Maureen Watt

25 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many female remand prisoners have been sent from Aberdeen to Cornton Vale Prison in each of the last 24 months and, of these, how many were returned to Aberdeen for trial.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The number of prisoners transferredfrom Aberdeen to Cornton Vale Prison in each of the last 24 monthsis as follows:</p><table border=1 cell…

23 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many homes have been demolished in each local authority area in each year since 1999, also showing year-on-year percentage changes.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following table shows thenumber of dwellings that have been demolished between 1999 and 2005.</p><p>Dwellings Demolished byLocal Authority Area: 1999 and 2005</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td valign=bottom> <p align=ce…

23 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many homes have been compulsorily purchased in each local authority area in each year since 1999, also showing year-on-year percentage changes.

Answer · Johann Lamont: Where the Scottish ministersact as the confirming authority, the informationrequested is not held centrally. Once an order has been confirmed, the acquiringauthority has up to three years to implement the order. Ministers may not subsequentlybe informed wheth…

23 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average compulsory purchase order payment has been in each local authority area in each year since 1999, also showing year-on-year percentage changes.

Answer · Johann Lamont: Where the Scottish ministersact as the confirming authority, the informationrequested is not held centrally.</p><p>Where the Scottish ministersact as the promoter of trunk roads schemes requiring the compulsory purchase ofland, the information requested could…

23 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been paid out in respect of compulsory purchase orders in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area and showing year-on-year percentage changes.

Answer · Johann Lamont: Where the Scottish ministersact as the confirming authority, the informationrequested is not held centrally.</p><p>Where the Scottish ministersact as the promoter of trunk roads schemes requiring the compulsory purchase ofland, the information requested could…

23 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many affordable homes have been constructed in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area and showing year-on-year percentage changes.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following tables show thenumber of affordable homes approved by Communities Scotland by local authority areain each year since 1999 and the number of affordable homes completed since 2002-03,showing the percentage change. Information on completions is not…

23 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many council houses have been constructed in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority and showing year-on-year percentage changes.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Thefollowing table shows the number of new build completions by local authorities from1999 to 2003.</p><p>New Build Completionsby Local Authorities: 1999 to 2003</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td valign=bottom> <p align=cen…

23 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many council houses have been sold in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority and showing year-on-year percentage changes.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following table shows thetotal number of sales of council dwellings from 1999 to 2005:</p><p>Sales of Council Dwellings: 1999to 2005</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=579> <thead> <tr> <td width=147 nowrap valign=bottom> <p align=c…

23 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the eligibility criteria are for rural home ownership grants.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>Rural home ownership grants aretargeted at areas where people have limited opportunities to build or buy a homethat meets their needs within t…

23 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it promotes rural home ownership grants.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>We continue to promote rural home ownership grants throughoutrural Scotland through distribution of our brochures which explain thescheme.</p>…

23 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many rural home ownership grant applications have been submitted in each relevant local authority area since 1999, also showing year-on-year percentage changes.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>Information is available fromfinancial year 2002-03 onwards. The number of applications for rural home ownershipgrant submitted in each releva…

23 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many rural home ownership grants have been awarded in each relevant local authority area in each year since 1999, also showing year-on-year percentage changes.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>The number of rural home ownershipgrants that have been awarded in each relevant local authority area since 1999,showing year-on-year percenta…

23 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to provide local authorities with funding from the Strategic Waste Fund to allow them to introduce kerbside recycling schemes for small businesses in areas where domestic kerbside recycling is already taking place.

Answer · Ross Finnie: No. Under the “polluter pays”principle, businesses must meet the costs of disposing of their own waste. However,we would encourage local authorities to explore the viability of integrating thecollection of recyclate from households and businesses whilst ensur…

23 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities have established projects to allow small businesses to recycle through kerbside collections.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Twenty-two local authoritiesprovide kerbside recyclate collections to businesses. Businesses can find out whatrecycling facilities are available to them through the Scottish Waste AwarenessGroup’s business recycling directory, <ahref="http://www.wasteawarebus…

17 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) mean and (b) median waiting times for appointments with a chiropodist have been in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Information onchiropody/podiatry waiting times is not routinely collected nationally.</p><p class=nhsrecipient>Aone-off census of allied health professional (AHP) services was carried out on 14 September 2005 to help ascertain the magnitude, variety anddivers…

17 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many registered blind people it employs, broken down by department and expressed also as a percentage of its workforce.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The number of permanent staffin the Scottish Executive core departments who have self-declared as having a visualdisability is shown in the following table, broken down by department and expressedalso as a percentage of the workforce. Visual impairment covers…

10 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-28606 by Tavish Scott on 6 October 2006, whether it has given any consideration to the potential use of the National Entitlement Card for local crossrail projects and, if so, what guidance it has issued on the matter.

