Questions · David McLetchie

3 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the end-year balance in each sub-heading of the General Register Office Budget was in 1999-2000.

Answer · Jack McConnell: I refer you to the figures I provided in my answer to question S1W-8299 which sets out the End-Year Balances claim agreed with Treasury. The Appropriations Accounts published in the autumn will contain a breakdown of end-year balances.

3 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the end-year balance in each sub-heading of the administration budget was in 1999-2000.

Answer · Jack McConnell: I refer you to the figures I provided in my answer to question S1W-8299 which sets out the End-Year Balances claim agreed with Treasury. The Appropriations Accounts published in the autumn will contain a breakdown of end-year balances.

3 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the end-year balance in each sub-heading of the justice budget was in 1999-2000.

Answer · Jack McConnell: I refer you to the figures I provided in my answer to question S1W-8299 which sets out the End-Year Balances claim agreed with Treasury. The Appropriations Accounts published in the autumn will contain a breakdown of end-year balances.

3 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the end-year balance in each sub-heading of the health budget was in 1999-2000.

Answer · Jack McConnell: I refer you to the figures I provided in my answer to question S1W-8299 which sets out the End-Year Balances claim agreed with Treasury. The Appropriations Accounts published in the autumn will contain a breakdown of end-year balances.

3 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the end-year balance in each sub-heading of the education and industry budget was in 1999-2000.

Answer · Jack McConnell: I refer you to the figures I provided in my answer to question S1W-8299 which sets out the End-Year Balances claim agreed with Treasury. The Appropriations Accounts published in the autumn will contain a breakdown of end year balances.

3 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the end-year balance in each sub-heading of the Development Department budget was in 1999-2000.

Answer · Jack McConnell: I refer you to the figures I provided in my answer to question S1W-8299 which sets out the End-Year Balances claim agreed with Treasury. The Appropriations Accounts published in the autumn will contain a breakdown of end-year balances.

3 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the end-year balance in each sub-heading of the rural affairs budget was in 1999-2000.

Answer · Jack McConnell: I refer you to the figures I provided in my answer to question S1W-8299 which sets out the End-Year Balances claim agreed with Treasury. The Appropriations Accounts published in the autumn will contain a breakdown of end-year balances.

30 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to withdraw training allowances from recipients who breach community service orders and whether it will conduct pilot studies in Scotland before introducing any such measures or use the pilots currently planned for England and Wales to assess the impact of introducing su…

Answer · Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive has no current plans to withdraw training allowances from recipients who breach the terms of a community service order. Subject to legislation being enacted by the UK Government, pilot studies to test such provision will take place in …

20 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the existing law is as it applies to street collectors who persuade people to sign Standing Orders and Deeds of Covenant for donations to charity and whether it has any plans to reform the law that covers this method of soliciting and collecting donations.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The regulation of public charitable collections is governed by section 119 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 and associated regulations.Further to my announcement of 29 March, the independent commission to review and reform charit…

31 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive Scottish Executive whether it will publish a weekly digest of all upcoming matters of public interest, including ministerial announcements and engagements and publication dates of documents issued by it and reports addressed to it.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive is not in a position to publish a weekly digest of all forthcoming matters of public interest.

9 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-5060 by Mr Jack McConnell on 23 March 2000 and in the light of the Presiding Officer's ruling that the terms and effects of the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill do require a financial resolution to be moved under rule 9.12 of the Parliament…

Answer · Jack McConnell: The Executive are considering the financial implications of the Bill and will decide whether or not to give notice of a motion proposing a Financial Resolution in due course.

9 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to bring forward a Bill dealing with the confiscation of assets of suspected drug dealers.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Scottish criminal courts already have wide powers to impose confiscation orders on persons convicted of drug trafficking offences. We wish to see full use of existing powers. Working together with Her Majesty's Government, we are considering how such powers m…

4 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the First Minister's forthcoming absence, there are any of his powers and responsibilities which will not be assigned to the Deputy First Minister and, if so, which.

Answer · Donald Dewar: Most ministerial powers are conferred upon "the Scottish Ministers" and can be exercised by any member of the Scottish Executive. Any such powers which are at present, in practice, exercised by the First Minister will, during his absence, be exercis…

2 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce legislation to change the laws relating to bankruptcy in Scotland.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Executive has no immediate plans to introduce changes to the laws relating to bankruptcy in Scotland. However, it is still considering the outcome of consultation carried out by the Scottish Office in July 1997 and September 1998 on detailed aspects of th…

19 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that the benefits of Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line technology are available throughout Scotland.

Answer · Henry McLeish: This is initially a commercial decision for providers of telecommunications services. I understand that British Telecommunications PLC is providing access to ADSL in Edinburgh, Glasgow and parts of the central belt at the present time. Aberdeen will have acce…

21 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what surveillance testing, based on serological, virological, microbiological or pathological findings, was conducted by it or other bodies and over what period, in terms of Article 13 of EC Directive 91/67/EEC, which enabled the United Kingdom to maintain that Scotland was free from Infe…

Answer · John Home Robertson: Article 13 of Directive 91/67/EEC does not apply to Infectious Salmon Anaemia. However, in order to meet UK and EC legislative requirements, annual fish disease inspection and sampling programmes for all fish farms in Scotland have been carried out since 1993…

10 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what factors it took into account in reaching its decision to adopt its policy of not compensating for losses arising from fish diseases, and when that decision was taken.

