Parliamentary questions

Mike Rumbles

1,089 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

28 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding will be allocated to programmes and schemes implementing the National Waste Plan in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11, broken down by funding stream and expressed in (i) cash and (ii) real terms, also showing any year-on-year real term percentage change.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-7154 on 13 December 2007. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa…

28 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding will be allocated from the zero waste budget to (a) the Strategic Waste Fund, (b) Keep Scotland Beautiful and (c) Waste initiatives in (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10 and (iii) 2010-11, broken down by funding stream and expressed in real terms, also showing any year-on-year rea…

Answer · Richard Lochhead: We estimate thataround £50 million over three years will be spent on waste delivery bodies.These resources will be spent on household and commercial waste prevention;developing markets for recycled materials; public education and awareness onwaste and litter,…

28 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding will be available to local authorities from the Strategic Waste Fund in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11 expressed in (i) cash and (ii) real terms, also showing any year-on-year real term percentage change.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Under the concordatagreed between the Scottish ministers and the Convention of Scottish LocalAuthorities, the ring-fence around the Strategic Waste Fund will be removedfrom 1 April 2008, with the funding being absorbed into the main localgovernment settlement…

21 Nov 2007 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will bring forward funding to build new schools in Aberdeenshire in 2008-09.

Answer · Maureen Watt: As indicated in theconcordat signed by the Scottish Government and COSLA on 14 November 2007, there is significant growth in the capital resourcesbeing made available to local authorities to secure investment in local governmentinfrastructure, including schoo…

16 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the changes are from the 2007-08 baseline for each proposed budget line at levels (a) one, (b) two and (c) three of the Environment and Rural Affairs portfolio resulting from Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007, expressed in real (i) cash and (ii) percentage terms for each year of …

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The information requested forlevel 1 and 2 is given in Draft Budget 2008-09: Real Terms Analysis, acopy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib.number 44133).

8 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS dentists there were per head of population in each (a) NHS board and (b) local authority area in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Answer · Shona Robison: In respect of NHSboards the latest available information is shown in the following table:<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td width=176 nowrap rowspan=2 valign=bottom>   </td> <td width=139 nowrap colspan=2 va…

5 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to procure sufficient stocks of bluetongue vaccine.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The use of bluetonguevaccine in areas such as Scotland which are free of disease is currently prohibitedby the European Commission. The Scottish Government is working closely with stakeholdersto consider potential Scottish needs and is liaising closely with t…

5 Sep 2007 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will remove the £3,500 cap on its free central heating programme.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I currently haveno plans to remove the cap.

27 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet

Answer · Jim Mather: Highlands and Islands Enterprise monitors its performanceon an annual basis against a set of targets agreed with the Executive. These targetsare published in its annual operating plans and monitored by the Executive duringthe reporting year to ensure that app…

25 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it still follows the previous administration’s protocol of notifying MSPs as a courtesy when ministers visit their constituencies.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: There has been nochange to the protocol of notifying MSPs of ministerial visits to their constituencies.

18 Jul 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Government will respond to Aberdeenshire Council's request for funding to prevent a landslip at Bervie Braes.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not heldcentrally.

27 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why the estimated completion date for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route has changed from 2011 to 2012.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The 2011 deadlinewas challenging and had no room for slippage. As the project has developed it hasbecome clear that the land searches required to complete the draft Compulsory PurchaseOrders have been more complex and have taken longer than anticipated. New p…

27 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the results of the review of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route carried out by Transport Scotland.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-795 on 19 June 2007. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.sear…

15 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-584 by Richard Lochhead on 14 June 2007, how much of the estimated cost of £120,000 per new entrant over the next six years of the Scottish Rural Development Programme will reach each new entrant and what proportion will be spent on administration co…

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Under EU Regulations,the maximum grant that can be provided under the New Entrants measures is €40,000(c. £27,000). Within this maximum, officials are set to consult with the industryon the precise details of the scheme. The entire budget of £10 million will …

6 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it expects to achieve the decoupling of cod management from other species of fish within the EU Common Fisheries Policy.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: My aim is to securemanagement arrangements which provide greater stability for the Scottish fishingfleet and a sustainable fishery. I will pursue this by a number of means, includingthe decoupling of cod management from other species.Decoupling can bea…

