Nick Johnston

4 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what studies have been undertaken on companies who have gone into liquidation before restoring opencast coal sites and on any resultant environmental damage and whether the level of any bonds posted has proved adequate for restoring such sites to a required environmental standard.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: No studies have been carried out by the Scottish Executive, and records of any relevant private research are not held centrally.

4 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government or coal operators on the calculations used in establishing the figures for bonds posted to hold operators of opencast coal sites in Scotland responsible for any environmental damage caused in the restoration of opencast mine sit…

Answer · Sarah Boyack: No such representations have been made by the Executive to HM Government on this devolved matter. The need for and the calculation of restoration bonds are matters for councils when determining planning applications for opencast coal developments.

26 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take to ensure that the dignity of the Saltire flag is upheld and how it will ensure that the correct background colour and proportions are displayed.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive believes that the dignity of the Saltire is best maintained by continuing high standards of production on the part of flagmakers. Statutory regulation would be inappropriate and enforcement impracticable - the colour and condition of fl…

14 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take to ensure that home workers in Scotland receive equality of treatment with those in the conventional workplace.

Answer · Henry McLeish: Employment rights are a matter reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the United Kingdom Government on a wide range of issues, including home working.

7 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will give a substantive answer to question S1W-2618 lodged on 17 November 1999.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Question S1W-2618 was answered on 29 September 2000.

7 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-5040 by Mr Jim Wallace on 31 March 2000, whether it will provide a breakdown of its funding and police authority funding of the Scottish Police College for each of the last four years.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The breakdown of Scottish Executive funding and police authority funding for the Scottish Police College is as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="20%" VALIGN="TOP">&nbsp;</TD><TD WIDTH="20%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTI…

7 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1984 by Mr Jim Wallace on 29 October 1999, when the results of the wide ranging review of the structure of police forces will be published.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I expect to receive an interim report from the Steering Group shortly. Depending on the conclusions and recommendations, further work may be required before a final report can be published.

7 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-550 by Mr Jim Wallace on 9 August 1999, whether it will now initiate measures to promote any economic benefits of fox hunting to rural Scotland in the light of the introduction of the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has no such plans.

7 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-908 by Angus Mackay on 26 August 1999, whether it will give an update of the review of the structure of the Scottish Fire Service.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I expect to receive an interim report from the Steering Group shortly. Depending on the conclusions and recommendations further work may be required before a final report can be published.

7 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-56 by Sarah Boyack on 6 October 1999, whether it has received the outcome of the studies by the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions and the Environment Agency into the presence of pathogens in sewage and whether it will place a copy …

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The research into pathogens in sewage sludge is ongoing. It is being conducted in a number of phases over the next two years. When the DETR's research has been completed, it will be published and a copy will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Ce…

7 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what number of complaints was made to the Commissioner for Local Administration in each of the past four years and what percentage of these complaints were found proven.

Answer · Frank McAveety: Information on this can be found in the Commissioner's annual reports.

7 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the arrangements are for monitoring levels of recycling and whether it will publish guidelines to local authorities on setting targets.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Audit Scotland, on behalf of the Accounts Commission, publishes annual information on councils' performance using data collected from councils under the Local Government Scotland Act 1992. This information currently includes a summary of the levels of recycli…

30 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-5223 by Henry McLeish on 23 March 2000, whether visitors to Scotland will be able to reserve accommodation using the Ossian Project by 1 June 2000.

Answer · Henry McLeish: Visitors to Scotland will be able to reserve accommodation using e-commerce from 30 June 2000.

29 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what formula is used to calculate the total funding for each police force; who devised the formula; whether and when it is being reviewed, and by whom.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE) allowances for police services are included within the calculation of the annual local government finance settlement. Police GAE is distributed largely on the basis of force strength (adjusted to take account of the additional co…

28 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding each Scottish police force received in each of the last three years per head of population.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Allocations of Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE) to<B> </B>individual forces for the last three years, per head of population, are shown in the following table:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">GAE per head of<U> </U>population<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=668…

23 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will explain the appointment procedure to local health boards.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The appointment of members to the boards of health boards and Trusts are made by me on behalf of Scottish Ministers. These appointments are made on merit, by fair and open process and are subject to independent assessment. Consideration is given to the balanc…

23 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to rationalise the licensing laws.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive has no plans at present to amend the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976.

