Parliamentary questions

Nick Johnston

166 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

15 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of any cost impact on industry and on plans to put more commercial freight on rail of the decision by Railtrack to increase rail freight charges.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The regulation of track access charges is a reserved matter. In July, the Rail Regulator published the draft conclusions of his periodic review of Track Access Charges. Until he announces his final decisions, Railtrack cannot change its present track access c…

15 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many registered charity shops there are currently in Scotland.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: There is no register of charity shops in Scotland.

15 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many full-time equivalent jobs are occupied by volunteer staff in charity shops.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: This information is not held centrally.

15 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the criteria are for allowing business rate rebates for charity shops.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Rate relief for organisations established for charitable purposes is governed in Scotland by the Local Government (Financial Provisions Etc) (Scotland) Act 1962, as amended. The relief has two elements; charity shops "wholly or mainly used for charitable…

15 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any loss of income to it and local authorities through business rate rebates to charity shops and, if so, what the amount of any such loss has been in each of the past five years.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Rates relief for charity shops is a statutory requirement under the Local Government (Financial Provisions etc)(Scotland) Act 1962, as amended. Information in respect of numbers of charity shops or rateable values is not held centrally.

15 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any proposals to review charity shops' exemption from business rates and what assessment has been made of any impact this exemption has on other existing businesses.

Answer · Jack McConnell: In 1999, HM Treasury published a consultation paper entitled, Review of Charity Taxation dealing with many aspects of the tax system as it affects charities, including rates relief for charity shops. The principle of rate relief for charity shops remai…

15 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether students will be entitled to compensation over the Scottish Qualifications Authority exams situation and if so, whether it will provide details.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: Whether students had a right to compensation would be largely for the courts to determine and would depend on the circumstances of the individual case.

14 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals it has to re-trunk the A977 and what plans it has to upgrade the A907 to cope with anticipated traffic in the light of the site surveys undertaken for the new Forth river crossings.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: None.

14 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners have re-offended within four years of release from prison, for the most recent three-year period that figures are available, and what percentage this represents of prisoners released.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:Of those persons whose first sentence in 1992, 1993 and 1994 was a custodial sentence, 4,960 (77%), 5,383 (76%) and 5,533 (75%)…

14 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support mechanisms are available and what consultation or other formal arrangements exist between the prison and local social and health services to help prisoners who have undertaken drug rehabilitation whilst in prison.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:All prisons are required to have in place a range of support mechanisms to meet the aggregate needs of their populations. The r…

11 Aug 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7755 by Mr Jim Wallace on 13 July 2000, whether it will publish the targets for reducing positive drug tests among inmates in Scottish prisons.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. Mr Cameron's response is as follows:Yes, we have done so. The Scottish Prison Service's new drug strategy, published in June 2000, sets a target of year o…

1 Aug 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8146 by Henry McLeish on 4 July 2000, whether it will detail the basis on which the costs associated with subsidised and unsubsidised jobs created by each New Deal programme are calculated.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which takes the lead on funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing Scottish organisations, as indicated in the answer to S1W-008…

20 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6619 by Henry McLeish on 19 May 2000, how many of the 10,827 new jobs in Scotland announced by inward investors since April 1999 are brand new jobs; how many are jobs transferred from elsewhere; how many are part time; how many are full time, and how…

Answer · Henry McLeish: Since the member's last question (S1W-6619) Locate in Scotland (LiS) has published its annual results. The member will have received a copy of this document from LiS.From April 1999, LiS and its partners attracted 14,995 jobs and 4,339 safe…

20 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to detail, by constituency, the cost of subsidised and unsubsidised jobs created by (a) the New Deal for the Young Unemployed (New Deal 18-24), (b) the New Deal for the Long-term Unemployed (New Deal 25+), (c) the New Deal 50+ and (d) the New Deal for Single Parents, since the New Deal pr…

Answer · Henry McLeish: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which therefore takes the lead on the funding and delivery of New Deal throughout Great Britain, although in close consultation with its partners, including the Scottish Executive.The costs…

20 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to detail, by constituency, the number of subsidised and unsubsidised jobs created by (a) the New Deal for the Young Unemployed (New Deal 18-24), (b) the New Deal for the Long-term Unemployed (New Deal 25+), (c) the New Deal 50+ and (d) the New Deal for Single Parents, since the New Deal …

20 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to detail, by constituency, the number of New Deal clients re-claiming Jobseeker's Allowance after the end of their option, as a proportion of all individuals leaving the New Deal Scheme.

