Parliamentary questions
Brian Adam
1,580 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
6 Sep 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what long-term plans it has to address skills shortages in the oil industry, in particular in the fields of engineering and machine control.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive is partof PILOT - a joint industry/government initiative established in 2000 to securea long term future for the oil and gas sector in the UK.</p><p>PILOT,through the Industry Leadership Team, has recently introduced the Accelerate prog…
4 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any difficulties experienced by the voluntary sector in relation to trustee indemnity insurance.
Answer · Johann Lamont: The Scottish Executive is awareof the concerns of the voluntary sector about the restrictions on the provisionof trustee indemnity insurance from charity funds under the Charities and TrusteeInvestment (Scotland) Act 2005. We are looking into this issue and c…
4 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any representations on trustee indemnity insurance and, if so, how many representations have been received and what its responses were.
Answer · Johann Lamont: The Scottish Executive has received18 written enquiries about the restrictions on the provision, by charities, of trusteeindemnity insurance under the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act2005. The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) has…
4 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23787 by Malcolm Chisholm on 3 August 2006, what plans it has for insulating homes with solid walls or timber frame design.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Fuel poverty programmes providefor loft, tank and pipe insulation for houses which cannot benefit from cavity wallinsulation.</p><p>Responsibility for improvementof private houses lies primarily with the owner. The provision of adequate insulationis an improv…
3 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will reconsider its position on granting a byelaw to Aberdeen City Council to eradicate begging on the streets of Aberdeen.
Answer · Hugh Henry: I shall reply to the member as soon as possible.
2 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many conferences have been addressed by Scottish ministers each year since 1999, broken down by (a) minister and (b) company which organised the conference.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested isnot held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p>
1 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many, and which, hospitals charge for car parking.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Thereare 11 hospitals that charge for car parking.</p><p>NHS Grampian</p><p>Royal Infirmary, Aberdeen</p><p>Aberdeen Maternity Hospital</p><p>Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital</p><p>NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde</p><p>Glasgow Royal Infirmary</p><p>NHS Lothia…
1 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money, seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, has been given to each local authority in each year since the Act came into force.
Answer · Hugh Henry: Money recovered under the Proceedsof Crime Act 2002 in any one year is available for reinvestment the following year.The funding available in 2003-04 and 2004-05was used for the national Drug Dealers Don’t Care campaign in early 2005. Apart from the funding f…
1 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been seized in each local authority area in each year since the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 came into force.
Answer · Elish Angiolini: This information is not heldby local authority area, but by reporting agency. These figures are collated internallyby the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. These figures do not includethe value of the amount of property and money under restraint und…
1 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what training contracts have been awarded by Scottish Enterprise to Scottish Meat Training in each of the last three years and what the reasons are for any reduction in the amount of funding awarded to Scottish Meat Training over this period.
Answer · Allan Wilson: Details about training contractsor funding awarded by Scottish Enterprise to Scottish Meat Training in the lastthree years is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. This information isnot held centrally.</p>
1 Aug 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Enterprise has finalised its training budget allocations for 2006-07 to the local enterprise companies and, if so, what percentage change has been made in each training budget, broken down by company.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Ministers are responsible forsetting the strategic direction for Scottish Enterprise. In turn, Scottish Enterpriseagrees with ministers an annual Operating Plan which contains budget allocationsfor key activities, although amendments may be agreed in the cour…
14 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered extending the Warm Deal scheme to offset rising fuel costs.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: As I have already announced,the Warm Deal will be extended from January 2007 to include families with disabledchildren. We are also looking at ways to ensure Warm Deal works together with theEnergy Efficiency Commitment to achieve maximum benefits from both.<…
14 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the insulation of walls in domestic properties.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive’s Central HeatingProgramme allows a package of central heating and insulation measures includingcavity wall insulation for householders over 60 without central heating or witha system broken beyond repair. In addition, the Warm Deal provides a g…
14 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many houses in each local authority area have cavity wall insulation.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The most reliable estimates of the number of houses in each local authority with cavity wall insulation are takenfrom the <i>Scottish House Condition Survey 2002</i>. The estimates are providedin the following table. Due to the small numbers of houses surveye…
14 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many houses in each local authority area are of (a) cavity wall, (b) solid wall and (c) timber frame construction.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The most reliable estimates of the number of houses in each local authority area of (a) cavity wall, (b) solidwall and (c) timber frame construction are taken from the <i>Scottish House ConditionSurvey 2002</i>. The estimates are provided in the following tab…
