Parliamentary questions
Richard Lochhead
2,448 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
28 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will reverse its decision to allow the Chief Dental Officer (CDO) to undertake his post on a part-time basis at a time of pressures on dental services and what steps have been taken to ensure that the duties previously covered by this full-time post continue to be carried out.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: No, the Executive does not intend to reverse its decision about the working arrangements of the CDO. The CDO will continue to play a lead role within the Executive in reforming NHS dentistry in Scotland. The work which he will undertake one day a week with NH…
28 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which recommendations identified in Potential Adaptation Strategies for Climate Change in Scotland (a) have and (b) have not been acted upon, giving details in relation to each recommendation, and when a Scottish adaptation strategy will be published.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Recommendations in Potential Adaptation Strategies for Climate Change in Scotland identified priorities for a climate change adaptation strategy in Scotland. The study recognised that an adaptation strategy to climate change in Scotland did not require a fund…
28 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications for rural home ownership grants have been made in each local authority area in each of the last seven years, showing year-on-year percentage changes.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>The number of applications for rural home ownership grants (RHOGs) which have been made and progressed in each local authority area in each of…
27 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many appeals against planning decisions were (a) accepted and (b) rejected in each year since 1999, shown also as a percentage of total applications received.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information provided in the following table details the total number of planning applications received by planning authorities in the financial years since 1999. The actual number of planning permission appeals determined by the Scottish Executive Inquiry…
27 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many planning applications for housing have been received in each year since 1999 and, of these, how many, and what percentage of, applications was (a) accepted and (b) rejected by each local authority.
Answer · Johann Lamont: Tables based on figures provided by planning authorities showing a breakdown of this information have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 35167).</p><p>These tables indicate the total number of applications received, approved and ref…
27 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings it requested with Ofcom to discuss the implications of Ofcom's current review of public service broadcasting.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Although broadcasting is a reserved matter, we engage regularly with Ofcom to discuss different aspects of broadcasting in Scotland, including the review of public service broadcasting.</p>
27 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give details of its submissions to Ofcom's review into public service broadcasting, including the dates on which the submissions were made.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Broadcasting is a reserved matter. We submitted a response to phase one of Ofcom’s review of public service broadcasting (PSB) in July 2004. This submission is publicly available on the PSB Phase 1 consultation responses page on Ofcom’s website at <a href="ht…
27 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications for rural home ownership grants have been made in each of the last seven years, showingyear-on-year percentage changes.
26 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any access grants or incentive packages available to encourage specialist NHS orthodontic practitioners to set up in areas of need.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: There are currently no grants or incentive packages available from the Executive to encourage dentists willing to set up NHS orthodontic dental practices but this issue is under active consideration by the Executive.</p>
26 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many specialist NHS orthodontic practitioners per capita there are in each NHS board area.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Current centrally-held data on orthodontic staff is correct to 30 September 2003.</p><p>Information on NHS orthodontic practitioners within hospital and community health service (HCHS) and general dental practice in NHSScotland as at 30 September 2004 will be…
26 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to help NHS Grampian reduce waiting times for orthodontic treatment and fill consultant orthodontist vacancies.
Answer · Andy Kerr: We are confident that NHS Grampian is taking active steps to improve its orthodontics service. The board has not asked for help in this but the Executive stands ready should such help be sought.</p><p>At present the board is recruiting two permanent consultan…
26 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for (a) assessment, (b) urgent treatment and (c) non-urgent treatment by an orthodontist in each hospital.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested is not available centrally. Most orthodontics treatment is carried out in an outpatient setting and is likely to undertaken at the second and subsequent appointments. Information on waiting times is available only for a first out-pat…
26 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many consultant orthodontists are employed per capita in each NHS board area and how many vacancies there are in each area.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The current ISD Scotland data is correct to 30 September 2003. The following table shows the headcount and whole-time equivalent (WTE) numbers and rates per 100,000 population of consultant orthodontists, broken down by NHS board, at 30 September 2003. There …
26 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the level of Scottish GDP per capita spent on research and development in relation to (a) the rest of the United Kingdom and (b) EU member states.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Research and development expenditure for the rest of the UK, excluding Scotland, in 2002 was £334 per head of population. The remaining information, including the comparison of Scotland with the UK and the other EU member states, is contained in the answer to…
26 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to attract energy-related commercial research and development projects to Scotland.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Through the Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland (FREDS) we are working in partnership with academia and industry to help promote and accelerate the development of a range of renewable energy technologies. FREDS plans to consider Scotland’s rese…
