Lewis Macdonald

13 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its staff are working on proposals for the connection of Scotland’s offshore renewable generation capacity to electricity markets elsewhere in Europe.

Answer · Jim Mather: As part of wider responsibilities,officials in the Renewables Policy team of the Enterprise Energy and Tourism Directorateare involved in studies along with colleagues in Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, SDI and Scotland Europa to explor…

13 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the connection of Scotland’s offshore renewable generation capacity to electricity markets elsewhere in Europe.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Governmentis involved in two studies looking at the potential for future offshore renewablesgeneration to connect to other regions in Europe. These studies will explore potential sub-sea transmission links with Ireland and northern Europe, respec…

13 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to achieve increased numbers of visitors to Scotland from Wales.

Answer · Jim Mather: As part of the workto meet the shared ambition of a 50% growth in tourism revenue in the decade to2015, VisitScotland undertakes extensive marketing to promote Scotland, both overseas and in the UK,as a quality tourism destination.</p><p>To ensure that thisma…

13 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make a decision about the replacement of the route development fund for direct flights to and from Scottish airports.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The routedevelopment fund (RDF) which ended on 31 May 2007 will not be replaced. The Spending Review outcomewill provide continuing support for RDF routes launched before that date. Wewill continue to work with airlines and airport operators on the developmen…

13 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposal for a 50-metre swimming pool in Aberdeen will be able to access Scottish Government funding from sources other than sportscotland’s Building for Sport programme.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: All ScottishGovernment funding for sport is routed through sportscotland.</p><p>There has been the opportunity in the past to accessadditional funding, for example through the National Regional Sports FacilitiesStrategy.</p><p>We continue toencourage Aberdeen…

13 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a proposal for a 50-metre swimming pool in Aberdeen will attract support from sportscotland’s Building for Sport programme.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: It is for<b> </b>sportscotlandto determine if funding from the Building for Sport programme will be allocatedto a 50m swimming pool in Aberdeen. They will make this assessment once theyreceive a realistic and viable proposal.</p>

13 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the current maximum award available is from sportscotland’s Building for Sport programme for a proposal such as the provision of a 50-metre swimming pool in Aberdeen.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The maximum awardavailable under sportscotland’s Building for Sport programme is £1 million.</p>

1 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to take action in relation to the adoption of any unadopted roads in the city of Aberdeen.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: This is entirely amatter for Aberdeen City Council as local roads authority.</p>

28 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to conduct a review of house selling practices.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: In December 2000,the previous administration announced the establishment of the HousingImprovement Task Force to look at the problems of housing quality in theprivate sector. The task force had a broad remit and one of the areas itconsidered was the house buy…

28 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the fixed price procedure for selling homes in Scotland is being abused.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: We have no evidencethat the fixed price procedure for selling homes in Scotland is being abused. But if the member has information to the contrary, he maywish to send it to me.</p>

28 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to review the practice by landlords of inviting competing offers when renting residential property.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The ScottishGovernment does not have any plans to review this practice. We are aware of asmall proportion of landlords inviting competing rent offers. However, privatelandlords are free to set rent levels at market rates as long as the tenancybegan after 2 Ja…

28 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Aberdeen City Council since 8 August 2007 regarding the development of a 50-metre swimming pool in Aberdeen.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Whilst the ScottishGovernment have had no further discussions with Aberdeen City Council since 8August 2007 regarding the development of a 50-metre pool in Aberdeen, I havecontinued to encourage Aberdeen City Council to work with sportscotland to develop a pr…

28 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it believes planned class size reductions in primary 1 to primary 3 will have on parental choice.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Parental rights withregard to choice of school are set out in statute. Smaller class sizes are alsoimportant to parents. The local operation and management of both issues are mattersfor education authorities.</p>

28 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is its policy to end parental choice in the placing of children in primary schools.

Answer · Maureen Watt: We have no suchpolicy.</p>

28 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities have a statutory duty to permit parental choice in the placing of pupils in primary schools.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Local authoritiesdo have a statutory duty tocomply with a parental request for a child to be placed in a particular school,except in circumstances setout in section 28A of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980.</p>

28 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it believes that local authority policies on the admission of pupils to primary 1 should take account of the school attended by older brothers or sisters.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Local authoritiesare rightly responsible for setting their own schools admission policies, which can take account of whether a school is attended by a pupil’s sibling.</p>

27 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether undergraduate students will be able to enrol for the proposed Aberdeen dental school for courses commencing in the 2008-09 academic year.

