Parliamentary questions
Adam Ingram
1,244 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
25 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to provide details of all applications for Freight Facilities Grant funding received to date, including those applications which did not receive funding, specifying in each case why funding was not granted.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Details of successful awards made since 1 July 1999 were provided in the answer to question S1W-6306. No formal applications have so far failed to secure grant.
25 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail all of the projects for which funding has been allocated from the Freight Facilities Grant, including in particular the value of grants given to date; how much of the #18.3 million available for Freight Facilities Grants from 1999-2000 to 2001-02 remains to be alloc…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Nine awards have been made under the Freight Facilities Grant scheme in Scotland. Details of these awards are as follows:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="25%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Company</TD><TD…
25 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to provide details of the number, nature and expenditure of projects undertaken or assisted by the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society.
Answer · Ross Finnie: This information is related to the activity of a private organisation and so is not held centrally. It could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The 2000 Annual Report of SAOS does however provide some information on recent activities. Copies of the An…
25 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to provide details of the number and location of marketing co-operatives which have been established as a consequence of Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society activity.
Answer · Ross Finnie: There are currently 101 marketing co-operatives registered as members of Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society (SAOS). It is probably true to say that the existing marketing co-operatives are there as a consequence of SAOS activity. The name and location…
25 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit of the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society (SAOS) is; how much funding it will give SAOS in the current year and in each of the next two years, and what measures are being undertaken to evaluate the work of SAOS.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The remit of SAOS, which is a private organisation registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Acts 1965-78, is to strengthen the profitability, competitiveness and sustainability of Scotland's farming, food and related rural industries, through t…
21 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many members of staff are employed within each local authority with the specific remit of tackling dog fouling.
Answer · Frank McAveety: This information is not held centrally. It is a matter for individual local authorities to determine the number of staff required to carry out its various functions within the resources available to it.
21 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of revenue support grant was allocated through the 2000-01 local government finance settlement to allow councils to tackle the problem of dog fouling.
Answer · Frank McAveety: No specific funding is provided to councils to tackle dog fouling. It is a matter for local authorities themselves to allocate resources from within the total available to them.
21 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of disease caused by exposure to dog fouling have been reported within the NHS in Scotland in each of the last three years, broken down by region.
Answer · Susan Deacon: A number of gastrointestinal infections may theoretically be contracted by humans through contact with dog faeces. But there are many other possible routes for infection whereby humans may contract such infections and it is not therefore possible to identify …
21 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been prosecuted in respect of dog fouling offences in each of the past three years, broken down by region.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The numbers of persons prosecuted under section 48 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 in the last three years for which data are available are given in the following table, by police force area.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Persons prosecuted for main offence u…
21 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many dog fouling offences have been reported to Procurator Fiscals' offices in each of the past three years, broken down by region.
Answer · Colin Boyd: The information requested is detailed in the table below and has been broken down by year and region. As many of these cases are closed relatively quickly some cases reported during 1997 will already have been purged from the Crown Office computer system and …
21 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to review legislation with regard to the offence of dog fouling and, in particular, whether any consideration is being given to bringing the provisions of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 into line with the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996, as introduced in Englan…
Answer · Frank McAveety: We shall be considering this and other provisions of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 in the context of our plans for local government legislation generally.
28 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether housing transferred and subsequently refurbished under the New Housing Partnership will be required to meet higher energy efficiency standards following their refurbishment than those which applied when the houses were first constructed.
Answer · Frank McAveety: The New Housing Partnerships Steering Group are considering the issue of incorporating higher energy efficiency standards following housing transfer. The Executive will take full account of these views when reaching its decision.
25 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been undertaken of any effects of rising sea level on the coastline and whether any action to mitigate the effects of rising sea levels on Scotland's coasts is planned and, if so, what financial allocation has been made to cover such actions.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Future sea level rise and its implications for Scotland were covered in the Scottish Executive's report <I>Climate Change: Scottish Implications Scoping Study</I> which I launched in December last year. In addition, Scottish Natural Heritage has commissioned …
8 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the Scottish Enterprise budget is spent on consultancy contracts and whether it will provide details of the value and nature of these contracts.
Answer · Henry McLeish: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and I have asked the Chairman to write to the member. A copy of the reply will be placed in SPICe.
8 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise budget is spent on consultancy contracts and whether it will provide details of the value and the nature of these contracts.
Answer · Henry McLeish: This is an operational matter for Highlands and Islands Enterprise and I have asked the Chairman to write to the member. A copy of the reply will be placed in SPICe.
