Parliamentary questions
Richard Lochhead
2,448 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
26 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on the introduction of any further relaxation of the 20-day standstill rules for livestock and what the timetable is for any future decisions on this matter being taken.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I announced on 28 February that the current 20-day standstill will be reduced to 13 days as soon as the necessary legislative change can be effected.
26 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what each local authority's council tax levels have been in each year since 1997, showing any year-on-year percentage increases and the overall increase between 1997 and 2003.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The council tax levels of each local authority since 1997, showing year-on-year percentage increases to 2003 are shown in the following tables:<P>Band D Council Tax, Scotland Average and by Local Authority<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=600><T…
26 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what each local authority's housing rent levels have been in each year since 1997, showing any year on year percentage increases and the overall increase between 1997 and 2003.
Answer · Des McNulty: Local authority rent levels between 1997-98 and 2002-03 are shown in the table. Information regarding percentage increases were provided in the answer to question S1W-30547 on 8 November 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on th…
25 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been allocated to projects relating to hepatitis C in each of the last three years, broken down by NHS board area and expressed per (a) patient and (b) capita.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The care and treatment of persons with hepatitis C is primarily a matter for NHS boards, based on their assessment of local needs. The Executive has, however, set in train a range of measures to help address the implications of hepatitis C, including:<P> maki…
25 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been (a) diagnosed with and (b) estimated to have hepatitis C in each of the last five years, showing any percentage increase or decrease in each year, broken down by NHS board area, expressed per capita and, where possible, differentiating between drug users and othe…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Figures detailing the number of hepatitis C diagnoses, by year across Scotland from 1991, are published on the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health website - <A HREF="http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/scieh/">www.show.scot.nhs.uk/scieh/</A>.<I><P>…
25 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children are estimated to have parents that misuse drugs in each local authority area.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: These figures are not held centrally. Research from the Centre for Drug Misuse Research at the University of Glasgow estimates that between 40,000 and 60,000 children in Scotland are affected by parental drug misuse. These figures are contained in <I>Getting …
25 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many sudden deaths were reported to each procurator fiscal in each of the last three years where alcoholism or alcohol intoxication was given as a contributory cause of death
Answer · Elish Angiolini: The procurator fiscal has a duty to enquire into all sudden, suspicious, accidental, unexpected and unexplained deaths but there is no requirement to report or investigate every death where alcoholism or alcohol intoxication is a contributory cause. It is lik…
13 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any reduction in fishing effort in the white fish sector has arisen due to the cancellation, sale or transferring of licences outwith the recent decommissioning scheme in each of the last three years and, if so, what the si'e of such a reduction has been in each year.
Answer · Ross Finnie: It is certainly the case that a number of white fish licences have been used, and more are expected to be used, to licence incoming pelagic vessels. This will have the effect of reducing licensed white fish capacity and could lead to reductions in white fish …
31 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has sought advice from Her Majesty's Government about what the criteria are in respect of a member state having fishing interests in a certain sea area or fishing 'one as referred to in Article 31(2) of EU Council Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002.
Answer · Ross Finnie: No.
31 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has sought advice from Her Majesty's Government about whether the reallocation of fishing opportunities equivalent to deducted fishing opportunities, referred to in Article 23(4) of EU Council Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002, could result in the member state receiving the realloca…
Answer · Ross Finnie: A reallocation of fishing opportunities between member states allowed for by the provisions of Article 23 Paragraph 4 of EU Council Regulation (EC) 2371/2002 can only be decided once the Commission has considered the likely impact of the reallocation on the i…
29 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive from which budgets the #50 million fisheries aid package was taken and whether it will give a breakdown of this package.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The costs of this one-off, unplanned spending in 2003-04 will be met within the usual flexibilities available to the Executive in managing its overall resources. It will comprise a combination of carry forward of 2002-03 underspending and 2003-04 estimating, …
29 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33022 by Ross Finnie on 28 January 2003, how the 15% figure in respect of possible future decommissioning was calculated.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Total Allowable Catches (TACs) for cod stocks in the North Sea and west of Scotland imply a reduction in fishing mortality of 65%. In negotiation, it was agreed that a proportion of this should be underpinned by permanent reductions in fishing effort (dec…
29 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the procedure for withdrawal from the Common Fisheries Policy and what the legal position would be if such a policy was pursued.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Withdrawal from the Common Fisheries Policy would be a matter of negotiation and Treaty amendment.
28 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether reallocation of fishing opportunities as outlined in Article 23(4) of EU Council Regulation (EC) No. 2371/2002 is compatible with the principle of relative stability.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Yes.
28 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the reallocation of fishing opportunities outlined in paragraph 2 of Article 23(4) of EU Council Regulation (EC) No. 2371/2002 would be for one year only or for an indefinite period.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-33475 today. 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/searc…
28 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the deductions from future fishing opportunities outlined in paragraph 1 of Article 23(4) of EU Council Regulation (EC) No. 2371/2002 would be for one year only or for an indefinite period.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Article 23(4) allows for a deduction from future fishing opportunities equivalent to the sum total of prior over-fishing, measured in tonnage. <P>In most cases, it is to be expected that the full tonnage to be deducted will be deducted from opportunities allo…
28 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it interprets the principle of relative stability as a rule concerning access to waters and resources within the meaning of Article 19 of EU Council Regulation (EC) No. 2371/2002.
