Peter Peacock

3 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposal to raise class sizes at Brora Primary School is at odds with the outcome agreement between the Scottish Government and Highland Council.

Answer · Maureen Watt: No. Single outcome agreements do not specify the class structure to be employed in individual schools.</p>

3 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposal to raise class sizes at Brora Primary School is at odds with the policy of reducing class sizes.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The class organisation of particular schools is a matter for individual local circumstances. We have signed a concordat with local government which will see year on year progress towards reducing class sizes in primary 1 to primary 3 to a maximum of 18. The c…

3 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it believes that Highland Council is right to propose to raise class sizes at Brora Primary School.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Class organisation is a matter for individual local authorities in light of local circumstances.</p>

27 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many broadband relay sites Connected Communities has yet to complete on the Western Isles.

Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-13477 on 5 June 2007. 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/webapp/wa…

27 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many broadband relay sites Connected Communities has completed on the Western Isles.

Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-13477 on 5 June 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/webapp/wa…

27 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers to be the minimum bandwidth rural broadband customers should receive.

Answer · Jim Mather: We wish to see broadband services provided extensively across Scotland and the minimum bandwidth for such services is 512kbps download and 256kbps upload.</p>

27 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Connected Communities is obliged to offer broadband services where British Telecom chooses not to offer such services.

Answer · Jim Mather: Connected Communities has a remit to provide broadband services in those areas on the Western Isles where commercial provision is not available.</p>

27 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any arrangement was entered into with British Telecom to agree to which areas of the Western Isles it would and would not provide broadband services.

Answer · Jim Mather: There was never such an agreement with BT as to which areas of the Western Isles would or would not be provided with broadband services. BT chose which exchanges on the Islands they would enable for broadband. Their decision was a purely commercial one in whi…

27 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the Connected Communities project is delivering adequate services at a competitive price for broadband customers in the Western Isles.

Answer · Jim Mather: We consider the broadband services and cost balance, where they are being provided by Connected Communities, to represent considerable progress. Highlands and Islands Enterprise are also investigating how Connected Communities’ services could evolve and be im…

27 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage choice of broadband provider in the Western Isles.

Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-13480 on 5 June 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/webapp/wa…

27 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that broadband customers in the Western Isles should have a choice of broadband providers.

Answer · Jim Mather: A choice of broadband providers is available from the exchanges that BT enabled commercially on the Western Isles. We understand broadband providers are also able to gain access to the Connected Communities network, should they wish to provide services over t…

27 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the number of broadband connections in the Western Isles compares with the national average.

Answer · Jim Mather: Information on the number of national broadband connections is not held centrally. However, figures for broadband connections on the Western Isles could be ascertained by adding together the number of customers served by Connected Communities with those serve…

27 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many customers in the Western Isles are currently connected to broadband.

Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-13479 on 9 June 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/webapp/wa…

27 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what local consultation occurred prior to any decision being made about which suppliers supplied which communities in the Western Isles with broadband.

Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-13476 on 5 June 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/webapp/wa…

27 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it was decided which communities in the Western Isles were to have broadband supplied by British Telecom or Connected Communities.

Answer · Jim Mather: BT chose which exchanges they would enable for broadband on the Western Isles. Their decision was a purely commercial one in which the government had no role. It essentially left the smallest exchanges in the Western Isles with no commercial provision and so …

27 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, following the change in policy announced by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing on 22 May 2008 (Official Report, c. 8934-51), how it intends to ensure that vulnerable groups, such as pensioners, continue to benefit from the free central heating instal…

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Our policy on tackling fuel poverty has not changed. The statement last week outlined how the current central heating programme does not tackle fuel poverty effectively. The changes that the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing announced for this financ…

27 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many pensioners in the (a) Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, (b) Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, (c) Ross, Skye and Inverness West, (d) Argyll and Bute, (e) Western Isles, (f) Moray, (g) Orkney and (h) Shetland parliamentary constituency are currently on the waiting list for …

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: In the private sector, information is not held by local authority or parliamentary constituency area, but by main postcode. The number of applicants on the waiting list at the end of April, by main postcode area covering the parliamentary constituencies reque…

