Richard Lochhead

29 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has taken to help small businesses to (a) access recycling facilities and (b) reduce waste and how it will ensure that sufficient processing capacity is available for the recycling of small businesses’ waste.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Under Section 45 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, local authorities are under a duty to collect commercial waste, when requested to do so. We would encourage local authorities to consider recycling options for this waste. Small businesses can also ar…

23 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in which areas the Crown has immunity under Scots law.

Answer · Colin Boyd: In Scots law a statute does not bind the Crown unless it does so either expressly or by necessary implication.</p>

23 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will remove Crown immunity from planning controls and, if so, what steps it will take to achieve this and what the relevant timescales are.

Answer · Johann Lamont: The process of removing Crown immunity from planning control is under way. Primary legislation is included in the <i>Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004</i>. Work is continuing on secondary legislation necessary to deal with the application of planning …

23 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children under (a) 5, (b) 12 and (c) 16 have been prescribed an antidepressant in each NHS board area in each of the last five years, expressed also as a percentage of the total population within each age group and showing the year-on-year percentage change.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Prescription data collected centrally do not relate to the number of patients receiving treatment but to the numbers and cost of prescribed items dispensed in the community by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors.</p><p>These data cannot be used as a …

23 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in each NHS board area have been prescribed Prozac in each of the last five years, expressed also as a percentage of the population in each area and showing the year-on-year percentage change.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Prescription data collected centrally do not relate to the number of patients receiving treatment but to the numbers and cost of prescribed items dispensed in the community by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors.</p> <p>These data cannot be used as a…

22 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many claims of compensation were made against each local authority in each of the last five years.

Answer · Tom McCabe: This information is not held by the Scottish Executive. It is for individual local authorities to maintain records of compensation claims made against them.</p>

22 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications for council housing were made in each local authority area in each of the last five years, showing the year-on-year percentage change.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The numbers of new applications 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>.</p><p>This data collect…

22 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many council houses were built in each local authority area in each of the last five years, showing the year-on-year percentage change.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following tables show the number of local authority dwellings completed each financial year, broken down by local authority area and the percentage year-on-year change for each local authority. Year-on year changes should be treated with caution due to th…

22 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of (a) drug and (b) alcohol addiction involving people under (i) 16 and (ii) 18 have been recorded in (1) total and (2) each NHS board area in each of the last five years, showing the year-on-year percentage change and expressed as a percentage of the population within that…

Answer · Hugh Henry: On drug addiction, the Scottish Drug Misuse Database records information on people as they come into contact with drug treatment services (Tables 1 and 2). Year-on-year variation in service provision may affect the availability of services within NHS board ar…

22 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what obligations there are on public libraries to ensure that they stock materials that are accessible to blind and partially-sighted users.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The provision of library services is a matter for local authorities. However, the Scottish Executive encourages local authorities to make appropriate arrangements under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the Local Government Act 2003. In addition, the…

22 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether all its publications are available in large print, Braille and audio format.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Our policy is to make our documents available in a variety of formats, including large print, Braille and audio versions. Where we know in advance that our target audience is likely to include those who require any of these formats, they are produced automati…

18 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what new measures it will take to improve conditions at HM Prison Aberdeen following the most recent report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) published its response on the SPS website on 18 November 2004.</p>

17 Nov 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will issue a detailed response to Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prison’s report into Aberdeen’s Craiginches Prison.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) have already published their response to each of the Chief Inspector’s recommendations on the SPS website.</p>

16 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what schemes, supported by its departments, are available for applicants seeking assistance for the development of energy-related projects, broken down by department.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive resources a broad range of initiatives to assist Scottish businesses, and research and development. Some of this assistance is available to a broad range of projects (including energy projects), other initiatives are specifically target…

16 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent per capita on research and development in each of the last three years, shown also as a percentage of GDP, and what information it has in respect of equivalent figures for (a) the United Kingdom and (b) each other member state of the European Union.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The information is available from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for its members and from the European Union for those EU countries that are not members of the OECD. The latest figures available for Scotland are for 2002, tak…

16 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the extent to which the decrease in fishing capacity adopted by countries fishing each North Sea fisheries zone correlates with the level of cod caught by each member state in each zone in order to identify the extent to which each national white fish fleet has …

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has access to the EU Fleet vessel register and information on fish catches made by each member state, through the European Union’s Fisheries Data Exchange System (FIDES) and landings data provided by member states to the International C…

