Parliamentary questions

Mr Jim Wallace

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

25 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what jurisdiction the Scottish criminal justice system has over people on board planes in transit through Scottish airports in respect of suspected complicity to commit torture.

Answer · Elish Angiolini: A Scottish criminal court has jurisdiction, at common law, over aircraft within or flying over Scotland. Section 92 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982 also makes provision for the application of the criminal law to aircraft. In terms of that legislation, where an…

25 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any public authority or body for which it has responsibility has received any information in respect of the transit through Scotland of planes carrying persons being deported or involuntarily transferred to a foreign country.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive is aware of the allegations that have been made in the media in recent months regarding rendition flights. However, neither the Executive nor any public authority or body for which it has responsibility has received any other informatio…

25 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether records are maintained by any public authority or body for which it has responsibility in respect of the transit of planes through airports in Scotland.

Answer · Tavish Scott: No. There are no public authorities or bodies for which the Scottish Executive is responsible which are required to maintain records in respect of aircraft in transit through Scottish airports.

25 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) has any information in respect of planes carrying US Government officials which have stopped in transit at any HIAL airport in the last two years.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) records, and also provides to Customs and Excise/Immigration for all aircraft arriving from outwith EC countries, the following information: Aircraft registration;Aircraft type;Point of departure …

25 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) has received any representations from the US Government or agencies acting on its behalf in respect of planes seeking to use HIAL facilities for transit purposes.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) works with the US Air Force regarding the use of facilities at Campbeltown for military training purposes. The company has, however, received no representations from the US Government or agencies regarding the use of …

25 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Lord Advocate has issued any guidance to chief constables in respect of investigating alleged breaches of the UN Convention against Torture by persons physically present in Scotland.

Answer · Elish Angiolini: The UK incorporated the UN Convention against Torture into UK law by the enactment of section 134 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988. The Lord Advocate has not issued any guidance to the police on the investigation of torture. If the police have evidence…

25 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what jurisdiction the Scottish criminal justice system has over people on board planes in transit through Scottish airports.

21 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in implementing the Partnership Agreement commitment to ask the Scottish Law Commission to investigate methods by which legislation can be published in plain English.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive is committed to using plain English wherever possible. In consultation with the Scottish Law Commission, the Office of the Scottish Parliamentary Counsel has prepared a booklet on the use of plain language in legislation which we plan t…

17 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to compensate individual NHS boards for additional expenditure incurred as a result of the move to national tariff charging.

Answer · Andy Kerr: National tariff charging is being introduced to NHSScotland on a phased basis from 2005-06 to cross boundary activity, i.e. activity carried out by a host board on behalf of patients who reside in other NHS board areas in Scotland. It is intended that the int…

17 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the levels were of General Medical Services (a) indicative funding in 2003-04 and (b) actual funding in 2004-05 for (i) Orkney and (ii) Scotland.

Answer · Andy Kerr: (a) The levels of indicative funding for General Medical Services (GMS) in 2003-04 were (i) £2.7 million for NHS Orkney and (ii) £477.8 million for NHS Scotland. The funding was indicative because it included the estimated amounts required to cover non discre…

5 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much each local authority was allocated in the distribution of the "Remaining Leisure and Recreation" line of Grant Aided Expenditure in 2005-06.

Answer · Tom McCabe: This information is available on the Scottish Executives Grant Aided Expenditure website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/ASD/SR/00018209/home.aspx.

8 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis funding for the development and support of core paths is shared out between local authorities.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Within the current Spending Round, provision has been included in the “Remainder of Leisure and Recreation” Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE) line in recognition of the responsibilities of local authorities under the access provisions of the Land Reform (Scotland…

8 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been provided in this financial year to each local authority for the development and support of core paths.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: In the current financial year, £8.1 million was included in the local government settlement in recognition of the responsibilities of local authorities under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003. This provision is included in the total for the “Remaining Leisu…

27 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of illness have been attributed to an infection contracted by a patient as a result of their treatment by a mobile dental unit in (a) Orkney and (b) the rest of Scotland, in each of the last 10 years for which records are available.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: No information is collected centrallyon illness attributed to infections acquired in mobile dental units.

13 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all air ambulance missions carried out within Orkney since February 2005, giving the route taken with the patient, the aircraft type used, the time between the Scottish Ambulance Service air desk being contacted and the aircraft arriving at the airstrip to collect the…

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested isdetailed in the table: Information requested for question S2W-17876, acopy of which has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number37199).

13 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all air ambulance missions carried out between Orkney airstrips, excluding Kirkwall Airport, and airports on the Scottish mainland since February 2005, giving the route taken with the patient, the aircraft type used, the time between the Scottish Ambulance Service air…

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested isdetailed in the table: Information requested for question S2W-17875, acopy of which has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number37198).

13 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all air ambulance missions carried out between Kirkwall Airport and airports on the Scottish mainland since February 2005, giving the route taken with the patient, the aircraft type used, the time between the Scottish Ambulance Service air desk being contacted and the…

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested isdetailed in the table: Information requested for question S2W-17874, a copy ofwhich has been placed in the Scottish parliament Information Centre (Bib. number37197).