15 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much increases in fuel tax have cost Fife, Tayside and Central Scotland police forces, fire brigades, and ambulance services in each of the past three years and whether the block grant paid to each of these bodies has been specifically raised to cover these costs.

Answer · Jim Wallace: This information is not held centrally for any of the three services. Increases in costs are taken generally into account in financial settlements relating to these services offset by efficiency savings where these are appropriate.

13 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6523 by Sarah Boyack on 18 May 2000, whether it will institute a study to gather the information requested and make this available to environmental bodies, planning authorities and the general public.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: National Planning Policy Guideline 16: Opencast Coal and Related Minerals confirms that financial guarantee schemes are an appropriate means for reassuring local communities of an operator's commitment and ability to restore sites properly and timeously; and …

8 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many trained dogs are available to the Scottish Prison Service to search premises and visitors for drugs.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The information requested is considered confidential as, for security reasons, the SPS does not publicise its drugs interdictio…

8 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of prisoners in Scottish jails are registered drug addicts.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Mr Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows;This figure is unavailable, as community agencies are often reluctant to inform the authorities when their clients enter pri…

8 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the Scottish Prison Service has sufficient personnel to make sure that prisons become drug free.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. Mr Cameron's response is as follows:Reducing drug misuse in Scottish prisons is not simply a matter of numbers of personnel. The continuous development an…

8 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what effect the European Convention on Human Rights will have on the Scottish Prison Service's ability to search inmates and visitors for drugs.

Answer · Angus MacKay: I have asked Mr Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:The European Convention on Human Rights is not expected to have an adverse effect on the ability to search prison inmates a…

8 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what role the Drug Enforcement Agency will have in Scotland's prisons.

Answer · Angus MacKay: The Drug Enforcement Agency will have no direct role within Scotland's prisons but the two agencies are in close discussion to agree liaison and co-ordination arrangements.

6 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on the Ossian project to date and how much remains to be spent.

Answer · Henry McLeish: Between 1998-99 and 2000-01 the core costs/funding of Ossian have been £4.01 million. In addition, over the first two years STB received "in kind" private sector support of around £1 million (banking services, software, telecommunications).<P ALIGN=…

6 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give an update on the Ossian project and when it will be possible to book accommodation.

Answer · Henry McLeish: A pilot booking scheme involving around 70 serviced accommodation providers is underway. The full system will be launched in July.

1 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been notified of any impending redundancies in the Mid Scotland and Fife or Central Scotland regions and, if so, whether it will list them by parliamentary constituency.

Answer · Henry McLeish: The Executive does not disclose notifications of impending redundancies that have been provided on a commercially confidential basis.

17 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish its reply to the Strathclyde Joint Police Board regarding the Board's request that monies raised from items subject to forfeiture by a Sheriff be returned for local community use.

Answer · Jim Wallace: We have not received the request to which this question refers.

17 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the European Convention on Human Rights will have on current planning procedures and whether it will have any implications for third party right of appeal.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer Mr Johnston to my answer to question S1W-6799.

5 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what encouragement it will give to local authorities to develop safe access to primary and secondary schools such as cycle paths, safe footpaths and non-vehicular access provision.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Guidance on How to Run Safer Routes to School was issued to each local authority and all schools in Scotland last December. The guidance provides practical advice to all those involved in the journey to school and will help enable safer routes schemes …

5 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in securing new inward investment in Scotland since 1 June 1999.

Answer · Henry McLeish: Locate in Scotland is the single agency responsible for the promotion of Scotland for Foreign Direct Investment.Locate in Scotland's results for 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000 will be published in June. I can tell you, however, that publicly…