16 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is in respect of the most recent scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea which states that North Sea haddock mortality has decreased at the same time that North Sea cod mortality has increased.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) advice on cod notes that there are uncertainties in its estimate of total cod catch (and therefore implied cod mortality) in 2003. The ICES advice has been examined by the Scientific, Technical a…

12 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) girls and (b) boys under 16 were identified as having a sexually-transmitted infection in total and in each NHS board area in each of the last five years.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The total number of laboratory reports of Chlamydia, genital herpes, gonorrhoea, and infectious syphilis among persons aged between 10 and 15 years by NHS board and gender is set out in the following table. </p><p>While the rise in cases of Chlamydia, in part…

12 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many girls under 16 have given birth in total and in each NHS board area in each of the last five years.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Comprehensive information on teenage pregnancies and their outcome is published by the Information and Statistics Division of National Health Services Scotland and is available electronically at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/info3.jsp?pContent…

11 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to attract film and television production to Scotland and what financial resources are being made available in each of the next five years to achieve this objective.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Executive, through Scottish Screen, makes every effort to attract film and television production to Scotland. We welcome the recent report of the Screen Industries Summit Group recommending ways of increasing such productionactivity.</p><p>Grant-…

11 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to increase the profitability of the dairy sector and to persuade supermarkets to play a role in achieving this objective.

Answer · Ross Finnie: While the Executive has no locus to intervene directly in the market for milk, there is close liaison with industry representative bodies. The main areas where the Executive is able to help are through facilitating exchange with the major industry players, in…

11 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what targets have been set for energy efficiency and what its energy efficiency strategy is.

Answer · Jim Wallace: A key goal of the UK Energy White paper is to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions by some 60% by around 2050 with significant progress by 2020. This will build on the UK’s existing goal of moving towards a 20% reduction in CO₂ emissions by 2010. The E…

11 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-10971 by Mr Jim Wallace on 8 November 2004, how much financial support each energy efficiency scheme has received; how many people have been supported by each scheme, and what efficiency improvement or carbon saving has been delivered by each scheme.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Executive has introduced a variety of initiatives to accelerate the uptake of energy efficiency measures in the domestic, business and public sectors. Details of the financial support provided for each and the outputs, where available, are as follows:</p>…

11 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what projections it has for any increase in hospital admissions from “at risk” groups such as elderly people and those on low incomes as a result of such groups not being able to support their basic energy needs.

Answer · Andy Kerr: No such projections are produced. ISD Scotland has developed a web-based system, “System Watch”, which aims to monitor and predict pressure within the NHS in Scotland. The system monitors emergency and elective activity in hospitals and provides predictions o…

11 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what projections it has for any increase in the number of households classified as fuel poor as electricity prices rise.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-11811, S2W-11820, both answered 10 November 2004 and S2W-11975 answered 18 November 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which …

10 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have not submitted their fuel poverty strategies to Communities Scotland for approval.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to reply. Her response is as follows.</p><p>The following local authorities have not submitted a fuel poverty strategy or any fuel poverty information for assessment by Communities Scotla…

10 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-10967 by Allan Wilson on 15 October 2004, what specific objectives it is pursuing at the Transmission Issues Working Group, detailing progress made to date on achieving such objectives, and whether it will make the minutes of the group’s meetings pub…

Answer · Allan Wilson: Detailed information regardingthe Transmission Issues Working Group’s objectives, work plan and progress are availableon the Department of Trade and Industry’s website at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/renewables/technologies/transmission.shtml">…

10 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the report into the Balmedie to Tipperty study which it commissioned in 2002 will be published.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: This type of report is not normally subject to publication. I will, however, make a copy available in the Parliament Resource Centre after we have fulfilled our commitment to consult the North East Scotland Transport Partnership on the report’s conclusions.</…

10 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have dedicated officers working on (a) issues arising from the Home Energy Conservation Act 1985 and (b) fuel poverty.

Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>The Second Home Energy Conservation Act (HECA) Progress Report, which covers the period April 1999 to March 2001, shows that eight local a…

10 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what financial and other incentives are available to encourage and support the development of hydrogen fuel cell technology.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Scottish Enterprise has recently made available £150 million to the Energy Intermediary Technology Institute, to encourage and support the development of emerging technologies, including hydrogen fuel technology.</p><p>The Forum for Renewable Energy Developme…