Answer · John Home Robertson: The Scottish Executive has considered this matter very carefully. It has taken into account the nature of the disease, its obligations under UK and EC legislation, the potential read over effect for other animal and plant diseases and the socio-economic impli…

10 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the statement made to the Parliament by the Deputy Minister for Rural Affairs on 16 September 1999, which previous Government established the policy of not compensating for losses arising from fish diseases and to specify the official publication(s) in which a statement…

Answer · John Home Robertson: The Scottish Executive does not have access to papers belonging to previous UK administrations. However it is worth pointing out that the policy is fully documented in the context of an outbreak of Viral Haemorrhagic Septicaemia on the Island of Gigha in 1994.

10 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis, under the Scotland Act 1998, it has the power to adopt its declared policy of not compensating for losses arising from fish disease, and whether this is compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.

Answer · John Home Robertson: The Scottish Executive is content that the policy which implements our obligations under Community law in respect of fish diseases is compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. However the matter has been referred to the European Court of Justic…

10 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the value is, both in monetary terms and in terms of number of treatment episodes, of contracts for private clinical care purchased by the NHS either centrally, by health board or by NHS trust for each of the years from 1995-96 to 1999-2000.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive does not collect information about the use of the private sector by the NHS, nor does the NHS itself have complete national data. Decisions on the use of the private sector are made at operational level by health boards and NHS Trusts, …

10 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the reports that repairs to the roof of the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh are necessary and, if so, to detail (a) the nature and extent of the repairs required, (b) when and how the Lothian University Hospitals NHS Trust became aware that repairs wer…

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive is aware that repairs are necessary to the roof of the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh.The Lothian University Hospitals NHS Trust first became aware of the nature and extent of the repairs required to th…

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all design contracts, relating to Executive publications, printing and advertising, which have been placed on its behalf since 1 July 1999, including details of the agencies appointed and the estimated value of the contracts.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Most design work for the Executive is performed under framework contracts which cover a wide range of services of which design is a part. The following table contains details of specific design contracts let since July 1999.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPAD…

6 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, if the terms and effects of the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill require a financial resolution to be moved under rule 9.12 of the Parliament's Standing Orders, it intends to lodge the necessary motion to allow such a resolution to be made.

Answer · Jack McConnell: I understand that the Presiding Officer has intimated that no financial resolution is required for this Member's Bill.

22 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the statutory procedures laid down in Part III of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 for the determination of applications for planning permission by local planning authorities and the Scottish Ministers are compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights wi…

Answer · Sarah Boyack: We are systematically reviewing all of our activities to identify issues where there is a risk of ECHR challenge. If we believe it is necessary to amend existing legislation in order to comply with the Convention, then we will bring forward proposals for that…

22 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the statutory procedures laid down in Part II of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 for the preparation and approval of development plans are compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights within the meaning of section 1 of the Human Rights Act 1998 and, if…

Answer · Jim Wallace: We are systematically reviewing all of our activities to identify issues where there is a risk of ECHR challenge. If we believe it is necessary to amend existing legislation in order to comply with the Convention, then we will bring forward proposals for that…

10 Feb 2000 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will arrange for the Scottish Parliament Information Centre to compile a regular monthly update of the number of votes in the Parliament, which also gives a breakdown of the number of times members of a party have voted in the same way as m…

Answer · David Steel: The Scottish Parliament Information Centre is currently compiling a report from the electronic voting data which are recorded in its Scottish Parliament Profiles (SPP) database. It will include details of MSPs' participation in electronic…

1 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether One Parent Families Scotland will be treated on the same basis as other groups named in the Ministerial Statement by the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Justice on 20 January 2000 in relation to applications for funding from the new statutory grant scheme.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The boundaries of the new statutory grant scheme which I announced in my statement of 20 January will be set out in the White Paper which I intend to issue in May. The detail has not been finalised, but the objective will be to assist organisations who provid…

19 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1700 by Mr Jim Wallace on 17 January 2000, whether it will explain the difference between an opinion that "there were no statable case" and an opinion that there was "no prospect of any success and no merit in going ahead with a judicial review" in r…

Answer · Jim Wallace: As indicated in my answer to question S1W-1700, Scottish Ministers took the view that there was nothing to be gained from proceedings for judicial review. Legal advice given to the Scottish Ministers was that there was no argument which might have been stated…

14 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to publish the 1999 edition of The Scottish Abstract of Statistics and what the publication schedule is for future editions of this work.

Answer · Jack McConnell: We do not plan to publish a 1999 edition of The Scottish Abstract of Statistics. This compendium was published annually up to 1996 and then in 1998. If we continue with a volume in this format, the next edition would be that for 2000.<FONT FACE="Arial,…

12 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to report to the Parliament on meetings of the British Irish Council by way of ministerial statement or otherwise.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Executive will, in the first instance, arrange a debate in the Parliament on the British Irish Council. Thereafter, decisions can be taken on how meetings of the Council should be reported to Parliament and on how Executive and Parliament relationships ca…