Parliamentary questions
Nick Johnston
166 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
19 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12158 by Sarah Boyack on 16 January 2001, whether it will request a copy of the Rosyth traffic study and respond to it and, if so, over what timescale.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I understand from Fife Council that this study is still in draft. Once finalised it will be forwarded and we will respond to it as soon as possible.
20 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the Rosyth traffic study undertaken on behalf of Fife Council and Scottish Enterprise Fife by Carl Bro in association with Spaven McCrossan Partnership and ERM and what action it intends to take in light of this study.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: This study has not been presented to the Scottish Executive.
20 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any evaluation has been done of either the impact that the Defence Diversification Agency (DDA) has on the economy of Scotland or of any implications that privatisation of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency would have for the DDA's impact in this respect.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues including the effect in Scotland of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) Public/Private Partnership (PPP) and the future role of the Defence Diversifica…
12 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10038 by Mr Jim Wallace on 5 October 2000, when it will make the announcement on the response to the consultation paper on high hedges.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Analysis of the responses to this consultation is complete and I now expect to make an announcement later this month.
12 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9907 by Sarah Boyack on 5 October 2000, when the announcement regarding councils' performance in planning development will be made.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The 3rd annual report of the Planning Audit Unit will be published in January 2001.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">In the meantime I have announced that during 2001 the Planning Audit Unit will undertake three further audits: at Falkirk, North Ayrshire and Perth and Kinro…
12 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11108 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 23 November 2000, what measures replaced or will be introduced to replace the previously held rights of regional councils to call in controversial planning applications which were made by district councils or which breach…
Answer · Sam Galbraith: None. Councils are usually the planning authority for an area and their responsibilities include taking decisions on most planning applications. The Scottish Ministers may, in certain circumstances, call-in planning applications for their own determination.
7 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money it has spent on prescriptions for ben'odia'epines in each of the last five years.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The table below shows the cost of benzodiazepines dispensed by NHS community pharmacists from 1995-96 to 1999-2000.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="25%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Financial Year</TD><TD WIDTH="30%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN…
7 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a register is held of patients who are prescribed ben'odia'epines.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: No.
7 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many in-patients, broken down by NHSiS trust, are addicted to ben'odia'epines.
Answer · Susan Deacon: In each of the three years 1997-2000, there was an average of 3,375 hospitalisations in Scotland which were related to benzodiazepine poisoning. In around 0.5% (18) of these addiction was a factor.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">This information is not available for indiv…
6 Dec 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what controls on learning providers have been established to ensure equity of charging on Individual Learning Account approved learning.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: We are seeking to ensure that Individual Learning Account holders have the information they need to make an informed decision about the learning that best suits their needs. Amongst the factors influencing their choice will be value for money so the learndire…
30 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11109 by Peter Peacock on 23 November 2000, how community councils can carry out their statutory duties without funding to take local authorities to judicial review.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Community councils do not have statutory duties or powers. They are intended to act as a voice for their local community, representing the views of the community to local authorities and other public bodies operating in their area.
17 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost was of employing consultants to undertake its employer survey on adult literacy in the labour market.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The total cost was £57,471 (excluding VAT).
17 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the results of its employer survey on adult literacy in the labour market will be published.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The report of the employer survey on adult literacy will be published early next year.
17 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many companies were invited to take part in its employer survey on adult literacy in the labour market.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: 14,883 employers received a letter to inform them that the survey was being conducted and that they may be asked to take part in a telephone interview. 6,915 companies were contacted by telephone to invite them to take part in an interview. 1,500 interviews w…
17 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to address the issue of adult illiteracy in the workplace.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Raising literacy levels in the workplace is one of the issues that will be considered by the Literacy 2000 Team in their report to Ministers in December. To inform their recommendations, the team has commissioned research which assesses:<UL><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"…
16 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what help is available to small and medium enterprises to combat literacy and numeracy problems in the workplace.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11335.
