Parliamentary questions
Iain Smith
226 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
19 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish a table of rateable values for hotels and guest houses in each local authority area for the bands of rateable value (a) #0 to #2,999, (b) #3,000 to #3,999, (c) #4,000 to #4,999, (d) #5,000 to #5,999, (e) #6,000 to #6,999, (f) #7,000 to #9,999, (g) #10,000 to #24,9…
Answer · Andy Kerr: The information held centrally on rateable values for hotels and guesthouses in each local authority area for a range of rateable values is given in the following tables. The rateable value bandings in the tables correspond to the rateable value bandings that…
19 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish a table of rateable values for non domestic properties in each local authority area for the bands of rateable value (a) #0 to #2,999, (b) #3,000 to #3,999, (c) #4,000 to #4,999, (d) #5,000 to #5,999, (e) #6,000 to #6,999, (f) #7,000 to #9,999, (g) #10,000 to #24,9…
Answer · Andy Kerr: The information held centrally on rateable values for non-domestic subjects in each local authority area for a range of rateable values is given in the following tables. The rateable value bandings in the tables correspond to the rateable value bandings that …
11 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with Fife Council in respect of the trunk roads maintenance contract for the Fife area.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Scottish Executive officials have had a number of discussions with Fife Council including meetings on 9 and 10 August and 18 and 31 October, to discuss trunk road maintenance contract topics.
11 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) gritters and (b) snow blowers and how many other types of machinery were available for use on trunk roads in the Fife area on (i) 10 December 2001, (ii) 3 December 2001, (iii) 26 November 2001 and (iv) the same dates in 2000.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Scottish Executive records indicate that the number of dedicated gritters available for use on trunk roads in the Fife area on the dates requested are as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=491><TR><TD WIDTH="27%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="…
11 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many representations it has received on the adequacy of the gritting programme for trunk roads in the Fife area on 10 and 11 December 2001.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Scottish Executive officials are unaware of any representations having been received concerning the adequacy of the gritting programme for trunk roads in the Fife area on 10 and 11 December 2001.
11 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received in each of the last six months on the performance of BEAR Scotland Ltd in respect of the trunk roads maintenance contract in the Fife area and what action it has taken in response to each representation.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is aware of only a limited number of representations regarding the performance of BEAR Scotland Ltd in respect of the trunk road maintenance contract in the Fife area. These are as follows: <P>Early in the contract Fife Council raised c…
11 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has requested a report from the Performance Audit Group in respect of the trunk roads maintenance contract for the Fife area in the last three months; what date any such request was made, and what response it received.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Performance Audit Group (PAG) carries out auditing and monitoring of the activities of the Operating Company, BEAR Scotland Ltd, across the entire North East Unit, which includes Fife. However, the auditing and reporting is not carried out on a local auth…
11 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Performance Audit Group last made a report to it in respect of the trunk roads maintenance contract for the Fife area.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-20936.
11 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action the Performance Audit Group has taken in respect of the trunk roads maintenance contract for the Fife area in each of the last three months.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-20936.
28 Nov 2001 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to make a decision on the request by the Scottish Arts Council for an extra #4 million to support the funding of theatre in Scotland.
Answer · Elaine Murray: The Scottish Arts Council's submission on Scottish theatre seeks significant additional funding. It also raises a number of detailed issues relating to the theatre sector which we are examining with care. That consideration is proceeding and we hope to make a…
20 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any decision has been made about the location of the headquarters of Scottish Water, and, if so, where that location will be.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Following careful consideration of a number of possible sites, ministers have decided that, should Parliament approve the Water Industry (Scotland) Bill, the Headquarters of Scottish Water will be in Castle House, Dunfermline. This currently houses staff of t…
7 Nov 2001 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how its proposals to grant local authorities a power of well-being will differ from granting local authorities a power of general competence.
Answer · Peter Peacock: We believe the term well-being better describes the power we envisage which will be a general power to assist councils in promoting the well-being of their area.
2 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-3798 by Lewis Macdonald on 20 September 2001, how many responses it has received in total to its consultation document Review of Strategic Planning; how many related to strategic planning arrangements in Fife, and how many were opposed to the proposa…
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive has now received 315 responses to its consultation paper on the Review of Strategic Planning. Of these, just over 150 are about the Strategic Planning arrangements for Fife. All these letters are available for viewing in the Parliament'…
17 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what relationship any targets set within area waste plans will have with the development of targets at a national level for recycling and reduction in the volume of waste proceeding into landfill.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Any targets set within area waste plans will inform the development of policy at a national level, including targets where appropriate.
