John Farquhar Munro

20 May 2004 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer, further to the answer to question S2W-7566 by Andrew Welsh on 13 May 2004, whether it still intends to develop a Gaelic policy as reported in the Parliament's news releases 08/2002 and 042/2003.

Answer · Andrew Welsh: As I indicated in my answer of13 May 2004, the Parliament is currently reviewing its policy onthe use of languages, including Gaelic, and a report will be made to the SPCB shortly.I have nothing further to add at this stage.</p>

20 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which parts of the Livestock Improvement Scheme did not comply with state aid rules.

Answer · Allan Wilson: It is not individual parts of the Livestock Improvement Schemes but rather the schemes as a whole which causeconcerns in respect of compliance with state aid rules. For the reasons why theycause those concerns I refer the member to the answer given to questio…

14 May 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Integrated Administration and Control System forms have been submitted to each of its Environment and Rural Affairs Department's (SEERAD) area offices and, of these, what percentage was subsequently found by officials to contain errors that resulted in penalties being applied to …

Answer · Ross Finnie: The number of Integrated Administration and Control System, Area Aid Application forms submitted to each SEERAD area office for each of the last four complete scheme years is shown below.</p><p>The information on penalties is not readily available in exactly …

12 May 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Public Pensions Agency will make final payments of monies remaining in the Scottish Transport Group pension funds to former members.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Executive is keen to ensurethat all of the £126 million made available for ex-gratia payments when the pensionschemes were wound up will be paid out. To date, £121.72 million has been paid outto 12,026 former members of the ScottishTransport Group pension…

30 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will reconsider its position to abolish the crofters' livestock improvement schemes in light of concerns from across the crofting and farming industry and conservation bodies.

Answer · Allan Wilson: No. Although I have announcedthe closure of the current Livestock Improvement Schemes, I also stated that workis underway to develop and introduce a new grant scheme for the improvement of crofters’cattle. In addition I offered training on ram selection to th…

30 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in what way (a) the decision to replace the Bull Hire Scheme and (b) the proposed successor schemes (i) support the Forward Strategy for Scottish Agriculture and (ii) address any concerns about the loss of cattle from peripheral areas.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Bull Hire Scheme precededthe Forward Strategy for Scottish Agriculture by many years and had no link to it.The proposed replacement scheme can however be expected to take account of the strategy.It is intended that it will allow crofters to control the im…

30 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether additional support will be made available to any townships that may be detrimentally affected by its decision to replace the Bull Hire Scheme.

Answer · Allan Wilson: No. The Bull Hire Scheme wasintended to deliver improvement to cattle stocks not as a form of financial supportfor crofting groups. The members of participating groups continue to have accessto the full range of agricultural support schemes available in the H…

30 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what form the grant scheme that will replace the Bull Hire Scheme will take.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The details of the scheme havenot yet been developed. We have commissioned a consultant to prepare proposals fora replacement cattle improvement scheme. We will be working closely with key intereststo work up such a scheme. It is essential that these new arra…

30 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any modelling that informed the decision to replace the Bull Hire Scheme with a grant scheme will be made public.

Answer · Allan Wilson: This decision was taken on thebasis of concerns about compliance with EU state aids rules and value for money.The evaluation of the scheme has already been made public.</p>

30 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what modelling was carried out to support its decision to replace the Bull Hire Scheme with a grant scheme.

Answer · Allan Wilson: None. The decision was basedon an evaluation which was made available in the Parliament Information Centre (Bib.number 32088) and published on the Crofters Commission website. The decision alsohad regard to concerns as to the extent to which the Bull Hire Sch…

22 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is its policy to inform applicants to the integrated Administration and Control System Appeals Secretariat of its Environment and Rural Affairs Department of when their cases will be heard.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Yes. Appellants are informedof the date and time of their review meetings. Appellants have the choice of eithera written or oral review. For oral reviews the appellant attends for part of themeeting and is able to present their grounds for appeal and answer q…

22 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is before an Integrated Administration and Control System appeal is heard by the Appeals Secretariat of its Environment and Rural Affairs Department.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The EU Agricultural Subsidiesappeals procedure covers decisions in agri-environment and afforestation schemesas well as Integrated Administration and Control System cases. We have taken stepsto increase throughput which has reduced the time taken to arrange a…

22 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Integrated Administration and Control System cases are with the Appeals Secretariat of its Environment and Rural Affairs Department waiting to be heard.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The EU Agricultural Subsidiesappeals procedure covers decisions in agri-environment and afforestation schemesas well as Integrated Administration and Control System cases. There are currently109 cases at Stage 1 and nine at Stage 2 which are having preparator…

22 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish specific proposals on how it will reduce light pollution.

