Parliamentary questions
Nora Radcliffe
316 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
18 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance will require local authorities and consultants to always consider the impact on carbon dioxide emissions and the Scottish contribution to the UK targets under the Kyoto protocol when evaluating transport proposals and what weighting will b…
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Kyoto target for the reduction in greenhouse gases is contained within the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) and practitioners are required to calculate the change in emissions of CO<SUB>2</SUB> for all projects appraised.<P>STAG does not presc…
5 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which provision in the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Bill indicates that a wetland that is directly dependent on an aquatic ecosystem constitutes surface water given that the definition of surface water in section 3(3) of the bill makes no such reference, as referred to …
Answer · Allan Wilson: Annex 2 of the Water Framework Directive, which is referred to in section 5(4) of the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Bill, requires that the characterisation of each river basin district in Scotland includes the identification of the location…
5 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether bog pools within blanket bogs and burns emanating from such pools or from open water within habitats adjacent to such bogs are classed as surface water and, if so, how the bog itself is not a wetland that is directly dependent on an aquatic ecosystem, as referred to by the Deputy …
Answer · Allan Wilson: Bog pools within blanket bogs and burns emanating from such pools or from open water with habitats adjacent to such bogs will be classed as surface water as defined in section 3(3) of the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Bill. Whether a bog or …
5 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how sections 2 to 25 of the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Bill can afford environmental protection to wetlands that depend on other aquatic ecosystems if the definition of the water environment given in section 3(2) of the bill excludes such wetlands, as referred to by t…
Answer · Allan Wilson: The bill makes express provision that wetlands that are directly dependent upon aquatic ecosystems can be protected by the controlled activities regulations. The general purpose of part 1 of the bill is to make provision for or in connection with protection o…
5 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the Scottish Environment Protection Agency can characterise, monitor and set environmental objectives for surface water, as defined in section 3(3) of the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Bill, adjacent to a wetland without characterising, monitoring and setting the env…
Answer · Allan Wilson: Under the Water Environment and Water Services Bill as introduced the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) will characterise, monitor and set environmental objectives for bodies of surface water. The environmental objectives set for surface water bod…
5 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the Scottish Environment Protection Agency can characterise, monitor and set environmental objectives for groundwater, as defined in section 3(4) of the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Bill, under a wetland without characterising, monitoring and setting the environment…
Answer · Allan Wilson: Under the Water Environment and Water Services Bill as introduced the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) will characterise, monitor and set environmental objectives for bodies of groundwater. The environmental objectives set for groundwater bodies …
5 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether water below the surface of the ground in a peatland is groundwater, as defined in section 3(4) of the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Bill, and, if so, why the inclusion of wetlands in the definition of the water environment extends the land area covered by the bil…
Answer · Allan Wilson: All of Scotland is underlaid by groundwater as defined in Section 3(4) of the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Bill. The water below the surface of the ground in a peatland is groundwater as defined by Section 3(4) of the Water Environment and …
5 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what si'e of area is underlaid by groundwater as defined in section 3(4) of the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Bill; whether this area was included in the estimate of 2% of land mass that is covered by the water environment as stated by the Deputy Minister for Environment…
Answer · Allan Wilson: All of Scotland is underlaid by groundwater as defined in section 3(4) of the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Bill. Therefore this was not included in the 2% figure quoted, which relates only to surface waters. While the general purposes of th…
5 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the si'e and types of habitats included in the estimates of 2% of the land area that is covered by wetland and 8.7% that is categorised as the water environment given by the Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development at the Transport and the Environment Com…
Answer · Allan Wilson: The following table taken from information contained within the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute 1988 Land Coverage Map of Scotland gives a breakdown of the size and habitats included in the estimates of 8.7% of Scotland covered by wetlands, and approxima…
3 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of market support was received for agriculture in 2000-01, broken down by commodity.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The value of indirect market support to agriculture in Scotland can be estimated by using OECD Producer Subsidy Estimates (PSE) for the EU. The calculation is dependent on assumptions about a number of factors such as exchange rates and differences between do…
3 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of direct Common Agricultural Policy support was received in 2000-01, broken down by commodity.
