Parliamentary questions
Richard Lochhead
2,448 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
28 Jul 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) adults, (b) 16 and 17-year-olds and (c) under-16s have been admitted to hospital as a result of (i) alcohol and (ii) drug misuse in each of the last three years, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Tables are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. Table 1 (Bib. number 37263) shows the combined figures for acute and psychiatric hospital discharges with an explicit diagnosis of alcohol related conditions and drug misuse for the period 19…
28 Jul 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many households have been on each local authority’s housing waiting list in each of the last three years, showing year-on-year percentage changes and expressed also as a ratio of households to local authority-owned homes.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The numbers of households on waiting lists for each local authority are published on an annual basis for 2000-01 onwards in the quarterly Scottish Executive Statistical Bulletin (Housing Series)<i> Housing Trends in Scotland</i>. This is available online in t…
28 Jul 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many registered drug misusers there have been in each of the last three years in each (a) NHS board and (b) local authority area, showing year-on-year percentage changes and expressed also on a per capita basis.
Answer · Hugh Henry: There is no central register of problem drug users in Scotland.</p>
27 Jul 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the forest planting rates in each of the last five years, also showing year-on-year percentage changes.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The following table provides details of the forest planting rates in each of the last five years, also showing year-on-year percentage changes. The figures refer to areas for which Forestry Commission Scotland paid grants and the area planted by Forestry Comm…
27 Jul 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of EU Council of Ministers meetings have been attended by Scottish Ministers in the last three years and whether it will provide a list of those meetings that were not attended.
Answer · Tom McCabe: A record of ScottishMinisterial attendance at EU Council of Ministers meetings since 1999 canbe found on the Scottish Executive website at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/InternationalRelations/Europe/Page6">http://www.scotland.gov…
27 Jul 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to bring forward new land reform proposals, including the timescale for such proposals.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive is already successfully delivering its wide-ranging land reform agenda,which includes legislation to abolish Scotland’s archaic feudal system; to simplifyagricultural tenancies and provide an agricultural tenant’s right to buy; to estab…
27 Jul 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what budget allocations it has made to each NHS board for general dental services (a) in the current year, (b) projected for the next two years and (c) in each of the last three years, also expressed on a per capita basis.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The general dental services (GDS)allocation to NHS boards is calculated on historic spend and not a per capita basis.This is an indicative and not an actual allocation, as the GDS budget is non-cashlimited.</p><p>Information on NHS board’s indicativeallocatio…
27 Jul 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) empty homes and (b) homes where the owner is not a permanent resident there are (i) in each local authority area and (ii) nationally, also expressed as a percentage of all homes.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The latest available information on unoccupied dwellings – i.e. dwellings which are not the sole or main residence of a household – comes from information supplied by councils to the Executive from council tax billing systems at 6 September 2004. This source …
5 Jul 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are available to provide communities in (a) rural and (b) urban areas with the right to buy (i) land and (ii) properties on a compulsory, or any other, basis.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Land Reform (Scotland) Act2003, Part 3 provides for a crofting community right to buy eligible croft landat any time, subject only to ministerial approval of an application by a croftingcommunity body to use the right to buy (i.e. on a compulsory basis). …
17 Jun 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the status is of the UK Prime Ministers Strategy Units report, Net Benefits, in relation to Scotland and which recommendations in the report have been, or are to be, implemented in Scotland.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Today I am launching a new sustainable framework for Scottish Sea Fisheries that describes the steps the Executive is taking to secure a sustainable, profitable and well-managed sea fishing industry in Scotland. These include a number of measures which we sha…
17 Jun 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place with the European Union regarding assistance for the fishing industry to alleviate, or offset, the rising costs of fuel.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I attended the Agriculture and Fisheries Council of 20 to 21 June which included a discussion on these issues. The Commission now plans to convene a further meeting to take forward its consideration of the issues. The Scottish Executive will attend.</p>
17 Jun 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any representation on the working group set up by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs into fisheries quota management and, if so, what position it has taken with regard to the introduction of individual transferable quotas and what steps have been taken t…
Answer · Ross Finnie: SEERAD and the other three fisheries administrations are partners in the joint UK Quota Management Change Programme.</p> <p>The use of the term individual transferable quotas (ITQ) can be confusing as there is no single model for how so-called ITQ systems ope…
6 Jun 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any approaches to the European Union by the Irish Government in respect of proposals to change the penalties in respect of agricultural subsidies and, if so, whether it intends to support these proposals.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive is not aware of any such approach having been made. Were any proposal tobe made we would of course wish to consider our position, in conjunction with otherparts of the UK. </p><p>The Scottish Executive is of course committed to ensuring…
31 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average number of applicants is for each place available on (a) speech and language therapy, (b) orthotics and (c) physiotherapy courses.
