Mr David Davidson

23 Oct 2006 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the connection is between the design of the Parliament’s official Christmas card for 2006 and Christmas.

Answer · George Reid: The Scottish ParliamentaryCorporate Body has chosen an image of the Parliament building for its 2006Christmas card design. In doing so we were guided by the past preferences ofmembers who buy the card, our equalities policy and the approach of other instituti…

11 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information each police force has on how many car drivers were found to be without (a) insurance, (b) a valid MOT certificate or (c) road tax in each year since 1999, and what action it has taken to address such offences.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The following tables show therelevant offences as recorded by the police:</p><p>Insurance Offences by Year andPolice Force Area</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td width=70 nowrap valign=bottom> <p align=center>Year</p> </td> <td widt…

5 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when a national concessionary travel scheme for young people will be implemented and whether the scheme will be “initially for all in full time education or training” as stated in A Partnership for a Better Scotland.

Answer · Tavish Scott: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-28309 on 22 September 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp…

27 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to support community transport for those with a concessionary travel card who live in areas where there are no commercial bus routes.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Executive’s Rural CommunityTransport Initiative supports community transport services in areas where thereare no public transport services or where they are very limited.</p><p>All scheduled bus services whichare available to the general public participat…

27 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase bus capacity to cope with the demand arising from the national concessionary travel scheme.

Answer · Tavish Scott: This Scottish Government is providing substantial funding – up to £159m this year – to pay for the Scotland-wide Free Bus Scheme for Older and Disabled People. The reimbursement rate payable to bus operators takes account of both revenue forgone and additiona…

27 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what view it would take of instances of pensioners with concessionary travel cards being required to go to the back of bus queues until all paying passengers have boarded.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Under no circumstances should concessionary travel scheme passengers be discriminated against in relation to fare paying passengers. However, some operators of long distance services operate a pre-booking system, and Cardholders are advised to pre-book their …

27 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to enforce a drug-free regime in prisons.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The SPS approach on drugs isto reduce supply, reduce demand and reduce harm from drugs taken in prison, beforeor after, and to provid…

27 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to provide a new prison facility in the north east of Scotland.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-17707 on 19 July 2005. Allanswers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website,the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.se…

27 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the draft orders for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route will be laid.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Draft Road Order for theAberdeen Western Peripheral Route and Stonehaven Fastlink and draft De-trunking Ordersare expected to be published in December 2006 together with the draft Side Roadsorders and draft Compulsory Purchase Order for the section north …

27 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to remove the toll charges on the Tay Road Bridge.

Answer · Tavish Scott: We are currently undertakinga detailed examination of the economic, social and environmental costsand impacts of retaining or removing the Tay and Forth tolls. Ministers will consider the outcomes of thestudy carefully before taking decisions on the way forwa…

27 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in Grampian are not on an NHS dentist’s list.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>

27 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much graduate endowment income it (a) has received in each of the last three years and (b) expects to receive in the next three years.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: (a) The Graduate Endowment wasfirst collected during the 2005-06 accounting period and £2 million was received.</p><p>(b) The estimated income overthe next three years is £20 million per year.</p>

27 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to change the graduate endowment charge.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: There are no current plansto change the graduate endowment, other than to increase it in line withinflation each year.</p>

27 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the new Arbuthnott formula for NHS funding to be announced and whether it will seek to have it announced to the Parliament and have it debated before approval.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Over the past year, researchhas been undertaken to determine how the Arbuthnott Formula could be improvedand refined. This research was finalised at the end of May, and the NHSScotlandResource Allocation Committee (NRAC) issued the research reports on its web…

27 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what subsidy it provides to new wind farm developments and how this is calculated.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive does notprovide grants to new onshore wind farm developments other than small scale communityprojects under the Scottish Communities and Householder Renewables Initiative. However,the Executive has agreed to provide £3 million to Talism…

27 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what spare capacity is available on the national grid to transmit power from renewable sources.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The operational management ofgrid capacity is a matter for the regulator (Ofgem) and the owners and operatorsof the electricity grid. The grid networks in Scotland are currently owned andoperated by Scottish and Southern Energy and Scottish Power in their res…