Answer · Shona Robison: Yes. It is intendedthat prospective dental students will be able to enrol for courses commencing inthe 2008-09 academic year.</p>

27 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends that the proposed Aberdeen dental school should employ its own academic staff by October 2008.

Answer · Shona Robison: Discussions are on-going,although it is possible that teaching staff at the dental school will be employedby Dundee and Aberdeen Universities.</p>

27 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends that teaching of undergraduate students will commence on the premises of the proposed Aberdeen dental school by October 2008.

Answer · Shona Robison: It is intended thatthe teaching of dental students will commence in Aberdeen from October 2008.</p>

27 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to recruit academic staff for the proposed Aberdeen dental school in time for teaching to begin by October 2008.

Answer · Shona Robison: Initial discussionshave taken place between officials and university staff. These discussions are on-goingand will include the timescale for recruiting academic staff.</p>

27 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends that students completing degree courses at the proposed Aberdeen dental school will be awarded degrees by the University of Aberdeen.

Answer · Shona Robison: Discussions on thecomposition of the degree curriculum are continuing between Dundee and Aberdeen Universities. Clarification on the awarding of the degree and curriculumwill be subject to the approval by the General Dental Council.</p>

13 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much public funding (a) the National Theatre of Scotland, (b) Scottish Opera and (c) the Royal Scottish National Orchestra will receive this year.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: A breakdown of thepublic funding anticipated to be received by the National Theatre of Scotland, ScottishOpera and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra for 2007-08 is provided in the followingtable.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <…

13 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much public funding (a) the National Theatre of Scotland, (b) Scottish Opera and (c) the Royal Scottish National Orchestra received last year.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: A breakdown of thepublic funding received by the National Theatre of Scotland, Scottish Opera andthe Royal Scottish National Orchestra in 2006-07 is provided in the following table.The funding for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra includes a one-off stabi…

28 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on what date a decision was made to replace Aberdeen and Peterhead prisons with a new prison in or near to Peterhead.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I announced the ScottishGovernment’s decision on Friday, 24 August.</p>

27 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S30-102 by Shona Robison on 7 June 2007, whether it has discussed its commitment to open a dental school in Aberdeen with the British Dental Association and what conclusions any such discussions have reached.

Answer · Shona Robison: The establishmentof the new dental school will be discussed with the British Dental Association atmy forthcoming meeting with them.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

27 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S30-102 by Shona Robison on 7 June 2007, whether it has discussed its commitment to open a dental school in Aberdeen with (a) NHS Education for Scotland and (b) the Scottish Funding Council and what conclusions any such discussions have reached.

Answer · Shona Robison: Yes. Officialshave had constructive discussions with both organisations and will have moredetailed discussions in due course.</p>

27 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S30-102 by Shona Robison on 7 June 2007, what provision it has made towards the cost of taking forward plans for implementation of its commitment to deliver a dental school in Aberdeen in the (a) current financial year and (b) financial year 2008-09.

Answer · Shona Robison: NHS Grampian is currentlypreparing a business case which will include detailed costings for the establishmentof the new dental school in Aberdeen. The cost of the project will be met froma number of Scottish Government funding streams.</p>

27 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S30-102 by Shona Robison on 7 June 2007, what discussions it has had with the University of Aberdeen and the dental schools in Dundee and Glasgow about implementation of its commitment to open a dental school in Aberdeen by October 2008.

Answer · Shona Robison: Officials,including the Chief Dental Officer, have had discussions with the Dean of theFaculty of Medicine in Aberdeen University, the Dental Dean at Dundee School and the head of the dental school in Glasgow.</p>

27 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S30-102 by Shona Robison on 7 June 2007, whether it will publish the conclusions of the work undertaken by it on options for delivering on the commitment to open a dental school in Aberdeen by October 2008.

Answer · Shona Robison: Our commitment isto open a third dental school by expanding the Aberdeen Dental Institute. NHSGrampian is currently preparing a full business case to deliver such anexpansion to the Institute.</p>

27 Aug 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S30-102 by Shona Robison on 7 June 2007, what progress has been made in implementing the commitment to open a dental school in Aberdeen by October 2008.

Answer · Shona Robison: Officials havealready met with a number of stakeholders to progress our commitment to seek toopen a third dental school by expanding the Aberdeen Dental Institute. Inaddition, NHS Grampian is currently preparing a full business case forapproval.</p>