Parliamentary questions
Alex Johnstone
582 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
20 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether all of Scotland's share of the funding for the British pig industry announced on 30 March 2000 remains committed to the Pig Industry Restructuring Scheme given delays in the scheme's opening.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The £26 million funding announced for the pig industry on 30 March was for the UK and no part of the funding was specifically allocated for Scotland. Approval for the Pig Industry Restructuring Scheme (PIRS) from the EC has taken nearly nine months and final …
11 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to support the development of a Scottish version of the agri-environmental computer programme "Environmental Management for Agriculture" which is presently supported by the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
Answer · Ross Finnie: This programme was developed by the University of Hertfordshire with funding from MAFF and other bodies. The Scottish Executive saw no point in duplicating this effort and I am now considering the case for adapting this programme to meet Scottish needs as par…
11 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will introduce a Farm Business Advice Scheme similar to the one operated by Her Majesty's Government.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Farm Business Advisory Service is designed to meet English needs. The Scottish Executive provides resources, amounting to around £5 million per annum, to the Scottish Agricultural College for the provision of advisory services to the agricultural sector o…
28 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much the task force to oversee the management of NHS services in Tayside cost.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The final cost for the Tayside Task Force over the nine and a half-month period was approximately £85,000.
28 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the recently disbanded task force to oversee the management of NHS services in Tayside will produce a final report and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.
Answer · Susan Deacon: There is to be no final report from the Task Force. The Chief Executive and senior officials from the Scottish Executive Health Department met with representatives from NHS Tayside and the task force to ensure that the four areas of concern identified in the …
27 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10393 by Ross Finnie on 30 October 2000, why it is not planning an initiative along the lines of the Rural Stress Action Plan recently launched by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
Answer · Ross Finnie: There are already many activities under way to offer advice and support to sufferers of stress and their families across Scotland, including in rural areas. For example, the Executive provides funding to Stresswatch Scotland to carry out such services across …
27 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce a right of appeal against new community council schemes introduced by local authorities.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Where a local authority considers that a community council scheme ought to be amended, they are required to give public notice of their proposals, inviting any community council concerned and the public to make representations in respect of their proposals. C…
22 Nov 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken since 13 January 2000 to ensure that French beef in the Scottish marketplace conforms to the same standards laid down for home-produced beef.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive is advised by the Food Standards Agency on food safety matters. On 1 October this year more stringent BSE-related controls were applied across the EU regarding the removal of specified risk material (SRM) from cattle for human consumpti…
21 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review all EC regulations implemented since May 1999 and their effect on agriculture and to review the procedures on how such regulations are implemented in the future.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Executive has no plans to review such regulations but remains closely in touch with the industry to identify any problems which may arise.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">For the future, we will continue to consult the industry on the implementation of significant new …
21 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any implications for (a) agriculture and (b) the environment of the report by the Better Regulation Taskforce and, if so, whether it will provide details.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Better Regulation Taskforce report <I>Environmental Regulations and Farmers</I> relates to England and Wales only. However, the Scottish Executive is evaluating the report's recommendations to see whether they may be adapted to benefit Scotland.
21 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many EU regulations affecting Scottish agriculture have been implemented since May 1999; what these regulations were, and whether it will detail any which have been implemented differently in Scotland to other European countries and specify the differences.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Since May 1999, over 50 EU Regulations, Directives and Decisions which directly affect agriculture have been implemented. Details of these are publicly available in the Official Journal of the European Communities.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Most of these instruments …
9 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to base spending guidelines and grant aided expenditure for local authorities on projections of population which are closer to actual figures rather than the two-year-old data currently used.
Answer · Angus MacKay: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11105.
9 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the population figures used to calculate the spending guidelines and the grant aided expenditure for local authorities are out-of-date and whether, as a result, it is over-funding local authorities with falling populations at the expense of local authorities with rising population…
Answer · Angus MacKay: The population Mid-Year Estimates currently used to distribute grant-aided expenditure are based on the most up-to-date data available. I am reviewing the approach to the distribution of grant for the next three years.
25 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date this year it expects to make arable aid payments to farmers.
