Parliamentary questions
Phil Gallie
528 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
15 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what responsibilities local authorities have for ensuring that properties provided by them for homeless families meet relevant gas safety regulations.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Local authorities have a dutyto ensure that housing owned by them meets all legal requirements under health andsafety legislation. The duty to comply withgas safety regulations requires to be observed by landlords irrespective of thetype of occupant in the pr…
15 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what checks are carried out by rent officers to ensure that all safety regulations are met in properties for which they set rent valuations for tenants on housing benefit.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Rent Officers of the Rent RegistrationService have no locus in relation to the enforcement of safety regulations. Theirstatutory responsibility for Housing Benefit is confined to determining market rentsfor private rented sector tenancies in cases referred to…
15 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that private landlords meet gas regulation requirements when letting property to tenants on housing benefit.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The enforcement of gas safetyregulations is a matter for the Health and Safety Executive. Its guidance on therelevant regulations explains that landlords have a duty to make sure that gas appliances,fittings and flues used by tenants are safe, and to ensure t…
5 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the comments made by the First Minister in his speech to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe on 23 March 2004 that, with respect to involvement in EU Commission decision making, not everything requires Treaty change and that it would be wrong to sit back and w…
Answer · Andy Kerr: In his speech to the Chamberof the Regions of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe, theFirst Minister indicated that we would take action which would complement any new Treaty references to the further involvement of the regions with legis…
5 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to ensure that there is adequate surveillance and laboratory resources for large animal veterinary services, in light of financial problems within the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC).
Answer · Allan Wilson: As noted in S2W–7449, the Scottish Executive is part of the UK Veterinary Surveillance Strategy. The Executive commissions SAC to provide veterinary surveillance services at an approximate cost of £2.5 millionper annum. In addition, SAC’s laboratory services …
5 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what policies it has put in place for long-term animal disease surveillance.
Answer · Allan Wilson: Veterinary surveillance is anintegral part of the Animal Health and Welfare Strategy and the Scottish Executivehas worked with the other UK administrations to create the UK Surveillance Strategy.This was published in October 2003 after extensive consultation …
5 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what large animal veterinary service resources there are and how these resources have changed since the foot and mouth crisis.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The information requested isnot held centrally. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has statistics aboutthe available large animal veterinary resources.</p>
5 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given to ensuring that an adequate large animal veterinary service is available throughout Scotland.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The demand and supply for largeanimal veterinary services is largely a matter for the veterinary profession andits clients. However, the Scottish Executive has a keen interest in the area as vets are a key partnerin the successful delivery of the animal healt…
5 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are in place with Her Majesty's Government so that it is consulted on impending EU legislation and decision-making and whether such arrangements are consistent within the six-week timescale proposed in the new EU constitution for consulting with national parliaments on l…
Answer · Andy Kerr: The arrangements are set outin the Concordat on Co-ordination of European Union Policy Issues and these arenot inconsistent with the timescales proposed in the draft Constitutional Treaty.</p>
5 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will oppose proposals by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to repatriate regional structural funding, given the statement in the speech by the First Minister on 23 March 2004 to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities that structural fund programmes have shown the added va…
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish model of regionalpartnerships has added value to the delivery of current and previous structuralfund programmes. It has encouraged consensus among partners about how best to deliversustainable economic development that tackles problems ranging fr…
5 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what appraisals have been made of the costs absorbed by it as a consequence of implementation of European Union legislation and decisions, given the statement in the speech by the First Minister to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities on 23 March 2004 that regions so often pay t…
Answer · Andy Kerr: Appraisals of the estimated costsand likely benefits of the implementation of EU legislation and decisions are madeby the UK Government in Regulatory Impact Assessments (RIA). These inform the UK’s negotiatingposition on EU initiatives. The Scottish Executive…
2 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what running costs are associated with satellite monitoring equipment for fishing vessels and who will be responsible for the various elements of such costs.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Running costs relateessentially to the costs of required transmission reports. It is estimatedthese are likely to be between £250 and £500 per annum, depending on whether avessel has to report hourly (as required if fishing in Norwegian waters) or twohourly.<…
2 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what grants will be made available for fishing vessel owners to fit satellite monitoring equipment; what the criteria will be for receiving such grants, and what the value of such grants will be.
