Parliamentary questions
Nanette Milne
1,264 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
27 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to provide information about how to obtain flood insurance and promote access to such insurance for low-income households.
Answer · Alex Neil: Insurance against the impact of flooding has been a standard feature of household insurance policies since the early 1960s. Financial services, including insurance, is a reserved matter, with the policy lead lying with HM Treasury. However, in December 2008, …
27 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to ensure that new developments in medium to high-risk areas are flood resistant.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The planning and building standards systems both play important roles in helping to safeguard developments from the consequences of flooding. Scottish Planning Policy requires that if development has to take place in medium to high flood risk areas, for examp…
27 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to ensure that the planning system prevents inappropriate development in flood-risk areas.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The overarching aim of Scottish Planning Policy for flooding is that inappropriate development which would have a significant probability of being affected by flooding or would increase the probability of flooding elsewhere should not be permitted. Where deve…
27 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to improve the understanding and awareness of flood risk in communities across Scotland.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: For the last flood risk years, the Scottish Government has provided SEPA with £100,000 per year to support their annual campaign to raise public awareness of flood risk in Scotland.</p> <p >The campaign is carried out in partnership with local authorities a…
22 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a local authority is required to terminate the tenancy of an allotment holder who does not cultivate his or her allotment and does not use it for horticultural purposes or the production of meat and eggs for human consumption.
Answer · John Swinney: Section 6 of the Allotments (Scotland) Act 1892 provides that a local authority may make regulations for the letting of allotments, including the conditions under which allotments are to be cultivated. Section 1 of the Allotments (Scotland) Act 1922 provides …
22 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the use of local authority-owned allotments is restricted to horticultural purposes and the production of meat and eggs for human consumption.
Answer · John Swinney: Section 19 of the Allotments (Scotland) Act 1922 defines an allotment garden as an area not exceeding 40 poles which is wholly or mainly cultivated by the occupier for the production of vegetable crops for consumption by himself or his family. Section 6 of th…
21 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a local authority has been prosecuted for breaches of the allotments legislation since 1950.
Answer · John Swinney: I am not aware of any prosecutions under this legislation.</p>
21 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a local authority that requires its tenants to pay more than 25% of allotment rents in advance, contrary to section 10(2) of the Allotments (Scotland) Act 1950, is liable to prosecution.
Answer · John Swinney: It would be for the tenants concerned to seek legal advice based on their own circumstances and to consider, in the light of that, whether there is a case to answer.</p>
21 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-30502 by John Swinney on 15 January 2010, whether a local authority that has requested payment of allotment rents from its tenants using rules or devices that have not been formally confirmed by the Scottish Ministers is liable to prosecution.
Answer · John Swinney: Section 6 of the Allotments (Scotland) Act 1892 provides that a local authority may from time to time make, revoke and vary such regulations as appear to be necessary or proper for the letting of allotments (including provision in relation to the rental to be…
19 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a local authority that has implemented changes to the rules and devices that it uses to regulate the disposal of waste generated by allotment holders without obtaining confirmation from the Scottish Ministers in terms of section 6(1) of the Allotments (Scotland) Act 1892 is oblige…
Answer · John Swinney: Regulations made to manage allotments in terms of section 6(1) of the Allotments (Scotland) Act 1892 should be formally confirmed by Scottish ministers. Regulations, made under this provision have no legal effect without ministerial confirmation. It would be …
18 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support and advice it will give to farmers whose farm buildings have collapsed or been damaged as a result of recent adverse weather conditions.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government has set up a technical working group to assess the extent and impact of collapsed buildings on agricultural and horticultural businesses. The working group will have its first meeting on 28 January 2010 and I look forward to receiving …
18 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a person who is removed from a local authority allotment waiting list as a result of changes to the local authority-made rules or devices regulating the list is entitled to be reinstated in cases where those changes have not been confirmed by the Scottish Ministers in terms of sec…
Answer · John Swinney: Regulations made to manage allotments in terms of section 6(1) of the Allotments (Scotland) Act 1892 should be formally confirmed by Scottish Ministers. Regulations, made under this provision have no legal effect without ministerial confirmation. It would be …
18 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to extend the Home Insulation Scheme.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government has included £15 million in the Budget Bill for 2010-11 which was introduced on 14 January 2010 and, subject to parliamentary approval, this will be available to support another round of Home Insulation Scheme areas. Decisions will be …
15 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-28237 and S3W-29561 by John Swinney on 4 November and 8 December 2009 respectively, whether it will issue fresh guidance on the responsibilities and obligations of local authorities in relation to section 6(1) of the Allotments (Scotland) Act 1892 …
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government has no plans to issue fresh guidance to local authorities on their responsibilities and obligations in relation to section 6(1) of the Allotments (Scotland) Act 1892. It is for local authorities as independent corporate bodies to ensur…
15 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-28237 and S3W-29561 by John Swinney on 4 November and 8 December 2009 respectively, what discussions it has had with local authorities in the last 10 years regarding the legal authority with which they are operating and managing their allotments.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government has no record of discussions with local authorities in the last 10 years regarding the legal authority with which they operate and manage their allotments. This is a matter for local authorities as independent corporate bodies.</p>
15 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-28237 and S3W-29561 by John Swinney on 4 November and 8 December 2009 respectively, whether it is content that all local authorities are operating and managing their allotments with proper legal authority.