17 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the expected timescale for the adoption of area waste plans covering the whole of Scotland.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Consultation on the draft area waste plans is programmed to occur in most cases by the end of 2001, with the remainder by the end of the financial year. Once consultation has been completed, individual plans will be finalised. It is expected that area waste p…
17 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it intends to develop at a national level for the proportion of all municipal waste (a) recycled, (b) going into landfill, (c) composted and (d) used to generate energy as part of its strategy to meet the requirements of the landfill directive.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The issue of targets is being considered by the Recycling Targets Group, which has been established by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and is made up of representatives from SEPA, the Scottish Executive, the Convention of Scottish Local Authoritie…
17 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why Scotland did not reduce CO2 emissions by the same proportion as England during the 1990s and what steps will be taken to ensure that Scotland makes a proportionate and equitable contribution to the reduction in greenhouse gases under the Kyoto Protocol.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Direct comparisons between emissions in England and Scotland must take account of factors such as differences in geography and energy mix. For example, Scottish emissions from the energy sector rose between 1990 and 1998 in contrast to those in England where …
17 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made towards reducing the emission of greenhouse gases, outlining any estimated quantifiable reductions that will result from current policies which are in operation.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Figures published in the <I>Scottish Climate Change Programme </I>(available on the Executive's website at www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/environment/ccm.pdf) show that Scottish emissions of greenhouse gases fell by 3% over the period 1990-98. Figures for 1999 …
13 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many students (a) graduated in each of the last three years and (b) are expected to graduate in each of the next three years from higher education courses in fields which require them to undertake further vocational experience in order to achieve professional recognition by an institu…
Answer · Wendy Alexander: This information is not held centrally.
13 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what policies the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council has regarding the provision to higher education institutions of funding in respect of sandwich year students who are undertaking a period of full-time employment as part of their studies and whether any such funding may be passed…
Answer · Wendy Alexander: This is a matter for the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) and Circular Letter HE 42/2000, available on SHEFC's website, gives details of which students SHEFC classifies as eligible for funding. It is for institutions to enter into their own a…
13 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what policies it has regarding the provision of graduate traineeships and sandwich year placements, in fields where vocational experience is required for professional recognition by an institute or other body, within its own departments or in non-departmental public bodies.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive aims to respond positively to any vocational placement requests it receives, from students or educational establishments. The Executive actively promotes student placements within its core departments and its agencies, and encourages ma…
13 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking in partnership with local authorities and with higher and further education institutions to ensure that sufficient graduate traineeships and sandwich year placements are available in future years in fields where vocational experience is required for professional …
Answer · Wendy Alexander: This is a matter for local discussion and agreement as required.
13 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it holds information on the average age of staff employed by local authorities under each of the departmental headings used in the joint staffing watch survey.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive does not hold information on the average age of staff employed by local authorities under each of the departmental headings used in the Joint Staffing Watch Survey. However, information on age is held for teachers employed by local auth…
13 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many graduate traineeships or sandwich year places, in fields where vocational experience is required for professional recognition by an institute or other body, it provides annually.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive does not offer a fixed number of vocational placements for students. Numbers vary depending on opportunities available each year. Sixty-one places have been provided so far this year.
13 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it holds information on the number of graduate traineeships or sandwich year places, in fields where vocational experience is required for professional recognition by an institute or other body, provided annually by (a) local authorities and (b) non-departmental public bodies.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: See S1W-18149.
13 Sep 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it receives information as part of the joint staffing watch survey on the number of staff employed by local authorities as graduate trainees or as sandwich year students.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive does not receive such information as part of the Joint Staffing Watch Survey (JSW). The JSW collects information on numbers of staff employed in local authorities broken down by department and salary band.
12 Sep 2001 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent representations it has received about strategic planning arrangements in Fife.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive has received 15 written representations about strategic planning arrangements in Fife, including letters from three MSPs, one MP and four community councils.<P>All these letters are available for viewing in the Parliament's Reference Ce…
5 Sep 2001 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to review the effectiveness and value for money of VisitScotland's Ossian website.
Answer · Alasdair Morrison: I have no plans to undertake such a review. Potential visitors expect to obtain information via the world-wide web. The VisitScotland website contains details of around 18,000 businesses. In the first six months of this year, it received over 3 million user s…
17 May 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussions with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations about withdrawing reliefs on water and sewerage charges from charitable and voluntary bodies.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Jackie Baillie and I met representatives of the SCVO on 10 May. Following that discussion, we have responded positively to concerns that were expressed and decided that the phased withdrawal planned to start this year will be delayed. Instead it will begin wi…
18 Apr 2001 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many extra police officers have been recruited to Scottish police forces since May 1999.
Answer · Jim Wallace: There are 365 more police officers now than in May 1999. In total, there are now 15,149 officers in Scottish forces. At 99 above the previous record, that is the highest number there has ever been.