Sarah Boyack

2 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what analysis the Scottish Government has carried out of the factors contributing to the 8% above-inflation increase in subsidy required by housing associations, referred to by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing on 31 October 2007 (Official Report c. 2839), and what these fact…

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The ScottishGovernment analysed the amount of Housing Association Grant (HAG) thatCommunities Scotland paid out between 2002-03 and 2006-07 to support theconstruction of new houses for social rent. The analysis showed that theaverage amount of grant per house…

2 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what energy efficiency criteria will be included in the single seller survey.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Single Survey will contain information in the form of an Energy Performance Certificate and energy report. The objective is to give owners and prospective buyers information about the energy efficiency of the properties concerned and to encourage investme…

2 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many households in Edinburgh will be eligible to apply for support through its low-cost initiative for first-time buyers.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The LIFTinitiative – our Low-cost Initiative for First-Time buyers – is a key part of the package of measures to revitalise Scotland’s housingset out in the<i> Firm Foundations </i>discussion document published on 31 October 2007.</p><p>LIFT currently include…

2 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what precise energy efficiency standards will be met by its proposed new affordable houses.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-6028 on 14 November 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can befound at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…

2 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its targets for 35,000 new affordable houses will meet the requirements of Scottish Planning Policy 6: Renewable Energy for reducing carbon emissions and the use of onsite microgeneration and combined heat and power systems.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Our housingdiscussion document, <i>Firm Foundations: The Future of Housing in Scotland, </i>setsout our proposals to challenge local authorities, developers and builders toincrease the rate of new housing supply to at least 35,000 per year by themiddle of the…

2 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it accepts the City of Edinburgh Council’s estimate that 1,200 new affordable houses require to be built every year for the next decade in order to address Edinburgh’s housing shortage.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The City of Edinburgh Council, as strategic housing authority for Edinburgh, is responsible for determining housing needs withinthe City of Edinburgh area.</p><p>The figure of12,000 new affordable houses required to be built over the next ten years wasderived…

30 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consult rural communities and the retail industry about the best locations for new abattoir facilities.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Although we have nocurrent plans to consult rural communities, we will await the outcome of thefoot-and-mouth disease review. While the location of any new abattoirs is a commercialmatter for individual operators, our draft Scotland Rural Development Programm…

30 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the best locations for new rural abattoirs.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Governmentsupports the principle of the slaughter of animals close to the point of rearingwherever possible. While the location of any new abattoirs is a commercial matterfor individual operators, our draft Scotland Rural Development Programme do…

30 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding is available under the Rural Development Plan which could be allocated to enable new rural abattoirs to be established.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: There is no specificallocation of funds through the Scotland Rural Development Programme 2007-13 forthe establishment of rural abattoirs. However, grants may be available through the programme on a competitivebasis under the Agriculture Processing and Marketi…

30 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Foot and Mouth Disease Contingency Plan has been reviewed to address the bluetongue outbreak in England.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Bluetongue andfoot-and-mouth disease are two separate exotic notifiable diseases requiring separatedisease control responses. The UK Bluetongue Control Strategy is being revised asa result of a new Commission Regulation on bluetongue.</p>

30 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when farmers can expect to receive financial assistance from the Scottish Government’s economic compensation scheme.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: We expect paymentsunder the Scottish Ewe Scheme to be made to around 11,600 eligible producers bymid November.</p>

30 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what specific financial assistance it has formally requested from the UK Government other than assistance under the Sheep Welfare Scheme.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Cabinet Secretaryfor Finance and Sustainable Growth wrote to the Chief Secretary to the Treasuryon 24 October 2007 seeking reimbursement of £25 million, whichwe estimate to be the cost of the support package that I announced on that day.The package includ…

30 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it routinely plans to release draft documents given to it by the UK Government as part of the process of inter-governmental co-operation.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: The Scottish Governmentwill continue to treat documents received from the UK Government in accordance withthe principles outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding.</p><p>A copy of the Memorandumof Understanding is lodged with the Scottish Parliament Informa…

30 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects to be copied any future drafts of statements or other documents by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) following the Executive’s release of the recent DEFRA draft statement for the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Governmentfully expects to continue having a positive working relationship with the Departmentfor Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.</p>

30 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in what respects it considered the NFU Scotland estimates quantifying the need for compensation for farmers in respect of the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in August 2007 to be deficient.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: While we have considerablesympathy with the case put forward by NFU Scotland requesting funding for Scottishfarmers following the recent outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease, it does not fullyreflect recent developments (such as the reopening of export markets…

30 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in respect of the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in August 2007, any communication accompanying the draft statement provided to the Executive by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs that indicated what the Secretary of State for Rural Affairs and the Environ…

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The draft speech receivedby Scottish Government officials on the morning of the 8 October 2007 announcement was a late draft. Defra officials had notedthat it may be subject to revision.</p>

