Parliamentary questions
Mrs Margaret Ewing
567 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
17 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many managers there are at each level in colleges of the UHI Millennium Institute.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally. Staffing and grading issues are a matter for individual colleges.</p>
17 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ring-fence funding for the improvement of science laboratories in secondary schools.
Answer · Peter Peacock: In line with the Science Strategy, local authorities have been allocated £10 million over three years from 2003-04. This additional funding will enable teachers to undertake high-quality professional updating in science as well as providing additional laborat…
17 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to increase the number of teachers who specialise in chemistry.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Entrants to chemistry Postgraduate Certificate in Education Courses this year are up by 15% compared to last year as part of the build towards the general commitment in the Partnership for a Better Scotland to increase teacher numbers to 53,000 by 2007.</p><p…
17 Nov 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to publish the findings of the public inquiry into the proposals for the A96 Fochabers to Mosstodloch bypass.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The report of the public local inquiry is currently under consideration and every effort is being made to announce a decision soon.</p>
4 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many bail hostels there are, detailing for each hostel (a) its location, (b) how many places are available and (c) the average percentage utilisation.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Bail places are provided in offender hostels, funded by the Scottish Executive through the ringfenced arrangements for criminal justice social work, not as residential facilities specifically designated as bail hostels. Offender hostels are provided within se…
4 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much each local authority has spent per capita on secondary school pupils in each of the last five years.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Gross local authority revenue expenditure per pupil on secondary education for the years in question is given in the table. 2002-03 is the last financial year for which information is available.</p><p>Expenditure Per Secondary Pupil in Pounds</p><table borde…
4 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what nominations it has made for a place on the Executive Committee of the Regional Advisory Council for the North Sea.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The North Sea Regional Advisory Council is a stakeholder body, independent from government. Nominations for the Executive Committees of Regional Advisory Councils must come from within the stakeholders represented on the General Assembly of the Councils. The …
4 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive who the representatives from Scotland will be at the inaugural meeting of the North Sea Regional Advisory Council on Fisheries, detailing which organisation they will represent.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish organisations listed below were represented at the North Sea Regional Advisory Council General Assembly on November 4 2004. Data Protection legislation prevents us from naming the individuals who represented these organisations:</p><p>Scottish Fi…
4 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what regulations it intends to put in place with regard to the definition of the value of pedigree livestock in respect of (a) an individual beast and (b) a premium herd.
Answer · Ross Finnie: We are currently consulting on proposals to introduce early in 2005 a revised compensation system based on table valuations for bovine animals slaughtered to counteract the spread of endemic diseases.</p><p>We consulted on proposals to rationalise compensatio…
4 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what budgetary provision it intends to make for claims for compensation to cattle farmers for herds affected by endemic diseases in each of the next two financial years.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The spending round 2004 plans provide some £0.47 million a year from 2005-06 for claims for compensation by farmers whose herds have been affected by endemic diseases. The costs for BSE are borne by the Department for the Environment,Food and Rural Affairs fo…
4 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been paid in compensation to cattle farmers in each of the last five years where herds have been affected by (a) bovine tuberculosis, (b) enzootic bovine leukosis, (c) brucellosis and (d) BSE.
Answer · Ross Finnie: No compensation has been paid in respect of enzootic bovine leukosis in Scotland in the last five years. Compensation paid for bovine TB and brucellosis in Scotland is as follows:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p> </p…
3 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities offer council tenants the facility to pay home insurance premiums along with rental and council tax charges.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following 27 local authorities operate a home contents insurance scheme for tenants at a modest premium paid along with rent:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> <p>Aberdeen, City of</p> </td> <td> <p>Inverclyde</p> </td> </tr…
3 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to assist householders who are defined by postal code as being a flood risk and are refused home insurance or asked to accept excess payments that range from £5,000 to £25,000.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive has been advised by the Association of British Insurers that insurance companies will continue to provide home insurance cover to existing customers where plans are in place to provide flood defences by 2007. Following the Spending Revi…
3 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which flood alleviation schemes it has approved in the last five years, broken down by local authority and detailing cost per scheme.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Eighteen flood prevention schemes, made by local authorities, have been confirmed by Scottish ministers in the last five years. Details of the schemes, the authority concerned and the authority’s estimated cost of carrying out the scheme at the time it was ma…
3 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been allocated to local authorities to assist in the development of flood alleviation schemes in the last year.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Funding of the development of flood prevention schemes is a matter for the local authorities concerned. The Executive does not allocate specific funding for the development of schemes. However, after a scheme has been confirmed by Scottish ministers and is pr…
28 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact increased fuel charges will have on the eradication of fuel poverty by 2007.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We have committed to eradicate fuel poverty in Scotland as far as reasonably practicable by 2016. Increases in energy prices will make it more difficult to achieve the target. The impact of particular price rises will depend on the number of customers affecte…
28 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of how many people carry organ donation cards.
