Parliamentary questions
Bruce Crawford
999 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
7 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any action has been taken to attract doctors, nurses or other health professionals from other member states within the EU to work in the NHS.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: <I>Working for Health -The Workforce Development Action Plan for NHSScotland</I>, which was published on 1 August 2002, set out a number of immediate actions including the establishment of a task force on NHS Careers and Recruitment and Retention. This group …
7 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines have been given to NHS boards and trusts regarding the employing of doctors, nurses and other health professionals from within the EU.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: Doctors, nurses and other health professionals from within the EU are subject to the same employment checks as any other job applicant including registration status and occupational health requirements.<P>Employers are responsible for ensuring that any job ap…
12 Jul 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings of the Sustainable Development Forum have taken place to the present date.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-27187 on 1 August 2002.
28 Jun 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit and current membership is of the sustainable development forum.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The remit of the Sustainable Development Forum for Scotland is to provide a focus for Scottish thinking and action on sustainable development.<P>Adverts in the national press on 7 June invited nominations and requests to attend. Information was also available…
17 Jun 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive who the board members are of the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency; what the background is of each member, and what attributes led to their appointment to the board.
Answer · Allan Wilson: Members of the board of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) are appointed in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 4 of schedule 6 to the Environment Act 1995. This states that "in making appointments, Scottish Ministers shall have re…
14 Jun 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what legal remedies are available to organic farmers whose crop cannot be sold as organic due to contamination by a genetically modified organism.
Answer · Ross Finnie: There are no statutory provisions allowing claims for compensation for contamination specifically by a genetically modified organism (GMO). Therefore, organic farmers would have the same remedies available to them under general law if a crop were contaminated…
5 Jun 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has sought about the position of the Belgian Government in regard to crop trials of genetically modified oil seed rape and what information it has received about the position of the Belgian Government on this matter.
Answer · Ross Finnie: There have been a number of trials of GM oilseed rape in Belgium. The Belgian authorities recently ordered the destruction of a small research plot of GM oilseed rape because it did not have the required separation distance between it and a conventional crop …
1 May 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with Scottish Water concerning its charging policies.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Ministers accepted the advice contained in the Water Industry Commissioner's Strategic Review of Charges in November 2001, which related to proposed revenue caps, the harmonisation of charges and cost-reflective tariffs. In the light of this decision, the thr…
10 Apr 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any minister attended the recent global wind power conference in Paris to underline Scotland's position as the prime wind energy generation site in Europe.
Answer · Ross Finnie: No ministers attended the conference. However, Scotland's interests were ably represented by the Scottish Enterprise Energy Group.
9 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what further planning guidance it intends to produce in regard to planning applications for wind farms.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Planning policy on such proposals is contained in <I>National Planning Policy Guideline (NPPG) 6: Renewable Energy Developments</I>, which was published in November 2000.<P>In addition, we published the revised <I>Planning Advice Note (PAN) 45: Renewable Ener…
9 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support has been provided to Scottish Coal, or any of its subsidiaries, from Scottish Enterprise in relation to the Longannet Deep Mine, what the support was intended for and how any such money has been used.
Answer · Iain Gray: In June 1999, Scottish Enterprise provided a guarantee to underwrite £5.4 million of bank borrowing by Scottish Coal (Deep Mine) Ltd in order to allow the company to continue trading. The level of this guarantee was varied on several occasions in line with th…
9 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support has been provided to Scottish Coal, or any of its subsidiaries, from Scottish Enterprise in the past three years.
Answer · Iain Gray: In the three years to 31 March 2002, the Scottish Enterprise network contributed a total of £81,591 in direct support to Scottish Coal Company Ltd and its subsidiaries. These contributions went towards a number of projects including studies on opencast mine r…
9 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what policies it intends to develop in order to prevent over-picking of cockles from areas like Burntisland Bay in Fife.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I understand that an interim interdict was recently served on cockle handgatherers preventing them from fishing in Burntisland Bay. The Scottish Executive will consider conducting an assessment of the effect of the handgatherers activities on the features of …
9 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what powers local authorities and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) have in regard to the protection of cockles and shellfish from over picking from beaches and inshore waters.
