Parliamentary questions
Rhoda Grant
2,396 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
15 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it had with the Russian Government ahead of the lifting of its restriction on the importation of Scottish fish.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: There were numerous discussions with the Russian Government from April 2008 to lift the restriction. The First Minister met the Russian Ambassador to the United Kingdom on a number of occasions and discussed the ban. The Minister for the Environment met the R…
15 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the Russian Government having lifted its restriction on the importation of Scottish fish, what level of exports to Russia can be expected by Scottish fish processors.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Figures obtained from the Sea Fish Industry Authority show that in 2007 the UK exported over 48,000 tonnes of pelagic fish, worth in excess of £42 million to Russia. The majority of these exports came from Scotland.</p>
15 Jan 2009 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that housing associations are enabled to build new developments in response to local demands, in light of recent cuts to the Housing Association Grant subsidy.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: We are working across Scotland with Housing Associations to increase the supply of affordable homes. Almost all of our Affordable Housing Investment Programme, 95% of it, goes to housing associations. This year we will approve around 6,000 homes for developme…
14 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions air ambulance aircraft have been grounded due to staff shortages in each of the last six months.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) has advised that, due to short notice sickness absence, there were five occasions over the last six months when one air ambulance aircraft has been grounded. On these occasions, the remaining three aircraft were in operati…
14 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff vacancies there were in the Scottish Ambulance Air Wing in (a) 2006, (b) 2007 and (c) 2008, broken down by month.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Ambulance Service has advised that fixed-wing staff are paramedics employed on a rotational basis on both the aircraft and on road vehicles. The rosters and staff ratio mix allows for the necessary cover for both air and road requirements. If vac…
14 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff were employed in each emergency medical dispatch centre (EMDC) in (a) 2007 and (b) 2008, broken down by month.
Answer · Shona Robison: The information requested is set out in the following table.</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=120 valign=top > <p align=center > </p> </td> <td width=91 valign=top > <p align=center >South W…
14 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many accident and emergency staff were employed by the Scottish Ambulance Service in NHS (a) Highland, (b) Grampian, (c) Western Isles, (d) Orkney and (e) Shetland in (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008, broken down by month.
Answer · Shona Robison: The information is not held in the format requested. However, the numbers of accident and emergency staff in the North Operating Division, covering these NHS board areas, are set out below. Staff numbers are still recorded under the previous structure of two …
13 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what subsequent consultation will be carried out on National Planning Framework for Scotland 2: Discussion Draft to ensure maximum community engagement as set out in Planning Advice Note PAN 81: Community Engagement - Planning with People.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The NPF2: Discussion Draft had a 12 week consultation which included a programme of regional discussion seminars and meetings with stakeholders. Following revisions to the framework, a Proposed NPF was laid before the Scottish Parliament which is currently be…
13 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what further consultation is carried out when pre-application consultations are deemed inadequate.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: There are currently no statutory requirements for prospective developers to undertake pre-application consultation on development proposals. The government''s proposals for such consultation with communities are contained in the Town and Country Planning (Dev…
13 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that National Planning Framework for Scotland 2: Discussion Draft promotes better and earlier public participation in the planning system as set out in Planning Advice Note PAN 81: Community Engagement - Planning with People.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government considers that it has encouraged interest and wide public participation in the preparation of the second National Planning Framework.</p> <p >I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-19700 on 26 January 2009, which explains th…
13 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review National Planning Framework for Scotland 2: Discussion Draft to ensure that the National Standards for Community Engagement and participation objectives described in Preparation of the Second National Planning Framework: Participation Statement are achieved.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-19700 on 26 January 2009. 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/Apps…
13 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to review the consultation process that took place on National Planning Framework for Scotland 2: Discussion Draft.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The consultation that has taken place has been within the context of the National Planning Framework Participation Statement, as required by the Planning Act and which is the first of its kind in Scotland.</p> <p >The government considers that it has conform…
13 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria are used to assess patients’ eligibility for patient transport services in the NHS Highland area.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Ambulance Service Patient Transport Service (PTS) provides transport for those patients with a medical need. The Scottish Ambulance Service strives to ensure that eligibility criteria are consistently applied across the whole of Scotland to ensur…
13 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18811 by Liam McArthur on 8 January 2009, which recommendations in A review of the European Union Agricultural Subsidy Appeals Procedure in Scotland it has not accepted and what the reasons were.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: I accepted 16 of the 17 recommendations contained in the Report, <i >A review of the European Union Agricultural Subsidy Appeals Procedure in </i><i >Scotland</i>.<i ></i></p> <p >The one recommendation I was not persuaded by was the creation of a farm liais…
9 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the terms of reference for its review of the Scotland Rural Development Programme.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: I will publish the details of the review when I meet with the Scotland Rural Development Programme''s Monitoring Committee on 29 January 2009, as referred to in my answer to the previous question.</p>
9 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the terms of reference are for its review of the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP).
