Parliamentary questions

Linda Fabiani

2,507 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

30 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for x-rays taken during a hospital appointment to be passed to the patient’s GP in each NHS board area.

Answer · Andy Kerr: This information is not heldcentrally.

30 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is following GP referral for a treadmill test for coronary health in each NHS board area.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested isnot available centrally.

30 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information is available in respect of the number of car journeys made on the A725 between Strathaven and East Kilbride in each of the last five years.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The A726, which lies betweenStrathaven and East Kilbride, is a local road and is therefore the responsibilityof South Lanarkshire Council as the local roads authority.Traffic information on that routeis a matter for the council.

30 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which tenants’ organisations are directly funded by the Executive or its agencies.

Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:No tenants’ organisations aredirectly funded by the Executive or its agencies. A grant scheme is available forregistered tenant organisations …

30 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress local authorities are making towards meeting their obligations for tenant participation under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001.

Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:As part of the Communities Scotland inspection regime, all local authorities have to demonstratehow well their tenant participation strategy i…

30 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its current strategy is for tenant participation; who is responsible for the implementation of the tenant participation strategy, and what their remit is.

Answer · Johann Lamont: The Executive’s commitmentto tenant participation is set out in the national strategy for tenantparticipation Partners in Participation published in 1999 (Bib. number2471). This commitment is underpinned in the Housing (Scotland)Act 2001 which introduc…

30 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what working groups on tenant participation are supported by the Executive or its agencies.

Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is asfollows:The Tenant ParticipationDevelopment Advisory Group is the only working group on tenant participation supportedby the Executive or its agencies…

30 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit is of the Tenant Participation Advisory Group; who its members are, and what its current role is.

Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is asfollows:The remit and current role of the TenantParticipation Advisory Group is to overseethe work of the Tenant Participation Development Team in Com…

30 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the current status is of the Scottish Tenants Organisation.

Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is asfollows:The Scottish TenantsOrganisation (STO) has indicated to the Scottish Executive and CommunitiesScotland that it is not currently operating as a…

4 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it can take to ensure that any Scottish vessels allocated quota under the recently concluded fisheries partnership agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco do not fish in the territorial waters of Western Sahara.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The EC/Morocco FisheriesPartnership Agreement (FPA) is due to come into force on 1 June andratification by the Council is expected on 22 May. The UK has secured2,500 tonnes of pelagic quota in the agreement. Details of the number oflicences to be made availab…

4 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what role it will have in implementing and enforcing the recently concluded fisheries partnership agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The EC/Morocco Fisheries PartnershipAgreement (FPA) is due to come into force on 1 June and ratification by the Councilis expected on 22 May. The UK has secured 2,500 tonnes of pelagic quota in the agreement.Details of the number of licences to be made availa…

4 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it anticipates that any Scottish vessels will be allocated quota under the recently concluded fisheries partnership agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The EC/Morocco Fisheries PartnershipAgreement (FPA) is due to come into force on 1 June and ratification by the Councilis expected on 22 May. The UK has secured 2,500 tonnes of pelagic quota in the agreement.Details of the number of licences to be made availa…

4 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanism will be used to distribute to individual fishing vessels the quota allocated to the United Kingdom in the recently concluded fisheries partnership agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The EC/Morocco Fisheries PartnershipAgreement (FPA) is due to come into force on 1 June and ratification by the Councilis expected on 22 May. The UK has secured 2,500 tonnes of pelagic quota in the agreement.Details of the number of licences to be made availa…

3 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-13891 by Malcolm Chisholm on 8 February 2006, whether new measures to mitigate any effects arising from the withdrawal of section 54 of the Housing Act 1988 are now in place and, if so, what the measures are.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her reply is asfollows:The phasing out of Section54 (Tax Relief Grant) was completed on 31 March 2005.A further transitional arrangement has been put in place for ta…

3 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14152 by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 March 2005, whether it is now considering a review of the levels of home loss payment.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive is consideringthe appropriate level of home loss payments for Scotland and will considerbringing forward proposals in due course, should a change in levels berequired.

3 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Communities Scotland operates a quality assessment system for local housing strategies and, if so, what the assessment criteria are and whether any submitted local housing strategies have failed an assessment.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to reply. Her response is asfollows.Communities Scotlandassesses local housing strategies against seven critical areas approved by ministers,and agreed with COSLA. These include ma…

3 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to S2W-14465 by Johann Lamont on 14 March 2005, whether Registers of Scotland is on target to begin the roll-out of the Automated Registration of Title to Land (ARTL) from November 2006.

