Parliamentary questions
Andrew Welsh
539 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
22 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce any guidance for poultry farmers and others in respect of the transportation and use of poultry manure.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Guidance to be used once disease is present is included in contingency planning documentation. In the absence of a disease outbreak advice on best practice is included in current biosecurity literature.</p>
22 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to protect against the possibility of avian influenza spreading through the transportation and use of poultry manure.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The use, spread, transportation and disposal of poultry manure is covered by the scope of the Animal By-Products (Scotland) Regulations 2003 which transpose the EU Animal by-Products Regulation (EC) 1774/2002. In the absence of disease, these regulations allo…
22 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has given poultry farmers and others to protect against the threat of avian influenza and when and where this advice was given.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive published on 21 February a compendium of biosecurity guidance designed to enhance the protection of poultry-keepers from Avian Influenza. This is currently being disseminated to poultry keepers and bird groups across Scotland. The advic…
22 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what preparations it has made for the possibility of an avian influenza outbreak in Scotland and where and when those preparations were made.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive published its Avian Influenza Contingency Plan in October 2005. This was subsequently updated in light of emerging evidence regarding disease transmission in February 2006. These national level plans build on the longstanding infrastruc…
9 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22442 by Mr Tom McCabe on 31 January 2006, whether it can confirm that there are no informal mechanisms to ensure that Scottish interests are taken into account by UK-wide quangos dealing with UK departments with responsibility for English issues, gi…
Answer · Tom McCabe: Contact of whatever degree of formality or informality with the UK Government, its departments and agencies takes place in accordance with the overall scheme for ensuring that devolved Scottish interests are taken into account, which allows scope for the deve…
9 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total budgets of all non-departmental public bodies have been in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Financial information on allNDPBs is provided on the public bodies and appointment pages of the Scottish Executivewebsite. Prior to the website’s establishment, financial information was publishedin the annual Cabinet Office publication Public Bodies. Copies …
9 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive where the headquarters of each non-departmental public body set up since 1999 have been located, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Information on the location ofNDPB headquarters is provided on the public bodies and appointments pages of the Scottish Executive website at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/public-bodies/directory">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics…
9 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many non-departmental public bodies (NDBP) it has set up in each year since 1999, listing each such NDBP.
Answer · Tom McCabe: A list of new NDPBs set upsince 1999 is provided below:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Non-Departmental Public Body</p> </td> <td> <p>Year Established</p> <p> </p> </td> </tr> </thead> <tr> <td> <p…
1 Feb 2006 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance its Justice Department issues to public bodies, including local authorities, in respect of their obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive has published a booklet giving public authorities guidance on their human rights obligations, and has supplied public authorities with guidance published by the UK Government. We have also provided funding for Human Rights Scotland, for…
18 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what correspondence has taken place in the last five years between the Minister or Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning and CORGI, the Health and Safety Executive and gas installers in Scotland.
Answer · Allan Wilson: I spoke by phone to Lord Hunt prior to the recent debate in the Scottish Parliament on the Gas Work Notification Scheme. I have since written to him mentioning some of the points made during the debate and giving him the link to the official report and I am s…
18 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many improper or illegal gas fittings had been reported in each year from 1995 to the introduction of the Gaswork Notification Scheme.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive does not hold information on improper or illegal gas fittings.</p> <p>However, the Health and Safety Executive has managed to provide information on the number of dangerous gas fittings which have been reported in Scotland for the years 2001-02 …
18 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many improper or illegal gas fittings have been reported in Scotland since the introduction of the Gaswork Notification Scheme.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive does not hold information on improper or illegal gas fittings.</p> <p>However, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has information on the number of dangerous gas fittings which have been reported. In the period 1 April 2005 to 31 December 2005…
18 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has regarding the notification that local authorities have been given by CORGI in respect of gasworks in their jurisdictions since the introduction of the Gaswork Notification Scheme.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive holds no such information.</p>
18 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it holds regarding the rate of resale of homes in each of the last five years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following table provides an estimate of the number of resales of homes in each year in the five years to 2004-05, together with its derivation, which is described in more detail below.</p> <p>Information on the total number of sales of residential propert…
18 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what contact its officials have had with the Health and Safety Executive with regard to gas safety or the Gaswork Notification Scheme.