13 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the shareholdings and value of NHS endowment funds invested in companies which trade in (a) tobacco, (b) alcohol and (c) arms, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive does nothold this information.</p>
11 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any safety implications of the proposals to protect Aberdeen’s sea beach for users of the beach, in particular in respect of the deployment of rock armour.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The scheme will address amajor concern for public safety. It will avoid further erosion of the beachthis winter which could have led to a collapse of the seawall and aconsequential risk to public safety. It is for Aberdeen City Council to takesteps to ensure …
11 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to monitor the safety implications of the proposals to protect Aberdeen’s sea beach for users of the beach.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The safety of users of Aberdeenbeach is a matter for Aberdeen City Council. However, I understand that theCouncil already monitors the existing coast protection measures at the beachand that this regime will be extended to cover the new measures.</p>
11 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has discussed with Aberdeen City Council the safety implications of the plans to protect Aberdeen’s sea beach for users of the beach.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The safety of users of thepublic beach is a matter for Aberdeen City Council, not Scottish Ministers.</p>
11 Jul 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any representations about the safety implications of the plans to protect Aberdeen’s sea beach.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: There are a number of statutoryroutes for making representations about a proposed coast protection scheme – undernavigation, coast protection and planning legislation. No representations were receivedabout any safety implications of Aberdeen City Council’s pr…
16 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its strategy is for longitudinal research programmes in environmental science and land use studies.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-26915 on 28 June 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search"…
16 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that the funding criteria used by research councils will deliver longitudinal research programmes in environmental science and land use studies.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Research Councils are fundedby the Office of Science and Innovation which forms part of Department of Tradeand Industry. Funding of the Research Councils is a reserved matter. The ScottishExecutive has no responsibility for any of the Research Councils. F…
16 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for longitudinal research programmes in environmental science and land use studies and how it will determine the funding of core activities of these programmes.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Environment and RuralDevelopment Department’s (SEERAD) research strategy document <i>Strategic Researchfor SEERAD 2005-2010</i> sets out the research to be funded by SEERAD through thecommissioning of programmes of research. Work on environmental science …
16 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the current funding rules of the research councils allow a level playing field for scientists seeking public sector finance for research in Scottish agricultural and biological research institutes (SABRIs) and the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC).
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Research Councils are fundedby the Office of Science and Innovation which forms part of Department of Tradeand Industry. Funding of the Research Councils is a reserved matter. The ScottishExecutive has no responsibility for any of the Research Councils. F…
16 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it estimates that it would to have kept the Hannah Research Institute open for the next 3 years.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive has nosuch estimates. The Scottish Executive’s decision to withdraw funding from the HannahResearch Institute as of 31 March 2006 took account of two very critical VisitingGroup reports of 1999 and 2003 and recognised that the research …
16 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much transitional funding was made available following the closure of the Hannah Research Institute.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive is makingavailable transitional funding of approximately £1.9 million in 2006-07, £2 million in 2007-08 and £2 million in 2008-09to enable former Hannah scientists to develop their research in an alternativeorganisation and to look for …
16 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on core funding for scientific research in the Scottish agricultural and biological research institutes (SABRIs) and the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC).
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive no longerprovides core funding to the Scottish Agricultural and Biological Research Institutes(SABRIs) and the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC).</p><p>From 1 April 2006 the SABRIsand SAC are funded to undertake a number of research p…
15 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the outcome was of its recent meeting with Aberdeen City Council regarding the allocation of costs to the council associated with the revised proposals for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and whether those discussions included consideration of the potential liability for VAT.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The meeting with Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshirecouncils discussed proposals for the funding of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and the Expressway to Stonehaven. The proposed fundingarrangements are to be discussed at full meetings of both councils at t…
15 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the previously published estimates of the costs of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route attributed to Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council took account of any VAT liability.
Answer · Tavish Scott: No.</p>
15 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the previously published estimates of the costs of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route took account of any VAT liability.
Answer · Tavish Scott: No.</p>