Parliamentary questions

Bruce Crawford

999 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

11 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many tonnes of rendered cattle are still in storage as a result of BSE regulations; where such rendered cattle is stored, and what amount is stored in each location.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The only rendered material currently stored in GB as a result of BSE regulations is Over Thirty Months Slaughter Scheme meat and bone meal and tallow. There is no such material currently in store in Scotland.

11 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what restrictions are in place in respect of the harvesting of shellfish or other aquatic life forms, as a result of the Chernobyl incident.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that there are no restrictions in place in Scotland relating to the harvesting of shellfish or other aquatic life forms, as a result of the Chernobyl accident.

11 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many farms are still restricted in the growing or trading of crops as a result of the Chernobyl incident and what the acreage is of each such farm.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that no farms in Scotland are restricted in the growing or trading of crops. Monitoring in Scotland as a result of the Chernobyl incident is limited to sheep on a few remaining restricted farms.

11 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many farms are still restricted in the rearing or trading of livestock as result of the Chernobyl incident; what the acreage is of each farm, and what livestock restrictions are still in existence.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that 11 farms in Scotland, averaging approximately 1,030 hectares per farm, are still subject to restrictions as a result of the Chernobyl incident. Sheep from these farms are required by the Food Protection (Emergenc…

11 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total amount of compensation paid to farmers has been as result of the Chernobyl incident, broken down by category of compensation.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Since the Chernobyl Sheep Compensation Scheme was established in 1986, over £2.8 million has been paid in compensation to Scottish farmers. A breakdown of this expenditure by category of compensation is not available.

11 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the outcome has been of radioactivity monitoring, carried out as a result of the Chernobyl incident, in each year since 1986.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that following the Chernobyl incident, agricultural produce, other foodstuffs and water supplies were monitored so that action could be taken as necessary. In Scotland, initial restrictions on sheep movements affectin…

11 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what radioactivity monitoring, resulting from the Chernobyl nuclear incident, has taken place since 1986.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that immediately following the Chernobyl incident, agricultural produce, other foodstuffs and water supplies were monitored so that action could be taken as necessary. In Scotland during 1987, raised levels of radioac…

11 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the most recent radioactivity monitoring, resulting from the Chernobyl incident, took place and what the results were.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that specific monitoring in Scotland due to the Chernobyl incident is limited to sheep on a few remaining restricted farms. These farms are subject to statutory controls under the terms of the Food and Environment Pro…

11 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring programmes, resulting from the Chernobyl incident, are still in operation.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that monitoring of sheep for radioactivity resulting from the Chernobyl incident in 1986 continues on 11 remaining restricted farms in Scotland. Monitoring is undertaken by the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural…

11 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place or correspondence there has been with Her Majesty's Government in respect of further devolution of powers to the Parliament and on what dates.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I refer to the answer to questionsS1W-28375 on 10 September 2002 and S2W-5062 answered on 19 January 2004. Where discussions result in agreement that thereshould be a further devolution of powers, legislative proposals will continueto be put to the Parliament…

11 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what concordats there are between it and Her Majesty's Government.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The Memorandum of Understanding established four multilateral concordats between the UK Government, the Scottish Executive, the Cabinet of the National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Executive Committee, covering: 1. The Co-ordination of E…

20 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many licensed premises there have been in Mid Scotland and Fife in each year from 1999 to 2005, broken down by (a) local authority area and (b) licence type.

Answer · George Lyon: The information available is given in the following tables. Liquor Licences in Force in Fife and Mid Scotland by Council Area, at 31 December 1995-2004<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> Counci…

20 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many knife or blade-related crimes there have been in each year from 1999 to 2005 in the (a) Fife Constabulary, (b) Tayside Police and (c) Central Scotland Police area.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The recorded crimes statistics available centrally do not generally distinguish the use of knives or blades in the commission of crimes or offences, other than the specific crime category given in the following table. Crimes Recorded by the Police of h…

20 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital admissions due to alcohol abuse there have been in each year from 1999 to 2005 in the (a) NHS Fife, (b) NHS Tayside and (c) NHS Forth Valley area.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Tables are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. Table 1 (Bib. number 37547) shows the combined figures for acute and psychiatric hospital discharges with an explicit diagnosis of alcohol related conditions in Fife, Tayside and Forth Valley…

20 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of alcohol-related crime has been in each year from 1999 to 2005 in the (a) Fife Constabulary, (b) Tayside Police and (c) Central Scotland Police area.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The statistics available centrally on crimes recorded by the police do not generally distinguish the circumstances of the crime, such as the involvement of alcohol. The available information for the crime categories which specifically relate to alcohol is giv…

20 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what level of support is provided by each NHS board for ME sufferers.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is not held centrally.