Answer · Johann Lamont: Yes. The ARTL projectremains on target to accept the first applications for registration of anelectronic deed in November and for live operation to be available throughout Scotland byApril 2007.

3 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14467 by Johann Lamont on 14 March 2005, whether it will provide details of the (a) number and (b) value of indemnity payments made to those who have suffered loss as a result of an inaccuracy in a land certificate in each of the last three years for…

Answer · Johann Lamont: The information on indemnitypayments is as follows:<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td width=246 valign=top>   </td> <td width=86 valign=top> 2003-04 </td> <td width=86 valign=top> …

3 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to S2W-14490 by Johann Lamont on 14 March 2005, what progress Registers of Scotland has made in meeting its target to eliminate stocks of domestic first registration applications over one year old.

Answer · Johann Lamont: In 2004-05, ministers set atarget to eliminate stocks of domestic First Registrations over 1 year oldduring the next three years with a milestone reduction of 25% from the stockposition at 31 March 2004 by 31 March2005. Registers of Scotland met this target. …

3 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many registration of title applications are outstanding and, of these, how many have been outstanding for more than (a) six months, (b) one year, (c) two years, (d) three years, (e) four years and (f) five years.

Answer · Johann Lamont: The length of time that anapplication for registration takes to process depends on its complexity andfactors such as the availability of supporting documentation from applicants,the completeness of neighbouring titles and whether there are associatedapplicati…

3 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14462 by Malcolm Chisholm on 15 March 2005, whether it has agreed a land release policy, similar to that agreed with Forestry Commission Scotland, with any other public body, agency or government department.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-23170 on 20 March.All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website the searchfacility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.…

3 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14462 by Malcolm Chisholm on 15 March 2005, what improved arrangements are now in place with other public bodies and UK Government departments for the disposal, where appropriate, of surplus public sector land for housing.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer to S2W-23170 on 20 March.All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website the searchfacility for which can be found at: <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search">…

2 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14238 by Mr Tom McCabe on 8 March 2005, whether it will make public the appraisals of the non-profit-distributing model pilot it has provided to authorities and their professional advisers and, if so, when it will do so.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The final business case for Argylland Bute Council’s non profit distributing model schools project is availablefrom the council’s website <a href="http://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/">www.argyll-bute.gov.uk</a>,and shows that the pilot project has demonstrated val…

2 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14458 by Mr Tom McCabe on 17 March 2005, which major capital procurement projects it is currently working on, broken down by procurement method and value of each project and indicating, where appropriate, the value of any associated art budgeted for …

Answer · Tom McCabe: There are currently ninemajor capital projects (defined as projects with an estimated value of at least£5 million) being undertaken by core Executive Departments.The breakdown is as follows:<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr…

2 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23500 by Mr Tom McCabe on 9 March 2006, how it monitors the impact of its procurement methods on the Scottish economy and on small and medium-sized enterprises.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive doesnot formally monitor the impact of its procurement methods on the Scottisheconomy or on small and medium-sized enterprises; public procurement processesare regulated by European Directives which promote fair and open competition,and…

2 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to maximise the involvement of small and medium-sized enterprises in PPP projects.

Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-23499 on 9 March 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.s…

2 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23496 by Mr Tom McCabe on 9 March 2006, whether consideration has been given to stipulating within PPP contracts the basis for costing variations.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The prescribed changeprocedures in the variations section of the standard form of PPP contract providesa basis for costing variations. This section sets out how an estimated changein project costs should be calculated, and includes placing the onus on thecont…

2 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-17123 and S2W-23825 by Patricia Ferguson on 17 June 2005 and 17 January 2006 respectively, whether the Fair Trade Group referred to is a cross-party group or an Executive group; what meetings of the group have taken place since its formation, and w…

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The Cross Party Group on FairTrade is an informal group whose purpose is to provide input on Scotland’s effortstowards becoming a Fair Trade Nation. The group includes representation from allpolitical parties, with members nominated by their respective party …

2 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many fatalities resulting from road traffic accidents were recorded by the General Register Office for Scotland in each of the last five years.

Answer · George Lyon: The information requested isgiven in the following table. Because of definitional differences, the numbersrecorded by the General Register Office for Scotland (GROS) may differ slightlyfrom those derived from police road accident statistics. For example, thel…

2 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-23824 and S2W-23825 by Tavish Scott on 15 March 2006, whether the A726 is a trunk road or a local road and who has responsibility for the safety audit.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The A726 comprises both trunkand local road sections. The trunk road section runs from Phillipshill Interchangeto Birniehill Roundabout, linking the Glasgow Southern Orbital with the A725 EastKilbride Expressway. It is managed and maintained by Amey Infrastru…