Parliamentary questions
Alex Neil
3,059 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
7 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are employed on (a) a full-time, (b) a part-time and (c) a seasonal basis by (i) Scottish Enterprise; (ii) Highlands and Islands Enterprise; (iii) each local enterprise company in the Scottish Enterprise area and (iv) each local enterprise company in the Highlands and Isla…
Answer · Henry McLeish: The detailed information requested is not held centrally. I have asked the respective chairmen of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise to reply to the member. Copies of their replies will be placed in SPICe.
2 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider providing funding for the voluntary sector organisations which it supports and for its Executive agencies on a three-yearly rather than annual basis.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive has a commitment to creating a more stable funding environment for the voluntary sector, including providing three-year funding packages where appropriate. The Scottish Compact sets out the principles underpinning the relationship betwe…
2 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to provide a breakdown of the funding made available for the establishment and operation of the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Answer · Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive allocated £5 million in each of the years 2000-01 and 2001-02 for the establishment of the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency (SDEA). This provided start-up costs for the agency, funding for 100 additional officers for forces to tack…
2 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what definition is used by police authorities to determine what constitutes a "drugs related death".
Answer · Angus MacKay: The definition used by Forces is the one contained in the Drugs Task Force Report 1994 which states "a death is defined as a drug-related death where there is prima facie evidence of a fatal overdose of controlled drugs. Such evidence would be recent dru…
2 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to provide a breakdown by department of monies spent on foreign travel by Ministers and officials since 6 May 1999.
Answer · Angus MacKay: All of the information sought is not held centrally. It is being assembled and I will write to Mr Neil shortly.
2 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to provide a breakdown of the monies spent by the Scottish Enterprise Network on foreign travel in each of the last two years.
Answer · Henry McLeish: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and I have asked the chairman to reply to the member. A copy of the reply will be placed in SPICe.
2 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to provide a breakdown of monies spent by the Highlands and Islands Enterprise Network on foreign travel in each of the past two years.
Answer · Henry McLeish: This is an operational matter for Highlands and Islands Enterprise and I have asked the chairman to reply to the member. A copy of the reply will be placed in SPICe.
2 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to provide a breakdown of monies spent by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on foreign travel in each of the last two years.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: This a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and the information may be obtained from them.
2 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to provide a breakdown of monies spent by Scottish Natural Heritage on foreign travel in each of the last two years.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Scottish Natural Heritage spent a total of £40,431 in 1998-99 and £41,678 in 1999-2000 on foreign travel.
2 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial and non-financial input it has had to the operation and policy framework for the National AIDS Helpline.
Answer · Iain Gray: The Executive contributed £170,000 in 1999-2000 towards the costs of both the National AIDS and Drugs Helplines.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The Scottish Office was involved with the Department of Health in England in the process of re-tendering the contract for the He…
2 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial and non-financial input it has had to the operation and policy framework for the National Drugs Helpline.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive has contributed £170,000 this year towards the costs of both National Drugs Helpline and the National AIDS Helpline.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Reports consisting of information, data, and profiles relating to phone calls received on drug misuse…
31 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated value is of the outstanding repair and maintenance requirements of secondary schools in Kilmarnock and Loudoun.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The overall management of their school building stock is a matter for individual education authorities. Detailed information of the kind requested is not held centrally.
31 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated value is of the outstanding repair and maintenance requirements of secondary schools in Hamilton North and Bellshill.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The overall management of their school building stock is a matter for individual education authorities. Detailed information of the kind requested is not held centrally.
31 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many bank accounts arrested last year recovered sums greater than #63 and how many were of a value that exceeded the value of the debt being recovered.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally.
31 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what number and percentage of bank account arrestments were exercised last year on people who were on benefits at the time of arrestment.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally.
31 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the number of (i) bank account arrestments and (ii) wage arrestments in each of the past three years.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The table below sets out the information which is recorded on the number of arrestments which were executed in Scotland in each of the past three years.<P ALIGN="CENTER"><CENTER><TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=510><TR><TD WIDTH="17%" VALI…
31 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what methodology is employed by the raptor study groups contracted by Scottish Natural Heritage and whether it will review this method of assessing the raptor population.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I understand from Scottish Natural Heritage that Raptor Study Group members collect data on numbers, breeding distribution and breeding success of raptors throughout Scotland. SNH licenses this work as part of its ongoing surveillance and monitoring of birds …
31 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to change the categorisation of racing pigeons to make them a protected species.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: No.
31 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to implement emergency measures to deal with the current state of the dairy industry in Ayrshire.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive recognises the difficult times affecting dairy farmers in Ayrshire. This is why the dairy sector was included in the recent special aid package announced on 30 March. The position is being kept under review. However, it is important to …
31 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimates are of forestry related exports from Scotland in each of the past three years.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The latest available data on forestry exports from Scotland are provided in the tables below:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=404><TR><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP" COLSPAN=3 HEIGHT=87><P></TD><TD WIDTH="24%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=87><P ALIGN="JUST…
31 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what has been the number of redundancies in the forestry and related industries since May 1999.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The information requested on redundancies in the forestry and related industries is not held centrally.
31 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to set up a unit or agency to co-ordinate voluntary international aid efforts from Scotland.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: Responsibility for international aid and for the Government's relationship with British voluntary organisations that work overseas lies with the Department for International Development. I recently met with George Foulkes MP at DfID's offices in East Kilbride…
31 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the outcome of its consultation exercise on the reform of the public appointments system.
Answer · Jack McConnell: I intend to publish it in November and will make a statement later in the autumn.
31 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all the Joint Ministerial Committees which have been set up with UK Government Departments, how many times they have met so far and what they have achieved.
Answer · Donald Dewar: There are Joint Ministerial Committees on three subjects: poverty and the knowledge economy, which have met twice, and health, which has met three times. Each committee has provided a useful forum for the exchange of information, ideas and best practice on is…
31 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its plans are for tackling unemployment in Kilmarnock and Loudoun.
Answer · Henry McLeish: I refer the member to the answer I gave to question S1W-7200.
31 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its plans are for tackling unemployment in Hamilton and Bellshill.
Answer · Henry McLeish: I would refer Mr Neil to the answer which I gave to his earlier question on this subject on Thursday 8 June (S1W-7197).
31 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the work it and its agencies are doing to promote and develop the (i) opto-electronics industry, (ii) textile industry, (iii) dairy industry and (iv) food industry, and what was the relevant spend on each industry in each of the last three years and the …
Answer · Henry McLeish: These and other sectors are supported through a range of schemes and initiatives promoted by the Scottish Executive and its agencies, in particular the Enterprise Network. Scottish Enterprise has identified the opto-electronics and food and drink sectors (inc…
31 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an estimate, by local authority area, of the shortage of high support and medium support housing units required to meet the needs of people with severe learning difficulties; what is the actual and projected spend on such units by local authority for the current ye…
Answer · Jackie Baillie: Information on the shortage of high support and medium support housing units by local authority area to meet the needs of people with severe learning disabilities is not held or collected centrally.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Levels of actual and estimated spend on su…
31 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown by local authority area of the number of households receiving assistance through the Warm Deal programme including details of the level of grants awarded.
Answer · Frank McAveety: A total of 38,604 households benefited from the Warm Deal in the year ending 31 March 2000, the most recent period for which figures are available. Local authorities improved 22,554 of their own houses. The number improved by each authority is set out below. …
31 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the number of people over 50 who are on the New Deal by local enterprise company area.
Answer · Henry McLeish: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which takes the lead on funding and delivery of the New Deal throughout Great Britain, although in close consultation with its partners, including the Scottish Executive. Many partner organisations at local l…