27 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many pensioners in the (a) Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, (b) Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, (c) Ross, Skye and Inverness West, (d) Argyll and Bute, (e) Western Isles, (f) Moray, (g) Orkney and (h) Shetland parliamentary constituency have had free central heating systems …

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: In the private sector, information is not held by local authority or parliamentary constituency area, but by main postcode. The number of central heating installations from 1 April until 30 April 2008 for the main postcode areas, which cover the parliamentary…

27 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many pensioners in the (a) Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, (b) Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, (c) Ross, Skye and Inverness West, (d) Argyll and Bute, (e) Western Isles, (f) Moray, (g) Orkney and (h) Shetland parliamentary constituency had a free central heating system inst…

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: In the private sector, information is not held by local authority or parliamentary constituency area, but by main postcode. The number of central heating systems installed during the period 1 April 2007 until 30 April 2008 for the main postcode areas, which c…

15 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on authorising the start of a ferry service from Lochboisdale to Mallaig.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I invited Stòras Uibhist to work with Calmac Ferries Limited and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar to identify an affordable solution that is acceptable to all the communities concerned. I understand that CalMac Ferries Limited and Stòras Uibhist have met a number of…

12 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-11896 by Jim Mather on 30 April 2008, whether it has held any discussions with the Infringement Unit of the European Commission with regard to the Gordonbush planning application and, if so, what the nature was of such discussions; when the discussio…

Answer · Jim Mather: Scottish Government officials met Commission officials in November 2007, when discussions took place on the requirement to comply with EU directives and carry out appropriate assessments of the designated sites potentially affected by the Gordonbush wind farm…

1 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft single outcome agreement with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar specifies how many P1 to P3 classes in the Western Isles will be reduced to 18 in each of the next three years and, if so, what the details are in the agreement.

Answer · Adam Ingram: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-12007 on 30 April 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/webapp…

1 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft single outcome agreement with Argyll and Bute Council specifies how many P1 to P3 classes in Arygll and Bute will be reduced to 18 in each of the next three years and, if so, what the details are in the agreement.

Answer · Adam Ingram: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-12007 on 30 April 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/webapp…

1 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft single outcome agreement with Shetland Islands Council specifies how many P1 to P3 classes in Shetland will be reduced to 18 in each of the next three years and, if so, what the details are in the agreement.

Answer · Adam Ingram: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-12007 on 30 April 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/webapp…

1 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft single outcome agreement with Orkney Islands Council specifies how many P1 to P3 classes in Orkney will be reduced to 18 in each of the next three years and, if so, what the details are in the agreement.

Answer · Adam Ingram: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-12007 on 30 April 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/webapp…

1 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft single outcome agreement with Moray Council specifies how many P1 to P3 classes in Moray will be reduced to 18 in each of the next three years and, if so, what the details are in the agreement.

Answer · Adam Ingram: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-12007 on 30 April 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/webapp…

1 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft single outcome agreement with Highland Council specifies how many P1 to P3 classes in the Highlands will be reduced to 18 in each of the next three years and, if so, what the details are in the agreement.

Answer · Adam Ingram: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-12007 on 30 April 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/webapp…

1 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has in place to ensure a level playing field for island and mainland vessels in Scotland and EU-wide with regard to marine fuel prices.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to answer to question S3W-12591 on 14 May 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/webapp/wa.se…

1 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty’s Government or to EU institutions about the possibility of setting a fixed price for marine fuel.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to answers to questions S3W-11483 on 21 April 2008 and S3W-11482, answered on 10 April in relation to the fishing industry. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for w…

1 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether consideration has been given to assist the Scottish fishing industry through a legal subsidy operating under “de minimus” state aid rules which have been increased to provide up to £23,000 per beneficiary per three-year period and which can be used to sustain fragile communities.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I met with representatives from the Scottish fishing industry on 12 May and agreed a five-point plan of action to help them counter the effects of rising fuel prices. The Scottish Government will establish a task force to develop steps to help the industry, m…