Answer · Allan Wilson: Where an intertidal area is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, SNH may, at the time of notification of the SSSI, have specified cockle or other shellfish harvesting as an operation likely to…
9 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it will provide to Scottish Natural Heritage about the stripping of cockles and shellfish from Burntisland Bay in Fife.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive has discussed this issue with Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). SNH has a general function under section 2 (1)(a) of the Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991 to provide advice to Scottish ministers or any other minister on the developmen…
9 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures exist to prevent the over picking of cockles and shellfish from beaches and inshore waters.
Answer · Ross Finnie: In terms of fisheries management, ministers have powers under the Inshore Fishing (Scotland) Act 1984 to prohibit fishing in any specified area of Scotland's inshore and intertidal waters. In the past, these powers have mainly been exercised to protect fish s…
8 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the cost of any inspections of central heating systems installed by Eaga Partnership (Scotland) is paid for from the grant for the installation of the system received by the client or from the management fee.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The cost of each inspection is paid for out of Eaga's management fee.
8 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many inspections of gas central heating systems installed by Eaga Partnership (Scotland) have been undertaken, what qualifications are held by inspectors carrying out such inspections and what code of practice such inspections must comply with.
Answer · Margaret Curran: A total of 2,763 inspections of gas central heating systems have been undertaken to date. All Eaga's engineers are CORGI registered and are trained to Approved Code of Practice (ACOPS) 1-15 standards. There are various codes of practice that they must comply …
8 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many installations of gas central heating systems Eaga Partnership (Scotland) has been responsible for under its central heating programme.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Three thousand, two hundred and nineteen gas central heating systems have been installed by Eaga to date.
8 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what qualifications are held by surveyors employed by Eaga Partnership (Scotland) and what further training they are given following their appointment.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The minimum qualifications for surveyors taken on by Eaga are City and Guilds Certificate 6176 "Energy Awareness" and/or NVQ Level 2 "Domestic Energy". Many surveyors have supplemented these qualifications with the NHER Site Assessor qualification. Prior to u…
8 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many surveyors are employed by Eaga Partnership (Scotland) to assess the work required prior to a grant being awarded under the central heating programme.
Answer · Hugh Henry: Eaga currently have 85 surveyors working under the central heating programme.
26 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to undertake a consultation process in regard to the possibility of opening up Scottish Water to competition, detailing the reasons behind its position on the matter.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The possibility of increased competition in the water industry has been the subject of two recent public consultations:<UL><I><P><LI>Managing Change in the Water Industry - A Consultation Paper </I>was published on 15 June 2000 and included a discussion of th…
26 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is now able to produce a timetable for the introduction of legislation on wildlife protection.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive intends to come forward with legislative proposals at an early opportunity and we will publish a draft nature conservation bill, based on the proposals contained in the policy statement, <I>The Nature of Scotland</I>, as soon as possible.
26 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Stirling Council in regard to its plans for Doune Primary School.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: None.
26 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional support it will provide to Stirling Council to enable it to tackle a backlog of road maintenance.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Additional capital allocations for local roads and bridges amounting to £70 million across Scotland were announced late last year, and are included in capital allocations over the three years to March 2004. It is for Stirling Council to decide how to spend it…
26 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to upgrade the A94.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The A94 from Perth to Forfar is a local road. Decisions relating to its improvement are the responsibility of the relevant local authorities.
26 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when Forth Valley NHS Board will receive details of its financial settlement for the next three financial years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Forth Valley NHS Board was notified of its indicative revenue allocations for 2002-03 and 2003-04 on 6 April 2001. A firm revenue allocation for 2002-03 was notified to the board on 7 February 2002. Indicative allocations for future years will be considered f…
26 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out, or intends to carry out, any research and monitoring for the presence of plutonium in the sea spray on the west coast of the Western Isles.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive itself does not undertake monitoring of radioactivity in the environment. A comprehensive environmental monitoring programme for radioactivity in Scotland is carried out by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. <P>The objectives o…
21 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it received the draft Structure Plan covering the Stirling area and when it will issue its decision on the plan.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The Clackmannanshire and Stirling Structure Plan was submitted to the Scottish ministers for consideration on 24 August 2000. The plan was approved, with modifications, on 21 March 2002.
7 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what practical help has been provided to Scottish Coal to help it secure the long-term future of the Longannet deep mine in Fife.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This is a reserved matter within the remit of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Longannet received £41 million in aid from the DTI under the UK Coal Operating Aid Scheme. Due to severe flooding which has ended production at Longannet, its operator S…