20 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what level of financial resources it makes available to NHS boards to help treat those who are affected by ME.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: NHS boards are given unified budgets, increased by an average of 7.6% in the current financial year, from which they are expected to meet the costs of treatment for people with ME and all other chronic conditions. It is for boards to decide how their unified …

20 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the strategic needs assessment in respect of ME to be completed and how it will publish the results.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-19357 on 3 October 2005. 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…

20 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who has responsibility for undertaking the strategic needs assessment in respect of ME and what level of support is available to carry out the assessment effectively.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive is committed to carrying out an assessment of needs for ME services. It has, however, proved difficult to identify the best means of taking this forward. The former Scottish Needs Assessment Programme has been in abeyance for some years and the …

20 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit is of the strategic needs assessment it is undertaking in respect of ME.

3 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in what way the members of the National Licensing Forum (NLF) reflect “a fair sectoral spread” of the hotel, restaurant and pub sectors as referred to in the Executive’s letter of 22 June 2005 to the Scotish Beer and Pub Association.

Answer · George Lyon: Forum members have been appointed for their individual knowledge, expertise and experience. Forum members are considered to represent a fair sectoral spread across the following sectors:Training BodiesPromotional Health BodiesMedic…

2 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what organisations wrote to it asking that they or their members be considered for membership of the National Licensing Forum.

Answer · George Lyon: The Scottish Beer and Pub Association requested in writing that it be considered for membership of the National Licensing Forum.

2 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the membership of the National Licensing Forum to reflect fully the pub, hotel and restaurant sectors.

Answer · George Lyon: The National Licensing Forum has been established on an interim basis for a two year period. Membership of the forum will be reviewed by that time.

2 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from licensed trade organisations in respect of its announcement of the establishment of the National Licensing Forum.

Answer · George Lyon: We have received representations from three organisations - the Scottish Beer and Pub Association, the Scottish Licensed Trade Association and the British Hospitality Association - requesting membership of the forum.

2 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what safeguards it has put in place to avoid conflicts of interest between National Licensing Forum (NLF) members’ own employment and commercial responsibilities and their responsibilities as members of the NLF in the course of their deliberations.

Answer · George Lyon: Forum members have been appointed for their individual knowledge, expertise and experience. They are required to abide by the remit and terms of reference of the forum and by a code of conduct. Copies of both documents are available on request from the Scotti…

2 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what financial interests have been declared by the members of the National Licensing Forum and whether it will publish such interests.

Answer · George Lyon: Consideration was given to whether or not members’ financial interests should be published. Scottish Executive guidance confirmed that this would be disproportionate to the status and role of the forum and was, therefore, not required. However, members…

2 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what rights of appeal or complaint exist in relation to the appointments it has made to the National Licensing Forum (NLF), given the forum’s status as a ministerial advisory group, and how such rights compare with those that would exist if the NLF were a public body.

Answer · George Lyon: There are no specific or formal rights of appeal available in relation to appointments to Ministerial Advisory Groups. Complaints can be made to the Scottish Executive in writing under our established complaints procedure. An independent complaints pro…

2 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its reasons are for deciding not to designate the National Licensing Forum as a public body.

Answer · George Lyon: The classification of the forum as a short-term Ministerial Advisory Group is in line with Scottish Executive guidance on the establishment of new public bodies. Ministerial Advisory Groups are task specific, can be established for up to two years and are the…

2 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what process it used in deciding which individuals to appoint to the National Licensing Forum and what organisations it consulted prior to making the appointments.

Answer · George Lyon: The National Licensing Forum is a short-term Ministerial Advisory Group and, as such, does not come within the remit of the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland. Nevertheless, ministers are fully committed to the principle of appointment on merit …

16 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much was paid out from the Breakfast Service Challenge Fund from 2001-02 to 2004-05.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There was one Breakfast ServiceChallenge Fund between 2001-02 and 2004-05. The total fund of £300,000 was allocatedto 23 local authorities.