Parliamentary questions

Sarah Boyack

2,373 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

1 Dec 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in ensuring that railway stations are accessible.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The primary statutory responsibility for access for disabled people rests with the UK Government and is currently being delivered by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA). However, the Executive has been working closely with the SRA to provide a more accessible …

29 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it proposes to take in light of the recent Policy and Financial Management Review (PFMR) of the Scottish Industrial Development Advisory Board (SIDAB).

Answer · Jim Wallace: The review concluded that SIDAB makes a valuable contribution to the consideration of large Regional Selective Assistance cases and should continue as an non-departmental public body. However, some minor changes to operating practices were recommended and the…

19 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Seeds (National List of Varieties) (Amendment) Regulations 2004 will be made.

Answer · Ross Finnie: These UK regulations were laid before both Houses of the UK Parliament on 11 November 2004. A copy of the instrument has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 34509).

10 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware that the proposed reduction in Supporting People funding to the City of Edinburgh Council may have jeopardised a project that was designed to relieve delayed discharge.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We are very conscious that the City of Edinburgh Council and providers have concerns about the allocations announced. I have met with COSLA on several occasions to discuss their concerns and have offered to slow down the rate of redistribution with the aim of…

10 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware that the proposed reduction in Supporting People funding for the City of Edinburgh Council may jeopardise the council’s ability to maintain its rough sleeper initiative and therefore the Executive’s commitment that no one should need to sleep rough.

10 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations have been received from the City of Edinburgh Council regarding its allocation of funding under the Supporting People initiative and the impact that the allocation will have on its ability to deliver core support services to vulnerable members of its community.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We have received representations from COSLA, local authorities including Edinburgh, providers, stakeholders and a range of other organisations and individuals.I have met with COSLA on several occasions and listened to their concerns about the allocatio…

3 Nov 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in the creation of green jobs.

Answer · Jim Wallace: We are committed to working withbusiness to produce a green jobs strategy. I am confident that there arereal opportunities for Scottish businesses in the developing environmental sectors– particularly the three “big wins” of renewable energy, waste and…

19 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-10364 by Mr Tom McCabe on 30 September 2004, what national awareness campaigns it will introduce to support the voluntary proof-of-age scheme, as referred to in the Partnership Agreement.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Through the Dialogue Youth Project young people are being made aware of the potential value of the local authority/Young Scot card in providing voluntary proof of age as the card scheme is currently being rolled out across Scotland. In addition, there will be…

5 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make an announcement on the proposal to build a 98 megawatt wind-powered generating station at Braes of Doune near Dunblane.

Answer · Allan Wilson: I can announce that the Scottish ministers have granted consent to this proposal in terms of section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. Additionally this consent carries deemed planning permission in terms of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997.</p…

5 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make an announcement on the proposal to build a 112.5 megawatt wind-powered generating station at Farr near Tomatin in the Highlands.

Answer · Allan Wilson: I can announce that the Scottish ministers have granted consent on this proposal in terms of section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. Additionally, this consent carries deemed planning permission in terms of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997.</…

28 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to protect harbour porpoises in special areas of conservation in accordance with its responsibilities under the Habitats Directive.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the question S2W-10994 answered on 26 October 2004. 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…

28 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in which special areas of conservation the harbour porpoise has been designated as a protected species and at what level of protection.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: There are no candidate Special Areas of Conservation (cSACs) for harbour porpoise within Scottish waters. The Habitats Directive states that sites for wide-ranging aquatic species willbe proposed only where there is a “clearly identifiable area repres…

8 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when Her Majesty's Government and the devolved administrations' updated policy on the decommissioning of the United Kingdom's nuclear facilities will be published.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The updated policy on the decommissioning of the UK’s nuclear facilities was published today. Copies have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 33737), and it is available on the Executive’s website at www.scotland.gov.uk.

8 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans for a publicity campaign to encourage Scotlands school and college students to carry a PASS-accredited proof-of-age card if intending to buy age-restricted products.

Answer · Tom McCabe: There are no plans for a national publicity campaign. However, 12 to 18 year olds are encouraged through the Dialogue Youth project to voluntarily take up the offer of a combined local authority/Young Scot card. Supporting materials underline to young people …

8 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce a national PASS-accredited proof-of-age card, as recommended by the Scottish Retail Consortium and the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers.

Answer · Tom McCabe: There are no plans to introduce a national proof of age card. However, the Scottish Executive continues to support the development of the Dialogue Youth project and associated local authority/Young Scot card which is PASS accredited and, amongst other things,…

8 Sep 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what strategy it has to develop Edinburgh as a must see tourist destination.

