Parliamentary questions
Richard Lochhead
2,448 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
12 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many intravenous drug users were diagnosed with hepatitis B in each of the last five years, showing any percentage increase or decrease in each year, broken down by health board area.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is given in the following table: <TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=682><TR><TD VALIGN="TOP" COLSPAN=13 HEIGHT=16><P ALIGN="CENTER">Hepatitis B infected drug users : 1996-2000</TD></TR><TR><TD WIDTH="24%" VALIGN="TOP" CO…
11 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications for National Lottery Charities Board funding there have been from each (a) parliamentary region and (b) parliamentary constituency, specifying the percentage of successful applications in each case.
Answer · Allan Wilson: These are matters for the lottery distributor concerned and I have asked them to respond to the member directly and a copy of the reply will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.
11 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications for Millennium Commission funding there have been from each (a) parliamentary region and (b) parliamentary constituency, specifying the percentage of successful applications in each case.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Millennium Commission's database cannot provide applications data in the format requested.
11 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many babies have been born with a drug addiction in each health board area in each of the last five years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information available is shown in the following table. Discharges Recording Drug Misuse. It shows cases in which the foetus and new born baby is affected by maternal use of drugs of addiction and there are neonatal withdrawal symptoms from maternal use of…
11 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in controlling and eliminating infectious salmon anaemia and whether any further policy measures are being formulated in this connection.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: All of the 11 confirmed farms and most of the 24 suspect farms have been restocked following clearance, disinfection and fallowing. There have been no confirmed cases since May 1998 and no suspect cases since November 1999.<P>If further confirmed cases arise,…
11 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the food consumed in Scotland in each of the last 50 years was (a) produced in Scotland and (b) imported.
Answer · Ross Finnie: This information is not available.
11 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much National Lottery Charities Board funding has been allocated to each (a) parliamentary region and (b) parliamentary constituency, and what percentage of the total monies allocated by the Board in Scotland each of these figures represents.
Answer · Allan Wilson: These are matters for the lottery distributor concerned and I have asked them to respond to the member directly and a copy of the reply will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.
6 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the technical measures described in the Fisheries Research Services' news release of 13 March 2001 are different from those mentioned in the letter of 9 March 2001 from the Deputy Minister for Rural Development to the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, despite both letters stating that …
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The measures referred to in the Fisheries Research Services' news release of 13 March 2001 were offered as a general piece of advice about changes that fishermen could make to their gear to substantially reduced discards. They did not refer to the Scottish Ex…
6 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why it and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food are co-ordinating the promotion of the technical measures for use by the Scottish fishing fleet.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: We work closely with MAFF on a range of issues. A co-ordinated approach tends to be the preferable option in fisheries since Scottish fishermen fish off the coast of England and English vessels fish in the Scottish zone. For example, recent proposals for tech…
5 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Ministerial statement on foot-and-mouth disease on 5 April 2001, whether it will detail those restrictions that are to remain in place and those restrictions that are to be lifted within the Provisionally Free Area.
Answer · Ross Finnie: In view of the outbreaks of foot and mouth south of Jedburgh and in Wigtownshire, I announced on 11 April that the proposed relaxation of restrictions in the Provisionally Free Areas of Scotland would be put on hold until 1 May. The conditions which will appl…
5 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any contact has been made with the European Commission to ascertain the potential for a partial lifting of the export ban currently imposed due to foot-and-mouth disease and, if so, when that contact was made and whether any further contact is planned.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Steps are in hand to explore the position with the European Commission. My immediate priority is to control and eradicate the disease in the south of Scotland.
5 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of completed questionnaires returned to the water authorities in connection with the proposed withdrawal of relief for water and sewerage charges for the voluntary sector indicated support for the complete withdrawal of relief.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-14496 on 9 April 2001.
5 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the figures quoted by the Deputy Minister for Rural Development in Parliament on 4 April 2001 (Official Report, col. 1249) in relation to the cost to the voluntary sector of the removal of water rates reliefs were calculated, whether any check was made of their accuracy and whether an…
Answer · Ross Finnie: The figures quoted by the Deputy Minister on 4 April were supplied by the water authorities. They are based on reliefs actually granted to the relevant customer group. Though no assessment of the economic impact of the proposals has been made, the withdrawal …
5 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many representations have been received in support of the policy of removing water rates reliefs for the voluntary sector, and how many against.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Since the beginning of this year, no representations have been received by the Executive in support of the phasing out of reliefs from water charges for the voluntary sector. In the same period, approximately 47 representations have been received against the …
4 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it instructed any of its civil servants to bring to the attention of the media any disagreement within the fishing industry over the content of the recently announced fisheries aid package.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Officials in the Media and Communications Group and relevant Special Advisers regularly explain to the media the Executive's position on current policy issues, and the context in which the Executive's policy has been determined.