23 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to examine the effectiveness in value for money terms of the involvement of private sector finance companies in the procurement of public sector contracts and whether it will set guidelines on the length of time that public authorities are allowed to amortise leas…

Answer · Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive considers the best way of improving the effectiveness of value for money from financial advisers is through a process of competitive selection and effective management of advisers. To that end it advocates the use of Treasury Taskforce …

9 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any changes are being made to the Investors in People standard to address the needs of small businesses

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive has recently endorsed the revised UK-wide Investors in People standard, which will be launched nationally on 13 April.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The new standard has been developed following extensive consultation throughout the UK. The changes…

9 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place the 640 replies to the review of the tourist industry received from the tourist industry on the Internet.

Answer · Henry McLeish: There are no plans to do so. However copies will be placed in SPICe.

9 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether visitors to Scotland will be able to reserve accommodation through project Ossian by June 2000 given that the tourist industry, by 1 March 2000, had not provided bedroom allocations to project Ossian.

Answer · Henry McLeish: It is only necessary for businesses to provide bedroom allocations to Project Ossian when they are trading by e-commerce. The e-commerce system will be available by the end of June.

6 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the funding which enables police forces to patrol motorways and trunk roads is calculated.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The deployment of resources for patrolling motorways and trunk roads is an operational matter for Chief Constables. Funding for the police is provided annually through the GAE process and resources are not allocated to specific operational areas or policing t…

6 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the Scottish Police College at Tulliallan is funded.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Police College is a common police service. It is funded jointly by the Scottish Executive and police authorities.

25 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to provide details of expenditure on external contracts for public relations and lobbying activities incurred by each task force it inherited on or has set up since 1 July 1999.

Answer · Jack McConnell: No expenditure has been incurred on contracts for public relations or lobbying activities by any of the task forces.

25 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many task forces it (a) inherited on 1 July 1999 and (b) has set up since 1 July 1999 and what the annual administrative cost of supporting each of these task forces is.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Five task forces were in operation prior to July 1999, two of which have since ceased. Five task forces have been established since July 1999.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>Task forces vary considerably, for example with respect to their life-span, membership a…

25 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Special Advisers it currently employs; what pay range each Special Adviser is in, and whether it will provide a breakdown of the administrative costs incurred by each Special Adviser, including the cost of any support staff the cost of accommodating and providing equipment for su…

Answer · Donald Dewar: There are currently eight Special Advisers employed within the Scottish Executive. The pay ranges occupied by individuals are not disclosed in order to protect the privacy of those concerned. However, the current allocation to the Special Adviser Pay ranges w…

25 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what facilities there are in Glenochil Young Offenders Institution for the rehabilitation of young substance abusers.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Prison Service provide individual detoxification, multi-disciplinary drug education, one to one counselling, and throughcare to community agencies on release. Young Offenders identified at HMYOI Polmont, Glenochil YOI's feeder establishment, as d…

25 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to Her Majesty's Government about action to assist local trading standards officers to combat increases in counterfeited goods offered for sale, given the potential impact of trade in counterfeited goods on manufacturing jobs in Scotland.

Answer · Henry McLeish: Intellectual property protection and related activities of trading standards officers are reserved matters. The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government about a wide range of matters including those relating to the activities of trading…

18 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what incentives are in place to encourage members of the public to report organised counterfeit groups to the relevant enforcement authorities and, if there are none, whether it intends to introduce such incentives.

Answer · Angus MacKay: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1O-1267.

18 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs it estimates were lost in the last three years due to trade in counterfeited goods reducing sales of goods manufactured in Scotland.

Answer · Henry McLeish: Intellectual property protection is a reserved matter. Information on estimated jobs lost due to counterfeited goods is not held centrally.