6 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what extra conservation measures it wishes to see applied to the Scottish fishing fleet.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I recognise the needto balance environmental and economic sustainability of fishing activities. WithinEurope, Scottish fishermen have been at the forefrontof developing fishing techniques which reduce the impact of fishing. I will engagewith fishermen, fishin…

6 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will tackle issues arising from cheap and inferior imports reaching the shelves of Scottish supermarkets.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: We will be consultingprimary producers, processors and the supermarkets on how best to ensure fresh localand seasonal produce is given adequate space and clear signage in retail outletsacross Scotland.

6 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list any statutory regulations, currently in force and affecting the farming industry, which it considers to be unnecessary and should be removed.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-589 on 18 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.sea…

6 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has identified any statutory regulations applicable to the farming industry that it considers to be unnecessary.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: We are working withNFU Scotland on such matters and to identify ways in which we can improve the regulatoryframework for agriculture so that the sector continues to meet its regulatory obligations,but with fewer constraints on farm businesses and reduced cost…

6 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, when it introduces a new statutory regulation for the farming industry, it will first remove any relevant regulation that is currently in place.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Our aim is that wherepossible new regulations should replace, rather than add to, existing regulations.In practice, however, it may not always be possible to guarantee that one regulationwill be removed for every regulation introduced, for example where this …

6 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to establish an independent appeals panel for farmers that is separate from the Executive.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I will be having discussionswith officials to consider how we take forward our commitment to review the currentEU agricultural subsidies appeals procedure. I will announce further details indue course.

6 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its plans are to establish an independent ombudsman to give teeth to the supermarket code of practice.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Initially, we willenter into dialogue with all the major supermarkets operating in Scotland to learn more about their sourcing policies and theircurrent relationships with Scottish suppliers. I will also be speaking to primaryproducers and processors to gain …

6 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will encourage estate owners to make starter units available for new tenants.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: My officials are indiscussion with estate landowners to explore how they can play a greater role inthe provision of affordable housing in rural areas where there is pressing housingneed.

6 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many new entrants to farming it estimates it will attract by establishing its £10 million new entrants scheme.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The main factor in attractingnew entrants to farming will be the development of a vibrant and profitable industryand this is a key aim of our rural policy. It is also important, however, that newentrants are supported in the critical early stages and the New …

6 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will allocate the £10 million that it has earmarked for the new entrants scheme for farmers.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The New Entrants measure willbe included within Tier 3 of Rural Development Contracts. Funding will thereforebe allocated under the competitive application process that will apply to all Tier3 measures.

6 Jun 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it reached its decision that £10 million was the appropriate amount of funding for the new entrants scheme for farmers.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: This decision wasbased on the experience and funding of a similar scheme in Northern Ireland and on the funding available for the new Scotland RuralDevelopment Programme (SRDP). There will be flexibility within the new SRDP to varythe funding available under …

29 May 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the next round of funding to build new schools in Aberdeenshire will be brought forward.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Existing investment plans willsee schools continuing to be built and refurbished across Scotland to theend of this decade. In the case of Aberdeenshire, several communities are alreadybenefiting from recently built schools in line with priorities identified b…

14 Mar 2007 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will increase the level of payments to those in receipt of free personal and nursing care from the £210 per week introduced in July 2002.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The future rates of payment forpersonal and nursing care to self funders in care homes are due to be consideredas part of the spending review.The levels of funding for thesepayments will have risen by £14 million between 2003-04, the first full year of…

18 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many households in the West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine parliamentary constituency have benefited from the provision of insulation under the Warm Deal scheme since its inception.

Answer · Des McNulty: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:Information is held by main postcodearea. In the AB postcode area a total of 6,657 households across all sector benefitedfrom Warm Deal insulat…

18 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many households in the West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine parliamentary constituency have benefited from installations under the central heating programme since its inception.

Answer · Des McNulty: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:Information is held by main postcodearea. In the AB postcode area a total of 3,045 households in the private sectorare now centrally heated as …