3 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of any new burdens and commitments which have financial implications for local authority budgets, and whether it will quantify the changes which have been made to aggregate external finance and revenue support grant for this coming financial year to acc…
Answer · Jack McConnell: The provision made for new burdens and pressures recognised in the settlement for 2000-01 is set out in the table below:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="78%" VALIGN="TOP"> </TD><TD WIDTH="22%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="CENT…
2 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which formula is used to allocate capital allowances to local authorities on an authority by authority basis and who has responsibility for determining the total capital allowances for all local authorities in Scotland.
Answer · Jack McConnell: By agreement with CoSLA, the single allocation formula is used to determine the main part of the non-housing capital allocations for local authorities. The formula has two parts - a base calculation (explained in the answer to question S1W-3658) which is then…
21 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last made representations to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to secure "agrimoney" for milk producers and whether it will place details of these representations in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I am currently giving careful consideration to the merits of paying further agrimonetary aid. Since Scotland cannot go it alone on this matter I am involved in on-going discussions with the other UK Agricultural Ministers.
21 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the mechanism will be for payment of "agrimoney" to milk producers and how much will be paid out.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The precise amounts of agrimonetary compensation available to UK milk producers as well as other agricultural sectors have yet to be determined. These will not be known until the European Commission publishes a Regulation later in February. Payments must be m…
21 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it intends to undertake to restore stability in the market for milk and whether it intends to make representations to Her Majesty's Government to put in place measures which will protect farmers against the development of any buyer's monopoly in the milk market.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has sympathy for dairy farmers who are in financial difficulty through having to adjust to lower raw milk prices. However, in what is now an unregulated market, the Executive's ability to influence the position is limited.<FONT FACE="Ar…
21 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what data provided in the new publication Scottish Economic Statistics will be additional to that currently provided in the Statistical Bulletins (Industry Series).
Answer · Jack McConnell: In addition to the statistical information which was historically provided in the former Scottish Office Industry Series of Statistical Bulletins, the Scottish Executive's new <I>Scottish Economic Statistics</I> publication, which is due for release in Februa…
6 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects the National Planning Policy Guideline No 8 to be observed at all times or whether it considers that exceptions to these guidelines can be made and, if so, under what circumstances would adherence to them be waived.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Planning decisions should be made in accordance with the provisions of the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. National Planning Policy Guideline 8 is an important material consideration, which indicates that planning permissio…
6 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what studies, if any, have been conducted into the impact on employment following the construction of an out-of-town retail development.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The former Scottish Office published research into the impact of Edinburgh's Gyle Centre, in July 1996. This covered retail and transport effects as well as the impact on employment.
10 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms are currently in place in Scotland to distribute European Leader funding.
Answer · Jack McConnell: LEADER is currently delivered in Scotland through Highlands & Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise who liaise directly with the European Commission, under so-called global grant arrangements.
10 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what changes, if any, there will be to Scotland's share of the new round of European Leader funding.
Answer · Jack McConnell: European Commission proposals for LEADER Plus are currently being considered by Member States. The Scottish Executive is fully involved in developing the UK position. Once the guidelines are established and the UK share confirmed, the Scottish Executive will …
10 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms are in place in Scotland to deal with applications for the new round of European Leader funding.
Answer · Jack McConnell: European Commission proposals for LEADER Plus are currently being considered by Member States. Options for implementation will be considered in due course.
10 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what structures it intends to put in place to distribute Leader funding to additional areas which will become eligible for funding under the new round.
Answer · Jack McConnell: European Commission proposals for LEADER Plus are currently being considered by Member States. The Scottish Executive is fully involved in developing the UK position. Once the guidelines are established and the UK share confirmed, the Scottish Executive will …
10 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to secure European Leader funding for Scotland's rural areas.
Answer · Jack McConnell: European Commission proposals for LEADER Plus are currently being considered by Member States. The Scottish Executive is fully involved in developing the UK position, and representations on specific areas will follow in the New Year.
12 Oct 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what are the projected deficits or surpluses in housing revenue accounts and general service budgets for the current financial year in each of Scotland's local authorities and what percentage of budgeted expenditure do these variances represent.
Answer · Jack McConnell: Local authorities are not allowed to budget for a deficit in either their general funds or the housing revenue accounts.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The returns collected by my Department do not include comprehensive information on the surpluses which local authorities…
16 Sep 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to reduce the level of dependency on the private car for those resident in rural areas in the South of Scotland, and if so, to detail these plans.
Answer · Alasdair Morrison: The Scottish Executive is pursuing a variety of initiatives to promote more sustainable and integrated transport in the rural areas. On 15 September, I announced grants to three community transport projects in the South of Scotland totalling nearly £92,000. O…