Parliamentary questions
George Lyon
214 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
6 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been made available to Argyll and Bute Council in each of the last five years to subsidise the running costs of local authority-run ferry services, broken down by ferry service.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Scottish Executive funding for most local authority services is made bymeans of a single block grant. Within the formula used to calculate that grant,the assumed level of expenditure on ferry services by Argyll and Bute is shownin the following table. However…
6 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what one-off payments it made to Argyll and Bute Council in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02, (d) 2002-03 and (e) 2003-04.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The number of one-off payments made and the total amount paid to Argyll and Bute Council is shown in the table. The information is only available from 2001‑02.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Year</p> </td> …
31 Dec 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met representatives of Caledonian MacBrayne and what issues were discussed.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Scottish Executive officialsmeet the management of Caledonian MacBrayne Limited whenever necessary, mostrecently at a meeting on 10 December 2003, when awide range of operational and other issues were discussed.</p>
17 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions there have been for evasion of duty on Scotch whisky in each of the last five years.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Information at the level ofdetail requested is not held centrally. Any such cases will be included withinthe statistics for prosecutions of revenue and excise offences, the latestavailable data for which are given in the following table:</p><p>Persons Proceed…
17 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report on the outcome of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council held in Brussels on 17, 18 and 19 December 2003.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I attended the Agricultureand Fisheries Council in Brussels on 17, 18 and 19 December 2003 together with Margaret Beckett, Ben Bradshaw and Ian Pearson.</p><p>On<b> fisheries</b>, theCouncil agreed the Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and Quotas for 2004.</p><p…
5 Nov 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how discussions with the European Commission are progressing with regard to the tendering of Caledonian MacBrayne routes.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The consequences of the Altmark judgement are far from clear. The European Court of Justice’sdecision deals with the interaction between the treaty and the relevant stateaid regulations for bus services. We have made initial contact with theEuropean Commissio…
10 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its plans are for a bill to address the possibility of competition in the public water and sewerage networks.
Answer · Ross Finnie: TheExecutive has set out its proposals for amending the present framework of waterand sewerage regulations in the draft Water Services (Scotland) Bill,which it published for consultation today. The purposes of the draft bill's provisionsare to: </p><p class=B…
17 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether sites selected in Scotland by the Ministry of Defence for the decommissioning of nuclear submarines under the interim storage of laid-up submarines project will be subject to Scottish planning law and whether there are no special exemptions in place under the Scotland Act 1998 tha…
Answer · Mary Mulligan: Development arising as a resultof this project will either be subject to the requirements of Scottish planninglegislation, or subject to the administrative procedures in place to deal with developmentwhich benefits from Crown Immunity from planning control. <…
17 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has powers to reject any planning application made in respect of decommissioning nuclear submarines at Ardyne Point on the Cowal peninsula under the interim storage of laid-up submarines project.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: Powers exist under the Town andCountry Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 for the Scottish ministers to call-in and determineplanning applications.</p>
3 Sep 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what timescale is in place for consultation on, and implementation of, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reforms.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive will be undertaking a full and opendebate with all stakeholders on the various flexibilities set out in the CAPReform agreement of June 2003. A formal consultation will be launched inOctober and will last for a period of three months. T…
27 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when responses to Proposals for Changes to Agri-Environment Schemes in Scotland will be published; what proportion of the responses were against transferring support for the Environmentally Sensitive Area Scheme (ESAS) to the Rural Stewardship Scheme (RSS), and what the disadvantages are…
Answer · Ross Finnie: In accordance with the Executives' normal practice, copies of the responses to the consultation paper <I>Proposals for Changes to Agri-Environment Schemes in Scotland</I> are available on request, except when the respondent has asked for their response to rem…
18 Jun 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reforms are in Scotland's best interests.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Agriculture Council reached agreement on reform of the CAP early this morning (26 June). The deal is a very good one for Scotland. It is a major step towards making Scottish agriculture more responsive to the market place and sees an end to bureaucratic r…
9 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the money raised by modulating payments to farmers in the Highlands and Islands area has been reinvested in that area in each of the last three years, broken down by type of enterprise.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Modulation receipts, although raised in particular areas, are spent on an all-Scotland basis, but I can assure you that all money raised in this manner will be spent over the lifetime of the programme.<P>Modulation commenced in July 2001, and the amounts spen…
9 Jun 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been raised as a result of modulating subsidy payments to farmers in the Highlands and Islands area in each of the last three years.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The first payments to farmers to be modulated were in late July 2001. Accordingly the amounts raised in the Highlands and Islands area over the last three calendar years were as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=298><TR><TD WIDTH="49%" V…
14 Mar 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to take forward its proposals to tender the Gourock to Dunoon ferry service, currently operated by Caledonian MacBrayne.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I have today published, for consultation, the draft Invitation to Tender (ITT) which include es the service specification for the Gourock to Dunoon ferry service currently operated by Caledonian MacBrayne. This sets out our proposals for tendering. I have als…
5 Mar 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met Argyll and Clyde NHS Board and what issues were discussed.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I last met the interim management team of Argyll and Clyde NHS Board on 26 February when a wide range of issues were discussed.
