Parliamentary questions

Linda Fabiani

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

23 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Forestry Commission has reviewed all existing consents, permissions or other authorisations with the potential to affect capercaillie in Natura 2000 sites under Regulation 50 of the Conservation (Natural Habitats &c) Regulations 1994 and, if not, what powers the Forestry Comm…

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Forestry Commission is currently identifying all the existing Woodland Grant Schemes (WGS) and felling approvals granted during the last five years likely to have a significant effect on Natura 2000 sites. Where the proposed work might adversely affect ca…

23 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will intervene in relation to timber felling operations currently being undertaken in Curr Wood in the Highlands in order to protect the capercaillie population in this area and whether it will direct Scottish Natural Heritage to secure the conservation of these capercaillie.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Forestry Commission and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) have already met the owner's agents and the RSPB to discuss the felling operations in Curr Wood. I understand that the owner has now agreed to modify his felling proposals to take greater account of …

23 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what immediate action it is taking to protect capercaillie habitats such as Invercauld Estate in Aberdeenshire and Curr Wood in the Highlands from disturbance caused by timber felling operations.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Forestry Commission is responsible for approving tree felling operations and is currently identifying all the existing Woodland Grant Schemes and felling approvals given during the last five years that are likely to have a significant effect on Natura 200…

23 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the timber felling recently undertaken on the Invercauld Estate in Aberdeenshire will have on the capercaillie population in the area; whether any representations were made to the landowners in advance of this felling operation about the impact which it would have on capercai…

Answer · Rhona Brankin: It is not known what impact the timber felling undertaken on the Invercauld Estate may have on the capercaillie population in the area. However, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) will monitor the capercaillie population on the adjacent Ballochbuie Special Prote…

23 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what further action is being taken in Scottish woodlands to protect capercaillie.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: There is a Species Action Plan for the capercaillie developed under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. The steering group for the plan is a broad partnership involving the Scottish Executive, the Forestry Commission, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), the RSPB an…

23 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to further the conservation of the capercaillie in line with the EU Wild Birds Directive and what new actions the Forestry Commission will take to better protect capercaillie within (a) Natura 2000 sites and (b) forests adjacent to Natura 2000 sites.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: In view of the decline in capercaillie numbers, the Scottish Executive has decided to introduce a statutory ban on the shooting of the species. This will be effected by Scottish Statutory Instrument to reschedule the species from Schedule 2, Part I to Schedul…

20 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13602 by Mr Jim Wallace on 9 March 2001, what the proposed timetable is for the enactment of the Title Conditions (Scotland) Bill and how soon thereafter it plans to introduce the Tenement (Scotland) Bill.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Title Conditions (Scotland) Bill will mark the second stage in the Property Law Reform Programme commenced by the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act 2000. We plan to launch a consultation exercise on the draft Title Conditions Bill later this…

8 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why the statistics on the number of people living in poverty contained in its Social Justice Annual Report 2000 exclude people living in institutions such as nursing homes and residential homes for the elderly and in houses in multiple occupancy.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: The statistics on the proportion of people living in income poverty are based on data collected by the Department of Social Security's Family Resources Survey (FRS).<P>The FRS is a survey of private households in Great Britain, and as such does not cover thos…

8 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why the statistics on the proportion of people living in poverty contained in its Social Justice Annual Report 2000 exclude people living north of the Caledonian Canal.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive's statistics on the proportion of people living in income poverty do not exclude people living north of the Caledonian Canal.<P>The statistics are based on data collected by the Department of Social Security's Family Resources Survey (F…

8 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why the statistics on the proportion of people living in poverty contained in its Social Justice Annual Report 2000 exclude homeless people living rough or in bed and breakfast accommodation.

6 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13110 by Jackie Baillie on 6 March 2001, whether it will, prior to the Stage 1 debate on the Housing (Scotland) Bill, expand upon its definition of "affordable housing options".

Answer · Jackie Baillie: "Affordable housing options" are properties which are available, for rent or for purchase, at reasonable cost within the context of the overall resources available to the household.

2 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10428 by Mr Jack McConnell on 1 March 2001, by what date the names of candidates who intend to sit examinations during the 2001-02 winter diet will require to be notified to the Scottish Qualifications Authority.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The Scottish Qualifications Authority will contact centres advising them of administrative and operational arrangements for the winter diet following the summer diet.

2 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10428 by Mr Jack McConnell on 1 March 2001, when the timetable for the winter 2001-02 diet of examinations will be available.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Following a consultation exercise, the Scottish Qualifications Authority issued the exam timetable for the winter diet to College Principals, Directors of Education and the Scottish Council of Independent Schools on 1 March this year. Printed copies will be a…

2 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10428 by Mr Jack McConnell on 1 March 2001, when the winter 2001-02 diet of examinations is scheduled to take place.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Between 14 and 18 January 2002.

