Karen Whitefield

14 Nov 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to improve the services available on the NHS to people with diabetes.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive is committed to developing long-term solutions to tackle the growing problem of diabetes in Scotland. We will publish the Scottish Diabetes Framework by the end of this year. Two key components of the Framework - clinical guidelines and…

24 Oct 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made by the Child Support Group.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Child Health Support Group has been working hard to drive forward improvements in child health since the Minister for Health and Community Care announced its formation on 26 June last year. <P>The group's work has included the publication, in May of this …

22 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what long-term studies have been carried out to monitor the quantity and types of ha'ardous emissions around landfill sites.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: This information is not held centrally. However, the waste management licence conditions applied to landfill sites require the operator to carry out monitoring of emissions to water and air from the site. The results of this monitoring are available on the Sc…

22 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to meet the bio-diversity conventions agreed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive is committed to the implementation in Scotland of the UK obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity.<P>Ministers agreed the establishment of the Scottish Biodiversity Group in 1996 to co-ordinate and take forward the UK Go…

22 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities are legally obliged to apply bio-diversity principles when considering all planning applications and if so, when this obligation came into force.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Local authorities are not obliged by law to apply bio-diversity principles when considering planning applications. However, the <I>National Planning Policy Guideline on Natural Heritage</I> (NPPG 14) stresses the importance of safeguarding and enhancing biodi…

22 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it monitors the impact of a development on a local community where permission has been granted following a public inquiry.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: No. Once such decisions are made, the responsibility for checking on compliance with the permission or for any enforcement action rests with the planning authority for the area.

22 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it monitors the use of enforcement procedures under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, Part VI in regard to the breach of conditions attached to planning permissions.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Planning authorities in Scotland have the primary responsibility for taking whatever enforcement action may be necessary, in the public interest, in their administrative area.<P>We collect statistics, on a six-monthly basis, from planning authorities includin…

22 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance is available to members of the public who have lodged objections to a planning application to prepare for and appear at a public inquiry.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Information on planning appeal procedures is contained in the booklet <I>Planning Appeals in Scotland </I>produced by the Scottish Executive Inquiry Reporters Unit. Further information is available in Circular, SODD 17/1998 <I>Planning and Compulsory Purchase…

22 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its leaflet A Guide to the Planning System in Scotland is made routinely available to those wishing to lodge an objection to a planning application or appear at a public inquiry.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The purpose of the guide is to help those people whose contact with the planning service is intermittent or infrequent. It provides a broad overview only. While we have asked planning authorities to make the guide widely available, we do not require them to t…

22 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it monitors, or has carried out any research into, the effectiveness of measures to encourage public participation in the planning process, particularly the statutory requirements placed on local authorities by section 34 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive has undertaken research specifically on the effectiveness of existing arrangements for advertising planning proposals. A copy of this is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 6475). The findings of the research are being ta…

22 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16218 by Lewis Macdonald on 31 July 2001, how it plans to secure more effective public involvement in the planning process.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive issued a consultation paper this month seeking views on a range of proposals aimed at securing more effective public involvement in planning.

22 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-3351 by Lewis Macdonald on 31 July 2001, whether it has any plans to include third party rights of appeal in the planning system.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: We have no plans at present to do so. However, a range of measures to promote more effective public involvement in the planning system will be discussed in a consultation paper which has been issued this month.

22 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what legislation, regulations and guidance relating to environmental protection and public safety a local authority must take into account when considering a planning application.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The planning system does not seek to duplicate controls in other legislation. A grant of planning permission does not remove the need for a developer to comply with other legislation dealing with environmental protection or public safety. <P>General advice on…

17 Oct 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it is giving to measures to support prospective adopters through the initial stages of the adoption process.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Adoption can often be a complex process both for the child and the prospective adopter. To tackle this and other concerns, I established an adoption Policy Review earlier this year with the aim of modernising the system. The remit includes the recruitment, se…

3 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its performance has been in the second quarter of 2001 in answering ministerial correspondence.

Answer · Tom McCabe: In my reply to Mr McNulty`s question (S1W-12613) answered on 22 December we undertook to report quarterly on the numbers of letters received by ministers and our performance in answering them. In the quarter April to June 2001, 3,607 letters were received for…

19 Sep 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support is available to local authorities who are seeking to use Public/Private Partnerships (PPP) for school improvement projects.

