Parliamentary questions
Brian Fitzpatrick
529 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
25 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the average sum received per farm from public subsidy in (a) 1998-99, (b) 1999-2000, (c) 2000-01 and (d) 2001-02.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The average sum received per farm from public subsidy in the financial years requested are as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=134><TR><TD WIDTH="58%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=16><P>1998-99</TD><TD WIDTH="42%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=16><P>£16,0…
25 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the percentage contribution made by public subsidy to average weekly farm income in (a) 1998-99, (b) 1999-2000, (c) 2000-01 and (d) 2001-02.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Figures on farm income, subsidy and receipts are reported on an annual rather than a weekly basis. On average, the estimated percentage contribution of direct agricultural production subsidies to annual Net Farm Income was 520% in 1998-99, 670% in 1999-2000 a…
25 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of how much agricultural producers received in (a) 1998-99, (b) 1999-2000, (c) 2000-01 and (d) 2001-02 through the effects of indirect market support measures, including price intervention payments, under the Common Agricultural Policy.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Estimates of the effect of indirect support measures depend heavily upon assumptions about world market conditions and will vary as commodity markets fluctuate and as domestic support measures evolve. Nevertheless the value of indirect market support to agric…
25 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of how much agricultural producers received in payments made under forestry grant schemes in (a) 1998-99, (b) 1999-2000, (c) 2000-01 and (d) 2001-02.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Forestry grants scheme payments in respect of planting on agricultural land are made to both agricultural producers and to those who cease farming after planting. It is not possible to differentiate between the two groups. Figures for the years requested are …
25 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of how much agricultural producers received in payments made under agri-environment schemes in (a) 1998-99, (b) 1999-2000, (c) 2000-01 and (d) 2001-02.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Agricultural producers in Scotland have received the following total payments under the agri-environment schemes:<P>(a) £12.6 million in 1998-99<P>(b) £15.2 million in 1999-2000<P>(c) £18.9 million in 2000-01<P>(d) Provisional expenditure of £21.6 million in …
25 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24069 by Ross Finnie on 27 March 2002, what assessment it has made of how much agricultural producers received under the Common Agricultural Policy schemes for 2001-02.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Agricultural producers received a total of £394.9 million under the main Common Agricultural Policy schemes during financial year 2001-02.
25 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-28692 by Mr Jim Wallace on 24 September 2002, whether the research for the review announced in April 2000 of the powers introduced in 1996 enabling the courts to impose aggravated sentences for offences committed while the offender was on bail will i…
Answer · Jim Wallace: Aggravated sentences are only used to deal with offending while on bail and not other forms of bail abuse. Accordingly, the research is considering the incidence of and particularly the punishment imposed for offending while on bail.
17 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of any unnecessary burdens or costs imposed by red tape on police forces.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Reducing unnecessary bureaucracy in the police service is clearly an important matter and we are always open to ways to reduce this. HM Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland (HMIC) has made clear the importance it attaches to ensuring that the Scottish Po…
17 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it holds on the number of pro forma documents that are in regular use by front-line police and support staff.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Reducing unnecessary bureaucracy in the police service is clearly an important matter and we are always open to ways to reduce this. The Policing Bureaucracy Task Force, set up by the Home Office in 2001 to consider ways of increasing police officer visibilit…
17 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what input it or police forces had to the work of the Policing Bureaucracy Task Force under the chairmanship of Sir David O'Dowd.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Policing Bureaucracy Task Force was established by the Home Office in 2001 to consider ways of increasing police officer visibility in England and Wales. The Executive was not asked directly to input to the work of the task force and I am not aware of any…
17 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking, or plans to take, in order to ensure that current evidence and best practice on suicide prevention will be made widely available.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-29436 today. 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/webapp/searc…
17 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it will make available for promoting research on suicide and suicide prevention.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive Health Department funds the Scottish work of the National Confidentiality Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness, a UK-wide study based at the University of Manchester. The first of the Inquiry's reports to incl…
17 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are in place, or currently under consideration, in order to identify additional steps that can be taken to promote safer prescribing of anti-depressants and analgesics.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There are a number of measures in place to ensure that prescribers have access to information about the safe and effective use of medicines. Importantly, the Medicines Control Agency (MCA), the UK medicines regulatory authority, is responsible for the safety,…
17 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are in place, or currently under consideration, that would make training in suicide risk assessment available to substance misuse services.
Answer · Richard Simpson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-29441 today. 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/webapp/sear…
17 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking, or considering, in order to improve the clinical management of alcohol and drug misuse among younger men that deliberately self-harm.