30 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment or any officials acting on his behalf recommended or encouraged NFU Scotland to make representations to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) on a compensation scheme following the outbreak of foo…

Answer · Richard Lochhead: No. We have been inregular discussions with stakeholders since the beginning of the foot-and-mouthoutbreak. While we have made clear that funding responsibility for foot-and-mouthdisease compensation rests with the UK Government, the Scottish Government has m…

30 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a written, formal and costed application was made to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs or HM Treasury for a compensation scheme for farmers following the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in August 2007 and prior to 25 October 2007; for what types of support …

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I wrote to the Secretaryof State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on  27 September 2007 explainingthe urgent need for a sheep welfare scheme and reiterating our view that it shouldbe funded by the UK Government. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Su…

30 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many sheep it estimates were culled as a result of actions arising from the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak before the Sheep Welfare Scheme came into operation.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: This information isnot recorded. The Sheep Welfare Scheme was introduced to prevent light lambs fromsuffering and dying on the hills as a consequence of measures taken to reduce therisk of spreading foot-and-mouth disease.</p>

30 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown by local authority area of the number of sheep culled for welfare reasons under the Sheep Welfare Scheme.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: As at 2 November 2007, 60,632 animals have been slaughtered under the SheepWelfare Scheme. The following table shows the number of animals presented to collectioncentres within the local authority areas listed. These animals were subsequentlyslaughtered. The …

30 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been paid to farmers and crofters under the Sheep Welfare Scheme, also broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The information requestedis provided in the following table which shows that as of 2 November 2007, a total of £292,965 has been processed for payment.The local authority areas listed are those which contain one or more collectioncentres.</p><table border=1 …

26 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4248 by Fiona Hyslop on 25 September 2007, whether any of these reports referred to the existence of a “so-called hit list” of school closures approved by the City of Edinburgh Council Executive prior to May 2007 and, if so, which reports these were …

Answer · Maureen Watt: Press reports, althoughnot using the precise term “so-called hit list”, suggested that the possibilityof school closures was under consideration by the then City of Edinburgh Council administration and mentioned certain specificschools.</p>

26 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4248 by Fiona Hyslop on 25 September 2007, whether it will give examples of the reports referred to.

Answer · Maureen Watt: There were such reportsin the <i>Edinburgh Evening News</i> on 14 August 2006, and 31 January, 9 February and 7 March 2007.</p>

26 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the second supplementary to question S3F-125 by Alex Salmond on 6 September 2007 (Official Report, c. 1501), whether the phrase “so-called hit list” refers to the programme of school closures contained in Children & Families Estates Review: Rationalisation and De…

Answer · Maureen Watt: The First Ministerwas reflecting on a general understanding that the possibility of school closures had been underconsideration for some time by the City of Edinburgh Council’s previous administration.</p>

17 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to announce what action it will take in respect of snaring, in light of responses to the consultation having closed eight months ago.

Answer · Michael Russell: The ScottishGovernment’s response to the snaring consultation, initiated by the previousadministration, will be issued in due course, in accordance with the prioritiesof the Scottish Government in this area. We are well aware of the sensitivitiessurrounding t…

17 Oct 2007 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what targets have been set for NHS Scotland to deliver energy efficiency and what incentives the Scottish Government has put in place for NHS boards to meet its overall reduction targets for CO2 emissions.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHSScotland currentlyhas a national target to reduce climatically adjusted energy consumption by 2% annuallyuntil 2010 and is on track to meet this target. This target will be reviewed inline with emerging policies.</p><p>NHS boards are coveredby the European…

15 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to seek a general renegotiation of the Memorandum of Understanding with the UK Government or of the bilateral concordats between the Scottish Executive and UK departments.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: The Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MoU) is a quadrilateral agreement between the UK Government and theDevolved Governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Therefore, a review of the MoU would requirethe participation of all four Administrations and be c…

5 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the decision to abolish the Cabinet Committee on Sustainable Scotland, what formal internal mechanisms exist to ensure that decisions meet the Executive’s five priorities and contribute to the target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by over 3% a year.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: It isthe responsibility of Cabinet, assisted by the Strategic Board, to achieve the overallpurpose and the five strategic objectives set by the Scottish Government. The GreenerScotland strategic objective is supported by a Programme Board, chaired by the Dire…

1 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4253 by Stewart Stevenson on 1 October 2007, how much each measure listed is predicted to contribute to meeting its CO2 emission reduction targets.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Most of the measureslisted are in development or under review and, whilst carbon savings will be a principaldriver for each measure, projected carbon savings are not currently available. However,the one stop shop approach for domestic consumers will aim for l…

1 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4139 by Kenny MacAskill on 27 September 2007, whether it is possible to identify what incidences of poisoning there have been where poisoning was not the main offence.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: It is notpossible to identify incidences of poisoning where poisoning was not the mainoffence from the data held centrally.</p>