Answer · Allan Wilson: In line with the PartnershipAgreement to “reduce light pollution and save energy by specifying appropriate lightingstandards” the Executive is aiming to publish guidance on the reduction of suchlight pollution by the end of December 2004.</p>

20 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what obligations local authorities have to maintain highways in a safe condition and what action it has taken to ensure that they fulfil such obligations.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The general powers and dutiesof local roads authorities are set out in section 1 of the Roads (Scotland) Act1984. Specific duties and responsibilities are detailed throughout that act. Asthe statutory roads authorities it is a matter for councils to manage th…

19 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it monitors local authority expenditure on road maintenance and, if so, how much each local authority has spent on road maintenance in each of the last 20 years, expressed also as a percentage of central government funding.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Information relating to expenditureon transport, including road maintenance, controlled by local authorities, and withinthe Scottish ministers’ responsibility, is shown at Table 11.1 of <i>Scottish TransportStatistics No. 22</i>, 2003 Edition, a copy of which…

15 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis the Bull Supply Scheme and the Ram Purchase Scheme do not comply with EU state aid rules.

Answer · Allan Wilson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-7775 on 7 May 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp…

15 Apr 2004 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer when it will publish its Gaelic policy.<p>The member has provided the following Gaelic translation:<p>A dh' fhaighneachd de Bhuidhinn Chorporra P`rlamaid na h-Alba cuine a tha i an dyil a poileasaidh G`idhlig fhoillseachadh.

Answer · Andrew Welsh: The Parliament is currently reviewing its language policy, which covers Gaelic and other languages, and areport will be made to the Corporate Body before the summer recess.</p><p><b>Andrew Welsh (as lethBuidheann Chorporra Pàrlamaid na h-Alba):</b>  Tha a' Ph…

29 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered thermal depolymerisation as an option for the recycling or disposal of organic waste.

Answer · Ross Finnie: In assessing bids from localauthorities to the Strategic Waste Fund, the Executive takes account of the assessmentof the best practicable environmental option in the relevant area waste plan andemerging information on new technologies.</p>

24 Mar 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action police forces are taking to tackle livestock theft.

Answer · Hugh Henry: Theft oflivestock is a criminal act and is treated by the police in the same manner asany other theft. How individual forces deal with specific instances oflivestock theft is an operational matter for the relevant chief constable.</p>

22 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether free-range pigs have a livestock unit value and, if so, whether such pigs are considered livestock units in the determination of stocking densities in conjunction with other livestock.

Answer · Allan Wilson: All adult pigs, including free-rangepigs, have a livestock unit value of 0.4 for the purposes of calculating stockingdensities. Whether or not pigs are considered livestock units in the determinationof stocking densities in conjunction with other livestock de…

22 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how funding gained from the sale of Crofters Commission land at Beechwood Farm, Inverness, has been allocated.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Beechwood farm is owned byScottish ministers and is used to provide bulls and rams for the LivestockImprovement Schemes, which the Crofters Commission runs on behalf of Scottish ministers.</p><p>Twosmall pieces of land on Beechwood have been sold recently for…

18 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much money will remain in the Scottish Transport Group pension funds once all payments, including the sum owed to HM Treasury, have been made.<p>The member has provided the following Gaelic translation:<p>A dh' fhaighneachd de Riaghaltas na h-Alba d&egrave an t-suim airgid a bhios air…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: None. The Scottish TransportGroup pension schemes were wound up in May 2002 and all the money in them was returnedto the employer and then to the Executive. £50 million of this was returned to theTreasury via a reduction in the Executive’s departmental expend…

16 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that its policies recognise the diverse needs of people from all cultures across Scotland.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive is committed to equality of opportunity for all. The implementation of our Equality Strategy recognises the complexity of needs and diversity among different communities in Scotland. Work is on-going to ensure that an equality perspecti…

3 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of livestock theft have been reported in the last two years and in what percentage of cases the culprits have been apprehended.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Information at this level ofdetail is not held centrally. Information is held on various types of theft,but this does not separately distinguish theft of livestock.</p>

3 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to provide clear guidelines for developers of hydroelectric schemes and other renewable projects so that their potential can be utilised.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive’s NationalPlanning Policy Guideline 6 and Planning Advice Note 45 ensure that ourcommitment to exploiting the environmental and economic benefits of renewableenergy is pursued in tandem with natural and built heritage obligations andcommunity in…

1 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it has set the campaign &#147;Organ Donation, Have you talked about it?&#148; in respect of increasing the number of people registering on the NHS organ donor register.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Evaluation is an essentialelement of all Executive advertising campaigns. While this is a long&#8209;termstrategy designed to raise awareness and encourage positive attitudes to organdonation, we shall undertake research based on tracking attitudes and awaren…

27 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has prepared estimates of the annual cadaveric organ donation per million of population required to address the current demand for donor organs.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: It is extremely difficult tomake such an estimate, because of the variety of factors affecting both thesupply and demand for each type of organ.</p><p>Organs for transplantationare shared across the UK on the basis of arrangements supervised by UKTransplant (…

27 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were registered on the NHS donation register at the end of each of the last 10 years for which records are available.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information is set out in the table.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Year</p> </td> <td> <p align=center>Scotland (millions)</p> </td> </tr> </thead> <tr> <td> <p>1994*</p> </td> <td> <p align=right>…

27 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cadaveric organ donation rate per million of population was for each of the last 10 years for which records are available.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information is provided in the table.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> <p>Year</p> </td> <td> <p align=center>Scotland</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>1994</p> </td> <td> <p align=right>16.8</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p…