Andrew Welsh

11 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many refrigerators and free'ers are estimated to be discarded each year in Scotland.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-19533 on 13 November 2001.

11 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many refrigerators and free'ers are currently estimated to be stored by local authorities.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The information requested is not held centrally.

11 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice has been given to businesses interested on establishing facilities which will recycle refrigerators and free'ers in accordance with EC Regulation 2037/2000.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Executive wrote to the waste management industry and others on 14 September 2001 to inform them of the new disposal requirements, and on 6 December 2001 to inform them of the storage standards. Guidance is also being prepared on treatment standards. <P>In…

11 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it was first aware of EC Regulation 2037/2000 and what preparations were made for its implementation.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive has been aware of the final terms of EC Regulation 2037/2000 since June 2000.<P>The Executive worked closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to publicise the requirements of the EC Regulation. UK guidance was issued …

11 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-4360 by Ross Finnie on 20 December 2001, what comparative information it holds which other EC countries are in a similar position in respect of the implementation of EC Regulation 2037/2000.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Executive does not collate data on the extent to which other countries discharge their international obligations.

11 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made with regard to the establishment of a facility which will recycle refrigerators and free'ers in accordance with EC Regulation 2037/2000.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-19532 on 13 November 2002. We are aware that several companies are investigating the establishment of treatment facilities in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK.

11 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice is currently being given to local authorities with regard to the storage and/or treatment of end-of-life refrigerators following the introduction of EC Regulation 2037/2000.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Executive wrote to local authorities on 14 September 2001 to inform them of the new disposal requirements, and on 6 December 2001 to inform them of storage standards. The second letter also conveyed the Executive's estimates of waste refrigerator arising …

11 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what methods are currently available to local authorities for the safe disposal and treatment of end-of-life refrigerators and free'ers following the introduction of EC Regulation 2037/2000.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The currently available options are high-temperature incineration within the United Kingdom and export to European Union states with suitable treatment facilities. However, we are hopeful that suitable treatment facilities will soon become available within th…

11 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities are currently storing domestic refrigerators and free'ers following the introduction of EC Regulation 2037/2000 and what is the cost of this to each local authority.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Information on which local authorities are currently storing such appliances, is not held centrally. I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-23475 on 7 March 2002, regarding the allocation of funds to authorities to assist with storage, treatme…

11 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-4360 by Ross Finnie on 20 December 2001, whether technical standards for the storage and treatment of refrigerators and free'ers have now been prepared.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The guidance on storage standards was issued to local authorities and industry on 6 December. That for treatment is being finalised following consultation and will issue shortly.

11 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20724 by Ross Finnie on 20 December 2001, when it will make an announcement on what additional funding will be allocated to local authorities to help with the storage of old refrigerators and free'ers.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-23475 on 7 March 2002.

7 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to help producers meet their recovery and recycling obligations under Schedule II of the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 allow a producer to join a compliance scheme which will meet the producer's recovery and recycling obligations on its behalf. <P>The Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Environm…

7 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether producers are meeting their recovery and recycling obligations under Schedule II of the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997.

Answer · Ross Finnie: This is a matter for the appropriate agency under the packaging waste regulations (the Scottish Environment Protection Agency or the Environment Agency). However, I understand that the Scottish Environment Protection Agency intends to publish information on c…

5 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether sections 93 and 94 of the Environment Act 1995 provide for the power to introduce a statutory instrument for deposit-refund systems and, if so, what the limits of any such power are.

Answer · Ross Finnie: It is likely that sections 93 and 94 do provide a power to introduce a deposit-refund scheme. The detail of proposed scheme would have to be examined to determine whether its introduction would fall within devolved competence. It would also need to be conside…

1 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to Article 6 of European Parliament and Council Directive 94/62/EC, what its current targets are for the percentage of packaging waste to be recovered and recycled.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2000 set a recovery target of 56% and a recycling target of 18% for 2001 and beyond. These targets apply to companies with a turnover of over £2 million and which produ…

1 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures have been taken to implement Article 7 of the European Parliament and Council Directive 94/62/EC requiring member states to take the necessary measures to ensure that systems are set up to provide for (a) the return and/or collection of used packaging and/or packaging waste …

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Directive on Packaging Waste Directive has been implemented in Great Britain by the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 (as amended).<P>The regulations require businesses which manufacture or use packaging materials or p…

1 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures have been taken to implement Article 5 of the European Parliament and Council Directive 94/62/EC requiring member states to encourage re-use systems of packaging which can be re-used in an environmentally sound manner.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Article 5 of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive makes a packaging-reuse option available to member states which the United Kingdom has not expressly adopted. However, companies with a packaging recovery obligation under The Producer Responsibility Ob…

12 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22361 by Ross Finnie on 8 February 2002, why no funding has been allocated to hedge planting or for the restoration of stone dykes.

