Parliamentary questions

Michael Russell

1,207 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

18 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why the Scottish Abstract of Statistics due to be published in December 1999 has not yet appeared.

Answer · Jack McConnell: I refer Mr Russell to my answer to question S1W-3743.

18 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a commitment to return to annual publication of The Scottish Abstract of Statistics.

Answer · Jack McConnell: No. We will shortly be inviting users of statistics to comment on our future dissemination strategy, when we publish the Scottish Executive Statistical Programme for 2000-2001. Their views will inform our decisions on the format and frequency of our publicati…

18 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the next Scottish Abstract of Statistics will be published.

Answer · Jack McConnell: If we continue with a volume in this format, the next edition would be that for 2000.

18 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm its commitment to the Larkhall rail link in the light of the threat to DAKs Simpson jobs in Larkhall and the need to improve the transport infrastructure of the town, and when the link can be expected to open.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Larkhall to Milngavie rail route project is the responsibility of the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority as the public passenger transport body for the area. The Scottish Executive regards this as an important project. The authority was awarded £5 …

16 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to address problems arising from the fact that people in parts of rural Clydesdale will have a three and a half hour round bus trip to get to hospital appointments once local hospital services are largely centralised in Wishaw.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The relocation of hospital services from Law Hospital in Carluke to the new General Hospital in Wishaw (some three miles north) is unlikely to increase travelling times for patients to any significant degree since Wishaw is at least as accessible from most pa…

14 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it spends in total annually on the development and promotion of the Scots language, including grants to the Scots Language Society, Scottish National Dictionary Association, Scots Language Resource Centre and other projects.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: In 1999-2000 the grants to the Scottish National Dictionary Association, the Scots Language Resource Centre and the Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue are £40,000, £23,500 and £49,000 respectively. No grant has been made to the Scots Language Society. Ed…

13 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that a feasibility study is conducted into the opening of a railway station at Law, Lanarkshire.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The development of railways is primarily a matter for the rail industry. I understand that South Lanarkshire Council has requested that Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive undertake a feasibility study into the viability of opening a station at Law.

25 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2468 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 24 November 1999, under what specific budget headings savings will be identified in order to find the #2.1 million to fund its rescue package for Scottish Opera.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: The package to assist Scottish Opera will be met by savings resulting from the phasing out of the Assisted Places Scheme and unallocated provision as a consequence of end year flexibility arrangements.

11 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it is making to Her Majesty's Government, following the recent publication of What everyone should know about the Millennium bug, which was produced in a number of languages including Welsh, but not in Scottish Gaelic.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: Government Departments have discretion as to whether they produce public documents in Gaelic. We encourage the production of Gaelic versions of documents which have a clear focus on the Gaelic community.

10 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to provide assistance to the Glasgow Highlanders' Institute, in the light of the difficulties it presently faces without permanent premises.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: I am aware of proposals to enable the Glasgow Highlanders' Institute to replace the premises which it closed some years ago. The Scottish Executive has no plans to provide assistance.

10 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in what budgets it identified savings of #2.1 million in order to fund its rescue package for Scottish Opera.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: The money will be found from savings identified within my budget in the current year.

28 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what enquiries it has instituted, or asked a third party to institute, regarding any deficit incurred by Scottish Opera.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: We have asked the Scottish Arts Council to keep us informed of developments in its discussions with Scottish Opera. There have in addition been meetings between my officials and Scottish Opera.

28 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Opera has given reasons for incurring a potential deficit, and if so, what they are.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: Discussions are continuing between Scottish Opera and the Scottish Arts Council.

28 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals Scottish Opera has made to reduce or eliminate any deficit and what assistance, if any, it has requested from the Scottish Executive in that regard.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: Discussions are continuing between the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Opera. Scottish Opera has not requested any assistance from the Scottish Executive.

28 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on what date it was informed of a potential deficit to be incurred by Scottish Opera in the current year.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: The Executive became aware of an expected increase in the level of this year's deficit on 5 October 1999.

28 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings have taken place between Scottish Opera and the Executive since 1 July 1999.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: Scottish Executive officials met Scottish Opera representatives on 22 October and 26 October.

26 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has vetoed plans to allow wheelchair access to the High Kirk of St Giles, which had previously been approved by City of Edinburgh Council and, if so, how it now proposes to address the situation of one of Scotland's most important religious buildings having no wheelchair access.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Following a public local inquiry, the Scottish Ministers accepted the Reporter's recommendation that a planning application for wheelchair access to the High Kirk of St Giles be refused. This decision was intimated in the Scottish Executive Development Depart…

8 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what policy Historic Scotland has on charging for entry to religious sites, given that entry to Glasgow Cathedral is free whilst an entry fee is being proposed for Iona Abbey.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Historic Scotland has a policy of charging for entry to its staffed sites, including religious monuments such as Elgin Cathedral, St Andrews Cathedral and the Border Abbeys. This helps to offset maintenance costs. The exceptions are Glasgow Cathedral and Dunb…

23 Sep 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps Historic Scotland will be instructed to take to secure the status of Iona Abbey as a place of pilgrimage as well as a place of spiritual and historical discovery for many casual visitors and tourists.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Historic Scotland will manage Iona Abbey as professionally and sensitively as all the other religious sites in its care.

22 Sep 1999 · General Question

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Historic Scotland will manage Iona Abbey as professionally and sensitively as all the other religious sites in its care.

16 Sep 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1136 by Mr Jim Wallace on 15 September, whether it will now give its full support to the early introduction of a Member's Bill on leasehold casualties based on the Scottish Law Commission report, as proposed by Mr Adam Ingram, and whether it will ask…

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Executive remains committed to the abolition of leasehold casualties and we have indicated that we would be prepared to support Mr Ingram's Private Member's Bill. Further work will have to be carried out on the Bill drafted by the Scottish Law Commission …

25 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to assist house owners in Lanarkshire and elsewhere whose title has been left vulnerable to challenge and has been the subject of challenge as a result of feudal land law.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to S1W-1136.

25 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take, prior to the enactment of relevant legislation, to curb the activities of those who profit by challenging the title of house owners whose title has been left vulnerable to such challenge, as seen recently in Lanarkshire.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to S1W-1136.

25 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures will be contained in its proposed land reform legislation to prevent the type of cases seen in Lanarkshire and elsewhere, where house owners' titles have been left vulnerable to challenge through no fault of their own, as a result of feudal land law or of parties taking posi…

Answer · Jim Wallace: We intend to introduce a full programme of land reform which will modernise the basis of land tenure in Scotland and which will remove the abuses deriving from feudal law and from the exploitation of defects in titles. The first stage of that reform will be a…