Parliamentary questions

Dr Sylvia Jackson

415 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

26 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of fluctuations over the last six weeks in (a) pork, (b) lamb and (c) beef prices paid to farmers and in prices charged by leading supermarket chains.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The closure of livestock markets since the commencement of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak has disrupted the Meat and Livestock Commission's normal collection of information on liveweight prices paid to producers. However deadweight prices are provided in…

26 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the powers available to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in the area of soil protection are adequate and whether it will consider devising a soil protection strategy and integrating existing legislation in order to increase the powers available to the Scottish Environmen…

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The need for legislation to protect soils and the adequacy of current powers exercised by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency will be kept under review. Any decisions on this will await the outcome of a scoping study which we have commissioned from the…

26 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take in response to the statement in the Scottish Environment Protection Agency's recent State of the Environment Soil Quality Report that the principal threat to soil quality and the long-term use of soils comes from agricultural practices, acid deposition and the app…

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency's report is an important contribution to the debate on what needs to be done to address the question of protection for Scotland's soil resource. The report will be considered along with a scoping study on the require…

30 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in the discussions about how the E-Learning Foundation's initiative on the provision of computer equipment for young people might apply in Scotland.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is committed to tackling problems of digital inclusion and to achieving universal access to the web by 2005. A new Digital Inclusion Unit has been created within the Executive to take this work forward. A meeting between Executive offic…

28 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of secondary school children in (a) Scotland and (b) Stirling constituency have personal e-mail accounts at school.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Local authority plans indicated that, by September 2000, 66% of Scottish secondary school pupils would have e-mail accounts at school. Conclusive statistics will be available when the results from the September 2000 School Census are published in the next few…

28 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the assistance available to promote the use of liquid petroleum gas as a vehicle fuel in rural areas is available to all rural communities, as defined in Appendix 1 of Rural Scotland: A New Approach.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The definition of rural used in appendix 1 of Rural Scotland: A New Approach is based on the population density of local authority areas. It was used for the purposes of analytical simplicity and as a consequence of the way in which many socio-e…

28 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to ensure that wild animals are not removed from their natural habitat.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, the Conservation (Natural Habitats & c.) Regulations 1994, the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, together with a range of related nature conservation and anti-cruelty legislation, regulate the taking of animals, birds …

28 Mar 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14126 by Mr Alasdair Morrison on 27 March 2001, whether it will provide details of visitscotland's recovery plan for the tourism industry.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: Visitscotland announced on 4 April its proposals for immediate assistance for the industry. These take the form of marketing and information campaigns at both the Scotland and local levels, together with help for individual businesses that are members of Area…

14 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the review of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee announced in July 2000.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: The report on the first stage of the financial, management and policy review of the JNCC has been published today and copies will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre. Copies of the report can also be obtained on the JNCC's website at <A HREF="http:…

13 Mar 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to support local authorities to help with the cost of disposing of old fridges and free'ers.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I announced a package of additional grant assistance for local authorities on 7 March, in response to question S1W-23475 on 7 March 2002.

28 Feb 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to address the fact that children from low income families are more likely to die in road accidents than children from more affluent families.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: On 26 February I re-launched the Children's Traffic Club in Scotland. The club offers free road safety training to all children in Scotland aged three and four. The club's format and materials have been revised to encourage greater use by lower income familie…

21 Feb 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take to progress the aims of the Better Government for Older People programme in the light of the report from the Scottish pilot projects.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The work of the Better Government for Older people pilots has been of great value. The Executive's response to the BGOP recommendations in All our futures in Scotland will help to inform future policy development. And we will continue to work with olde…

6 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is in relation to the practice of "couping" Clydesdale horses.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive is aware that a working group consisting of the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, veterinary expertise, Clydesdale Horse Society and the Farriers Registration Council is actively considering the issue. We are co…

6 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10048 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 5 October 2000, how many pensioners live in private accommodation; how many private rented sector houses will benefit from the central heating initiative, and what percentage of households living in private rented accom…

Answer · Jackie Baillie: There is insufficient data to estimate how many pensioners live in private accommodation. We estimate from the results of the 1996 Scottish House Condition Survey that about 8,000 pensioner households in the private rented sector will benefit from the central…

6 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of low-income households in the private rented sector applied for Warm Deal grants in the last year

Answer · Jackie Baillie: There is no estimate of the number of households in the private rented sector who are eligible for the Warm Deal. In the 12 months to 30 June 2000, the first full year of the scheme, 697 grants went to households in the private sector. This represents 2.9% of…

6 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of private rented households live in fuel poverty.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: We estimate from the 1996 Scottish House Condition Survey that 47% of households in the private rented sector are in fuel poverty. Further information will be available when the results of the 2002 survey are published.

