Parliamentary questions

Iain Smith

226 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

17 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the full extent of civic society is involved in its national conversation on Scotland's constitutional future.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The white paper invitespeople to sign up for the national conversation, and indicate how they wish to contribute.The paper also invites people to suggest how the conversation would best be structuredto ensure the greatest possible involvement of the people of…

17 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to publish the conclusions from its national conversation on Scotland's constitutional future.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The government willreport to Parliament in due course.

17 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who will determine the conclusions from its national conversation on Scotland's constitutional future.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The outcome of thenational conversation will ultimately be decided by the people of Scotland.

17 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what methods it will use to determine the conclusions from its national conversation on Scotland's constitutional future.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The outcome of thenational conversation will be considered by the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament and the people of Scotland.

17 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will draw conclusions from its national conversation on Scotland's constitutional future.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The government willreport to Parliament in due course.

17 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive over what timescale its national conversation on Scotland's constitutional future will take place.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The government willreport to Parliament in due course.

27 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Government will reconsider its decision not to introduce a transitional relief scheme for businesses facing high rates increases

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: None. This is anoperational matter for individual chief constables, chief fire officers and theambulance service.

21 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people over the age of 65 living in the North East Fife parliamentary constituency are not registered with a dentist.

Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not held.

21 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people aged 18 to 65 living in the North East Fife parliamentary constituency are not registered with a dentist.

Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not held.

21 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people under the age of 18 living in the North East Fife parliamentary constituency are not registered with a dentist.

Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not held.

21 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people living in the North East Fife parliamentary constituency are waiting to register on an NHS dental list.

Answer · Shona Robison: Information on waiting listsis not held centrally.

21 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies there are in the North East Fife parliamentary constituency for registration of new patients on an NHS dental list.

Answer · Shona Robison: Information on vacancies to registerwith a dentist under NHS arrangements is not held centrally.

21 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients in the North East Fife parliamentary constituency are registered with an NHS dentist.

Answer · Shona Robison: Information on the number ofpatients in a parliamentary constituency who are registered with an NHS dentistis not available. However, information is available by NHS board: at 31 March 2006, therewere 171,845 people registered in NHS Fife.

14 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the regulations and guidance on the proportion of parking spaces required to be designated for holders of blue badge parking permits both in general and for specific types of establishment such as health facilities and crematoria.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Executive hasno such plans.

14 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is has carried out any studies into whether the criteria used to determine the proportion of parking spaces required to be designated for holders of blue badge parking permits is adequate to meet need, both in general and for specific types of establishment such as health facil…

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The ScottishExecutive has not carried out any such studies.

14 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria are used to determine the proportion of parking spaces required to be designated for holders of blue badge parking permits.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-1030 on 25 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can befound at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.se…

14 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of parking spaces is currently required to be designated for holders of blue badge parking permits.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The proportion ofparking spaces designated for Blue Badge parking permits are set out in Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) 17 and in the Scottish Building Standards(Scotland) Regulations 1990. SPP 17 sets o…

14 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the population has been issued with a blue badge parking permit.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Approximately4.5% of the Scottish population holds a Blue Badge parking permit.

14 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the population is registered disabled.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: There is no officialregister of disabled people and no definitive estimate of the number of disabledpeople in Scotland.The 2001 Census foundthat 20% of the Scottish population reported having a long-term illness, healthcondition or disability. The Scot…

18 Dec 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what decisions have been reached on the outcome of the consultation on the demerger of Careers Scotland from Scottish Enterprise.

4 Dec 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to make a decision on the Strategic Waste Fund Phase 2 Assessment Processes: Fife Strategic Options Review Group strategic outline case, submitted to Scottish Ministers by Fife Council in May 2006.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Fife Strategic OutlineCase is being considered at the moment, along with other Strategic OutlineCases, and we will make an announcement on the way forward in due course. Giventhe potential for significant spend in this area, we must be satisfied thatpropo…

4 Dec 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been allocated to Fife Council from the Strategic Waste Fund in each of the last three financial years and for future years.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The following funding hasbeen allocated to Fife Council from the Strategic Waste Fund. Resources from2008-09 onwards are indicative and depend on the outcome of future SpendingReviews.<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td valig…

12 Apr 2006 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to minimise the economic impact on the East Neuk of Fife following the discovery of a dead swan infected with the H5N1 strain of avian influenza.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has introduceda surveillance zone in the East Neuk area within which heightened biosecurity measures havebeen included. No restrictions on access to the countryside have been put in placeso the area is very much open for business. The S…

10 Apr 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken in response to the finding of H5N1 HPAI in a wild bird.

Answer · Ross Finnie: On 29 March, the Great BritainWild Bird Surveillance Helpline was notified of a single dead swan in Cellardyke Harbour, Fife. Samplestaken from it were sent to the Veterinary Laboratory Agency at Weybridge on 30 Marchand arrived the following day. All standin…

22 Feb 2006 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to announce the results of the Tolled Bridges Review.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The results of the Tolled BridgesReview were announced yesterday.

15 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Scotland) Order 1997 and, in particular, whether Class 9 should be amended in order that all premises subject to Housing in Multiple Occupation regulations should also require planning permission.

Answer · Johann Lamont: We have no plans at present to review the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Scotland) Order 1997.

9 Nov 2005 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to address the environmental impact of energy wastage from household appliances and whether this issue will be addressed in the energy efficiency strategy.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Energy wastage from household appliances will not be covered directly in the Energy Efficiency Strategy as regulation of appliance efficiency is reserved to the UK Government. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs deals with this under it…

26 Oct 2005 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) regarding educational reforms in Scotland.

Answer · Peter Peacock: My officials are in touch with DfES officials on a range of common interests. While I meet with DfES Ministers from time to time to discuss issues of mutual interest, I also meet with ministers from many other countries.

30 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to prevent unfair competition between new entrant deer farmers in receipt of the single farm payment and those who are established and currently receive no subsidy.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The reforms to the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) are intended to assist subsidised agriculture industry to become more market oriented, while at the same time delivering cross-compliance benefits. In choosing the historic system of reform, I took into acco…

30 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to ensure that existing deer farmers are given access to the national reserve for entitlement to the single farm payment.

Answer · Ross Finnie: No specific measures have been taken to ensure existing deer farmers have access to the national reserve. The decision to adopt the historic system for CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) Reform in Scotland was to assist the industry in moving to a more market-o…