Answer · Ross Finnie: We understand relative stability to be a rule concerning access to resources within the meaning of Article 19 of EU Council Regulation (EC) No. 2371/2002. <P>Specifically, relative stability underpins the rules concerning allocation of fishing opportunities, …
28 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its interpretation is of "rules concerning access to waters and resources", as referred to in Article 19 of EU Council Regulation (EC) No. 2371/2002.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The rules concerning access to waters and resources are those rules described in Chapter IV (Rules on access to Water and Resources) of EU Council Regulation (EC) No. 2371/2002.<P>These are subject to a fuller interpretation by reference to multiple decisions…
27 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which ministers and staff attended the Agricultural and Fisheries Council meeting no. 2481 on 27 and 28 January 2003.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I attended the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting on 27 January 2003, but not on 28 January, when I had to be in Scotland and London on fisheries business. Up to four Scottish Executive officials were in support, covering both days of the Council.
22 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what sources of funding are available to fishing communities from the commission; what discussions it has had with the European Commission in respect of each such funding source, and what its position is on whether each such funding source should be pursued.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Funding to Scottish fishing communities is available through both European Structural Funds Programmes and other Community Initiatives. For individual communities the availability of funding is determined by the geographic coverage of programmes and initiativ…
22 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the European Commission with regard to funding a compensation scheme for the Scottish fishing industry.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The question of any compensation arrangements for industry is a matter, in the first instance, for the Executive. I announced the planned £50 million package of measures on 28 January. Officials will be pursuing with the European Commission any necessary matt…
22 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government with regard to funding a compensation scheme for the Scottish fishing industry.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Following the outcome of the December Fisheries Council, I and officials have had numerous discussions with our Whitehall counterparts about support measures for the industry. We, along with industry representatives, met the Prime Minister on 28 January to di…
17 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of NHS funding has been given to each NHS board area and what percentage of NHS activity has been carried out in each board area in each of the last three years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The percentage of NHS expenditure and activity for each board area for the last three years is shown in the following table:<P>Percentage of NHS Expenditure and NHS Activity Per NHS Board Area<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=529><TR><TD WIDTH="…
14 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what expenditure it incurred as a result of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, broken down by department showing the type of expenditure incurred and including any support measures for (a) agricultural and (b) non-agricultural businesses and producers and whether there was any contribut…
Answer · Ross Finnie: Out of its own budget, the Scottish Executive spent over £30 million on Scotland-wide measures designed to alleviate hardship and to assist with economic restructuring. Where recovery measures were made available to affected businesses, there was no distincti…
14 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many consultancy contracts have been entered into by each local enterprise company in each of the last three years; how many such contracts are currently in place, and what percentage of the annual budget of each company each such contract has represented.
Answer · Iain Gray: This is an operational matter for the Enterprise Networks.
13 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it holds on the presence of crack cocaine and incidence of misuse of the drug in each police force area, giving any information on any link to crime and demand on local drug services, with particular regard to Grampian.
Answer · Hugh Henry: Table 1 details the number and quantity of seizures of crack cocaine in each police force area from 1995 to 2000, the latest year where published data is available. Grampian Police data indicates that recoveries of crack cocaine within the Grampian Region hav…
13 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to address any increase in the level of crack cocaine use and whether any measures already introduced have met with success and, if so, whether it will give details of such measures, with particular regard to Grampian.
Answer · Hugh Henry: Effective strategic and tactical tasking and co-ordinating arrangements established in Scotland, together with a willingness of agencies to work together, mean that law enforcement is well placed to respond to a crack cocaine threat.<P>In March 2002, the Scot…
13 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many vessels are entitled to fish in the Scottish 'one and whether it will give a breakdown of such vessels registered (a) in and (b) outwith Scotland.
Answer · Ross Finnie: All UK licensed fishing vessels, just over 6,470, are entitled to fish in the Scottish fishery zone. In addition, vessels from other member states and third countries are also entitled to fish in the zone.<P>Of the UK licensed vessels, 2,333 have a port of re…
10 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was allocated (a) to and (b) by each NHS board for schemes to tackle (i) alcohol and (ii) drug misuse in (1) the current year and (2) each of the last three years and how much funding is projected to be allocated to each NHS board for each of the next two years for such p…
Answer · Hugh Henry: The following table details the resources allocated to NHS boards for drug treatment services since 1999-2000. Allocations for 2003-04 are expected to remain at 2002-03 levels. NHS boards are also free to utilise resources for drug-specific initiatives from t…
10 Jan 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding, including any agreed changes to the funding formula and additional grants, was received by each police force in each of the last three years and is projected to be allocated to each police force in each of the next two years, expressed per head of population in eac…
Answer · Jim Wallace: The information is shown in the following table.<P>Actual and Planned Budget Per Head of Population<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=500><TR><TD WIDTH="34%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Force Area</TD><TD WIDTH="13%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>2000-01</TD><TD WIDTH="13…