Answer · Ross Finnie: A detailed breakdown of direct support by commodity is given by calendar year in <I>Scottish Agriculture - Output, Input and Income Statistics</I> 2002. Provisional estimates for the years 2000 and 2001 can be summarised as follows.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1…
13 Nov 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to promote the establishment of a single airport for central Scotland.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: We are currently engaged in an extensive consultation on the future development of air transport. It would be wrong to prejudge the outcome of this process. We have no predetermined view on how best to provide additional airport capacity and we are keen to he…
15 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from groups representing the elderly and disabled regarding the concessionary travel fares scheme.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The 16 single and joint concessionary travel schemes in Scotland are operated by local authorities. <P>The Executive receives regular representations on concessionary fares policy in the form of written correspondence and telephone calls, and the issue is dis…
15 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many times it met with groups representing the elderly and disabled to discuss the concessionary travel fares scheme.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The 16 single and joint concessionary travel schemes in Scotland are operated by local authorities. <P>Enhancements to existing concessionary travel schemes were discussed at the 12 February 2002 and 25 September 2002 meetings of the Older People's Consultati…
2 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to involve police officers in a stronger enforcement of litter laws under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Answer · Ross Finnie: As part of the current review of existing legislation relevant to litter and flytipping, the role of the police in assisting local authorities enforce litter laws is being considered. The Scottish Executive will consider any recommendations in due course.
2 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to tackle fly-tipping.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The existing legislation relevant to flytipping is currently under review as part of the study commissioned by the Executive.<P>Currently, the Scottish Executive provides annual core funding of £234,000 to Keep Scotland Beautiful, which runs a number of anti-…
2 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to allow small traders to access civic amenity sites.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has no plans to alter the existing legislation regarding the provision of amenities by local authorities.
2 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have litter plans and whether there are any plans to encourage other local authorities to develop such plans.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Aberdeen City Council, Stirling Council and Shetland Islands Council currently have formal litter plans. The Scottish Executive provides annual core funding of £234,000 to Keep Scotland Beautiful, which runs a number of anti-litter initiatives. Keep Scotland …
2 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the study undertaken by Environmental Resources Management into litter legislation will be published.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The study report is due to be submitted to the Scottish Executive by Environmental Resources Management by the end of October. It will be published thereafter.
2 Oct 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has received about when the Regional Air Services Co-ordination Study will be published.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I understand from the Department for Transport that the Regional Air Services Co-ordination Study will be published shortly.
30 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to note 4 on page 46 of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-2006: What the money buys, whether the structure of the Public Transport Fund will change as a result of being included in its transport spending plans instead of in the Local Government Spending Pla…
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: As a result of the inclusion of the Public Transport Fund (PTF) in the Executive's transport spending plans, awards from the PTF from 1 April 2003 will be capital grants paid under section 70 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001. To date PTF awards have taken…
30 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the results of the consultation on the Physical Activity Task Force strategy will be published.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: A report of the consultation on the Physical Activity Task Force draft strategy will be published at the end of this month.
30 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it remains committed to the stabilisation of road traffic at 2001 levels by 2021, as referred to in Scotland's Transport: Delivering Improvement.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Yes. As the Executive's Transport Delivery Report, <I>Scotland's Transport: Delivering Improvements</I> indicates, we will strive to stabilise road traffic at 2001 levels by 2021 by modernising and improving public transport, promoting alternative modes of tr…
30 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed rail link between Airdrie and Bathgate will be a priority under its spending proposals for 2003-06.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Budget 2003-06 contains sufficient resources to fund the necessary progress on all of the priorities set out in the Executive's Transport Delivery Report, <I>Scotland's Transport: Delivering Improvements</I>.
30 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what specific funding will be made available to deliver the top priority public transport projects flowing from the Central Scotland Transport Corridor studies, as promised in Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-2006: What the money buys.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is currently considering the consultants' recommendations and the comments arising from public consultation on the Corridor Study reports. Decisions on which priority public transport projects to progress have yet to be made and will ta…
30 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how its community safety grant-making policies and monitoring procedures ensure that the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities are addressed by local authorities in their service provision.
Answer · Richard Simpson: In April 2002, we introduced the Community Safety Partnership Award Programme which will provide local authority-led partnerships with £12 million over the next three years for crime prevention and community safety initiatives. The partnerships can use their …
30 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what policies and procedures the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has in place to ensure that equal opportunities policies, particularly in respect of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, are incorporated into the service's activities.
Answer · Colin Boyd: The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is an equal opportunity employer. Our equal opportunity policy statement refers to all areas of diversity, including sexual orientation. A similar statement is included in all our recruitment literature.<P>A fair…
11 Sep 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to promote offshore wind farms.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Renewables Obligation Scotland operates to promote the development of all renewables technologies. The Government's three year programme to support renewable technologies provides £64 million of capital grants and £10 million from the New Opportunities Fu…
9 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on which dates since May 1997 (a) ministers, (b) its officials and (c) officials from Scottish Natural Heritage have met Angus Council to discuss proposals for the Cairngorms National Park.
Answer · Allan Wilson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-29091. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa">…
9 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on which dates since May 1997 (a) ministers, (b) its officials and (c) officials from Scottish Natural Heritage have met Perth and Kinross Council to discuss proposals for the Cairngorms National Park.
Answer · Allan Wilson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-29091. All answers to written PQs are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa">http://www.scottish.…