Answer · Jack McConnell: I have invited local authorities to submit bids for PPP financial support by 14 December 2001. While I expect the level of support to be similar to that available in 1998, I will circulate further details to authorities following discussions with council lead…

10 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in measuring the prevalence of rough sleeping in Scotland.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: The current monitoring of the RSI target involves a three-stage assessment to be repeated annually. The stages are:<DIR><DIR><FONT FACE="Arial"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">1. A bi-annual (spring and autumn) prevalence assessment of the numbers of rough sleepers across…

31 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to which voluntary organisations it allocated grants in 2000-01, specifying the amount awarded in each case, and to which organisations it has allocated grants in 2001-02, specifying the amount offered in each case.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: The Executive has released today a database on direct grants to voluntary organisations in 2000-01 and 2001-02. Copies are available from the Parliament's Reference Centre.

14 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an update on continuing action to improve the delivery of the National Qualifications system and on its review of the future status of the Scottish Qualifications Authority.

Answer · Jack McConnell: I have today written to the Convenor of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee and I will lodge a copy of my letter with the Parliament's Reference Centre.<P>I am grateful to all the staff at SQA and everybody throughout Scottish education for the hard wo…

9 May 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in tackling truancy and indiscipline in schools.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The Discipline Task Group is looking at current initiatives and will make recommendations in June on how present policies can be improved, and what else we can do to combat disruptive behaviour in schools.<FONT FACE="Arial"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Earlier this mon…

2 May 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the implementation of Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change.

Answer · Susan Deacon: A significant programme of work is ongoing to implement <I>Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change</I>.<P>Actions taken to date include:<P>Maternity Services Framework - published 2 February 2001<P>Appointment of Chairs to NHS Boards under w…

7 Mar 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that Scottish libraries continue to provide valuable information resources to Scottish communities.

Answer · Allan Wilson: £23 million is available through the New Opportunities Fund to link all public libraries to the Internet and to support the development of information and communities technology facilities in community learning centres and the establishment of community learn…

28 Feb 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what additional measures are being taken to support vulnerable people living independently in the community.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We are providing the guidance and resources to implement a wide range of measures which will assist vulnerable people.

6 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the report of the Review Group on the Retention of Organs at Post Mortem.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The report of the review group was published today at 10.30am. It will be available on the group's website at <A HREF="http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/scotorgrev">http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/scotorgrev</A>.<P>Arrangements have been made for copies of the report t…

2 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are being made for the distribution of the new resources for tackling drug misuse announced in September 2000.

Answer · Iain Gray: The Executive announced in September 2000 a £100 million package of new expenditure on drug misuse spread over three years from 2001-02 to supplement the significant amounts already being spent tackling the problem. Since then we have consulted extensively on…

24 Jan 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what provision is made for smaller areas of deprivation which fall outwith Social Inclusion Partnership status.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive has a wide range of programmes and initiatives aimed at tackling poverty and deprivation wherever it occurs across Scotland. The Social Justice annual report sets out our achievements to date and the First Minister recently set out deta…

17 Jan 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in processing North Lanarkshire Council's bid for Public/Private Partnership funding to rebuild Airdrie Academy.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Authorities were invited last September to submit bids for a share of resources totalling £5 million which we are making available to support the costs involved in the early stages of the development of potential school Public/Private Partnership projects. No…

15 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its response to the Disability Rights Task Force Report.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: We have published today the Scottish Executive's response to the Disability Rights Task Force Report setting out how recommendations in devolved areas will be taken forward in Scotland. Copies are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. no. 10690…

14 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will allocate resources to meet the costs of its proposals on homelessness which are to be included in the forthcoming Housing Bill.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: I am very pleased to announce that, as part of the recent spending review, we have made available £27&nbsp;million over three years to meet the costs of implementing the legislative provisions to address homelessness which will be included in the forthcoming …

6 Dec 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what financial resources will be made available to support the Scottish Forestry Strategy.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has allocated £92.1 million to the Forestry Commission over the three years 2001-02 to 2003-04. In addition, the Rural Affairs Department is expected to spend £18 million on the Farm Woodland Premium Scheme, SNH will support several pro…