Answer · Allan Wilson: Executive officials have been in contact with the Health and Safety Executive on at least six occasions with regard to the Gas Work Notification scheme but no formal record of how many calls or e-mails is maintained. All the contact has been as a result of th…
18 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what informal mechanisms are in place to ensure that Scottish interests are taken into account by UK-wide quangos dealing with UK departments with responsibility for English issues.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-22441 on 31 January 2006. 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/webap…
18 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what formal mechanisms are in place to ensure that Scottish interests are taken into account by UK-wide quangos dealing with UK departments with responsibility for English issues.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Individual bodies may have their own specific arrangements, but the overall requirement for ensuring that devolved Scottish interests are taken into account are founded on the Memorandum of Understanding with the UK Government and associated agreements. An or…
18 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much social landlords have paid to CORGI in registration fees since the introduction of the Gaswork Notification Scheme.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is asfollows:</p><p>The information requested isnot held centrally. Communities Scotland does not require registered social landlords toprovide it with this inform…
18 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting times are for (a) hearing tests and (b) appointments for hearing aids in each NHS board.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This information is not collected centrally at present. The Information Services Division of NHS National Services Scotland has developed a data collection system for audiology services which is currently being tested and validated prior to publication.</p>
2 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has undertaken any consultations with Glaxosmithkline plc with regard to the production of antivirals.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive has not consulted with Glaxosmithkine plc with regard to the production of antivirals. The Scottish Executive has taken action to make Tamiflu available in the event of an influenza pandemic - in line with guidance from the World Health…
2 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it has allocated for railway station improvements for disabled people in (a) 2005-06, (b) 2006-07 and (c) 2007-08.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The terms of the franchise agreement with First Scotrail include a “minor works budget” of £250,000 per annum, to be spent on small scale physical alterations or additions to improve accessibility of stations to disabled persons. The Scottish Executive has al…
2 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has given to local authorities for railway station improvements, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Funding awarded by the Executive since 1999 to local authorities specifically for railway station improvements is set out in the following table:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Local Authority</p></td> …
2 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the breakdown of responsibilities is between it and the UK Government for ensuring that railway stations in Scotland are accessible to disabled people.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Responsibility for the Disability Discrimination Act rest with the UK government. Discussions are currently taking place between the Scottish Executive and the Department for Transport on the management of the Access for All fund in Scotland.</p>
2 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it would cost to make all railway stations fully accessible to disabled people.
Answer · Tavish Scott: An on-going programme of improvements to stations will include provision for increased accessibility. We do not have an estimate of the cost of making all stations fully accessible in isolation from other improvements. The Access for All fund provides £370 mi…
2 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent since 2000 in making rural railway stations accessible to disabled people.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Funding has been awarded for improvement at several stations, however, we cannot identify how much of this was spent specifically on improving access for people with disabilities.</p>
2 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation it has undertaken with stakeholders in the railway network with regard to access for disabled people.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Earlier this year the Strategic Rail Authority undertook a consultation on the use of the Access for All fund. The Scottish Executive is currently consulting on the priorities for rail in Scotland, including specific changes people would like to see to the ra…
26 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive in which (a) urban and (b) rural local authority areas there has been an increase in the number of Executive departmental jobs since 2000.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The local authority areas inwhich there has been an increase in the number of permanent jobs in ScottishExecutive core departments between April 2000 and October 2005 are as follows. </p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=190> <tr> <td> <p>(a…
11 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-19408 by Tavish Scott on 5 October 2005 in which it is stated that there are no dedicated subsidies for the production of biofuels but that there are schemes that businesses who wish to invest in biofuel can apply to, whether it can give assurances t…
Answer · Tavish Scott: Regional Selective Assistance grants are available to all eligible businesses, and are not restricted to specific sectors, nor is priority given to specific sectors. In practice, all projects that the Scottish Executive considers meet in full the criteria of …
11 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-19408 by Tavish Scott on 30 September 2005 which states that the use of biofuels is a commercial matter for fuel manufacturers and retailers and given that biofuels only produce 30% of the emissions as fossil fuels, whether it is the Executive's poli…
Answer · Tavish Scott: Regional Selective Assistance grant and the support available through the Business Gateway are some of the few methods of direct public support for industry allowable under the European Union’s single market rules.</p> <p>There is currently a 20p per litre fu…
11 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-19406 by Tavish Scott on 30 September 2005 which states that the United Kingdom has not set a target with regard to the use of biofuels, why the Executive is unable to act independently from the UK Government in setting these targets and in taking th…
Answer · Tavish Scott: While it would be possible for Scotland to adopt a different target to the rest of the UK for the use of biofuels, the measures to deliver an increase in biofuels usage in relation to taxation are best pursued at a UK level. In addition, we are currently dis…