Parliamentary questions

Kenny MacAskill

2,611 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

4 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to support Edinburgh's application to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organi'ation as a world city of literature.

Answer · Frank McAveety: The Executive supports theproposal in principle and has provided £50,000 to support the development workassociated with the aspiration to establish Edinburgh as a World City ofLiterature.</p>

4 Feb 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent steps it has taken regarding the high cost of fuel paid by rural drivers.

Answer · Tavish Scott: This is areserved matter. However, the Executive appreciates that the high cost of fuelin rural areas is a concern to many people. The Executive is, therefore,spending substantial sums on transport through its Rural Transport Fund toreduce the impact on rural…

2 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when a decision will be made on who will (a) own and (b) operate the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine railway and what organisations have been approached regarding ownership and operation of the railway.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: These are matters for the promoter,ClackmannanshireCouncil.</p>

2 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost was of supporting air ambulances in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board and expressed also on a per capita basis.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The figures requested are contained in the following tables:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td rowspan="2"> <p>NHS Board</p> </td> <td colspan=2> <p align=center>1999-2000</p> </td> <td colspan=2> <p align=cente…

2 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what annual costs were charged by Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd for out-of-hours landings by air ambulances in each of the last three years.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The annual amounts for out-of-hours landings by air ambulances at the airports operated by Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd are as follows:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p align=center> </p> </td> <td> <p alig…

2 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the charging structure is in respect of each airport for which Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd is responsible and how much is charged for out-of-hours landings at each such airport.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The information requested isgiven in Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd’s charges schedules for2003-04 and proposed for 2004-05. Copies of the schedules are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. numbers 31239 and 31240).</p>

2 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) authorised and (b) actual police officers there were in Lothian and Borders Police in each month since April 2000, broken down by rank.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The (then) Scottish Office ceased authorising police numbers in forces in 1996. Since then, the responsibility for decisions on the recruitment and deployment of police officers, and the number of officers within each force has been an operational matter for …

30 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure the availability of good quality affordable housing in each local authority area for those on low incomes.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is asfollows:</p><p>I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-5903 on 17 February 2004 which is available on the Parliament’s website, the search faci…

30 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many audiologists are employed by each NHS board.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The following tables show the headcount and whole-time equivalents of Audiological Scientists and Audiological Technicians (MTOs) as at 30 September 2002, by NHS Board.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=272> <thead> <tr> <td colspan="3">…

30 Jan 2004 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether textphone facilities will be made available in all members' offices in the new Scottish Parliament building.

Answer · Duncan McNeil: Whilst we are not planningto install textphones in every member’s office at Holyrood as a standard pieceof equipment, textphone facilities can be installed in any member’s offices onrequest.</p><p>To make textphone facilitieseven more accessible to members, w…

30 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure the availability of good quality affordable housing for public sector workers, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>Ministers have given a commitment to provide 18,000 new and improved homes for social rent and low cost home ownership in the three years up t…

28 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the regulations are in respect of passenger capacity on trains and, if there are no such regulations, whether it intends to introduce them.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Under the current franchise,the operator is required to meet obligations relating to managing overcrowding.These obligations have been set by StrathclydePassenger Transport Executive (SPTE) inits area and by the Strategic RailAuthority (SRA) in the rest of th…

28 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-5535 by Peter Peacock on 27 January 2004, which primary and secondary schools (a) are and (b) are not broadband-enabled, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The ICT Survey of schools,from which the figures in the answer to S2W-5535 on 27 january 2004 were derived,was undertaken on the basis of a statistical sample only and did not providedetailed figures on a school-by-school or authority-by-authority basis.</p><…

27 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government in respect of the implications of London's bid to host the Olympic Games in 2012 for Scotland's sporting infrastructure and whether there are any plans to (a) construct a stadium in Edinburgh or (b) provide full si'e indoor stadia …

Answer · Frank McAveety: The Scottish Executive is liaising with Her Majesty's Government with a view to maximising thebenefit for Scotland which a successful London 2012 bid would generateand to minimising any adverse impact of Lottery funding for good causes in Scotland.</p><p>Ther…

26 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the protocols are in respect of its dealings with OFCOM.