27 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many households in Aberdeen receive housing benefit.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The most recent figure for thenumber of recipients of housing benefit is published in Table 3 of the ScottishExecutive Statistical Bulletin (Housing Series)<i> Housing trends in </i><i>Scotland</i><i>: quarter ending 31 March.2006</i>(HSG/2006/5). This is ava…

27 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from MSPs representing Aberdeen constituencies regarding the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Many representations on thenorth east region have been made from MSPs representing Aberdeen constituencieswith regards to the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.</p>

28 Aug 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what extra resources have been provided to Grampian Police to provide security for oil industry facilities in the north east in each of the last five years and what plans there are to provide extra resources in future, in light of any heightened threat to national security.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Security requirements are takeninto account in the overall allocation of resources to Grampian Police. It is anoperational matter for the Chief Constable how these funds are best deployed.</p><p>The policy of the UK Governmentand the Executive is not to comme…

28 Aug 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what extra resources have been provided to Grampian Police to provide security for the royal family when at Balmoral in each of the last five years and what plans there are to provide extra resources in future.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The policy of the UKGovernment and the Executive is not to comment on, or otherwise disclosedetails of, protection measures that are in place for royalty and other publicfigures as to do so could compromise their security and play into the hands ofthose who m…

10 Jul 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much each local authority paid to Scottish Water and its predecessor bodies as a result of unpaid water bills in each year from 1993-94 to 2005-06 and what funds were used for this purpose.

Answer · Tom McCabe: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>

7 Jul 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether an operator of last resort has been identified for the main bundle of Clyde and Hebridean ferry services.

Answer · Tavish Scott: I will be announcing thefinal service specification for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry service shortly. This will detail thecontractual arrangements that will apply for the duration of the contract.</p>

7 Jul 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the tendering of the main bundle of Clyde and Hebridean ferry services on the basis of Public Service Obligations would enable private ferry companies to operate on some or all of the individual routes alongside the tendered services.

Answer · Tavish Scott: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-27292 answered on 8 August 2006.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…

7 Jul 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the tendering of the main bundle of Clyde and Hebridean ferry services on the basis of Public Service Contracts would enable private ferry companies to operate on some or all of the individual routes alongside the tendered services.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Neither a Public Service Obligation(PSO) nor a Public Service Contract (PSC), which is the Executive’s chosenmethod of procuring the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services, offers exclusiverights to ferry operators.</p>

8 Jun 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to review the Arbuthnott formula.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The NHSScotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC) was established in March2005 to improve and refine the Arbuthnott Formula. Members were chosen throughthe public appointment process and Dr KarenFacey, a self-employed health policy consultant and non-execu…

8 Jun 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it has set for council tax increases for each of the next five years.

Answer · Tom McCabe: It will be for local authoritiesto justify their decisions on future council tax rises to their electorates. Theevidence from the latest round of council tax setting demonstrates that councilscan successfully and reasonably constrain the council tax burden on…

8 Jun 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to consult on how Scottish Water could benefit from changed borrowing regimes.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Executive has no such plans.</p>

8 Jun 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications for home energy efficiency grants are outstanding and what sums are involved.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: There are currently nooutstanding applications under the household stream of the Scottish Communityand Householder Renewables Initiative other than those received within the lastfour weeks.</p>

8 Jun 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total mileage of the ministerial car fleet was in each of the last five years, broken down into cars using petrol, diesel and liquid petroleum gas.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Comprehensive information isonly available for 2005-2006 as follows:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td width=83 valign=top> <p>Diesel²</p> </td> <td width=258 valign=top> <p>Unleaded Petrol/ Liquid Petrole…

8 Jun 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the fuel costs of the ministerial car fleet were in each of the last five years.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Expenditure on fuel used by theGovernment Car Service (Scotland) (GCS) in each of the last five years is shown in thefollowing table:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td width=80 valign=top> <p align=center>Year¹</p> </td> …