Parliamentary questions

Peter Peacock

1,395 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

15 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its forthcoming bee strategy will address any questions surrounding the use of insecticides.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Honey Bee Health Strategy commits the Scottish Government and national associations to keep under review any hazards that might have an impact on the sustainability of honey bees and this will include the use of pesticides. In the event of proven…

15 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that there is any causal link between the decline in honeybee numbers in Scotland and the use of insecticides.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: There are no scientific published studies at present which provide any evidence of a causal link between the reduction of the honeybee population in Scotland and the use of insecticides. Insecticides have been used for many years, with a fairly static usage p…

15 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to seek to limit the use of insecticides.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: All pesticides are strictly regulated under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 and associated regulations. In recent years many older insecticides have been taken off the market following the on-going review of all agrochemical pesticides under Dire…

15 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is regional variation in the use of insecticides and, if so, what that variation is.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Pesticide products are approved for specific purposes, i.e. to control specified pests, diseases and weeds in particular situations (for example for late blight on potatoes or aphids on broccoli and cabbages). The use of insecticides will therefore depend to …

15 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the overall volume use of insecticides by farm enterprises.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Monitoring of the professional use of agrochemical pesticides in Scotland is carried out by SASA (formerly the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency). Surveys are carried out on a cyclical basis and are synchronised with other surveys covering the whole of the…

15 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the amount of insecticide used by agricultural enterprises has been rising or falling over the last 10 years and by how much.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Information on the use of pesticides, including insecticides, has been collected and published regularly by the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency (SASA). A comparison can therefore be made of SASA''s most recent (2006) findings for cereals with the equival…

10 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what weight is given to the social and economic opportunities that communities gain through government job relocations in deciding whether to proceed with a particular job relocation project.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-17032 on 3 November 2008. 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/weba…

10 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether consideration is given to the social and economic opportunities that communities gain through government job relocations when deciding on such relocations.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government set out its relocation policy on 29 January 2008. Relocation of specific bodies will be considered where it can be shown that there are operational benefits from doing so, that the costs of relocation can be afforded and that it will r…

9 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether CalMac Ferries Ltd has powers to secure the use of vessels on a short-term or temporary basis to meet the requirements of its obligations for the provision of services without resorting to open tender.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-16547 on 6 October 2008. 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/weba…

9 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has issued guidance to CalMac Ferries Ltd on its need to tender for any vessels it needs to secure to meet its contract obligations for the provision of services and whether the Scottish Government will publish such guidance.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: CalMac Ferries Ltd are required to take cognizance of the procurement rules set out in the Scottish Public Finance Manual which is available on the Scottish Government website and also the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. <a href="http:/…

9 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it believes the benefits would be of Stornoway black pudding having protected geographical status within the European Union in support of its distinct status and to distinguish it from other products that may trade as Stornoway-style black pudding.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I commend the black pudding makers of Stornoway for their high-quality product. The European legislation on Protection of Traditional Food Names provides legal protection for registered products against imitation. My officials are arranging to meet the produc…

9 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers Stornoway black pudding to be a distinct product.

8 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will fund local authorities separately for the costs of providing free school meals for pupils whose parents or carers are in receipt of both maximum child and working tax credits if it has not funded them via its concordat.

Answer · Adam Ingram: They have been funded in the local government settlement and I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-16916 on 29 October 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which ca…

8 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has made available to (a) Highland, (b) Moray, (c) Argyll and Bute, (d) Shetland, (e) Western Isles and (f) Orkney councils to enable pupils whose parents or carers are in receipt of maximum child and working tax credits to receive free school meals from August 2009.

Answer · Adam Ingram: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-16916 on 29 October 2008. 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/weba…

8 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the costs of implementing free school meals for pupils whose parents or carers are in receipt of both maximum child and working tax credits is contained in its concordat with local authorities.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Yes. I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-16916 on 29 October 2008. 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…

8 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it anticipates the implementation of free school meals provision for pupils whose parents or carers are in receipt of both maximum child and working tax credits will cost the (a) Highland, (b) Moray, (c) Argyll and Bute, (d) Shetland, (e) Western Isles and (f) Orkney councils for…

Answer · Adam Ingram: In our concordat with COSLA there is a jointly agreed commitment to extend entitlement to free school meals to all primary school and secondary school pupils whose parents or carers are in receipt of both maximum child tax credit and maximum working tax credi…

8 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Inverness trunk link route was considered in the process of selecting the 52 candidate national developments that were assessed for their environmental effect.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Yes. The environmental effects of road infrastructure improvements, including the Inverness trunk link route, were broadly considered within the NPF SEA of the A96 Growth Corridor candidate national development.

8 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether projects that did not appear on the recently published list of 52 candidate national developments are unlikely to be included in spending priorities to be announced.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: No. Neither the National Planning Framework nor the supplementary Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) on candidate national developments are spending documents. Just as the presence of any project within the SEA Annex 2: Supplementary Assessment o…

8 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the Inverness trunk link route requires upgrading and has strategic significance.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Transport Scotland''s Strategic Transport Projects Review is examining the longer term needs of Scotland''s nationally strategic transport network. This includes consideration of the Inverness trunk link route.

8 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to make an announcement on which strategic transport projects it will fund.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The current planned expenditure for our programme of major trunk road and rail infrastructure improvements up until 2012 can be found on the Transport Scotland website at <a href="http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/">www.transportscotland.gov.uk</a>. <…

8 Oct 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects to offer funding for the Inverness trunk link route as part of its transport plans.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Future investment in Scotland''s nationally strategic transport network is being considered as part of Transport Scotland''s Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR), which will lead to a transport programme targeted at facilitating better movement of peopl…

25 Sep 2008 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that ambulance services in the Highlands and Islands are fit for purpose.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Yes. The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that the Scottish Ambulance Service continues to provide safe, efficient and effective services to patients across Scotland, including those in the Highlands and Islands. It is also important that patients…