Answer · Frank McAveety: The Executive expects tohave close working relationships with OFCOM and its Scottish representatives.We are currently discussing the means by which we will establish ournon-statutory relationship with the new regulator. In the meantime, OFCOM iskeeping the Ex…

26 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made representations to obtain a dedicated digital channel or additional Scottish output for Scotland and the Gaelic language and, if it has, what stage any negotiations have reached.

Answer · Peter Peacock: In May 2002, a short-life working group was established to advise UK ministers onthe gaelic broadcasting provisions to be inserted into the draft communicationsbill. The Scottish Executive, Scotland Office and the Department of Culture Mediaand Sport particip…

26 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its strategy is with regard to supporting and promoting traditional music and how much it has (a) spent on and/or (b) budgeted for traditional music in each year from 1999 to 2005, stating which organisations have received funding.

Answer · Frank McAveety: Support for all of thetraditional arts is a key part of the Executive’s cultural strategy. the Scottish Arts Council (SAC) gives traditional music priority across its variousfunding strands: education through organisations such as Feisan nan Gaidhealand Feis …

26 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the relationship is between it and OFCOM; what rights it has to give direction and guidance to OFCOM; what its role is in the appointment of any Scottish representative, and whether it has submitted any nominations, or commented on the suitability of a nominee, for such a representat…

Answer · Frank McAveety: The Executive and OFCOM havea non-statutory relationship and are developing linkages to ensure appropriatedialogue. As OFCOM is a UK-wide regulator, only the UK Government has the statutorybasis for providing it with direction and guidance, including on appoi…

22 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to promote genealogy as a reason for visiting Scotland.

Answer · Frank McAveety: Research shows that manyvisitors to Scotland give “family roots and ancestry” as the maininfluence on their decision to holiday in Scotland. Scotland is fortunate in having some of the best genealogicalresources in the world. In particular, the development of…

21 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its strategy is to develop and expand (a) cruise liner visits and (b) the cruise liner sector in Scotland; what funding is available to support the cruise liner sector; what organisations are responsible, and in what role, for the promotion of the sector, and how much funding each or…

Answer · Frank McAveety: This is an operationalmatter for VisitScotland, which is responsible for maximising the economicbenefits of tourism to Scotland.</p><p>VisitScotland does recognisethe importance of the cruise market. It provided start up funding forCruiseScotland to attract m…

19 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding sources are available to help reconstruct, or refurbish, community centres.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Primary responsibility forinvestment in community centres rests with local authorities who receive blockallocations of revenue support grant and capital allocation from the Executive,to deploy according to their local priorities. In addition, however, the Sco…

19 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding sources are available to help reconstruct, or refurbish, places of worship.

Answer · Margaret Curran: It is for individual congregations,or their denominational bodies, to insure against damage or loss. Places of worshipin need of urgent repair may apply under a new Places of Worship Grants Schemeintroduced in 2002. The scheme is run in partnership by Histori…

19 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the Home Office in respect of how many work permits for residence will be made available for employment in Scotland; whether, under the Fresh Talent initiative, it will be able to target prospective migrants, such as foreign graduates, and, if so, how …

Answer · Jack McConnell: The responsibility for theissue of work permits lies with the Home Office. Work permit arrangements allowemployers based in the UK to employ people who are not nationals of a Europeaneconomic area country and who are not otherwise entitled to work in the UK. …

16 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is supporting short-term volunteering, with particular regard to the time taken for police checks on such volunteers before they can commence their voluntary service.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: The Scottish Executive is currently finalising its volunteering strategy, the overall aim ofwhich is to embed a robust culture of volunteering in Scotland.The strategy will encompass all types of organised volunteering, including short-termvolunteering.</p><p…

16 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to further regulate the private hire trade; what its position is in respect of any alleged links between individuals involved in private hire companies and organised crime, and whether it will take any action, including seeking any necessary additional powers, to address…

Answer · Tavish Scott: The existing legislativeprovisions relating to the licensing of private hire cars contained in theCivic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 are currently under review. Independent ofthis, the Executive is aware of the alleged links between the operation of somepri…