Parliamentary questions

Mr Brian Monteith

1,042 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

5 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will issue guidance or regulations to local authorities under the Education (Disability Strategies and Pupils' Records) Act 2002 that will make pupil records available to parents.

Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-1692 on 18 August 2003. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/weba…

4 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any television programmes have been sponsored by the General Register Office for Scotland and, if so, which programmes have been sponsored and how much money has been spent on such sponsorship.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The Scottish Televisionseries “Celtic America”, was sponsored by the ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk website.The cost of this sponsorship was borne jointly by the General Register Officefor Scotland (GROS) and Scotland on Line, the GROS private sector partner in thewe…

4 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to reduce the incidence of Japanese knotweed.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Japanese knotweed is listed inSchedule 9 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is therefore an offenceunder the act to release the species into the wild, accidentally or deliberately.Action to be taken in relationto problems caused by Japanese k…

4 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has provided for credit unions in each financial year since 1997-98 and what further funding it will provide in 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06.

Answer · Margaret Curran: There was no Scottish Executive budget for developing credit union activity prior to 2001. Since 2001-02,the Executive has provided financial support for credit unions, through implementationof the credit union Action Plan Unlocking the Potential. Spending un…

2 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering altering the date of the next local authority elections and, if so, what options are bring considered.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive has no plans to change the date of the next local authority elections.

2 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the #100,000 publicity campaign, announced by the Deputy Minister for Finance and Public Services on 12 November 2002 to assist the implementation of the Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003, will be launched; what form it will take, and how long it will last.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The marketing campaign to generateawareness of the implementation of the Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act2003 will begin on 16 October and run for approximately two weeks. The first stage of the campaignwill comprise the placing of advertisements in regional…

2 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1802 by Mr Tom McCabe on 27 August 2003, how much each local authority spent on care for elderly people from 1997-98 until 2001-02.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The following table showsnet revenue expenditure on older people per local authority area, for the years1997-98 to 2001-02. The figures are taken from the Local Financial Return (LFR)(Social Work) and are therefore not comparable with the provisional outturn …

2 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1809 by Mr Frank McAveety on 27 August 2003, what budget has been agreed for the National and Regional Facilities Strategy up to 2006, broken down by financial year, and whether there was any underspend on the strategy's budget for 2002-03.

Answer · Frank McAveety: The Scottish Executive has a budget of £28.8 million from 2003-04 to 2005-06 to help develop Scotland’sNational and Regional Sports Facilities.As the Facilities Strategystarted in 2003-04 there was no underspend for 2002-03.The following table p…

2 Sep 2003 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the construction of the new Parliament building is subject to any (a) planning and (b) building regulations and, if not, whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body still intends to comply with such regulations.

Answer · George Reid: The new Parliament building isa Crown building and exempt from the normal planning controls; however, a decisionwas taken at the outset of the project to comply with all relevant statutory andCity of Edinburgh Council planning guidelines and building regulati…

2 Sep 2003 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will publish the budget for the new Parliament building for 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06, including landscaping and all associated costs.

Answer · George Reid: The SPCB's budget for 2003-04 is published in theBudget (Scotland) (No 4) Act as amended by the 2003-04 Summer Budget Revisionlaid before Parliament in June 2003. The total capital budget of £149.4 millionfor the current year in…

1 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much non-domestic rates income it received in 2001-02 from public bodies or organisations that it funds.

Answer · Andy Kerr: This information is not heldcentrally.

1 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the administrative cost of collecting non-domestic rates was in 2001-02, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Information on the administrativecost of collecting non-domestic rates in 2001-02 can be found in the CIPFA RatingReview Actuals of Income and Expenditure booklet (Bib. number 17055) a copyof which is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

1 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to local authorities will be of compliance with Euro Preparations Guidance, produced by Her Majesty's Treasury and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and whether it will provide financial support to assist them.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-1959 on 1 September 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webap…

1 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to address any national shortage of audiologists in the NHS.

Answer · Tom McCabe: We are currentlyconsidering ways of ensuring a supply of suitably trained staff in Scotland,including undergraduate and diploma courses in audiology.

27 Aug 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met representatives of Scottish Water and what issues were discussed.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer to question S2O-325 today. All answers to 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/search_wa">http://www.…

14 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many planning appeals it heard from 1 January 1999 to 30 June 2003 and how many such appeals were successful.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: During the period 1 January1999 to 30 June 2003, the Scottish Executive Inquiry Reporters Unithandled 4,570 planning appeals. Planning appeals are considered using a PublicLocal Inquiry, a Hearing or the Written Submissions procedure. The followingtable gives…

13 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1477 by Nicol Stephan on 7 August 2003, what the detailed breakdown was of the #39 million construction cost of the Skye Bridge, including construction, fees, building of approach roads, and interest payments to the private financiers of the project …

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The breakdown of costs isset out in Figure 2 of the Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General –The Skye Bridge (HC5 Session 1997-98). Further details of the terms of the Skye Bridgecontract and the financial position of …

13 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have worked in the public sector in each of the last six years, broken down by NHS, local authority, non-departmental public body, central government and any other sector.

