Parliamentary questions

Mike Rumbles

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

14 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has conducted or intends to conduct a review of the impact of planning regulations on rural development.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: National Planning Policy Guideline 15: Rural Development was published in February 1999. It sets out how the statutory land use planning system can assist the rural areas of Scotland achieve sustainable development and was pre…

14 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what indicators it currently uses to determine how many people in rural Scotland live in poverty.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive uses a number of measures of poverty which apply across Scotland. The Scottish Area Deprivation Index draws on indicators including overcrowding, lack of amenities, low birth weights, income support, claimant unemployment rate, no car h…

14 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in rural Scotland were living in poverty in each of the last five years.

Answer · Ross Finnie: There is no trend data available on the number of people in poverty in rural Scotland. An analysis of a sample of the 1991 Census by the Scottish Office Central Research Unit estimated that there were 46,000 "multiply deprived" households in rural a…

14 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to make an announcement in relation to the consultation paper on fast-growing hedges issued in January 2000.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-12936 on 31 January 2001.

14 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the number of capercaillie in Scotland is estimated to have been over each of the last fifty years.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: Information on the number of capercaillie in Scotland is not held on the basis sought.Recent findings contained within Capercaillie: A Review of Research Needs indicate a capercaillie population in Scotland in 1999 of just over 1,000…

14 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to publish a response to the report Capercaillie: A Review of Research Needs.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: No.Since the Scottish Executive funded this review along with the Forestry Commission and Scottish Natural Heritage, I see no need for the Executive to respond formally to its findings. I am, however, concerned at the serious threat to the …

14 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the results of the review of the operation of the Rural Transport Fund.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: A report on the evaluation of the Rural Transport Funding Package will be published later this year, and copies will be made available in the Parliament's Reference Centre.

22 Nov 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are being made in Scotland to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Her Majesty The Queen's accession to the throne.

Answer · Henry McLeish: The fiftieth anniversary of Her Majesty The Queen's Accession to the Throne will be celebrated during the summer of 2002. Tuesday 4 June 2002 has been proclaimed as a bank holiday in place of the Spring Bank Holiday, which would otherwise fall on 27 May in 20…

3 Nov 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it would cost it to bring the Skye Bridge into public ownership.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Skye Bridge is already owned by Scottish Ministers. The bridge was procured by and is operated, maintained and tolled by Skye Bridge Limited under contract. The Executive has not estimated the cost of terminating that contract, but has fulfilled the Pr…

27 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Food Standards Agency and the Meat Hygiene Service monitors the cost to abattoirs of veterinary inspections and, if so, whether it will make available figures for each of the last six years.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I have been advised by the Food Standards Agency that the annual cost to abattoirs of veterinary inspections is monitored. Historically this has been undertaken at a Great Britain level and the agency has provided an estimate of the cost to the industry in Sc…

27 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the cost to abattoirs of meeting the requirements of EU Directive 64/433 on veterinary supervision and of implementing the recommendations of the Report of the Meat Inspection Charges Task Force.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Food Standards Agency has advised me that the cost of implementing the recommendations of the Report of the Meat Inspection Charges Task Force, assuming 100% OVS supervision in 2000-01, is estimated to be £1.75 million for Scotland out of a GB total of so…

27 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in adopting the recommendations of the Report of the Meat Inspection Charges Task Force.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Food Standards Agency Meat Inspection Charges Task Force presented its final report on 26 June 2000. It recommends that inspection charges for all plants should be no greater than the EU standard charge, irrespective of the actual costs of veterinary insp…

20 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Opera have decided not to mount any main-scale performances outwith the central belt between January 2001 and March 2001 and, if this is so, whether Scottish Opera is fulfilling all its obligations as the national opera company.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: Scottish Opera's programme is a matter for the company, in consultation with the Scottish Arts Council.

30 Aug 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what financial arrangements are in place to assist NHS patients who are required to travel outwith their own health board area for treatment.

Answer · Susan Deacon: There are currently two Patients' Travelling Expenses Schemes. A non-means tested Highlands and Islands Scheme for patients resident or working in the former Highlands and Islands Development area and a means tested scheme for the rest of the country.Under…

28 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to publish a dental health strategy in order to address issues regarding access to dental services in rural Scotland.