16 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what help is available to small and medium enterprises to identify adult literacy and numeracy problems.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Raising literacy levels in the workplace is one of the issues that will be considered by the Adult Literacy 2000 Team in their report to Ministers in December. To inform their recommendations, the team has commissioned research into:<UL><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><LI…
15 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the value is of field sports to the tourism industry.
Answer · Alasdair Morrison: Annually, around 100,000 trips to Scotland are made to shoot and spending totals £23 million. Approximately 110,000 visitors fish in Scotland every year, generating just under £30 million worth of tourism spend.
15 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs rely on field sports.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: This information is not held by the Scottish Executive. However, earlier this year, the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute was commissioned to investigate the economic impacts the enactment of Lord Watson's Protection of Wild Mammals Bill might have on the …
15 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what studies have been done to evaluate the impact of field sports on the tourism industry.
Answer · Alasdair Morrison: The Scottish Tourist Board has undertaken some preliminary research into field sports and tourism. The information gathered can be found on their industry website at <A HREF="http://www.scotexchange.net/knowyourmarket/fieldsports.htm">http://www.scotexchange.…
14 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Tayside University NHS Trust regarding the retention of maternity services at Perth Royal Infirmary.
Answer · Susan Deacon: In early 2001, the Scottish Executive will be publishing a Framework for Maternity Services which will help guide the NHS in the planning and delivery of maternity services across Scotland.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">It is primarily a matter for health boards, working…
13 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will allow new access points on the A9 between Perth and Inverness for developments which have significant economic implications to local communities.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive currently operates a policy not to allow any new commercial or private accesses or the intensification of use of existing private accesses onto the A9 trunk road between Perth and Inverness. There are no plans to review this policy as i…
13 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact ballast water discharged from ships using the Forth ports has had on shellfish and other marine life in the Firth of Forth and Forth Estuary.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: Scientific studies of aquatic organisms in ships' ballast tanks indicate that a range of species can be transported in this way but transport is only the first of many stages to the process by which a species can become established in a new area. Very many or…
13 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what aquatic species have been introduced to the Firth of Forth and Forth Estuary from ballast waters discharged from vessels using Forth ports.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: There is no definitive scientific evidence that any aquatic species have been introduced into Scottish waters in ballast water. It has been suggested that two non-native species present in the Firth of Forth may have been introduced in this way. These are a c…
13 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring has taken place of the bacterial content and contamination of the ballast water of ships using the Firth of Forth and Forth Estuary; what the results have been of any such monitoring, and what impact the discharge of ballast water has on the water quality of bathing beache…
Answer · Sam Galbraith: No such monitoring has taken place.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Information about individual impacts on the water quality of bathing beaches in Fife is not held centrally, but is a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. All designated bathing waters in …
9 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to allocate funds for community councils to apply for judicial reviews of local authority decisions and to give community councillors an immunity from liability for expenses.
Answer · Peter Peacock: We have no such plans.
9 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will automatically call in all planning applications and/or Notices of Intention to Develop for development of land or property owned by local authorities and/or companies or organisations in which the local authority has a vested interest.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: No. The Scottish Executive's intention, as set out in <I>National Planning Policy Guideline 1 (NPPG 1): The Planning System</I>, is that only applications which raise issues of national significance require to be determined by the Scottish Ministers.
9 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much grant funding has been paid to local authorities, broken down by authority, in each of the last three years to implement one-way traffic systems and bus lanes in town centres and how many of the schemes to which such grant funding has been provided have since been altered or with…
Answer · Sarah Boyack: No specific grant is paid to local authorities to implement one-way traffic systems and bus lanes in town centres.
26 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether funding will be available under its central heating initiative for the replacement of existing obsolete or expensive heating systems.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: The initiative is intended to help those most vulnerable to cold and damp: an estimated 140,000 households who currently lack any form of central heating. Local authorities should continue to replace obsolescent systems as part of their ongoing housing capita…
25 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines are given to universities regarding the commercialisation of university research.
Answer · Henry McLeish: In its annual guidance letter to the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council, in February this year, we encouraged the promotion of better commercialisation and the continuation of funding streams to support this. We are precluded by legislation from direct…