Parliamentary questions
David Mundell
955 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
26 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it uses to assess the success or failure of advertising campaigns in respect of policy initiatives.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive measures the success of its advertising campaigns in a number of ways. This can involve baseline research where items such as levels of awareness or behaviour can be measured. When a campaign is completed or throughout longer campaigns …
26 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it intends to spend on advertising in respect of policy initiatives or campaigns over the next 12 months, broken down by calendar month, campaign and medium.
Answer · Tom McCabe: It is not possible to give details of projected spend for campaigns over the next 12 months as budgets are not held centrally. Throughout any year campaigns can also arise unexpectedly in response to issues (such as the recent foot-and-mouth disease outbreak)…
26 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it spent on advertising in respect of policy initiatives or campaigns in (a) 1999-2000 and (b) 2000-01, broken down by calendar month, campaign and medium.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested is given in table format - a copy of which has been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib number 13751).
25 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what procedure will be used to fill the current vacancy on the board of visitscotland and what timescale is envisaged for this process.
Answer · Alasdair Morrison: The vacancy will be filled in accordance with the guidance issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. An appointment will be made as quickly as possible.
25 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14758 by Ross Finnie on 17 April 2001, why there is no estimate for any loss of income to the proposed single water authority should water prices charged by the North of Scotland Water Authority be brought into line with those charged by the East and…
Answer · Ross Finnie: The passage referred to makes clear that the move to a single authority will allow charge harmonisation. At what level those charges will be harmonised will not be established until the strategic charges review has been carried out. Thus, as indicated in my e…
25 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to hold meetings with the European Commission to synchronise the goals of Digital Scotland and other e-Government projects with those being pursued at a European level such as e-Europe.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Senior officials of the Scottish Executive met last year with European Commission officials involved in developing the e-Europe initiative. The recommendations from the Digital Scotland Taskforce took account of aspects of the targets agreed in e-Europe. Furt…
25 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many extra visitors attended the National Collections of Scotland in 1999-2000 as a result of the funding made available by its Education Development, as highlighted in note 25.5 of Scottish Executive Resource Accounts 1999-2000, and whether it has an estimate of any increase in visi…
Answer · Allan Wilson: The number of visitors to the National Institutions of Scotland were:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=595><TR><TD WIDTH="38%" VALIGN="TOP"> </TD><TD WIDTH="22%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="CENTER">1998-99</TD><TD WIDTH="22%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALI…
25 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether private sponsorship and funding of the National Collections of Scotland increased in 1999-2000 as a result of the funding made available by its Education Department, as highlighted in note 25.5 of Scottish Executive Resource Accounts 1999-2000, and, if so, by how much and whether…
Answer · Allan Wilson: The sums raised by the National Institutions of Scotland in private sponsorship and funding were:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="36%" VALIGN="TOP"> </TD><TD WIDTH="23%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="CENTER">1998-99</TD><TD WID…
25 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many films were shot on location in Scotland in 1999-2000 as a result of the funding made available by its Education Department, as highlighted in note 25.5 of Scottish Executive Resource Accounts 1999-2000, and whether it has any estimate of the number of films shot as a result of su…
Answer · Allan Wilson: There were seven feature films, three television films and one Imax (large format) film shot in Scotland in 1999. In 2000 three feature films and one television film were wholly, and ten films partly, shot in Scotland; three feature films have been or are bei…
20 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning has had with visitscotland on the proposals set out in the recovery plan presented to the First Minister by Dumfries and Galloway Council on 18 April 2001.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: My officials and I have maintained close contact with visitscotland, and will continue to do so. I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-15654.
20 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning has had with Scottish Enterprise on the proposals set out in the recovery plan presented to the First Minister by Dumfries and Galloway Council on 18 April 2001.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: My officials and I have maintained close contact with Scottish Enterprise, and will continue to do so. I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-15654.
20 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will respond to the proposals set out in the recovery plan presented to the First Minister by Dumfries and Galloway Council on 18 April 2001.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Executive is giving urgent consideration to the Dumfries and Galloway Economic Recovery Plan which was presented to the First Minister on 18 April. Consideration of the plan needs to be taken forward in the context of the work already under way to plan fo…
20 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14593 by Ross Finnie on 11 April 2001, what importance it attaches to the continuance of hefted sheep flocks in Dumfries and Galloway.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I am anxious to preserve as many sheep as possible in Dumfries and Galloway, including hefted flocks. However, flocks within 3km of a foot-and-mouth disease infected farm will be culled in order to help control and thus eradicate this disease.
20 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14593 by Ross Finnie on 11 April 2001, what progress has been made in establishing a basis for rehefting sheep on farms where hefted flocks have been culled.
Answer · Ross Finnie: In the first instance it will be for the farmer himself to decide how to restock his farm. I recognise that to re-establish sheep on the hill will take time and may well require additional shepherding and fencing.
