Parliamentary questions

Alasdair Morgan

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

18 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether allowing leachate from Lochar Moss waste disposal site, Dumfries, to be piped directly into the public sewerage system for treatment, as proposed by Dumfries and Galloway Council, is the best practicable environmental option, as defined in paragraph 36 of National Planning Policy…

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Assessing the Best Practicable Environmental Option for waste from the Dumfries area is developed in The Area Waste Plan for Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway, which is available at: <A HREF="http://www.sepa.org.uk/nws/guidance/awp.htm">http://www.se…

18 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what contact its officials have had with officials of Dumfries and Galloway Council about the adaptation and implementation of the council's private finance initiative for waste management since November 2002.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Officials of the Scottish Executive have had numerous productive meetings and correspondence with officials from Dumfries and Galloway Council since November 2002. The most recent meeting was on 9 July. We hope to see the contract signed for the public privat…

2 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide additional financial support for local bus services in the Dumfries and Galloway Council area, with particular regard to services at peak commuting times.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive provides substantial financial support for the operation of subsidised local bus services through the local government Grant Aided Expenditure mechanism. This support makes available resources for local transport authorities to provide socially …

2 Jun 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the level of grant support given to public transport operators in the Dumfries and Galloway Council area.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive provides grant support to ScotRail in the Dumfries and Galloway Council area. The Scottish passenger rail franchise is currently being re-let, and will begin operation in 2004. The commercial bidding process will determine the level of …

26 May 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to reduce the impact on small businesses of increased standing charges for the provision of water and sewerage services.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Charges to individual customers are matters for the Water Industry Commissioner and Scottish Water who must agree a charge scheme. Each charges scheme must raise income no more than the revenue cap set by ministers.

21 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether monitoring of the environmental effect of test firings of depleted uranium shells at Dundrennan in Kirkcudbrightshire should be carried out by an organisation not contracted by the Ministry of Defence.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-34208 today. 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/searc…

21 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what environmental monitoring has been carried out subsequent to the recent test firings of depleted uranium shells at Dundrennan range in Kirkcudbrightshire.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Radioactive Substances Act 1993 (RSA 93) provides the legal basis for environmental monitoring and, in Scotland, this is the responsibility of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has Crown exemption from RSA 93…

12 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has called for a report into the circumstances in which a person on the sex offenders' register was employed at Castle Douglas swimming pool.

Answer · Hugh Henry: We have asked Dumfries and Galloway Council, Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary and Disclosure Scotland to report on the circumstances of this case from their respective perspectives to see what lessons there are to be learned. We will consider what changes i…

7 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many landfill applications it has been notified of in each of the last five years and how many have been for landfills within 3 km of existing settlements.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Planning consent for landfill is a matter for local authorities, and operational permits are a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Planning applications are not automatically notifiable to the Scottish ministers for the sole reason that the…

5 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated gross increase in revenue will be of the increase in rate poundage for businesses with a rateable value greater than #25,000 under the Small Business Rates Relief Scheme in 2003-04.

Answer · Andy Kerr: There will be no increase in revenue.I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33792 today. 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:/…

5 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated gross loss of revenue will be of the reduction in rate poundage for businesses with a rateable value less than #10,000 under the Small Business Rates Relief Scheme in the financial year 2003-04.

Answer · Andy Kerr: There will be no loss of revenue. The additional cost of £19.4 million will be met through a small supplement (0.6 pence or 1.3%) on the poundage for properties with a rateable value above £25,000.

5 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it keeps a record of new landfill sites for which planning permission has been granted.

Answer · Des McNulty: No. The information requested is not held centrally.

29 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who is responsible for investigating cases of alleged catching and keeping of signal crayfish without an appropriate licence.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Responsibility for licensing the keeping of signal crayfish rests with Scottish ministers. The relevant legislation, the Import of Live Fish (Scotland) Act 1978, makes provision for allegations of keeping without a licence to be investigated by an officer of …

28 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give any consideration to extending the range of disposals available to district courts in order to include community service orders.

Answer · Hugh Henry: District courts deal with relatively minor offences and therefore have limited sentencing powers in respect of custody. In the year 2001, only 1% of all cases dealt with by district courts resulted in a custodial sentence. Community Service Orders are, howeve…

17 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many journeys were undertaken in 2002 by ambulances transferring patients from the Garrick Hospital in Stranraer to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Between 1 January 2002 and 31 December 2002, the Scottish Ambulance Service made 548 journeys transferring patients from the Garrick Hospital in Stranraer to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary.

14 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the environmental assessment that accompanied the application by the Central Science Laboratory for authorisation for an experimental permit to carry out trials of T3327 at Dundrennan in Kirkcudbrightshire.

