Parliamentary questions

Alasdair Morgan

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

12 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will monitor the effectiveness of the work of the Centre for Confidence and Well-Being.

Answer · Robert Brown: Section 52(J) of the Children(Scotland) Act 1995 enables children who may have been misusing alcohol or drugs tobe referred to the children’s reporter. Statistics on referrals are collated andpublished by the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration in lin…

12 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will monitor the effectiveness of the work of the Centre for Confidence and Well-Being.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Centre for Confidence and Well-Being is an independent not for profit organisation which aims to improve confidence and well-being in the general population in Scotland. In 2005-06 the Scottish Executive provided funding to the Centre for Confidenc…

28 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the maximum grant entitlement under the Warm Deal scheme.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We are in the process of completing a short consultation exercise on the Scottish Executive’s fuel poverty programmes and will consider increasing the maximum grant entitlement for the warm deal scheme as part of this process.

14 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of any unavoidable financial loss experienced by caged bird clubs and other similar organisations following the decision to cancel shows of caged birds from 27 October 2005 in order to prevent the spread of avian influenza.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The introduction of the ban on bird gatherings was in response to a European Commission decision. Given the precautionary approach being taken to minimise the risk of avian influenza spreading across Europe and the timescale presented by EU deadlines, no asse…

10 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances a traffic survey is carried out at a specific location or locations on a trunk road.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Traffic surveys may be carried out as part of the design for a specific scheme or to determine if certain improvements are required on the network, for example, to improve road safety.

3 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made, or will make, any assessment of speeds on the A77 south of the monitored area from south of Girvan to north of Ayr since the introduction of the Speed Enforcement Camera System in that area.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive is monitoring traffic speeds on the A77 south of the SPECS speed enforcement camera system area. The Scottish Road Traffic Database traffic counters at Bennane Shore and Glen App are being used to assess the impact of SPECS south of the…

20 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when Polish dentists will be allocated to NHS Dumfries and Galloway.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: It is anticipated that the third tranche of dentists from abroad will be taken up by NHS boards covering remote and rural areas. The Executive have asked all NHS boards to identify their needs. As yet, there has been no request made to the Executive from NHS …

20 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why Polish dentists have not been allocated to NHS Dumfries and Galloway in the first tranche of placements.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: NHS Dumfries and Galloway made no application to the Executive to be included in the first tranche of placements of dentists from Poland.

20 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria have been applied to the allocation of Polish dentists to NHS boards.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Boards were asked to indicate to the Executive the number of dentists which they could accommodate, provided they had the appropriate facilities and support staff. The Executive allocated dentists to NHS boards after these requests were submitted.

27 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons are for the Forestry Commission's plans to relocate administrative and training operations from Ae, in Dumfries and Galloway, to Edinburgh at a time when the Executive has announced its commitment to decentralising positions away from Edinburgh.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Forestry Commission has identified scope for increased efficiencies in its Human Resources Division, by combining the roles of two units: the Change Management team and Forestry Training Services, given the changing nature of learning and development. The…

4 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) average and (b) total cost of appeals against council tax banding has been in each year since 1999.

Answer · Tom McCabe: This information is not heldcentrally.

4 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of pensioner households have paid more than (a) 5, (b) 10 and (c) 15 per cent of their gross income on council tax in each year since 1999.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following table presentsestimates from the Family Resource Survey. Estimates of Proportion of PensionerHouseholds who have Paid More than Five, 10 and 15 per cent of their Gross Incomeon Council Tax between 1999-2000 to 2003-04 (Percentage)<tab…

4 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful appeals against council tax banding have been received in each year since 1999 and how many properties were moved down (i) one band, (ii) two bands and (iii) three or more bands following successful appeals.

Answer · George Lyon: This information is not heldcentrally.

4 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) average and (b) total cost of appeals against non-domestic rates has been in each year since 1999.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The amounts of non-domestic ratesexpected to be repayable by councils (mainly as a result of appeals) in the years1999-2000 to 2005-06 are shown in the table below. <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> Year </td> …

4 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful appeals against non-domestic rates levels have been made in each year since 1999.

Answer · Tom McCabe: No information is held centrallyon how many individual appeals were wholly or partly successful.