Answer · Ross Finnie: No funding has been allocated to hedge planting or restoration of stone dykes because funding in full all applications, including capital measures which are not essential to conservation management, would have meant that only a small proportion of those who a…

12 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to questions S1W-22360 and S1W-22361 by Ross Finnie on 8 February 2002, whether it will clarify the difference in figures showing the allocations made in the current financial year under the Rural Stewardship Scheme and whether it will provide a definitive list show…

Answer · Ross Finnie: Further to the answer to questions S1W-22360 and S1W-22361 on 8 February 2002, the difference in figures showing the allocations made is because the response to question S1W-22360 details the anticipated spend in one financial year while the response to quest…

12 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21315 by Ross Finnie on 20 December 2001, whether it will give a detailed breakdown of how the #18 million for the Rural Stewardship Scheme in the current financial year will be allocated, broken down by scheme area or Scottish Executive Environment …

Answer · Ross Finnie: Following further appraisal of successful Rural Stewardship Scheme applications, the total value of plans for those who have been offered entry to the Scheme is £17 million over five years.<P>Details of the anticipated spend for the Rural Stewardship Scheme i…

31 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to meet Angus Council to discuss the review of the cities.

Answer · Iain Gray: We are in the process of setting up a meeting with Angus and the other councils neighbouring Dundee.

30 Jan 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to local authorities of self-financing local authority pay awards was in 2001-02.

Answer · Andy Kerr: An allowance for general local authority pay and price inflation was included in the local government settlement allocations for 2001-02, as well as specific provision for teachers, police and fire officers. The actual costs of meeting pay awards will depend …

29 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the applications to join the Rural Stewardship Scheme this year did not match the funding criteria.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Three hundred and eighty of the 476 eligible applications submitted this year were accepted for funding. Applications were assessed against published ranking criteria and the applications which provided the most environmental benefit were funded.

29 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much of this year's budget for the Rural Stewardship Scheme has not been allocated and what will happen to this money.

Answer · Ross Finnie: All of the funding available this year for agri-environment schemes, including the Rural Stewardship Scheme has been allocated.

25 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much money allocated for field margins and boundaries under the Rural Stewardship Scheme was specifically allocated for (a) fencing (b) hedging and (c) stone dykes.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Funding of £2,557,891 has been allocated to fencing required in connection with conservation management. No funding has been allocated to hedge planting or restoration of stone dykes.

25 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a breakdown of how money was allocated under the Rural Stewardship Scheme in the current financial year.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The breakdown of how money was allocated under the Rural Stewardship Scheme in the current financial year is as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=399><TR><TD WIDTH="81%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=16><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"…

25 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications under the Rural Stewardship Scheme have been made in the current financial year.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Four hundred and seventy-eight applications under the Rural Stewardship Scheme have been made in the current financial year.

9 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many bank and agency nurses have been employed by each NHS Trust in the last year and what the cost was to each Trust of employing such nurses.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is shown in the following tables and covers the period April 2000 to March 2001. The information includes qualified and unqualified staff in whole-time equivalent terms for bank and agency nurses. Headcount for bank nurses has been i…

10 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to reduce the use of bank and agency nurses in the NHS.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHSScotland employers are expected to employ staff on a permanent basis. Where the use of bank and agency nurses is necessary, employers are to apply the criteria in the Accounts Commission for Scotland Report <I>Temporary Measures</I> which was published in …

10 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16412 by Susan Deacon on 8 August 2001, how much the NHS spent on using bank and agency nurses over the last year.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The amount spent on bank and agency nurses in 2000-01 was £24,953,662 and £19,028,372 respectively. To place this in perspective, the combined cost of bank and agency nurses represents just under 3.5% of the nursing and midwifery pay bill.