26 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many empty homes it estimates there are that would be capable of being brought back into use and how many homes were brought back into use in each local authority area in each of the last five years, showing year-on-year percentage changes.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally.</p><p>Responsibility for tackling the issue of empty homes rests with local authorities as part of their Local Housing Strategies. It is an expectation set out in the guidance that, as part of a wider strategic…
26 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many homes have been returned to use through the (a) Rural Empty Properties Grant and (b) Empty Homes Initiative in each local authority area in each of the last five years; what percentage of the budget allocated under each scheme was used in each year, and what percentage of applica…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>The number of houses which have been returned to use through the Rural Empty Properties Grant (REPG) and Empty Homes Initiative (EHI) in each …
26 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the report of the research project "Scottish Contribution to Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Obligation" was published; what conclusions were reached, and when the project was commissioned.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has not commissioned or published research on “Scottish Contribution to Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Obligation”.</p>
26 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many first-time buyers were helped on to the property ladder as a result of assistance from it in each of the last five years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>Communities Scotland offers a range of schemes to promote low cost home ownership targeted at those on lower than average incomes such as fir…
24 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding was allocated to the (a) Clean-Up, (b) Powershift, (c) Autogas and (d) Autogas+ programme in each of the last three years; how many vehicles benefited from each programme in each year, giving the average cost per vehicle, and how many applications for funding under e…
Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested is given in the following tables: </p><p>Clean Up Programme</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p> </p> </td> <td> <p align=center>Funding (£)</p> </td> <td> <p align=center>Number of …
24 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average length of time was to process applications made under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 in each of the last three years and how many of these applications remain outstanding.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The information on consents received and determined in the past three years is set out in the following table.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p align=center>Year</p> </td> <td> <p align=center>Applications Receiv…
24 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish national strategic guidance on the location of wind farms and provide a summary of existing guidance on this matter.
Answer · Jim Wallace: <i>National Planning Policy Guideline 6 – Renewable Energy Developments</i>, was published in November 2000, and is available at:</p><p><a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/planning/nppg/nppg6.pdf">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/planning/nppg/npp…
17 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will request that the surplus of approximately £10 million held by Ofgem from the Scottish fossil fuel levy fund be transferred to the Scottish Consolidated Fund for the purpose of promoting renewables and what information it has on why this surplus has not been transferred p…
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Fossil Fuel Levy surplus only became available following the enactment of the provisions of the Energy Act 2004. In accordance with the provisions of the act, we will bring forward in due course for the consideration of the Parliament proposals for using …
12 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2022 by Cathy Jamieson on 25 September 2003, what the average waiting period was (a) nationally and (b) in each district court area between pleading and trial diets in (i) 2002-03 and (ii) 2003-04.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The available information is given in the following table.</p><p>Average Waiting Time (Weeks) Between Pleading and Trial Diets in District Courts, 2002-03 and 2003-04</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p align=center>Commi…
12 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-5284 by Hugh Henry on 14 January 2004, how many babies were born with a drug addiction in (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04, broken down by NHS board area and expressed also per capita.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The available information on babies discharged from Neonatal Units with a diagnosis involving drug misuse is shown in Tables 1a and 1b . Data for 2003-04 is not yet available.</p><p>Table 1a All Births<sup>1,2,3</sup> and Neonatal Discharges<sup>4</sup> Reco…
12 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many fishermen have worked in the fish-catching sector in each of the last five years.
11 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on whether the UK Department of Trade and Industry has taken a decision not to locate additional energy-related posts to its Aberdeen office and whether it intends to raise the matter with that department.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-13284, on 19 January 2005. 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…
11 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what planning applications have been received in connection with the nuclear industry in each of the last five years.
Answer · Allan Wilson: There have been no applications from the nuclear industry to construct, extend or operate a generating station in any of the last five years.</p>
10 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of assistance is provided to local authority sports co-cordinators to ensure that their sports programmes are not adversely affected due to higher costs of transportation, particularly in rural areas.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Local authorities have been allocated an operational budget of £1,500 for each secondary school cluster by <b>sport</b>scotland to be used to support activities provided through Active Schools, part of which can be allocated against transport costs, particula…
10 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many sports co-ordinators are employed by each local authority, expressed also as a ratio to the number of (a) primary and (b) secondary school children.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The information requested is not readily identifiable. The Active Schools staffing network of managers and co-ordinators is still growing. There are now approximately 340 Active School co-ordinators in secondary schools and approximately 190 covering clusters…