Answer · Richard Lochhead: I will be meeting with the Scotland Rural Development Programme''s Monitoring Committee on 29 January 2009 to discuss the review. I will be asking them to come to that meeting prepared with preliminary views on how to improve both the effectives of the SRDP a…
18 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the administration and start-up costs incurred by Highland Housing Alliance in (a) 2007 and (b) 2008 and whether any grant funding was received for this purpose.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Details of the administrative and start up costs incurred by the Highland Housing Alliance between 2006-07 and 2007-08, and grant funding from Scottish Government are as follows:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td val…
18 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the administration and start-up costs incurred by the Devanha consortium in (a) 2005, (b) 2006 and (c) 2007 and whether any grant funding was received for this purpose.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: There were no administrative or start up costs associated with Devanha in 2005-06. Administrative costs and Scottish Government grant for 2006-07 and 2007-08 were:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td valign=top > <p…
18 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the actual build costs for properties completed by the Highland Housing Association in (a) 2007 and (b) 2008 and whether these properties were delivered within the stated timeframe.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Highland Housing Alliance has completed five private houses in Wick but the Scottish Government does not hold detailed information on the actual build costs of these houses as the Highland Housing Alliance is not a Registered Social Landlord.</p>
18 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the actual build costs for properties completed by the Devanha consortium in (a) 2005, (b) 2006 and (c) 2007 and whether these properties were delivered within the stated timeframe.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: There are no build costs for the period 2005-06 to 2006-07 as no properties were completed by the Devanha consortium in this period.</p> <p >During 2007-08, a total of 17 properties were completed. Final build costs will become available during 2009-10 and I…
18 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many properties were completed by the Devanha consortium in the Grampian region during (a) 2005, (b) 2006 and (c) 2007.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The following number of properties were completed by the Devanha consortium in the period 2005-06 to 2007-08:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td valign=top > <p > </p> </td> <td valign=top > <p align…
18 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to deal with the damaging effects to crofting and the rural economy caused by the rise in numbers of geese in North Uist.
Answer · Michael Russell: In 2008 the Uist Local Goose Management Scheme increased goose scaring effort on the machair to protect the cereal seed crop. Goose-scarers employed by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) have shot approximately 1,500 geese per annum over the last two years in ad…
18 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many successful prosecutions for abuse of health staff, as defined in the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005, were dealt with by the Scottish courts in (a) 2006, (b) 2007 and (c) 2008.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Scottish Government Court Proceedings data does not contain information at the level of detail requested. I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15073 on 15 August 2008, which gives the total number of persons with a charge proved under the Emerg…
18 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the supplementary to question S3O-5098 by Nicola Sturgeon on 4 December 2008 (Official Report c. 13120), where within the Scottish Ambulance Service the 30 additional frontline accident and emergency crews have been deployed and in which emergency medical dispatc…
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The 30 additional frontline accident and emergency crews have been deployed to the following areas; 10 in East Central Division, 10 in South West Division and 10 in South East Division.</p> <p >The 10 additional posts in the Emergency Medical Dispatch Centre…
18 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which boxes west of Shetland were subject to scientific research in (a) 2005, (b) 2006, (c) 2007 and (d) 2008 and what conclusions were reached.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: I have asked Professor Robin Cook, Chief Executive of FRS Marine Laboratory to respond to you directly.</p>
18 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which boxes in the North Sea were subject to scientific research in (a) 2005, (b) 2006, (c) 2007 and (d) 2008 and what conclusions were reached.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: I have asked Professor Robin Cook, Chief Executive of FRS Marine Laboratory to respond to you directly.</p>
18 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what research was commissioned on fishing gear in (a) 2005, (b) 2006, (c) 2007 and (d) 2008 and what conclusions were reached.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: In the period 2005-08, short-term pieces of gear related research were carried out on the following subjects:</p> <p >2004-05</p> <p >The selectivity of commercial fishing gears (including work on predictive models of selectivity).</p> <p ><i >Nephrops</i>…
18 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what fish species were the subject of targeted research in (a) 2005, (b) 2006, (c) 2007 and (d) 2008 and what conclusions were reached.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Strategic research projects targeting specific marine fish species since 2005 are:</p> <p >Anglerfish (<i>Lophius sp.</i>)</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=609 > <tr > <td width=71 nowrap valign=top > <p >2005-08</p> </td> <t…
18 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on fisheries scientific research in (a) 2005, (b) 2006, (c) 2007 and (d) 2008 and what the projected spend is for (i) 2009, (ii) 2010 and (iii) 2011.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The spend on research related to marine fisheries and the marine environment which supports them is as follows:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td nowrap valign=top > <p align=center >2005-06</p> </td> <td n…
3 Dec 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considered the findings of a report by Peter Cook on the Crofters Cattle Quality Improvement Scheme before deciding to end the scheme as currently constituted.
Answer · Michael Russell: Before deciding on the future of the Crofters Cattle Quality Improvement Scheme, the Scottish Government had access to drafts of Peter Cook''s appraisal report. The investment appraisal was commissioned primarily to evaluate the capital investment options req…