Answer · Andy Kerr: On average there are nine applicants for each place available on speech and language therapy, three applicants for each place on orthotics and 10 applicants per place for physiotherapy.</p>
31 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting times for speech and language therapy for (a) children and (b) adults are currently in each NHS board area and have been in each of the last three years.
Answer · Andy Kerr: This information is not held centrally.</p> <p>The level of service, to meet the needs of their population, is determined at health board level.</p>
31 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many training places for (a) speech and language therapists and (b) physiotherapists there are currently and have been in each of the last three years.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Information on the number of training places available in physiotherapy and speech and language therapy is set out in the following table:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p> </p></td> <td> <p align=c…
31 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) speech and language therapist and (b) physiotherapist vacancies there have been in each NHS board area in each of the last three years, expressed also as a percentage of established posts in each area and nationally.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Information on staff in post and vacancies in NHS Scotland is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics, at <b><a href="http://www.isdscotland.org/workforce">www.isdscotland.org/workforce</a></b>.</p> <p>Section F gives va…
31 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-16376 by Euan Robson on 19 May 2005, whether it plans to carry out any studies on the effects on children of exposure to advertising and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer · Euan Robson: The Scottish Executive is not currently planning to undertake any studies of the effects of exposure to advertising on children. However, work is currently in hand on an Executive-commissioned study to establish the nature and extent of commercial activity in…
30 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many companies are engaged in the renewable energy sector.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested isnot available centrally.</p>
30 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current level of employment is in the renewable energy sector.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The official source for employmentestimates by industry group is the Labour Force Survey (LFS). However, data arenot available on employment in the renewable energy sector from the LFS. Industrygroups are constructed using Standard Industrial Classification (…
30 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many, and what percentage of, companies engaged in renewable energy are (a) partly and (b) wholly Scottish-owned.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested isnot available centrally.</p>
25 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent the impact of renewable energy on the Scottish economy has been measured.
Answer · Jim Wallace: <i>The Renewables Supply Chain Gap Analysis Study</i>, published by Renewables UK in January 2004 assessed the status of the renewables industry in Scotland including its related economic impact. The study estimated the monetary value of the Scottish renewabl…
25 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to encourage business start-ups in the renewable energy sector.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The provision of advice and support for business start-ups and growing businesses in Scotland, including renewable energy businesses, is primarily an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.</p> <p>Measures introduced i…
18 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact any decision by the UK Government to build new nuclear power stations in Scotland will have on the Scottish block grant.
Answer · Allan Wilson: There are no applications for new nuclear power stations in Scotland. As nuclear power is a reserved issue, and we would expect any new nuclear power station to be built by the private sector, under current financial arrangements we would not anticipate any s…
18 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent the provisions of the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Bill will apply to the building of new nuclear power stations and associated facilities.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Individual consideration must be given to each plan, programme or strategy before the Responsible Authority can determine whether the bill will apply to it. Whilst emphasising that case by case approach I can make the following general points:</p> <p>Plans, p…
17 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the former head of its EU office in Brussels was asked to step down from this post after the standard four years of service for a post of this nature, in light of the statement by its spokesperson in Scotland on Sunday on 27 March 2005 that four years was the standard length for s…
Answer · Tom McCabe: The former Head of the EU Office in Brussels was in post from the establishment of the office on 1 May 1999 until his retirement on 31 October 2004. The nature and scope of the job changed considerably over that time. The timing of personnel changes is always…
17 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the length of time was of the service of the former head of its EU Office in Brussels, including the time in post to plan for, and set up, the office, until his early retirement.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-16656 answered 25 May 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:</p> <p><ahref="http://www.scottish.parl…
17 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the statement made by its spokesperson in Scotland on Sunday on 27 March 2005, when referring to the head of office and First Secretary for Scottish Affairs in Washington DC that she "has been in the post for four years. That is the standard length for a post of th…
Answer · Tom McCabe: The post was advertised as lasting two years with the possibility of an extension taking it to four years in total. The assignment offer was made to the present post holder on that basis. The extension was invoked and the officer will leave the post at the en…
16 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent conditions are attached to public housing subsidy to help encourage sustainability and innovative design.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows.</p> <p>Communities Scotland through its unit approval funding process encourages the incorporation of sustainable design principles in all developm…
16 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all studies into (a) housing design, (b) sustainable building techniques and (c) innovative housing that it funded in each of the last five years, showing the cost of each study.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Research studies on these topics have been commissioned by Communities Scotland as follows:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Year Commissioned</p></td> <td> <p align=center>Project Title</p></td> <…