Parliamentary questions
Michael Matheson
1,154 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
10 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has held discussions with Falkirk Council with regard to an indoor football centre at Westfield and, if so, what the outcomes were of these discussions.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government has not had any discussions with Falkirk Council in regard to the indoor football centre at Westfield Stadium in Falkirk.</p>
10 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on development of an indoor football centre at Westfield Stadium in Falkirk, as part of the National and Regional Sports Facilities Strategy.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: We are aware that Falkirk Council held a meeting on 8 April and recommended that members agree not to proceed with the indoor football centre at Westfield Stadium in Falkirk. area.</p> <p >The Scottish Government and sport</b>scotland have had no formal noti…
28 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning’s announcement on 26 March 2008 of additional funding support for science projects, what the breakdown will be of the £615,000 allocated.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: A breakdown of the funding awarded from the 2008-09 science engagement grant scheme is given in the table below:</p> <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=202 nowrap valign=bottom > <p align=center >Organisation</p…
10 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning’s announcement on 9 March 2008 of additional investment in colleges and universities, what the breakdown will be of the £10 million being allocated to colleges to allow for further strategic investment in key priority a…
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The allocation of this additional investment of £20 million, £10 million for universities and £10 million for colleges, is a matter for the Scottish Funding Council.</p> <p >The council expects to make a full announcement on the breakdown of the £10 million …
4 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether activities such as bowling and judo promote the “advancement of public participation” in determining whether they qualify as charitable sports under the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Decisions as to whether a body passes the charity test and is eligible for charitable status are a matter for the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, as an independent regulator.</p>
4 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what activities fit the definition of sport as that which “involves physical skill and exertion”, as defined in the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: It is a matter for the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, as an independent regulator, to decide which activities meet the definition of sport as defined in the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act.</p>
31 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what benefits it believes would be gained through the introduction of a development management scheme under the Title Conditions (Scotland) Act 2003.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The development management scheme will be a useful model for developers which they can either adopt or adapt. The scheme will make it clear where obligations and liabilities lie, for example for maintenance, in relation to shared facilities and thereby reduce…
31 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the UK Government has given a timescale for the introduction of a development management scheme under the Title Conditions (Scotland) Act 2003.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: My officials are in consultation with the Scotland Office and the intention is to ask UK Ministers to lay the s104 Order in the spring.</b></p> <p >I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9311 on 19 February 2008. All answers to written parliamentar…
31 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the introduction of a development management scheme under the Title Conditions (Scotland) Act 2003.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Officials are in discussion with their counterparts at the Scotland Office, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the Office of the Solicitor to the Advocate General on the terms of the section 104 Order to implement the developmen…
31 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider introducing a development management scheme in line with that proposed during the passage of the Title Conditions (Scotland) Act 2003.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Officials are currently working on a section 104 Order under the Scotland Act 1998 to make provision in consequence of the Title Conditions (Scotland) Act 2003 for the development management scheme.</p> <p >The development management scheme will create a new…
10 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail line will be fully operational for transport freight.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The construction of the railwayis due to be completed in spring 2008 and available for the operation of freighttrains following a period of commissioning and driver training in summer 2008.</p>
10 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether patients suffering from dementia can be prescribed donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine as treatment under the NHS.
Answer · Shona Robison: Donepezil, galantamine and rivastigmineare recommended as options for the treatment of moderate Alzheimer’s disease inNHS Scotland.</p>
7 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been allocated to Falkirk Council for 2008-09 for flood prevention programmes.
Answer · Michael Russell: As agreed in the jointconcordat, the support for floodprevention and coast protection is one of the grants which has been rolled up as part of the Local Government Settlement for2008-11. Allocations to authorities took account of both the flood risk to be man…
7 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding was allocated to Falkirk Council in 2007-08 for flood prevention programmes.
Answer · Michael Russell: Flood prevention grant of £648,279was allocated in 2007-08 for the Bo’ness Foreshore Flood Prevention Scheme 2006.</p>
2 Jan 2008 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take to improve the provision of outdoor education.
Answer · Maureen Watt: Learning out of doors is beingpromoted as part of the Scottish Government’s curriculum review. Outdoor learninghas a clear contribution to make towards the Scottish Government’s national outcomethat all our young people should be successful learners, confiden…
5 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce a time limit for local authorities to comply with the requirement for an open space audit, as required by National Planning Policy Guidance 11 (NPPG11) and Planning Advice Note 65 (PAN 65).