4 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any action is to be taken following recent press allegations concerning contact made by the Head of the Fisheries Group with fishermen's organisations regarding a letter to be sent from them in relation to the dispute over the fisheries aid package.
Answer · Henry McLeish: No.
4 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it had prior knowledge of any correspondence it received from fishing industry organisations following the announcement of the recent fisheries aid package and, if so, how was that knowledge acquired in relation to each letter received.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive received a range of letters from fishing industry organisations following the announcement of the fisheries aid package some of which reflected prior discussions and some putting forward new information and views.
4 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Deputy Minister for Rural Development or any other Minister instructed civil servants to solicit correspondence from fishing industry organisations in relation to the recently announced package of assistance for the industry and, if so, whether it will give details of which c…
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Officials routinely maintain contact with a wide range of bodies in the subject areas for which they are responsible to ministers and will continue to do so.
4 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to order an investigation into the conduct of the Head of the Fisheries Group.
Answer · Henry McLeish: No.
4 Apr 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice is given to civil servants regarding the maintenance of impartiality.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The conduct of civil servants is governed by the Civil Service Code which requires that they "conduct themselves with integrity, impartiality and honesty". The full code is available at:<P>http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/central/1999/cscode.htm.
30 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the John West company have made any application for a licence to import salmon for use in a television advert filmed in Deeside; whether any such licence has been granted, and what controls exist on the import of salmon and other foods following arrival elsewhere in the UK.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: No such licence was sought or granted. The imported fish were intended for use in the television advert but they were not in fact used for that purpose. We understand that although the import documentation was not appropriate, in that the fish were not evisce…
30 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many companies manufacture (a) wind turbines and (b) offshore renewable energy technology and how many have headquarters in Scotland and/or are Scottish owned.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: This information is not held centrally, although we are aware of at least one Scottish owned company that manufactures wind turbines and another developing offshore renewable energy technology.<P>One of the principal objectives of our policy in respect of the…
30 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which geographic areas will not be included in the first wave of broadband technology.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: Infrastructure may allow the technical possibility of broadband connections but companies can be expected to provide connections and services according to the likely level of demand and return on investment. This has tended to favour urban areas.<P>We are cur…
30 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to ensure that the fishing fleet is not disadvantaged by any delay in the implementation of the new mesh si'es being negotiated with the Norwegian authorities as part of the North Sea cod recovery plan.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Additional technical measures, which may or may not include new mesh sizes, will be the subject of negotiations between the EU and the Norwegian authorities beginning on 18 April. Issues relating to the timing of implementation of any new measures will be con…
30 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministerial responsibility for the water industry was offered to the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning following the resignation of the Minister for Environment, Sport and Culture and, if so, what her response was.
Answer · Henry McLeish: I have nothing to add to what I said about this matter on Thursday 29 March (<I>Official Report</I>,<I> c</I>ol. 1116-7).
30 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to other EU member states to secure support for the concept of 'onal management as referred to in the European Commission's proposals in relation to the Common Fisheries Policy.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The reference to the establishment of regional advisory committees in the European Commission's Green Paper on the future of the Common Fisheries Policy reflects the hard work already undertaken by UK fisheries departments and the UK fishing industry.<P>The E…
30 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many fishing vessels, broken down by sector, will be decommissioned under the #25 million decommissioning package recently announced.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The information requested is not yet available.<P>Details of the proposed decommissioning scheme, including targeting of the scheme and eligibility criteria, are still to be worked up in consultation with the fishing industry.
30 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on the implementation of conservation measures for the scallop fishing industry; whether the introduction of any such measures have been postponed and, if so, on how many occasions and for what reasons.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Executive will issue a draft Scottish Statutory Instrument on possible technical measures to protect scallop stocks for consultation immediately after the Easter recess. Our aim is a uniform and rational series of measures throughout the United Kingdom an…
29 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many qualified vets there currently are in Scotland and how many have been employed by government agencies in each of the last five years.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The number of qualified vets in Scotland is not held centrally by Government. The State Veterinary Service (SVS) is a GB body sponsored by MAFF. A breakdown of vets employed by the SVS in each of the countries year by year is not readily available.
26 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13418 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 20 March 2001, what the results were of the consultation exercises and, in particular, whether a majority of respondents, in each case and overall, favoured or opposed the withdrawal of water rates relief.
Answer · Ross Finnie: In June 2000, the water authorities consulted those customers benefiting from the full level of relief on water and sewerage charges in relation to their plans to withdraw those reliefs. Those customers who do not benefit from reliefs were not consulted. 11,1…