29 Jan 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans Argyll and Clyde NHS Board has to devolve management of the health service in its area.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHS Argyll and Clyde has just begun an engagement process towards proposals for a single system. It will take time to develop the right strategic approaches, to build the right partnerships, and to get decision making devolved as far as possible. <P>However, …
28 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to take forward its proposals to tender the Gourock to Dunoon ferry service currently operated by Caledonian MacBrayne.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: In June 2002 I announced draft proposals for tendering the ferry services currently operated by Caledonian MacBrayne to bring these into line with EU rules. These included proposals for Gourock to Dunoon which involved including this route within a single con…
23 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is now in a position to announce a package of financial assistance for Scotland's fisheries-dependent communities.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Following the outcome of the December Council, I made clear our commitment to bring forward a reasonable package of financial assistance for Scotland's fisheries dependent communities, and to keep the Parliament informed of progress in developing that package…
15 Jan 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve single track roads in the Highlands and Islands.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: We are upgrading a 4 mile section of the A830 trunk route to two-lane carriageway between Arisaig and Kinsadel. This new section will be open to traffic in the spring. Preparation work is also being carried out which will allow decisions on upgrading the rema…
11 Dec 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will tackle any legal challenges to the use of the community right to buy provisions in the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive would defend robustly any legal challenges to the legislation.<P>Should there be any legal challenge regarding the actual use of the right to buy, the bill already provides for the right of appeal to the sheriff against ministerial decisions.
6 Nov 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider amending the tiered testing proposals for amnesic shellfish poisoning in scallops, in view of concerns from the scallop industry.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: The Food Standards Agency have assured me that they will consider all points made by the scallop industry in regard to the proposed tiered system. Where possible they will be incorporating any suggested measures in their recommendations to ministers. The over…
30 Oct 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in tackling GP recruitment in rural areas.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: A range of measures are in place to support the retention and recruitment of GPs in remote and rural areas. New GPs joining the NHS in remote and rural areas get the standard £5,000 "Golden Hello" payment and a further £5,000 as a special remote and…
10 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any guidance it issues discourages the use of directional road signs showing islands as destinations and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Guidance on the Design and Use of Directional Informatory Signs is contained in Local Transport Note 1/1994. No mention is made in this document which would discourage the use of directional road signs showing islands as destinations.
10 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is an appeal mechanism to inquire into the reasons for the failure of a local authority to follow planning guidelines relating to planning obligations required through agreements entered into under section 75 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 and what the …
Answer · Hugh Henry: There is no statutory appeal mechanism in planning legislation relating to planning agreements under section 75 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997. It is for the person(s) with an interest in the land in question (insofar as the interest of …
10 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider placing satellite kidney units in rural areas as part of the primary care modernisation programme.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Primary Care Modernisation Group, in its first report published in March 2002, recommended that in order to provide integrated care for patients, it must be a core responsibility of NHS boards to establish local mechanisms which bring together local healt…
10 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to improve the financial circumstances of kidney dialysis patients in the islands who suffer hardship in travelling to mainland hospitals for regular and/or daily treatment.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The NHS Travelling Expenses and Remission of Charges (Scotland) Regulations 1988 as amended by the NHS (Travelling Expenses and Remission of Charges) (Scotland) Regulations 1996 provides for two patients' travelling expenses schemes, a non-means tested Highla…
10 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider setting up satellite dialysis units to serve patients suffering from kidney failure in the islands.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Decisions regarding the planning and provision of services, including specialist provision for renal services, is primarily a matter for NHS boards in accordance with the health needs of the local population.
9 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its arrangements are for receiving veterinary support and advice.
Answer · Ross Finnie: In the light of experiences of the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, the inquiry reports, and restructuring within Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs altering the responsibilities of the UK CVO, it has been decided to create a new Chief Ve…
11 Sep 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take in respect of concerns of the community in Dunoon about the proposed restriction of the vehicle ferry service.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I have listened carefully to concerns expressed at meetings with local elected representatives and with representatives of community councils and other community interests in and around Dunoon. I will meet shortly with representatives of Argyll and Bute Counc…