Answer · Richard Simpson: Our guidance to medical professionals, <I>Managing Incidental Drug Misuse and Alcohol Problems in Mental Health Care Settings</I>, recommends that substance misuse is covered in assessments of patients with mental health problems. These assessments would addr…
17 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking, or considering, in order to tackle, across departmental boundaries, social issues that impact on people with mental health problems, including educational opportunities, social isolation, unemployment and housing.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-29439 today. 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/webapp/searc…
17 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking, or considering, in order to promote mental well-being in the wider population.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The National Programme for Improving the Mental Health and Wellbeing of the Scottish Population, established in October 2001 and overseen by a National Advisory Group, (NAG) which I chair, is developing a range of initiatives to make progress on this vital co…
17 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking, or considering, in order to target mental health promotion at younger men.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Young men will benefit from the National Programme for Improving the Mental Health and Wellbeing of the Scottish Population described in the answer to question S1W-29439 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's w…
17 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it is giving to the introduction of national collaborative measures for the monitoring of non-fatal deliberate self-harm.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information and Statistics Division, a division of the Common Services Agency, is currently working on an Improving Mental Health Information Programme which is addressing the monitoring of non-fatal deliberate self-harm. <P>It is also planned that the Framew…
17 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it is giving to measures aimed at reducing the risk of suicide in any high risk groups and, in particular, amongst younger men.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive is preparing a Framework for the Reduction of Suicide and Self-harm, to be published later this year, and has consulted widely on the draft version. The framework will cover the risk factors related to suicide, identify groups most at r…
28 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has available to it on the incidence of (a) a failure to appear or be represented at court amongst accused persons admitted to bail, (b) offending by accused persons while admitted to bail and (c) intimidation of witnesses by accused persons while admitted to bail.
Answer · Elish Angiolini: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
28 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it will give to legislation providing for a presumption of remand into custody where an accused person has tested positive for Class A drugs at arrest.
Answer · Jim Wallace: We have no immediate plans to consider making such provision in Scotland.<P>We have, however, noted the proposal in the UK Government's recently published White Paper <I>Justice for All</I> to pilot such a presumption where a suspect tests positive for a clas…
28 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it will give to extending the right of the prosecution to appeal against the admission to bail of an accused person.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The prosecutor in Scotland already has an unrestricted right of appeal against the grant of bail to an accused person.
28 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it will give to weighting the discretion of the criminal courts in determining applications for admission to bail in respect of accused persons who have been charged with an offence likely to result in imprisonment on subsequent convictions.
Answer · Jim Wallace: We are currently in the process of reviewing the powers introduced in 1996 enabling the courts to impose aggravated sentences for offences committed while the offender was on bail. This review was announced in April 2000. To inform the review two research pro…
28 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the findings of the Inquiry by Sir Robin Auld, Review of the Criminal Courts of England and Wales, published on 8 October 2001 in relation to the modernisation of the criminal justice system in Scotland
Answer · Jim Wallace: There are currently two reviews of the criminal justice system in Scotland. That being conducted by Lord Bonomy is examining the operation of the High Court, while a committee chaired by Sheriff Principal McInnes is looking at the system of summary justice. I…
19 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Care Development Group last met.
Answer · Frank McAveety: The Care Development Group has now disbanded. It met for the last time on 2 September 2001 to finalise its report, which was published on 14 September 2001.
19 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to enable assets sei'ed from criminals to be channelled into initiatives focusing on law enforcement and crime reduction, including anti-drugs strategies and community regeneration programmes.
Answer · Richard Simpson: The Executive has been fully involved in the UK-wide Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and we are committed, along with the other UK administrations, to the Asset Recovery Strategy. The new legislation strengthens the powers of the courts to confiscate criminal asse…
6 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider the adoption of improved risk assessment procedures for school trips.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: As indicated in the answer given to question S1W-28252 today, the Scottish Executive Education Department is arranging discussion with representatives of local authorities about the applicability in Scotland of material issued recently by the Department for E…
6 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will require each school to have a named member of staff to undertake the role of educational visits co-ordinator in respect of school trips
Answer · Nicol Stephen: As indicated in the answer given to question S1W-28252 today, the Scottish Executive Education Department is arranging discussion with representatives of local authorities about the applicability in Scotland of material issued recently by the Department for E…
6 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will issue guidance to local authorities on the appointment of outdoor education advisers to oversee and monitor school trips.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: As indicated in the answer given to question S1W-28252 today, the Scottish Executive Education Department is arranging discussion with representatives of local authorities about the applicability in Scotland of material issued recently by the Department for E…