17 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make an assessment of the possibility of installing a light-controlled pedestrian crossing on the A75 in Springholm, Kirkcudbrightshire.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive commissioned Amey Infrastructure Services in November 2004 to carry outan assessment for the provision of a pedestrian crossing on the A75 trunk road throughSpringholm.The study concluded that, asthe level of pedestrian activity …

9 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will update the information contained in Table 3.2 of Nurturing Wealth Creation: A Report by the Scottish Manufacturing Steering Group - Comparative Study of Business Tax Revenue to show the nominal income from non-domestic rates in Scotland and England in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004…

Answer · Tom McCabe: The updated information on certified non-domestic rate income in Scotland and England in 2003-04 is shown in the following table. In Scotland and England, certified non‑domestic rates income for 2004-05 and 2005-06 will not be available until early 2006…

9 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average non-domestic rate has been in each year since 1993.

Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the question S2W-17228 answered on 17 June 2005. 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/wa…

9 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average rise in council tax has been in each year since 1993.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The following table shows, for each year from 1993-94 to 2005-06 the Scotland Average Band D Council Tax, and the percentage increase from the previous year. <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> Year</td> …

9 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the rise in an average band D property council tax bill has been since 1993.

Answer · Tavish Scott: I refer the member to the question S2W-17232 answered on 17 June 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa…

9 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average rise in non-domestic rates has been in each year since 1993.

Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the question S2W-17228 answered on 17 June 2005. 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/w…

9 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total income has been from council tax in each year since 1993.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The information requested is given in Table13 of Scottish Local Government Financial Statistics 1998-99 (for years 1993-1994 to 1998-99) and Table S3 of Scottish Local Government Financial Statistics 2003-04 (for years 1999-2000 to 2003-04). The…

9 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total income has been from non-domestic rates in each year since 1993.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested is given on Table 13 of the Scottish Local Government Financial Statistics published by the Scottish Executive. A copy of the relevant years are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre and the Bib numbers are shown in…

26 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any restriction on community councils being directly involved in negotiations with potential windfarm developers regarding the payment of community benefit by the developers.

Answer · Johann Lamont: Procedures for establishing communitycouncils are set out in the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 and the Local Governmentetc. (Scotland) Act 1994. There is nothing in these acts to preventcommunity councils from being directly involved in negotiations wi…

26 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what reply it has made, or will make, to a letter from solicitors acting for Peter Swann to the Lord Advocate on 28 April 2005 regarding matters pertaining to the wrongful identification of fingerprints.

Answer · Colin Boyd: The Office of the Solicitor to the Scottish Executive replied to the letter referred to on 24 May 2005. A copy of this letter has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 36715). A separate response is to be sent by Crown Office officials…

26 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it publicly released a letter from solicitors acting for Peter Swann to the Lord Advocate on 28 April 2005, regarding matters pertaining to the wrongful identification of fingerprints and, if not, whether it will institute an inquiry into the leak of the contents of that letter an…

Answer · Colin Boyd: The Scottish Executive did not publicly release the letter referred to. I understand that the author of the letter is responsible for its release. There is therefore no basis for an inquiry into this matter.

26 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to whom it copied a letter from solicitors acting for Peter Swann to the Lord Advocate on 28 April 2005 regarding matters pertaining to the wrongful identification of fingerprints.

Answer · Colin Boyd: The letter referred to was not copied to anyone outwith the Scottish Executive. I understand that the author of the letter was responsible for its public release and circulation.

20 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the costs of the Private Water Supplies Grant Scheme should it be introduced in the form suggested in the current consultation document on the draft Private Water Supplies (Scotland) Regulations 2005.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The full costs of the Private Water Supplies Grant Scheme will depend on several factors, including the number of supplies identified through the Private Water Supplies (Scotland) Regulations as requiring improvement, take-up rates, and associated administrat…

20 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the number of tourism businesses that will be affected by the draft Private Water Supplies (Scotland) Regulations 2005 when enacted.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The partial Regulatory Impact Assessment which was included in the consultation on the draft regulations considered the costs to individuals and businesses of complying with the quality standards set by the Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC) and concluded th…

20 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether letters to the Lord Advocate regarding matters relating to fingerprinting are routinely copied to officers in the Scottish Criminal Record Office and, if so, what guidelines there are in respect of their confidentiality at all stages of the process.

Answer · Colin Boyd: I refer the member to the answers to questions S2W-16930, S2W-16931 and S2W-16932 on 7 June 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scotti…