Answer · Susan Deacon: An action plan for dental services in Scotland was published on 18 August 2000. The plan addresses issues of service availability and access to dental services. It is available on the Scottish Executive website at <A HREF="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/">www.sco…

21 Jun 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to publish the Land Reform Bill.

Answer · Angus MacKay: As announced by Deputy First Minister Mr Jim Wallace on 19 June (by PQ S1W-8083), in launching the third progress report of the Land Reform Action Plan, we decided to take time to resolve some of the technically complex areas of this legislation prior to publ…

31 May 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to abolish "ransom strips" in the forthcoming Land Reform Bill.

Answer · Angus MacKay: No.

17 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what was the total value of public sector tenants' right to buy discounts in 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The information available is set out below. The figures include local authority and Scottish Homes right to buy, rent to mortgage and voluntary sales, all of which were made under the right to buy legislation. Figures for 1999-2000 are not yet available.<TAB…

17 May 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to bring the Scottish Police Service under the remit of the proposed Freedom of Information Bill.

Answer · Angus MacKay: The consultation document An Open Scotland, published in November 1999, set out the Executive's view that the police and police authorities in Scotland should be covered by the Scottish freedom of information legislation. This would be in respect of al…

4 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authority homes were sold under the right to buy scheme in each council area between 1 January 1980 and 1 January 2000.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The information available is set out in the table. The figures include right to buy, rent to mortgage and voluntary sales, all of which were made under the right to buy legislation. Sales of dwellings owned by the New Towns (when in existence) are shown separ…

4 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis it estimates that the annual additional number of homes sold in Scotland as a result of the proposed extension of the right to buy will be 120.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The methodology used to estimate sales projections is available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. Sales are projected to increase by 850. 120 of these are in rural areas.

2 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of any new money being made available to the Scottish police service will be allocated to Grampian Police.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The additional £8.9 million being allocated to Scottish police forces will be sufficient to enable the recruitment of more than 300 extra police officers. Grampian Police will receive £676,000, which is the equivalent of an additional 27 officers. However, th…

10 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the adult population of Aberdeenshire are registered with an NHS dentist.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Information on registrations is only available centrally based on the postcode of dental practices in an area and not by patient postcode. It is not therefore possible to provide accurate information on patients registered in Aberdeenshire Council area as a n…

10 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget for the Countryside Premium Scheme is for the years 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2001-02.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The information is not available in the form requested.

10 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Countryside Premium Scheme applications have been (a) approved in the last 12 months, (b) rejected in the last 12 months, and (c) are still awaiting processing.

Answer · Ross Finnie: 726 applications were received in the 1999 application round. Of these, 326 are being offered entry into the Scheme. The balance (400 applications) have not been accepted for funding. There are no applications awaiting processing.

10 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to divert money from the Agri-Environment budget heads in the next 12 months and, if so, how much is to be transferred and to which budgets.

Answer · Ross Finnie: There are no plans to divert money from the argi-environment budget in the next 12 months.

10 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether money has been diverted from the Agri-Environment budget heads in the last 12 months and, if so, how much has been transferred and to which budgets.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Agri-environment expenditure in 1998-99 was £12.5 million compared to provision of £18.2 million. In accordance with general arrangements, in-year estimating savings were re-allocated to meet pressures for additional spending on other Structural and Agri-Envi…

2 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for Ministers to visit local authorities such as Aberdeenshire to discuss in detail the recommendations of the McIntosh Report.

Answer · Frank McAveety: I gave a commitment that I would visit all Scottish local authorities to discuss McIntosh issues. So far, I have had constructive discussions with Councillors, officers and community representatives in 25 councils. Visits to other councils are being arranged …

1 Dec 1999 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for Ministers to visit local authorities such as Aberdeenshire to discuss in detail the recommendations of the McIntosh Report.

26 Jul 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how Highland and Islands Enterprise's estimate of the likely number of visitors to the proposed funicular railway on Cairn Gorm compares with the independent assessment carried out by the former Chief Executive of the Scottish Tourist Board and the reason for any difference between these …

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: This is an operational matter for Highlands and Islands Enterprise. I will ask the Chairman of that organisation to write to Mr Rumbles.