Answer · Allan Wilson: An environmental assessment was included in evaluation of the Central Science Laboratory's application for authorisation for an experimental permit.This permit was granted under the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986 (as amended), which requires all pe…

1 Jan 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had regarding the dispersal of jobs in its departments and executive agencies to south-west Scotland.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive maintains regular dialogue with Scottish local authorities and local enterprise companies about the relocation policy.On 26 November 2002, my officials met with representatives of Scottish Enterprise Dumfries and Galloway and Dumfries and Gal…

18 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Dumfries and Galloway Council was notified of trials being carried out by the Central Science Laboratory with the chemical T3327 at the Dundrennan range in Kirkcudbrightshire.

Answer · Allan Wilson: This is an operational matter for the Central Science Laboratory. I understand, however, that Dumfries and Galloway Council was not notified about the trial because the trial did not appear to impact on its interests.

18 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Environment Protection Agency or Scottish Natural Heritage were notified of trials being carried out by the Central Science Laboratory with the chemical T3327 at the Dundrennan range in Kirkcudbrightshire.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Scottish ministers consulted Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) before determining the Central Science Laboratory's application for an experimental permit. SNH separately granted a licence to the Laboratory to interfere with badger setts in order to take measure…

18 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what environmental assessment has been made of the impact of trials being carried out by the Central Science Laboratory with the chemical T3327 at the Dundrennan range in Kirkcudbrightshire.

Answer · Allan Wilson: An environmental assessment was included in the Central Science Laboratory's application for authorisation for an experimental permit. It included an assessment of the risks posed to the environment and to non-target species, and the methods of minimising suc…

18 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it was notified that the Central Science Laboratory had been given permission by the Advisory Committee on Pesticides to carry out trials with the chemical T3327 at the Dundrennan range in Kirkcudbrightshire and, if so, when.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Scottish ministers authorised the issue of an experimental permit on the advice of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides. This was conveyed to the Central Science Laboratory on 19 August 2002.

17 Dec 2002 · Written Question

Answer · Andy Kerr: Total provision of £2.5 million, £4.7 million and £6.5 million has been made available within each council's grant allocation to assist with preparing for the new functions included in Part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, including the establishment of …

13 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to draw up an action plan to implement its commitments made in the UK Forest Partnership for Action.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The UK Forest Partnership for Action is at the early stages of developing an action plan, based on the statement published at the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development in September 2002. In this spirit of co-operation, it is for each partner to…

4 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements exist for local authorities to be compensated for damage caused to non-trunk roads by traffic temporarily diverted from trunk roads due to road blockages.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive has no arrangements for payment of compensation when traffic is diverted from trunk roads to local roads, or conversely from local roads to trunk roads, due to road blockages or other events.

4 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what land in Dumfries and Galloway has been purchased by it or the former Scottish Office since 1970 for the purpose of improvements to the A75 and what land has not yet been used for that purpose and still remains in its ownership.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Since the late 1970s land has been acquired and used for 13 major schemes on the A75. Listed from west to east, the schemes are the Glenluce Bypass, Newton Stewart Bypass, Blackcraig Improvement, Creetown Bypass, Gatehouse Bypass, Barluka Diversion (Twynholm …

7 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will use to assess whether its target of encouraging more sustainable agricultural activity on 13,500 farm businesses in Scotland's remote hills by 2006 as referred to in the environment and rural affairs section of its Draft Budget 2003-04 has been met.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Support to farm businesses in Scotland's remote hills is provided through the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme. Maintaining the number of claimants at or above 13,500 indicates that the scheme is helping to maintain agricultural activity in Scotland's hills.…

7 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what preparation will be made for the A8 and A80 motorway upgrades over the current spending review period as referred to in the transport section of its Draft Budget 2003-04.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Budget makes provision for preparation work for the delivery of the A8 and A80 upgrades. Further details will be contained in the corridor study decisions which we hope to be able to announce later this year.

7 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the current statistics on which it will assess whether target 1 of objective 1 in the transport section of its Draft Budget 2003-04 has been met.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: No statistics that directly cover journey times are currently available. In autumn 2002, the Executive commissioned a study and field trials to investigate the potential methods which could be used to monitor this objective. The results of the study will be a…

7 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) cultural and sporting programmes there are in areas of economic and social disadvantage and (b) partners are engaged in supporting these programmes as referred to in the tourism, culture and sport section of its Draft Budget 2003-04.

Answer · Elaine Murray: Technical Notes, setting out the details of how the targets set out the Scottish Executive Draft Budget 2003-04 will be measured, were published on the Scottish Executive website on 11 November.The definition of cultural and sporting programmes in areas of…

7 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many under-represented groups are taking part in cultural and sporting activities as referred to in the tourism, culture and sport section of its Draft Budget 2003-04.