Answer · John Swinney: It is for local authorities as independent corporate bodies to ensure they are operating and managing their allotments with proper legal authority.</p>
15 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29561 by John Swinney on 8 December 2009, whether tenants of local authority-owned allotments are required to institute legal proceedings to establish the legality of a local authority-made rule or device regulating the letting of allotments.
Answer · John Swinney: The first course of action would be for the allotment tenants to correspond with the local authority to try and resolve any differences. Should these remain unresolved, it would be for the allotment tenants to decide for themselves what further action, if any…
14 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many co-locations of (a) post offices with public sector bodies and (b) public services in post offices have been set up and are now in operation, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Jim Mather: The information is not held centrally.</p>
13 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on bottled water by each NHS board in each year since 1999.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.</p>
13 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on bottled water by each local authority in each year since 1999.
Answer · John Swinney: This information is not held centrally. </p> name=P
13 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on bottled water for its directorates in each year since 1999.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government (SG) purchases bottled water for use in free standing water coolers and through the SG Catering Contract.</p> <p >We are currently in the process of removing bottled water coolers from staff areas across the SG estate to be replaced b…
13 Jan 2010 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how much it has been spent on bottled water in each year since 1999.
Answer · Alex Johnstone: Since we introduced tap water as an option, consumption of bottled water has fallen significantly at Parliament. The SPCB only provides bottled water for meetings including committees and the Debating Chamber. We have provided costs from 2003, as we no longe…
13 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the condition of docks and wharfs since 1999.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Scottish ministers have no responsibility for assessing the condition of port assets. However, individual port operators and owners with statutory powers would be expected to review their condition on a regular basis to ensure that they comply with their obli…
13 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many rural shows and galas there have been in each year since 1999.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The number of rural shows and galas held in each year since 1999 is not a figure that is held by the Scottish Government. It is noted that the show listing for 2010 in the Scottish Farmer of 2 January 2010 advertises approximately 100 agricultural shows and a…
7 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authority allotment tenants who have been charged rent as a result of the implementation of regulations that have not been confirmed by the Scottish Ministers in terms of section 6(1) of the Allotments (Scotland) Act 1892 are entitled to have these rents repaid to them.
Answer · John Swinney: A local authority would not be entitled to collect rent under regulations that had not been formally confirmed by Scottish Ministers in terms of section 6(1) of the Allotment (Scotland) Act 1892. Regulations made under this provision have no legal effect with…
7 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities are collecting rents for allotments using regulations that have not been confirmed by the Scottish Ministers in terms of section 6(1) of the Allotments (Scotland) Act 1892.
Answer · John Swinney: Information is not held centrally on whether local authorities are collecting rents for allotments under regulations made in terms of section 6(1) of the Allotments (Scotland) Act 1892, which have not been confirmed by ministers as required by section 6(1). A…
5 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for the installation of home insulation under the free home insulation scheme.
Answer · Alex Neil: Contracted suppliers for the home insulation scheme are obliged to fully complete the householder''s installation within 28 calendar days of the referral being passed to them and, apart from where the needs of the household prevent the supplier from doing so …
5 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many households are awaiting the installation of home insulation under the free home insulation scheme, broken down by Scottish Parliament constituency.
Answer · Alex Neil: As at 3 January, the number of households by parliamentary constituency that have requested insulation measures from the programme is shown in the following table. It is not possible to provide a further breakdown between the multiple constituencies which for…
5 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many households are awaiting the installation of home insulation under the free home insulation scheme, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Alex Neil: As at 3 January 2010, the number of households by local authority area that have requested insulation measures from the programme is as follows:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=177 valign=top > <p align=…
5 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many households have applied to the free home insulation scheme, broken down by Scottish Parliament constituency.
Answer · Alex Neil: As at 3 January 2010, the number of households by parliamentary constituency who have, or will receive, an energy efficiency report as a result of the home insulation scheme is shown in the following table. It is not possible to provide a further breakdown be…