Answer · Ross Finnie: In December 2002 the Councilof Ministers decided that satellite monitoring for Community fishing vesselsover 24 metres should be extended, first to vessels over 18 metres from 1 January2004 and then to vessels over 15 metres from 1 January 2005. Detailed rule…
2 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many fishing vessels of 18 to 24 metres in length will be required to fit satellite monitoring equipment.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Around 170.</p>
2 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost is of fitting satellite monitoring equipment to fishing vessels below 24 metres in length.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Costs are likely to varydepending on individual vessel circumstances. However it is estimated that the averagecosts of purchasing and installing terminals on board vessels will be in therange £2,500 to £3,000.</p>
21 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3951 by Margaret Curran on 20 November 2003, how many sites were provided by local authorities and available for use by gypsies and travelling people in (a) 1997 and (b) 2002.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The number of sites providedby local authorities in 1997 for gypsies and travellers was 35. By the end of 2002,two new sites had been built. Two sites had in practice been closed.</p><p>Information on theavailability of pitches at individual sites is provided…
6 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S20-673 by Margaret Curran on 6 November 2003, how many sites were provided by local authorities for gypsies and travelling people in (a) 1980, (b) 1985, (c) 1990 and (d) 2000.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The number of sites providedby local authorities for gypsies-travellers at the dates specified is shown inthe following table.</p><p> </p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Year</p> </td> <td> <p align=center>Number o…
5 Nov 2003 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations or reports it has received from the staff and management of the Hannah Research Institute or any other individual or organisation with regard to the effects of any funding shortfall of the institute.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive has received representations fromProspect trade union, and from members of staff at the Hannah ResearchInstitute both directly and through their MSPs.</p><p>Managementat the Hannah have submitted redundancy proposals to the Executive in…
3 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of its renewable energy targets, what it estimates the output of all categories of electricity generation will be in 2010.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: No such estimates have beenmade. Future generation patterns will depend upon a number of factors. Theseinclude variations in fuel prices, the development of new technologies such aswave and tidal energy, biomass and cleaner coal, and the closure orrefurbishme…
3 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what new electricity generation plants are currently under construction; how many applications for construction have been approved, and how many applications are currently under consideration.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Figures for electricitygeneration plants currently under construction and applications for consentmade to local authorities are not held centrally.</p><p>Since January 2003, Scottishministers have given consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 tot…
3 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive in light of its renewable energy targets, what the current output of all categories of electricity generation is, expressed also as a percentage of UK output.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The most recent availableinformation on electricity from all sources in Scotland, for 2001, iscontained in the following table.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Year</p> </td> <td> <p>Source</p> </td> <td> …
21 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many fixed penalty notices for anti-social behaviour have been issued in each local authority area.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The Antisocial Behaviouretc. (Scotland) Bill, published on 30 October, includes provisionto give police powers to issue a fixed penalty notice for a range of antisocialoffences.</p><p>Fixed penalty notices arecurrently available for litter and, since 22 Octob…
22 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the number of full-time armed forces personnel that were garrisoned or based in Scotland on 1 January (a) 1997, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003 and what the effect has been on the Scottish economy.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Figures for UK regular forceslocated in Scotland take strengths as at 1 July. </p><p>1 July 1997 - 13,890; 1 July 2002 - 13,870; figures for 1 July 2003 are notyet available. The Scottish Executive fully recognises the importance of defenceemployment to the S…
22 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the economic and social effect will be if a further Scottish regiment is disbanded.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Defence is a reserved matter.The Scottish Executive understands that there are no plans to reduce the currentoverall strength of the army.</p>
22 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements it has made in respect of social support for families affected by the absence of a spouse or partner as a result of the call up of reservists and territorial army personnel where there are special care requirements.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive has nofunctions in relation to a central register of information on reservists and territorialarmy personnel. The Executive understands that the Ministry of Defence has its ownarrangements in place.</p>
22 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) doctors, (b) dentists, (c) consultants and (d) nurses have been called up for active service as reservists and territorial army personnel.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: As at 19 March 2003, 37 membersof staff covering a number of professional categories had been called up acrossScotland. The total number of staff in NHSScotland is 143,074 (119,680 whole-timeequivalent).</p>
22 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to HM Treasury and the Ministry of Defence about any financial burden placed upon companies that may be adversely affected by the call up of reservists and territorial army personnel.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive is inregular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues but it has no functionsin relation to a central register of information on reservists and territorial armypersonnel.</p>
22 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many reservists and territorial army personnel who live or are employed in Scotland are currently on active service and what effect the absence of such personnel is having on (a) public and (b) private sector services.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive has nofunctions in relation to a central register of information on reservists and territorialarmy personnel.</p>
22 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any recorded evidence of accidents being attributed to the loss of vehicle control as a consequence of drive wheel contact with white line road markings.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive has norecorded evidence of any accidents on the trunk road network being attributed tothe loss of vehicle control as a consequence of drive wheel contact with line roadmarkings. This type of information is not available from the police …
22 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been undertaken into the use of plastic materials for road marking.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive does nothave a record of the research that has been undertaken into the use of plastic materialsfor road marking. Plastic materials are currently widely used in road marking materialsthroughout the UK and world wide and have demonstrate…