Answer · Andy Kerr: It is not possible to provide the information requested, as people are not required to register their decision to carry an organ donor card.</p>
28 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many organ transplant operations have been carried out in each of the last five years.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The number of transplant operations carried out in Scottish units is set out in the table.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p align=center>1999-2000</p> </td> <td> <p align=center>2000-01</p> </td> <td> <p a…
28 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the top level of compensation in small claims cases and when an announcement on this issue will be made.
Answer · Hugh Henry: I refer the member to the answer given to S2O-3573 answered on 6 October 2004 which is available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/sch/search">http://www.scottish.parliament.u…
28 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many small claims cases have been before the courts in each of the last five years and, of these, how many were successful and what the average level of payment was.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Scottish Executive publishes statistics annually in its publication “Civil Judicial Statistics” which can be found on the Scottish Executive website at:<br><a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/justice/cjs02-00.asp">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/libra…
28 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many households are in fuel poverty.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer to S2W-11607 and S2W-11715, on 10 November 2004 and 9 November 2004 respectively. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href=…
28 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of how many households are likely to fall into fuel poverty as a result of price increases announced by energy suppliers.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The impact of particular price rises will depend on the number of customers affected by the price rise, the energy efficiency of their properties and their household income. The interplay of these factors makes it impossible for us to assess the impact of eac…
18 Aug 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given to the European Commission recommendation on the maximum permitted blood alcohol content for drivers of motorised vehicles (2001/115/EC) and what response it has given.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Legislation relating to drink driving, including the maximum permitted blood alcohol limit, is the responsibility of the UK Government.</p>
18 Aug 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9787 by Ross Finnie on 12 August 2004, how many local authorities are enforcing compliance with the Animal By-Products (Scotland) Regulations 2003, with particular reference to raw waste from processing scampi (Nephrops norvegicus).
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Executive does not hold specific information on the enforcement approach adopted by each local authority in Scotland. However, as a consequence of the member’s continuing concern, officials have contacted COSLA for additional background information.</p><p…
22 Jul 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities are enforcing compliance with the Animal By-Products (Scotland) Regulations 2003, with particular reference to raw waste from shellfish processing.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Individual local authorities are responsible for enforcing the Animal By-Products (Scotland) Regulations 2003 within their respective areas. The effect of the regulations is to prohibit the burial or landfill of untreated animal by-products in order to protec…
3 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make an announcement regarding the Fochabers to Mosstodloch bypass.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Scottish ministers have recently received the report from the public local inquiry into the objections to the Fochabers and Mosstodloch Bypass. An announcement will be made once the reporter’s recommendations have been fully considered.</p>
10 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will introduce legislation to widen the criteria by which the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator can investigate charitable organisations.
Answer · Margaret Curran: In <i>A Partnership for a BetterScotland</i>, published in 2003, the Executive made a commitment to legislate oncharity law. To take forward that commitment, I will shortly be publishing a draftcharity bill for consultation. The draft bill will set out propos…
5 May 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many farmers are currently receiving payments under the Chernobyl Sheep Compensation Scheme, broken down by local authority area, and what the gross value of payments in respect of this scheme was in each of the last five years.
Answer · Ross Finnie: There are still 14 farms in Scotland under restriction and receiving payments under the 1986 Sheep Compensation Scheme. These farms are located in:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> <p>East Ayrshire Council Area</p> </td> <td> <p>…
21 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its European Strategy is a framework, as referred to in paragraph 1 of the strategy, or whether it is a proposed framework, as referred to in paragraph 3 of that document and, if it is the latter, when a decision will be made on whether to adopt this framework.
Answer · Andy Kerr: It is a framework.</p>
21 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list its achievements in the European sphere, as referred to in paragraph 2 of its European Strategy.
Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answergiven to questions S2W–4000 and S2W–6306 on 24 November 2003 and 16 March 2004 respectively. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at…