20 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met Her Majesty's Government's new e-Envoy Andrew Pinder and what issues were discussed.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Senior officials of the Scottish Executive met the e-Envoy, Andrew Pinder, on Thursday 12 April and discussed e-government and telecommunications infrastructure.
19 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what public health impact assessment has been made in respect of the mass carcass burning sites which have been established at Hoddam and Eastriggs as part of the pre-emptive foot-and-mouth disease culling exercise.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The public health impact of the fires necessary for the disposal of certain culled animals has been considered by government health departments and I would refer the member to the parliamentary announcement made on 25 April. Preliminary assessments in relatio…
19 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14523 by Ross Finnie on 10 April 2001, what discussions it had with public and environmental health officials prior to the establishment of the burial site at Birkshaw Forest.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The decision to utilise the site at Birkshaw as a burial site was taken in consultation with senior officials of Dumfries & Galloway Council, which has responsibility for public and environmental health locally, and with the Scottish Environment Protectio…
19 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14523 by Ross Finnie on 10 April 2001, what the ownership arrangements of the burial site at Birkshaw Forest are and who will be responsible for the ongoing maintenance of the site.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The ownership agreement for the Birkshaw site is still being finalised. The ongoing maintenance of the site will be a key provision of that agreement.
19 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14523 by Ross Finnie on 10 April 2001, what assessment has been made of the current and future public health impact of the Birkshaw Forest burial site.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive is working with health and environmental health officials of Dumfries & Galloway Council as well as the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to ensure that public and environmental health considerations are taken fully into accoun…
19 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14523 by Ross Finnie on 10 April 2001, what steps are being taken to deal with odour emanating from the Birkshaw Forest burial site.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has appointed specialist consultants to advise upon the environmental issues raised by the site at Birkshaw. They have identified two principal sources of the odour and measures are now in place to remove these. Essentially, this involv…
19 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on which farms stock has been slaughtered in Dumfries and Galloway as part of the pre-emptive foot and mouth cull as of 19 April 2001 on the basis of dangerous contacts with farms which were infected or suspected to be infected.
Answer · Ross Finnie: By 24 April 2001, stock had been slaughtered on 160 farms in Dumfries and Galloway which had been classified as "dangerous contacts".
19 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on which farms stock has been slaughtered in Dumfries and Galloway as part of the pre-emptive foot and mouth cull as of 19 April 2001 on the basis that they were contiguous with infected premises.
Answer · Ross Finnie: By 19 April 2001, stock had been slaughtered on 542 farms in Dumfries and Galloway that were contiguous with infected premises. A further 119 contiguous premises had stock slaughtered between 19 and 24 April.
11 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements have been made to ensure that the 2001 Census goes ahead in areas affected by foot-and-mouth disease.
Answer · Jim Wallace: It is essential that rural residents are fully counted in the Census alongside those from urban areas because very substantial resources are allocated on the basis of Census statistics. The Registrar General for Scotland has made arrangements for postal deliv…
11 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that businesses in Dumfries and Galloway are aware of, and able to take advantage of, any assistance available to them from the projects in the south of Scotland receiving the European Structural Fund grants announced on 5 April 2001.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Businesses benefit from the structural funds through participation in projects and schemes operated by partner bodies, rather than by applying directly.<P>The South of Scotland European Partnership is working closely with partner bodies, including the local e…
11 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has conducted into any risks to human health posed by the smoke from animals being burned due to the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Monitoring of local air quality is a local authority responsibility. Dumfries and Galloway Council, with technical support from the Scottish Executive, are carrying out such monitoring in their area, related to the emissions from pyres.
11 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial impact the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak will have on the tourist industry of Dumfries and Galloway.
Answer · Alasdair Morrison: The Scottish Executive has established an Impact Assessment Group to identify the impact foot-and-mouth disease is having across sectors and areas. Given the complexities involved in making impact assessments this remains work in progress. Initial results ill…
11 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total financial impact of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak will be on the economy of Dumfries and Galloway.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has established an Impact Assessment Group to identify the impact foot-and-mouth disease is having across sectors and areas. A local impact assessment group in Dumfries and Galloway - which includes Scottish Enterprise Dumfries and Gall…
9 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact subjecting mobile telephone masts less than 15 metres in height to full planning controls will have on the speed with which third generation mobile telephone technology will be deployed.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The introduction of full planning control for masts less than 15 metres (49 ft) in height would have the potential to affect the speed of development. However, we would also issue associated planning guidance which would encourage system operators to share th…
9 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what preparations it is making to ensure the planning system will continue to run smoothly in the event that mobile telephone masts less than 15 metres in height become subject to full planning controls.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive is:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">finalising national planning policy by revising, in the light of the recent consultation exercise, its draft National Planning Policy Guideline on Planning and Radio Telecommunications which encourages planning authorities …
9 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact subjecting mobile telephone masts less than 15 metres in height to full planning controls will have on the number of planning appeals submitted to local authorities.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This proposal is expected to lead to an increase in the number of planning applications made to local authorities.<P>We also intend to issue planning guidance which would encourage system operators and planning authorities to build up informed working relatio…