Answer · Jim Wallace: <div class=Section1>The following table showsthe number of the number of people who worked in the public sector broken downby type of organisation in Scotland:<div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0> <thead> …

13 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many female prisoners have been sexually assaulted in each of the last five years, broken down by prison.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: <div class=Section1>I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:The information is notavailable in the form requested. The information available on assaults ispublished in SPS…

8 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the three renewing local democracy working groups, referred to in its new release SEFD247/2003 on 10 July 2003, have been established; who the members are of each group; what the timescale is for the operation of each group, and what the budget is for their running costs.

Answer · Tavish Scott: <div class=Section1>Arrangements are being madefor the groups to have their first meetings. It is envisaged that they willoperate initially for 12 months, reporting to ministers thereafter. Each groupwill have an initial budget of around £3,000 to cover tr…

8 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many convictions for fly-tipping there were in each of the last five years.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The available information isgiven in the table. The data for 2002 are not expected to be available untilNovember 2003.Persons with a Charge Provedin Scottish Courts Where the Main Offence was Under Section 33 of theEnvironmental Protection Act 1990, 19…

8 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what data it, or any other organisation, collects on the extent of fly-tipping on agricultural land and its cost to farmers and public funds.

Answer · Ross Finnie: No data are held centrally.Local authorities and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) areresponsible for action against fly-tipping. I understand that Scotland hasalso undertaken surveys on this topic and may be able to provide further data.</p…

8 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what data it, or any other organisation, collects on the extent of fly-tipping, including the annual frequency of fly-tipping incidents and the cost of clearing up.

Answer · Ross Finnie: No data are held centrally.Local authorities and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency areresponsible for action against fly-tipping. The Scottish Fly-tippingForum, funded by the Scottish Executive, is gathering information about fly-tipping. Th…

7 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce its decision on the outline business case put forward by Forth Valley NHS Board for the selection of the Royal Scottish National Hospital, Larbert, as the site of the proposed new acute hospital for Forth Valley.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Forth Valley NHS Board is currently finalising the outlinebusiness case (OBC) for the Forth Valley Healthcare Strategy. It isanticipated that the OBC will be submitted to the Executive in the coming weeksand a response will be made as soon as possible …

7 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many male prisoners have been sexually assaulted in each prison in each of the last five years.

6 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has to amend, withhold or remove a civil servant's entitlement to pension benefits from Civil Service pension funds; to which pension funds these powers apply, and in what circumstances such powers would be exercised.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive has no functions in relation to the amendment, denial or removal of a civil servant’s entitlementto pension benefits from Civil Service pension funds. Such powers are held bythe Minister for the Civil Service.

6 Aug 2003 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer what powers the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) has to amend, withhold or remove a staff member's entitlement to pension benefits from Civil Service pension funds; to which pension funds these powers apply, and in what circumstances such powers would be exercised.

Answer · George Reid: The SPCB does not have any powers to amend, withhold or remove a staff member’s entitlement to pension benefits from Civil Service pension funds as these powers are held by the Minister for Civil Service.All staff of the SPCB are eligible for membershi…

6 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much each of its departments (a) spent in 2002-03 and (b) plans to spend in (i) 2003-04 and (ii) 2004-05 on advertising and marketing, broken down by month and media type.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The expenditure onadvertising and marketing in 2002-03 is as follows.Health Dept: Drugs, Flu, Breathing Space, Healthy Eating/LivingNHSHelpline, Free Personal Care, Organ Donation, Organ Retention<table class=MsoNormalTable border=1 cellspacing=0 c…

1 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what reallocation of funds has been made, or spent, from funds earmarked for hosting the European Football Championships in 2008.

Answer · Frank McAveety: The funds earmarked to support the staging of the European Nations Football Championships in 2008 have been reallocated to support the Executive’s National and Regional Facilities Strategy as previously announced in March this year.

1 Aug 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on the care of elderly people in 2002-03; of this, how much was spent on the care of elderly people specifically as a result of the introduction of free personal care and how much it estimates will be spent on such care in 2003-04 and any subsequent years for which it h…

Answer · Tom McCabe: The most up to date information available regarding expenditure on the care of older people, contained in the Local Authority Provisional Outturn figures for 2002-03, indicates that £762,952,000 was spent on older people in the 2002-03 financial year. Informa…