2 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10428 by Mr Jack McConnell on 1 March 2001, whether the winter examination diet in 2001-02 will include examinations in all subjects and at all levels for which examinations are set in the summer diet and whether there will be any restrictions on whi…

Answer · Jack McConnell: The subjects which will be examined in the 2001-02 winter examination diet are Care, English and Communication, Biology, Administration and Mathematics. The winter diet is aimed primarily at further education students, but schools may enter candidates if they…

2 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13337 by Sarah Boyack on 28 February 2001, how it plans to compare accident rates on the trunk road network which are attributable to winter weather conditions between the years when local authorities carried out road maintenance, snow clearance and …

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Road accident statistics for the trunk road network in Scotland are recorded on an annual basis enabling any change in the number of accidents attributable to any particular cause, such as winter weather conditions, to be identified.

2 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the substantive answer to question S1W-13110 will be given prior to the Stage 1 debate on the Housing (Scotland) Bill on 14 March 2001.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: This question was answered on 6 March 2001.

26 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1786 by Sarah Boyack on 17 May 2000, why the Scottish Ministers did not lay before the Parliament in December 2000 their proposals for the setting of a national road traffic reduction target as required by the Road Traffic Reduction (National Targets…

Answer · Sarah Boyack: My previous answer was based on an expectation that research commissioned to inform the road traffic reduction report would have been completed. However, the research proved more complex than anticipated at that time and the final report is not yet ready. Onc…

22 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce a Tenement Law Bill and, if so, when.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Law Commission published its Report on the Law of the Tenement (Scot Law Com No 162) in 1998. Following the publication of the subsequent Report on Real Burdens (Scot Law Com No 181) in October 2000, the Executive asked the Commission to update i…

22 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its responsibilities are in relation to constitutional policy and whether any of its staff are involved in planning for possible future constitutional changes.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Certain aspects of the constitution are reserved matters, in particular the Crown, the Union of the Kingdoms of Scotland and England, the Parliament of the United Kingdom and the continued existence of the Court of Session as a civil court of first instance a…

21 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action arising from his responsibilities for external affairs the Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs has taken in relation to the cancellation of the Taoiseach's visit to Carfin, Lanarkshire.

Answer · Jack McConnell: <FONT FACE="Arial (PCL6)" SIZE=2>The Scottish Executive was not involved in making arrangements for the Taoiseach's visit to Carfin, Lanarkshire. Following the cancellation, the First Minister and the Secretary of State for Scotland jointly invited the Taoise…

16 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why question S1W-10428 lodged on 13 October 2000 has not yet received a substantive answer.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Question S1W-10428 was answered on 1 March 2001.

16 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12855 by Mr Jack McConnell on 9 February 2001, what the implications of Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights are for education appeals submitted to the Scottish Qualifications Authority.

Answer · Jack McConnell: We have no reason to believe that the Scottish Qualifications Authority appeals process is incompatible with Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Any challenge to the Scottish Qualifications Authority appeals process under the Convention woul…

16 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12907 by Mr Jim Wallace on 13 February 2001, how many mortgage repossession orders were made in each court district in 2000 where the order was served on an owner who had purchased the property under the Right to Buy scheme, broken down in respect of…

Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested is not available. Data is collected with respect to the number of repossession orders granted by the courts. Specific information is not available in respect of the number of repossession orders where the order was served on an owner…

14 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8554 by Sarah Boyack on 19 July 2000, in relation to how many of the accidents which took place on the A725 in each of the last five years were winter weather conditions reported as an attributable factor, broken down by local authority area and spec…

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The number of fatal and serious injury accidents on the A725 in each of the last five years where winter weather conditions were an attributable factor is as follows:<FONT FACE="Arial"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">South Lanarkshire<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDIN…

14 Feb 2001 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will investigate the possible introduction of vending machines supplying Fair Trade tea and coffee throughout the parliamentary estate.

Answer · David Steel: The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has investigated the possibility of vending machines supplying Fair Trade tea and coffee within the Scottish Parliament. Our vending machine providers are unable to supply Fair Trade beverages at present, although the…

14 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6842 by Sarah Boyack on 30 May 2000, in relation to how many of the road traffic accidents which took place on the A71 in each of the last five years were winter weather conditions reported as an attributable factor, broken down by local authority ar…

14 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the accident statistics for the trunk road network for 2000 will be available.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Statistics of injury road accidents on the trunk road network are included in the annual <I>Road Accidents Scotland</I> statistical volume, which is generally published by the end of October each year. On present plans, statistics for the year 2000 should be …

14 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many road traffic accidents took place on the trunk road network in each year since 1995, broken down by local authority area, specifying in each case the number of fatalities and serious injuries and separately detailing those which reported winter weather conditions as an attributab…

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Data about injury road accidents are collected by the police and reported to the Scottish Executive using the STATS 19 statistical report form. These returns cover only road accidents in which one or more people were injured: they do not cover damage only acc…

6 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much money it has allocated to the Empty Homes Initiative to date and how much of this has been spent, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The table shows how much money has been allocated to local authorities for projects under the Empty Homes Initiative to 31 March 2002 and how much of this had been drawn down as at 31 January 2001, broken down by local authority area.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING…