Parliamentary questions
Peter Peacock
1,395 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
30 Apr 2009 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to increase the number of blood donors.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service has recently undertaken new TV and radio advertising campaigns as well as campaigns for schools and universities and a Missing You initiative which have all been highly successful. In the longer term, the SNBTS …
23 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-22130 to S3W-22136 by Stewart Stevenson on 2 April 2009, for what specific investment purposes it has directed Scottish Water to withdraw and use funds from its £43.7 million out-performance balance.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23199 on 5 May 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Bus…
23 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-22130 to S3W-22136 by Stewart Stevenson on 2 April 2009, for what specific investment purposes it has approved Scottish Water’s requests for withdrawing and using funds from its £43.7 million out-performance balance.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Ministers have approved Scottish Water''s Delivery Plan Update for 2009-10 which sets the service levels SW will deliver and the investments they will make. Individual income streams can not be attributed to particular items of expenditure.</p>
23 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-22130 to S3W-22136 by Stewart Stevenson on 2 April 2009, what specific aspects of Scottish Water’s 2009-10 investment delivery the Scottish Government intends to address by the decision to deposit the current £43.7 million out-performance balance i…
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: As noted in the answer to question S3W-23197 on 5 May 2009, the £43.7 million has already been used by Scottish Water to fund the delivery of the capital programme. To date therefore, these funds have not been used to purchase gilts and do not remain as a dep…
23 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-22130 to S3W-22136 by Stewart Stevenson on 2 April 2009, what arrangements are in place to ensure that the financial flows from the current Scottish Water out-performance balance of £43.7 million are distinguished from Scottish Water’s day-to-day i…
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The full extent of the out-performance and the use of these funds will be determined at the end of the 2006-10 regulatory period. At this point, Scottish Water will appoint a custodian to arrange for the investment securities to be delivered/collected to/from…
23 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-22130 to S3W-22136 by Stewart Stevenson on 2 April 2009, when it directed Scottish Water’s £43.7 million out-performance balance to be deposited in a bank rather than invested in gilts.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Scottish Water''s Delivery Plan Update for 2009-10 set out Scottish Water''s proposals to hold these funds as bank deposits. This plan was approved by ministers on 25 March 2009.</p>
23 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures it has in place to ensure that the Water Industry Commission for Scotland, when exercising its functions regarding charges for goods and services under section 29C(2)(i) of the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002, takes into consideration the ministerial guidance to Scottis…
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Section 29c(2)(i) requires the Water Industry Commission for Scotland to take into consideration any ministerial guidance give to Scottish Water. In consulting on its methodology at the outset of the process for any review period and its Draft Determination o…
23 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it defines lowest reasonable overall costs under section 29G of the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002 and whether it has provided the Water Industry Commission for Scotland with guidance on how it should interpret this phrase.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: It is the responsibility of the Water Industry Commission for Scotland to interpret section 29G of the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002 when exercising its functions in relation to the determination of charges under the act.</p>
23 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the sustainability performance of Scottish Water.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23192 on 5 May 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Bus…
23 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what sustainability indicators are monitored when assessing progress on sustainable development in the exercise of Scottish Water’s core functions.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The government, together with stakeholders, monitors the performance of Scottish Water in respect of a number of measures in relation to the delivery of the capital programme, customer service and leakage reduction. Together, these measures demonstrate that S…
23 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures Scottish Water’s compliance with ministerial guidance on sustainable development issued under the terms of section 51(3) of the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Scottish Water reports on its compliance with section 51 and the relevant ministerial guidance in its annual report. These are laid before Parliament. <i >Scottish Water''s 2007-08 Annual Report</i> is available in Scottish Parliament Information Centre at (B…
23 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that Scottish Water carries out the exercise of its core functions in line with sustainable development principles.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Guidance has been issued to Scottish Water on the contribution it should make towards attaining the objective of acting in the way best calculated to achieve sustainable development. This guidance is kept under review.</p>
21 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with the level and reliability of services being offered to it under contract by Avanti Caledonian Broadband Ltd for the provision of broadband services.
Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23114 on 5 May 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Bus…
21 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that the services provided to it under contract by Avanti Caledonian Broadband Ltd for broadband services in the Highlands and Islands are as per contract.
Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government is broadly satisfied that the broadband services, the level of service, and the reliability of services provided to end-users in the Highlands and Islands (and elsewhere in Scotland) by Avanti Caledonian Broadband Ltd meet Avanti''s ob…
21 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects targets for broadband coverage being provided under contract by Avanti Caledonian Broadband Ltd to be met in the timescales originally envisaged.
Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government has made significant progress in deployment of the Broadband Reach Project. We expect completion of delivery by the end of May 2009 for all those who registered for the project prior to the original deadline of 31 March 2008.</p>
20 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many contracts with private business advice service providers have been terminated in order to secure the transfer of business advice through Business Gateway to local authorities; what the value of any such contracts was, and how many jobs have been transferred from the private to th…
Answer · Jim Mather: No contracts with private business advice providers have been terminated to secure the transfer and no jobs have been transferred from the private to the public sector. The Highlands and Islands Enterprise'' (HIE) contract with Development Partners, which run…
7 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13481 by Jim Mather on 5 June 2008, whether it will provide an update on the steps it is taking to encourage choice of broadband provider in the Western Isles and confirm how many broadband providers have gained access to the Connected Communities ne…
Answer · Jim Mather: A choice of broadband providers is available from all of the exchanges that BT enabled commercially on the Western Isles. The responsibility for encouraging a choice of providers on the Connected Communities network falls to Highlands and Islands Enterprise (…
30 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that prawn stocks will be adversely affected by a significant increase in the number of active creels in the Minch generally and in Loch Torridon in particular.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: We would expect a detrimental impact on a stock where removals due to fishing exceed the regenerative capacity of that stock. In the case of the North and South Minch, however, the most recent ICES advice is that overall stocks appear to be stable.</p>
30 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the number of creels being used in inshore fisheries.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government does not monitor the number of creels used in inshore fisheries.</p>
30 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of changes in the number of creels used in Loch Torridon and the Minch.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: We have received information from some fishermen of increased creel fishing activity in the Minch, including Loch Torridon.</p>
30 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has concerns about the volume and weight of prawn catches in Loch Torridon or any trends in such catches.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22467 on 27 April 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/…
30 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) volume and (b) weight of prawn catches in Loch Torridon was in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Information on nephrops landings is not routinely collected at the level of detail requested.</p>
30 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is agreement between the Scottish Government and the European Union on the best means of monitoring the health of prawn stocks.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea''s (ICES) advice on Nephrops stocks is produced through a combination of data from underwater TV surveys, landings data and discard sampling. The European Commission and the Scottish Government recognis…
30 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the health of prawn stocks and whether changes are proposed to such monitoring arrangements.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Marine Scotland''s monitoring programme for Nephrops includes conducting annual underwater TV surveys of abundance for the main Scottish fishery grounds, as well as regular sampling of commercial catches to obtain length composition data. Both sources of info…
30 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors prawn landings from the Minch.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Marine Scotland Fishery Officers monitor nephrops landings.</p>
30 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to review the arrangements for the closure of Loch Torridon to certain fishing interests.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Marine Scotland does not plan currently to review the arrangements for the closure of Loch Torridon to mobile fishing gear. The emerging North West Inshore Fisheries Group may wish, however, to review the management arrangements in the Torridon area, should t…
30 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any monitoring of the effects of closing Loch Torridon to certain fishing interests takes account of any displaced pressure on other fisheries and what it considers the impact of that displaced pressure to be.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The reports, as described in answer to the question S3W-22460 on 27 April 2009, did not consider the issue of fishing effort being displaced elsewhere as a result of the closure.</p>
30 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the closure of Loch Torridon to certain fishing interests has proved to be beneficial; what the principal benefits are, and what evidence supports its conclusion.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: As part of the zonal fisheries management arrangements in the Inner Sound of Raasay, the closure of Loch Torridon has put an end to the intense gear conflict that existed between the static and mobile sectors in the area pre-2001. The closure has provided an …
30 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to monitor the impact of the closure of Loch Torridon to certain fishing interests.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Fisheries Research Services (now Marine Scotland: Science) and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) have undertaken, respectively, biological and environmental studies of the segregated fisheries zones in the Inner Sound of Raasay, including in Loch Torridon. The …
30 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether inshore fisheries groups will have the right to exclude boats from outwith their areas.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Inshore Fisheries Groups (IFGs) will produce and implement fisheries management plans for their area. Scottish ministers will positively consider legislative proposals from IFGs in their management plans when they have been developed in line with the national…