Parliamentary questions
Alex Johnstone
582 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
3 Mar 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any further meetings with Angus Council to discuss the funding of the replacement for the Montrose Bridge over the River South Esk and, if so, what the outcomes of the meetings were.
Answer · Andy Kerr: I last met with Angus Council representatives in October 2002. Angus Council has received additional capital consent of £2.8 million in 2001-02 and £1.4 million this year towards the cost of replacing the Montrose Bridge.
26 Feb 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the relevant local authorities and other interested parties about the Tay Estuary Rail Study.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive meets representatives of local authorities in the Tayside area on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues, including the Tay Estuary Rail Study.
28 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on any reduction or abolition of freight facilities grants and whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government on this matter.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The freight facilities and track access grant schemes, as administered by the Scottish Executive, will continue to be available in Scotland. We are in regular contact with the Strategic Rail Authority and with the Department for Transport about these schemes.
15 Jan 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in assessing the economic impact that reductions in fishing quotas will have on fishing communities such as Arbroath.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Work has been commissioned by the North East of Scotland Fisheries Development Partnership to look at the likely economic impact of the decisions arising from the December Council. The Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department and Sea Fish I…
9 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why organic egg production is not currently eligible for Farm Business Development Scheme funding given that such funding has previously been available for this type of production.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The purpose of the Farm Business Development Scheme (FBDS) is to provide financial support to farming families to create new income generating opportunities, or to expand or improve existing diversified activities, either within or outwith agriculture. As par…
23 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) projected and (b) actual spending on advertising has been by each of its departments in each year since 1999.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Advertising expenditure for the years in question have been paid for by departments out of their programme budgets. In some cases projections for expenditure are known from the start of the financial year, for example the flu campaign which cost £806,646 in t…
12 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to meet Angus Council to discuss further the funding of the A92 bridge over the River South Esk at Montrose.
Answer · Andy Kerr: I met Angus Council in October to discuss the funding of the Montrose Bridge replacement project. Following that meeting we agreed to increase total Scottish Executive support for the project to £4.2 million. We have no immediate plans to meet Angus Council a…
4 Dec 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has to increase the number of stops made by ScotRail services on the east coast mainline.
Answer · Iain Gray: Proposals to run new services, including ScotRail services on the East Coast Main Line, are matters for the local transport authority or transport partnership to take forward. <P>The Scottish Executive's powers to issue directions and guidance to the Strategi…
3 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which organisations have ultimate responsibility for dealing with (a) occurrences of flooding and (b) flood prevention.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The primary responsibility for dealing with flooding and for taking flood prevention measures lies with the individual property owner. Local authorities have powers to prevent or mitigate the flooding of non-agricultural land in their area. Where they assess …
3 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to improve co-ordination between local authorities, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and other relevant bodies involved in tackling flooding and flood prevention.
Answer · Allan Wilson: Co-ordination between local authorities and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is already an important part of the working arrangements in place for tackling flooding and flood risk. This will be further enhanced as a result of the amendment wh…
3 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any meetings with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Aberdeenshire Council following the recent flooding in Aberdeenshire and, if so, what the outcome was of such meetings.
Answer · Allan Wilson: There have not been any requests from either the Scottish Environment Protection Agency or Aberdeenshire Council to discuss flooding matters since the recent flooding in Aberdeenshire and no such meetings have taken place.
3 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what national planning guidelines there are on the location and development of wind farms.
Answer · Des McNulty: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1F-2168 on 10 October 2002, which is available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:<P><A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/search.htm">http://www.scottish.parliam…
20 Nov 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to abolish council tenants' right to buy their properties.
Answer · Margaret Curran: We have no plans to abolish the right to buy.
13 Nov 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for ending the over 30-month rule on the slaughter of cattle.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Food Standards Agency is currently undertaking a review of the over 30-month rule, under which the sale for human consumption of meat from cattle aged over 30 months at slaughter is prohibited. The review is expected to be completed in May 2003. The futur…
30 Oct 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has reviewed the timescale for reviewing local authority boundaries in the light of the current review of parliamentary boundaries.
Answer · Andy Kerr: No. As stated in the Executive's consultation paper <I>on Renewing Local Democracy: The Next Steps</I> published earlier this year, there are no plans to review local authority boundaries in the foreseeable future.