6 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its role is in relation to the promotion of renewable energy and how the #12.9 million allocated to the Scottish Renewables Obligation in 1999-2000 was spent on (a) wind power, (b) wave power, (c) solar power, (d) biomass and (e) energy from waste projects, listing each project fund…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive has executively devolved powers to promote renewable energy in Scotland under the Electricity Act 1989, as amended by the Utilities Act 2000.The Scottish Renewables Obligation (SRO) has run since 1994, and the £12.9 million allocated…

12 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its consultation document on the control of skin piercing has been issued.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive consultation document on skin piercing is being published today and is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre and on the Executive's website.

3 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in relation to its individual learning accounts initiative.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: ILAs are a way of helping people to invest in their own learning with financial support from the Executive. The initial response has been encouraging. Following on from the pilot schemes the initiative has been fully operational in Scotland from 1 September 2…

18 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-2717 by Sarah Boyack on 14 December 2000, what further progress has been made in ongoing negotiations with Her Majesty's Treasury regarding the Scottish Transport Group pension schemes.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Whilst there is no legal entitlement for STG pension scheme members to share in the pension surplus at wind-up Scottish Ministers are keen that they receive treatment that is broadly equitable with that of NBC pension scheme members south of the border. I am …

14 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the consultation paper on the possible legislative proposals to assist hutters will be published.

Answer · Iain Gray: I am publishing today a consultation paper, Greater Protection for Hutters, which seeks views on the principle and detail of possible legislative proposals to address concerns that have been raised following the dispute at Carbeth. The consultation pap…

7 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to promote the manufacture of wave energy equipment in Scotland.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: Wave energy was supported under the third round of the previous Scottish Renewables Obligation, and as a result 3 Scottish companies obtained contracts to develop wave power devices. One of these is now in operation on Islay. We are currently consulting on de…

6 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the timetable is for its consultation exercise on the regulation of the skin piercing industry.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: A consultation paper will be issued widely to local authorities, public health interests, representatives of the skin piercing industry and others by the end of 2000.In the normal way, a 12-week period will be allowed for responses, in the …

29 Nov 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is in relation to the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for multiple sclerosis sufferers.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Although hyperbaric oxygen therapy may give symptomatic relief to some multiple sclerosis sufferers, there is no clinical evidence to suggest that it is in any way effective in arresting the progress of multiple sclerosis. There is therefore no national polic…

28 Nov 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on any pollution-related illness caused by waste-burning incinerators.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: A report on Health Effects of Waste Combustion Products, published in 1997 by the Medical Research Council's Institute for Environment and Health, concluded that "Epidemiological studies of people who work at or live near incinerators have shown no con…

28 Nov 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans for energy from waste schemes and, if so, what mechanisms will be put in place to monitor the level of dioxins around the sites of these schemes.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: Various energy from waste technologies, including incineration of waste, have until now been classified as a form of renewable energy generation, and were included for support under the previous Scottish Renewables Obligation arrangements. Our consultation pa…

28 Nov 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what projections it has for job creation in the renewable energy sector and what funding is being made available in this respect.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: The Executive, through Scottish Enterprise Energy Group based in Aberdeen, is actively encouraging companies in Scotland to consider diversification into the manufacturing opportunities which are beginning to arise from renewable energy development. Our promo…

28 Nov 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in promoting the use of liquid petroleum gas as a vehicle fuel.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive, through its funding of the Energy Saving Trust's "Powershift" alternative vehicle fuel programme, promotes the use of LPG and other alternative fuels in Scotland. The Powershift budget in Scotland is under heavy pressure at the moment …

22 Nov 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the arrangements for elections in National Parks will be taken forward.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: The National Parks (Scotland) Act provides for a minimum of 20% of each National Park Authority to be chosen through direct elections by people on the local government register of electors in the park. Arrangements for such elections are required, under sched…

20 Nov 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make publicly available details of the responses received to its consultation paper Appointments to Public Bodies in Scotland: Modernising the System.

Answer · Angus MacKay: The responses have been lodged in the Executive's Library at Saughton House where they can be inspected by the public.