Answer · Ross Finnie: We commenced making payment of the second instalment of agri-monetary compensation to claimants under the 1999 Arable Area Payments Scheme (AAPS) on 16 October 2000, which is the first available date allowed under EU legislation. We are aiming to commenc…
25 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for a scheme to support the construction and development of village halls in rural Scotland.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Local Capital Grants Scheme is designed to assist local voluntary, youth and community organisations to provide new or upgrade existing premises for educational, social and recreational activities. I invited bids for the 2001-02 round on 10 October. The c…
20 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that stand alone ambulatory and diagnostic care centres, as proposed in two options contained in the review of acute services in Tayside for Perth and Angus, are safe options for patients in these respective areas.
Answer · Susan Deacon: It is primarily for the NHS in Tayside to ensure that its acute services are safe. Clinical safety is one of the assessment criteria being used to appraise the options in the acute services review in Tayside.
20 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-2237 by Susan Deacon on 14 September 2000, whether it will intervene to ensure that the review of the acute services in Tayside is not being driven by financial considerations.
Answer · Susan Deacon: It is a matter primarily for the NHS in Tayside to ensure that its acute services are both clinically and financially viable.
6 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the running costs of its Rural Affairs Department, or its predecessor departments, were in each of the last ten years and how many staff the department employed in each of these years.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The figures requested are shown in the following table. Figures are only shown from 1996 onwards; earlier figures could only be provided at disproportionate costs.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Since 1996, the Rural Affairs Department has experienced significant structur…
6 Sep 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to remove the 90 head limit on claims under the Beef Special Premium Scheme.
Answer · Ross Finnie: My department will be consulting relevant industry organisations on the issue in the very near future. Any subsequent changes to the current arrangements which may be required will be made on a GB basis.
4 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to section 25(1)(c) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987, what circumstances are covered by "other special reason".
Answer · Jackie Baillie: The 1987 Act does not define "other special reasons", and it is not possible to list all potential special reasons for vulnerability. The Code of Guidance on Homelessness, updated in October 1998 provides advice to local authorities, and lists examp…
17 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many accidents have been reported to have occurred on farms in the last five years in (a) the whole of Scotland and (b) the Angus area.
Answer · Ross Finnie: This is a matter for the Health & Safety Executive.
16 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances it would consider action designed to prevent swine fever spreading to Scotland and whether any such action has been taken to date.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer Mr Johnstone to the answer I gave to question S1W-9155 on 4 September 2000.
15 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide additional funding to local authorities in North East Scotland to enable them to upgrade the Inverurie to Keith section of the A96.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The A96 is a trunk road and responsibility for upgrading and funding the route lies with the Scottish Executive.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">In March I announced the provision of climbing lanes at Coachford and Newtongarry on the A96 Inverurie to Keith section. The sch…
9 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Angus Council requires its permission to change the rules regarding eligibility for standing for community council elections.
Answer · Frank McAveety: No. It is for individual local authorities to administer the community council schemes for their own area including arrangements for elections.
7 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any concerns regarding the funding of policing in the Turriff area and whether it will intervene to ensure that the Turriff area benefits from additional resources being made available to Grampian Police.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive has not received any representations about funding for the policing of the Turriff area. Decisions on the deployment of police officers and other resources are for chief constables in consultation with their police boards. The Scottish …
3 Aug 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the #39 million aid package for Scottish farmers announced on 30 March 2000 has so far been paid out to Scottish farmers.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Payments representing approximately £500,000 to those in the Over Thirty Months Scheme have been made. In addition payments under the sheep component of the £12 million agri-monetary compensation started in week commencing 14 August. The £20 mi…
21 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it was informed by Her Majesty's Government about the second GM crop trial at Daviot in Aberdeenshire announced by the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions on 20 July 2000.
Answer · Ross Finnie: It is not correct that the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions announced a second GM crop trial at Daviot on 20 July 2000. An application to undertake the farm scale evaluation of genetically modified winter-grown oilseed rape in Scotland was…
11 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made with the upgrading of the A92 from Dundee to Arbroath.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is aware that Angus and Dundee City Councils as the local roads authorities are upgrading this route by means of a Public Private Partnership project. I understand that prospective bidders for the contract have been invited through the …
11 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the additional number of cancer and other patients is at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee who would previously have been treated at Stracathro hospital.
Answer · Susan Deacon: This is a matter for Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust.
11 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the anticipated financial deficit is of the Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust was forecasting an overspend of £12 million as at 31 January 2000. The task force was appointed in February 2000 and the Trust is now forecasting a year-end overspend of £7.5 million for the financial year 2000-01.<P ALI…