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The requirement onevery Scottish local authority to prepare an open space audit and strategy is containedin <i>Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) 11: Open Space and Physical Activity</i>, publishedNovember 2007. <i>SPP 11</i> makes it clear that all local authori…
5 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why statutory consultation on non-sporting green spaces, as proposed in the consultation document on planning policy on physical activity and open spaces (SPP11), has not been included in the published SPP11.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The consultation draftof SPP 11 was published in August 2006. Although there was support in principlefor statutory consultation on development affecting non-sporting greenspace, therewas little support for consultation with Greenspace Scotland or Scottish Nat…
5 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the proposed minimum standards of open space within developments, as detailed in the consultation document on planning policy on physical activity and open spaces (SPP11), have not been included in the published SPP11.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The consultation draftof <i>SPP 11</i>, published in August 2006, proposed national minimum quantitativestandards for open space for several categories of new development. Many respondentscommented in some detail on this proposal. Whilst there was much suppor…
4 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional funding has been allocated to implement the recommendations of the independent review of NHS wheelchair and seating services in Scotland, Moving Forward.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-6288 on 20 November 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…
19 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was allocated to each local authority as part of the Regeneration Outcome Agreement in the last two years and how much will be allocated in the next financial year.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I have askedJames Hynd, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Hisresponse is as follows:</p><p>The amount ofCommunity Regeneration Funding allocated to Community Planning Partnerships(CPPs) over the last two years is provided in the follo…
19 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was allocated to each local authority for the Choose Life project in the last two years and how much will be allocated in the next financial year.
Answer · Shona Robison: Funding allocationto each local authority for Choose Life for the last two years is recorded in thefollowing table:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td width=160 nowrap valign=top> <p align=center>Area</p> </td> <td valig…
19 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was allocated to each local authority in each of the last five years for implementation of the carers strategy and how much will be allocated in the next financial year.
Answer · Shona Robison: In the past,local authorities were allocated funding for carers support as part of theannual local government finance settlement. It was for each authority todetermine the level of funding it allocated to each activity, in accordancewith local priorities. Det…
19 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was allocated to each local authority in each of the last two years to assist with the introduction of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 and how much will be allocated in the next financial year.
Answer · Shona Robison: The ScottishExecutive increased the block grant to local authorities by £13 million overeach of the last two years 2006-07 and 2007-08 in relation to theimplementation of the MentalHealth (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003. It should be noted that as th…
19 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much Mental Illness Specific Grant funding has been allocated to each local authority in each of the last five years and how much will be allocated in the next financial year.
Answer · Shona Robison: The allocations madeby the Scottish Government, to which local authorities also add their own resources,are shown in the following table.</p><p>From April 2008 theMental Health Specific Grant (formerly Mental Illness Specific Grant) will be absorbedinto the m…
25 Sep 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4290 by Stewart Stevenson on 20 September 2007, how many applications have been made to the Scottish Transport Group pension fund since 31 January 2007 and when the Scottish Government expects the remaining £135,000 to be paid out.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Since 31 January 2007 six claims have been received in relation to the ScottishTransport Group pension fund surplus all of which have been settled. The remaining£135,000 has been reserved for distribution to identified eligible former pensionscheme members. C…
20 Sep 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what savings there will be to the public purse from the merger of Relate and Family Mediation Scotland.
Answer · Adam Ingram: The purpose of the merger is to achieve greater integration and efficiency of service deliveryrather than a cost saving exercise.</p><p>Counselling andFamily Mediation Scotland received £676,935 funding for 2007-2008, reflectingcommon strategic priorities for…
20 Sep 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding awarded for couple counselling services nationally is distributed to local organisations.
Answer · Adam Ingram: The ScottishGovernment currently funds two national couple counselling service providers,Counselling and Family Mediation Scotland (formerly Relate Scotland [CoupleCounselling Scotland] and Family Mediation Scotland) and Scottish Marriage Care(incorporating S…
20 Sep 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will respond to the findings of the review of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
Answer · Bruce Crawford: The Scottish Governmentare committed to ensuring the effective operation of the Act and, while the publicconsultation responses to the review have been noted, have no plans to respond tothis review’s findings.</p>
20 Sep 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to promote greater public involvement in the Scottish Freedom of Information Forum and whether it will consider providing more information on the forum’s meetings.
Answer · Bruce Crawford: Information onthe first meeting of the Scottish Public Information Forum is published on the Scottish Government’s website at <ahref="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/FOI/18022">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/FOI/18022</a>.</p><p>It is a matterfor the Forum…
19 Sep 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish any reports made in respect of the Assynt - Coigach Area Protection Order 2004.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Assynt - CoigachProtection Order Liaison Committee produce an annual report which is availablefrom the Secretary of that Committee.</p>