3 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, under paragraph 11 of Circular 12/1996 Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 Planning Agreements, no developer can be required to fund the total cost of transport infrastructure improvements which may be needed in a particular area identified for development.
Answer · Hugh Henry: Circular 12/1996 is the Executive's guidance on the role of and the appropriate use of planning agreements, and should be considered in the particular circumstances of individual cases. The negotiation of a planning agreement is a matter, in the first instanc…
3 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what commitment it has made to funding upgrading work required on the A90 at the Myrekirk Road and Swallow Hotel roundabouts in Dundee.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive's programme of works for 2002-03 includes a scheme to reconstruct the A90 carriageway between the two roundabouts at Myrekirk Road and the Swallow Hotel. This work is due to start in November and will cost over £400,000. The current programme do…
26 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27301 by Mike Watson on 30 July 2002, what progress has been made in researching the product and service expectations of actual and prospective genealogy tourists.
Answer · Mike Watson: On 18 September, Dr Richard Simpson, Deputy Minister for Justice, launched a new website www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk. This has been developed by the General Register Office for Scotland, and will compliment VisitScotland's existing site, which links genealogy …
25 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in developing legislation following the recommendations in the Independent Review Group on Retention of Organs at Post Mortem Final Report.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We are committed to changing the legislation governing post-mortem examinations, and are continuing to work closely with the other UK Health Departments and the Retained Organs Commission, who are also looking at the reform of the law on the use of human tiss…
25 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to protect the rights of those that die in hospital without any next of kin and did not wish to have any post mortem or organ removal carried out after their death.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Clinical Standards Board for Scotland is currently working on the development of standards for hospital post-mortem examinations. These have a standard statement relating to authorisation and information, which is that "authorisation is given for all hosp…
25 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether NHS staff are obliged to seek permission from the executor of an individual that dies in hospital without any next of kin before a post mortem or organ removal is carried out.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-29936 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa
25 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what rights the executors of an individual that dies in hospital without any next of kin have to refuse a post mortem or organ removal on behalf of their client.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: In terms of the Human Tissue Act 1961, two different sets of circumstances need to be considered. <P>Section 1(1) of the act provides: "If any person, either in writing at any time or orally in the presence of two or more witnesses during his last illnes…
25 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures currently exist with regard to an individual that dies in hospital without any next of kin.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: When an individual without next of kin dies in hospital, the funeral can be arranged by a public authority such as an NHS board, NHS trust or Social Work Department. The local authority has a duty to bury or cremate the deceased if no other arrangements can b…
25 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what specific support it gives to voluntary organisations and community councils in rural areas in order to facilitate their participation in community planning.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive provides funding for the national network of Councils for Voluntary Service who work to a set of key objectives set by the Executive, one of which is to participate in the community planning process.<P>Whilst the Executive does not prov…
25 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current community planning budget is in each local authority area.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The information requested is not held centrally. This would be a matter for local authorities themselves.
25 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications to fund community planning events at local level have been made in (a) 2001-02 and (b) the current financial year and what funding was (i) applied for and (ii) granted in respect of each application.
Answer · Peter Peacock: No application to fund specific community planning events at a local level, have been made to the Scottish Executive in either the previous financial year (2001-02) or the current financial year (2002-03).<P>The Executive may have received funding requests fo…
25 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is being given to local partnerships and community councils engaged in community planning at local level.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Community planning guidance is being developed to accompany the Local Government in Scotland Bill, which is currently being considered by Parliament.<P>It is our intention to circulate it to Community Planning Partnerships and other bodies, including communit…
18 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to encourage voluntary organisations to participate in (a) community planning and (b) community budgeting.
Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer given to the question S1W-29544 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
18 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it gives to voluntary organisations in order to facilitate their participation in (a) community planning and (b) community budgeting.
Answer · Peter Peacock: (a) The Local Government in Scotland Bill proposes a requirement on local authorities in their role in facilitating the community planning process, to consult, co-operate and encourage community bodies to work in partnership, to promote the well-being of thei…
18 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it gives local authorities for (a) community planning and (b) community budgeting.
Answer · Peter Peacock: (a) The Local Government in Scotland Bill proposes a statutory basis for community planning and in so doing will give local authorities a duty to initiate and facilitate"the process. Associated guidance to the bill is being developed in consultation with…