Answer · Tavish Scott: We have no plans to extend theScotland-wide free bus travel scheme for older and disabled people to include localcrossrail projects. However, local authorities have retained responsibility andresources, through their Grant Aided Expenditure allocations, to pr…

4 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been employed in the farming sector in each year since 1999, broken down into (a) dairy, (b) beef, (c) sheep, (d) arable and (e) any other forms of farming.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The following tables show thenumber of people who have been employed in each farming sector and includes workingoccupiers, spouses and family members as well as employees and casual and seasonalworkers.</p><p>The farming sectors are definedusing a European cl…

4 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average farm income has been in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Average farm income informationis not available by local authority area.</p><p>The following table shows averageNet Farm Income estimates for Scotland for accounting periods 1999-2000 to 2004-05:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> …

4 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the most common motoring offences were for which a conviction or fine has been issued in each year since 1999, broken down by gender.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The available information onthe relative frequency of motoring offences resulting in a charge proved in courtis given in the following tables.</p><p>Motor Vehicle Offences witha Charge Proved in Scottish Courts – Male Offenders, 1999-2000 to 2004-05</p><table…

4 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many degrees have been awarded for (a) biology, (b) chemistry, (c) physics, (d) other science subjects and (e) media studies at each university in each year since 1999, showing the year-on-year percentage changes.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The information requested hasbeen placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 40707).</p>

4 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which courses have ceased to be offered at each university in each year since 1999.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>

27 Sep 2006 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made towards the construction of a 50-metre swimming pool in Aberdeen to assist the preparation of Scotland¿s future international swimmers for championship events.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: <b>Sport</b>scotland is committed to working with the Aberdeen CityCouncil and its partners on their proposal to develop a 50-metre swimming pool inAberdeen.</p>

22 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to extend the National Entitlement Card scheme to enable there to be free concessionary travel by national rail transport.

Answer · Tavish Scott: We have no plans to extend theScotland-wide free bus travel scheme for older and disabled people in the way suggested.</p>

1 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much business each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies has done in each year since 1999 with (a) Royal Mail and (b) private companies for the transportation of correspondence.

Answer · Tom McCabe: I have asked the Chief Executives of the agencies to respond. Their responses are as follows:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td width=166 valign=top> <p>Royal Mail</p> </td> <td valign=top> <p align=center>1999-2000<…

1 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much business it has done in each year since 1999 with (a) Royal Mail and (b) private companies for the transportation of Executive correspondence.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The amount of business doneby the Scottish Executive in each year since 1999 with (a) Royal Mail and (b)private companies for the transportation of Executive correspondence is asfollows:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=410> <thead> <tr>…

30 Aug 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many years at current spending rates it will take each local authority to repair and renew all (a) roads, (b) pavements and (c) other footways in its area in order to bring them up to an acceptable standard.

Answer · Tavish Scott: This information is not heldcentrally. However, the Scottish Executive is aware of the backlog of repairs andmaintenance on the local road network and has provided local authorities with anadditional £60 million in grant aided expenditure for each of 2006-07 …

30 Aug 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to increase grant aided expenditure to local authorities to allow them to adopt unadopted roads, pavements and footways.

Answer · Tavish Scott: It is for local authoritiesto decide how best to allocate their block grant and they may use their existing GAE allocation to adopt unadopted roadsif this is considered to be a local priority. The Scottish Executive has no plansto provide additional grant aid…

23 Aug 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the criteria are for determining which illnesses should have waiting time targets of less than six months.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive’s policy is toreduce waiting times for those patients waiting longest. That is why maximum waitingtime targets have been set for a first out-patient consultation, for diagnostictests and for in-patient and day case treatment. Waiting time target…

23 Aug 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received since 1999 in respect of applying waiting time targets to particular illnesses.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Representations take manyforms, such as for example, letters from individual patients, news releases andrecommendations in reports by political, voluntary and research organisations, andpetitions to the Parliament. Consequently, the information requested is n…