Answer · Frank McAveety: VisitScotland, Edinburgh and Lothians Tourist Board and the City of Edinburgh Council work together to promote Edinburgh as a world class destination. 2004 is proving to be a great year for visitors to the capital, and we wish to build on that partnership thr…

8 Sep 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what role areas of green belt play in the management of urban change.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: Green belts fulfil a number of functions. For example, they can maintain the landscape setting of settlements, and they can also encourage the re-use of vacant or derelict urban land.

6 Aug 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what predictions it has made of the impact that the policies set out in Scotland's transport future: the transport white paper - June 2004 will have on climate change and when such predictions will be available.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is committed to tackling the causes of climate change and to ensuring that Scotland makes an equitable contribution to the UK Kyoto target. The white paper of June 2004, Scotland’s transport future, is a strategic document which …

1 Jul 2004 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what percentage of companies from which it procures goods provide independently verified reports on their social and environmental performance.

Answer · Duncan McNeil: At present, the SPCB doesnot maintain records of the percentage of companies providing this type ofinformation. However, tenderers’ submissions for SPCB contracts are assessedagainst relevant environmental and equalities criteria.For example, companies…

1 Jul 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of companies from which it procures goods provide independently verified reports on their social and environmental performance.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Executive does not routinely require such reports of its suppliers. Where appropriate and relevant to the nature of the contract, suppliers may be required to demonstrate that they have a recognised environmental management system, such as EMAS or ISO1400…

23 Jun 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to increase the contribution of cycling to its integrated transport system.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: We will continue to core-fund Cycling Scotland which was set up in October last year to promote cycling as a healthy, sustainable and environmentally friendly mode of transport. We will also maintain cycling, walking and safer streets funding to local authori…

11 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that builders and developers apply for Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative (SCHRI) grants.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: New marketing initiatives, uniqueto Scotland, are being targeted specifically at builders. These,together with the publicising of case studies of the first grants, are aimed atproducing a gradual increase in take-up of this element of the SCHRI.

11 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there has been any take-up of the extension of Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative grants to builders and developers.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Energy Saving Trust is currentlyin contact with a number of builders who have expressed interest and the firstseven applications are expected shortly.

11 Jun 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure an increased take-up rate of Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative (SCHRI) grants over the next 18 months.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Interest in the SCHRI continuesto grow as a result of the promotional activities being undertaken by our networkof project officers throughout Scotland. A national media campaign is also being planned whichwill further promote the support available to individ…

26 May 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what rate of take-up there has been for the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative to date.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Seventy-fivecommunity projects have been awarded funding of around £1.9 million under the Scottish Community and Householder Initiative, of which 25 have been completed,and 60 awards amounting in total to £76,000 have been made to householders.

28 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S20-2049 by Nicol Stephen on 22 April 2004, what train services will be accommodated by the additional four train paths per hour at Waverley Station in addition to the Bathgate to Airdrie line and the Waverley line.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive is committed in the long term to delivering improved services over the lifetime of the new franchise. In addition to Airdrie to Bathgate, the redevelopment of Waverley Station will provide additional capacity, for example, to accommodate new Fif…

27 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will develop an action plan on flooding similar to that developed by the UK Foresight Programme and whether it will require the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and COSLA to contribute to such a plan, as their English counterparts h…

Answer · Allan Wilson: The recently published UKForesight Report on Future Flooding is supported by a Future Flooding ActionPlan to which the Executive contributed. In line with this plan, we will take intoaccount the outcome of the Foresight report in planning our flood ris…

20 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in consulting on the proposals to be brought forward in order to comply with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The second stage of a three-phaseconsultation exercise with stakeholders closed on 1 March 2004. Consultation wasundertaken jointly by the Scottish Executive, the UK Government, the Welsh Assemblyand the Northern Ireland administration. The response is curren…

30 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on what occasions since May 1999 Scottish Ministers have exercised (a) prerogative functions including any functions originally conferred on a Minister of the Crown by a prerogative instrument and (b) non-statutory executive functions under section 53 of the Scotland Act 1998.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The information requested isnot recorded.

29 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications will be of implementation of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive for business sectors affected by the directive.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The directive seeks to reducethe environmental impact of disposing of waste electrical and electronic equipmentby encouraging separate collection, setting treatment requirements and requiringhigh levels of recycling. Manufacturers and importers of goods withi…