Alasdair Morgan

25 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how often in the last year representatives of Scottish Natural Heritage have met representatives of the Quarry Products Association.

Answer · Allan Wilson: This is a matter for Scottish Natural Heritage. The information requested is not held centrally.

19 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25154 by Dr Richard Simpson on 1 May 2002, whether it has any plans to ensure that the funding per capita for NHS funded drug treatment services in Dumfries and Galloway more closely approaches the Scottish average.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Standing Committee on Resource Allocation has been asked to review alternative methods of distributing the funding for drug treatment services between NHS boards. We expect to receive the advice of this committee in the autumn.<P>The standing committee is…

14 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what legal advice it has sought as to whether section 20(6) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1988 contravenes Article 8 or any other Article of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) as implemented by the Human Rights Act 1998 and, if it has not sought any such advice, whether it w…

Answer · Margaret Curran: Following devolution, the Scottish Executive undertook a review of existing housing legislation from the ECHR perspective. We concluded that the current legislation is compatible with the Convention without further amendment. However, we keep under review the…

5 Jun 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will reach a decision on the application by Dumfries and Galloway Council to close Laurieston Primary School in Kirkcudbrightshire.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The council's application for consent to this closure proposal is under consideration and a decision will be reached as soon as practicable.

29 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of its energy efficiency policy, it will review the rules regarding listed building grants which do not enable applicants to receive financial assistance with installation of double gla'ing.

Answer · Elaine Murray: I have asked Graeme Munro, Chief Executive of Historic Scotland to reply. His response is as follows:<P>These grants from public funds are intended to help meet the additional repair costs normally associated with the use of traditional and appropriate materi…

22 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an up-to-date list of the public sector capital projects involving private finance which have (a) been completed and are (b) planned and (c) under way, giving both the start and estimated completion dates; what the estimated capital investment is for each project; …

Answer · Andy Kerr: An up-to-date list of all currently active projects known to the Executive showing, amongst other things: operational, on-going and potential projects; the estimated capital value, and estimated annual expenditure aggregated by sector is available from the Pa…

21 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24801 by Lewis Macdonald on 3 May 2002, what the nature is of the contamination causing the suspension of the further development of the A75 Chapelton to Bush o' Bield scheme.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I shall reply to the member as soon as possible.

13 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much public borrowing it has sanctioned, or proposes to sanction, under the terms of section 6.1 of Her Majesty's Treasury's Funding the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly: A Statement of Funding Policy in (a) 1999-00, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-…

Answer · Andy Kerr: Public borrowing for 2000-01 to 2002-03 by certain statutory bodies is sanctioned in Schedule 5 of the annual Budget (Scotland) Act. There will be two further opportunities in the current financial year to amend the 2002-03 act.<P>Borrowing for 2003-04 will b…

13 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which public bodies it has sanctioned public borrowing for under the terms of section 6.1 of Her Majesty's Treasury's Funding the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly: A Statement of Funding Policy.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25844.

1 May 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it gives to householders on the prevention of heat loss.

Answer · Margaret Curran: Advice on best use of energy and budgeting is given under the Executive's Warm Deal and Central Heating Programmes. The Executive also fund the Energy Efficiency Advice Centres which give free energy efficiency advice to householders across Scotland.

30 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what role it anticipates for Rural Home Ownership Grants in Dumfries and Galloway and what anticipated levels of resources will be allocated to such grants for each of the next three years.

Answer · Margaret Curran: A Rural Enabler is currently working in a number of village settlements across Dumfries and Galloway to help determine further the housing circumstances and needs of those villages. Once the studies are concluded Communities Scotland and Dumfries and Galloway…

30 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Rural Home Ownership Grants were made in Dumfries and Galloway in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01 and (c) 2001-02; what the value was of each grant; what the location was of each development, and how many units were provided in each location.

Answer · Margaret Curran: In each of the years no Rural Home Ownership Grants were approved in Dumfries and Galloway.

30 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to award grants for owner occupation (GRO grants) in Dumfries and Galloway in 2002-03; what the value of each grant will be; who the recipient developer will be in each case, and in which locations the units will be provided.

Answer · Margaret Curran: There are no current plans to award grants for owner-occupation (GRO Grants) in Dumfries and Galloway in 2002-03.

30 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many grants for owner occupation (GRO grants) were made in Dumfries and Galloway in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01 and (c) 2001-02; what the value was of each grant; who the recipient developer was in each case, and how many units were provided in each location .

Answer · Margaret Curran: One grant for owner occupation (GRO Grants) was made in the time period. The recipient was Robison and Davidson Limited, 30 homes in Thornhill were provided and the grant value was £408,406. The project was approved in 1999-2000.

23 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost will be to each NHS (a) board and (b) trust in 2003-04 of the changes to employers' National Insurance contributions announced in the UK 2002 Budget.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer given to S1W-25291.

