained within quota and whether a system of pe…
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government proposes to give effect to the devolution of quota management and licensing in Scotland. We will consult stakeholders in April, setting out detailed proposals and options to improve quota management and licensing. Any changes to the cu…
25 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the repercussions for economic links would be under a separate fish quota management system for Scotland.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government proposes to give effect to the devolution of quota management and licensing in Scotland. We will consult stakeholders in April, setting out detailed proposals and options to improve quota management and licensing. Any changes to the cu…
25 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, under a separate fish quota management system for Scotland, the territorial quota allocations for the under 10-metre fleet would be based on the collective track records of the 1994 underpinning arrangements.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government proposes to give effect to the devolution of quota management and licensing in Scotland. We will consult stakeholders in April, setting out detailed proposals and options to improve quota management and licensing. Any changes to the cu…
25 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, under a separate fish quota management system for Scotland, a further round of reconciliation would be permitted to take account of the various quota transactions that have been agreed but not reflected in adjustments to the FQA units assigned to licences.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government proposes to give effect to the devolution of quota management and licensing in Scotland. We will consult stakeholders in April, setting out detailed proposals and options to improve quota management and licensing. Any changes to the cu…
25 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, under a separate fish quota management system for Scotland, the quota allocations for Scotland and the remainder of the United Kingdom would be based on FQA units assigned to the fishing licences and entitlements currently issued by the four fisheries departments.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government proposes to give effect to the devolution of quota management and licensing in Scotland. We will consult stakeholders in April, setting out detailed proposals and options to improve quota management and licensing. Any changes to the cu…
25 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, if there is to be complete separation with no provision for the free movement of licences within the United Kingdom under a separate fish quota management system for Scotland, the holders of licences, licence entitlements and dummy licences will be given a once-only opportunity t…
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government proposes to give effect to the devolution of quota management and licensing in Scotland. We will consult stakeholders in April, setting out detailed proposals and options to improve quota management and licensing. Any changes to the cu…
25 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, under a separate fish quota management system for Scotland, what the implications would be for the operation of stock recovery measures for cod, hake, sole and plaice and whether these would change if the European Union moves from a gear-based days-at-sea regime to a kilowatts regime.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government proposes to give effect to the devolution of quota management and licensing in Scotland. We will consult stakeholders in April, setting out detailed proposals and options to improve quota management and licensing. Any changes to the cu…
25 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, if separate licences were required to be issued by it to enable English vessels to fish in Scottish waters under a separate fish quota management system for Scotland, it would be able to restrict the issue of such licences to English vessels that had a track record of fishing in …
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government proposes to give effect to the devolution of quota management and licensing in Scotland. We will consult stakeholders in April, setting out detailed proposals and options to improve quota management and licensing. Any changes to the cu…
25 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, under a separate fish quota management system for Scotland, licences issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to English vessels would enable those vessels to fish in Scottish waters, subject to the same restrictions as those applying to Scottish vessels, …
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government proposes to give effect to the devolution of quota management and licensing in Scotland. We will consult stakeholders in April, setting out detailed proposals and options to improve quota management and licensing. Any changes to the cu…
25 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, under a separate fish quota management system for Scotland, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs could discontinue licensing for English vessels or convert all category B and C licences to category A without the agreement of Scotland.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government proposes to give effect to the devolution of quota management and licensing in Scotland. We will consult stakeholders in April, setting out detailed proposals and options to improve quota management and licensing. Any changes to the cu…
25 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether under a separate fish quota management system, Scotland or the rest of the United Kingdom would be able to allow the unlimited aggregation of whitefish licences onto additional pelagic vessels or licences for under 10-metre vessels to be aggregated onto over 10-metre vessels with…
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government proposes to give effect to the devolution of quota management and licensing in Scotland. We will consult stakeholders in April, setting out detailed proposals and options to improve quota management and licensing. Any changes to the cu…
25 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it would be possible to continue to transfer or aggregate licences between English and Scottish vessels under a separate fish quota management system for Scotland.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government proposes to give effect to the devolution of quota management and licensing in Scotland. We will consult stakeholders in April, setting out detailed proposals and options to improve quota management and licensing. Any changes to the cu…
25 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will consult on proposals to establish a separate fish quota management system for Scotland.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government proposes to give effect to the devolution of quota management and licensing in Scotland. We will consult stakeholders in April, setting out detailed proposals and options to improve quota management and licensing. Any changes to the cu…
25 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the read across to the operation of western waters and deep sea species effort restrictions would be under a separate fish quota management system for Scotland and whether separate limits and arrangements currently apply to the English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish fleets.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government proposes to give effect to the devolution of quota management and licensing in Scotland. We will consult stakeholders in April, setting out detailed proposals and options to improve quota management and licensing. Any changes to the cu…
25 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether fishermen in Scotland and elsewhere would be allowed to have in membership vessels that were licensed by more than one fisheries department under a separate fish quota management system for Scotland.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government proposes to give effect to the devolution of quota management and licensing in Scotland. We will consult stakeholders in April, setting out detailed proposals and options to improve quota management and licensing. Any changes to the cu…
7 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it considers that the decision to reduce the amount of Rape Crisis Specific Fund paid to Lanarkshire Rape Crisis Centre by £50,000 per annum will have on service delivery in Clydesdale.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The decision to reduce the amount of Rape Crisis Specific Fund paid to Lanarkshire Rape Crisis Centre by £50,000 was taken by the previous Labour/Liberal Democrat Executive.</p> <p >The extra resources made available to Lanarkshire Rape Crisis Centre in 2006…
7 Feb 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the amount of Rape Crisis Specific Fund paid to Lanarkshire Rape Crisis Centre is being reduced by £50,000 per annum.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The decision to reduce the amount of Rape Crisis Specific Fund paid to Lanarkshire Rape Crisis Centre by £50,000 was taken by the previous Labour / Liberal Democrat Executive.</p> <p >In November 2005, every rape crisis centre in Scotland was invited to bid …
31 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide additional resources to NHS Lanarkshire to enable a minor injuries unit to be built in Lanark.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9347 on 19 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…
31 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide additional resources to NHS Lanarkshire to enable a new health centre to be built in Carluke.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9347 on 19 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…
31 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide additional resources to NHS Lanarkshire to enable a community hospital to be built in Clydesdale.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: When I made my statement to Parliament on 6 June 2007 announcing my decision to retain accident and emergency services at Monklands and Ayr Hospitals, I made it clear that I expected the boards to deliver as many of their original proposals as possible within…