23 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost will be to each local authority in 2003-04 of the changes to employers' National Insurance contributions announced in the UK 2002 Budget.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25291.

17 Apr 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria it uses in assessing whether or not to agree to a local authority request to close a primary school when the decision has been referred to it because of the distance to the nearest available alternative school.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: We would consider each proposal on its individual merits. Account would be taken of all relevant considerations including educational and financial issues and the impact on the local community particularly in remote or rural areas.

16 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce a grant with similar objectives to the Community Service Grant administered by the Countryside Agency as part of the Vital Villages Programme in England.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive does not have any plans to introduce a similar scheme in Scotland as it has in place a range of existing measures and policies to improve quality of life in rural Scotland by enhancing access to services. <P>Voluntary and community groups provid…

5 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans its has to announce further improvements to the A75 and A77 in light of the plans by Stena Line for the Loch Ryan operations.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Motorway and Trunk Road Programme to 2004 includes 15 schemes on the A75 and A77 at a total cost of over £19 million. Consideration will be given to reallocating planned investment along the routes to best address the priorities identified in consultation…

5 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has suspended the planned upgrading of the Chapelton to Bush o' Bield section of the A75, as stated in the letter of 20 December 2001 to me from the Deputy Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning and, if so, why it was included in its leaflet Delivering Transpo…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Further development of the A75 Chapelton to Bush o' Bield scheme has been suspended due to contaminated land.<P>The scheme was initially included in the Motorway and Trunk Roads Programme 2001-04. The mention in the <I>Delivering Transport Improvements</I> le…

5 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why the upgrade of the Planting End to Drumflower section of the A75 was not included in its leaflet Delivering Transport Improvements - West of Scotland 1.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The nine regional leaflets <I>Delivering Transport Improvements</I> detail committed funding as outlined in the Motorway and Trunk Roads Programme to 2004, announced by Sarah Boyack, then-Minister for Transport, on 27 March 2001.<P>The A75 Planting End to Dru…

5 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to proceed with the upgrade of the Planting End to Drumflower section of the A75 as stated in the letter of 20 December 2001 to me from the Deputy Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning, given that it was not included in its leaflet Delivering Transport…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive plans to develop the A75 Planting End to Drumflower as a substitute for the suspended Chapelton to Bush o' Bield scheme, dependent upon the outcome of the second stage Port Approach Study.

5 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost was, including staff costs, of the preparation of the nine Delivering Transport Improvements leaflets published on 18 March 2002.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The publication costs of the nine regional <I>Delivering Transport Improvements</I> leaflets, published on 18 March 2002, are as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=264><TR><TD WIDTH="64%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Publication costs</TD><TD WIDTH="3…

26 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the Scottish Law Commission to report on the law of the foreshore and seabed.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Law Commission published a Discussion Paper (No 113) on the Law of the Foreshore and Seabed on 19 April 2001, inviting comments by 31 July 2001. The commission have been asked to report by 31 December 2002, and are presently on track to do so.

20 Mar 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking in order to encourage domestic energy conservation.

Answer · Iain Gray: Under the Home Energy Conservation Act local authorities work with other agencies in the public, private and voluntary sectors to improve home energy efficiency. The Scottish Executive's first HECA progress report for the period April 1997 to March 1999 was p…

15 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what was spent by each local enterprise company (LEC) to fund mature apprenticeships in the last year for which figures are available (a) in total and (b) per head of population in each LEC area.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. The Executive does not hold this information centrally.

14 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its total annual budget has been as a percentage of GDP in each year for which figures are available.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The total annual budget as a percentage of GDP is shown in the table:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=446><TR><TD WIDTH="36%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=16><P></TD><TD WIDTH="19%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=16><P>2000-01 original plan</TD><TD WIDTH="19%" VAL…

14 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list each level one expenditure line in its total annual budget as a percentage of GDP in each year for which figures are available.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The table shows Budget as a percentage of GDP for each major portfolio:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=569><TR><TD WIDTH="52%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=54><P>Level 1</TD><TD WIDTH="13%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=54><P>2000-1 original plan</TD><TD WIDTH="…

14 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the development of the service provided from the Procurator Fiscal Service office in Stranraer.

Answer · Colin Boyd: Earlier this month and following the completion of a management review, I announced a wide-ranging modernisation of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service with the specific aim of improving the quality of the service delivered to the public. Significa…

8 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients detained at the State Hospital Carstairs have been assessed as suitable for transfer to another hospital or other suitable establishment nearer to their or their relatives' homes.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: As at 28 February 2002, there were 39 patients in the State Hospital where clinical agreement had been reached between the referring and the prospective receiving clinical teams that they could be safely treated and cared for by a local service. Thirty-five o…