Richard Lochhead

5 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHSiS patients each NHS Hospital Trust has had treated privately in each of the last three years and what the cost was of such treatment.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The independent healthcare sector in Scotland has some 670 beds, compared with over 36,000 beds (1998-99) in the NHSScotland. NHSScotland Boards and Trusts make limited use of these beds when necessary to address particular pressures. Boards and Trusts are re…

5 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of EU fishing quota, listed by species, is allocated to Scottish producers' organisations.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Final allocations of this year's quotas to producers' organisations are not due to be issued until 30 March. The following table (which excludes the non-sector and under 10 metre fleet) shows information relating to last year's total allowable catches for tho…

5 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of EU fishing waters the Scottish fisheries 'one represents.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The area of the Scottish zone is 127,231 square nautical miles. The Scottish Executive does not have information on the area of EU waters.

5 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to make parents pay the financial cost of vandalism caused by their children.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: No. The Scottish Executive's aim is to improve the operation of the current system which requires children to face up to their responsibilities and to change their behaviour to stop offending in future. In addition to their responsibilities under section 1 of…

5 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the timetable is for implementing a stocks regeneration plan for the waters fished primarily by the Scottish fleet.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Details of recovery plans for North Sea and West of Scotland cod stocks are currently being developed by the European Commission in consultation with member states and industry representatives. It is hoped that certain conservation measures can be established…

3 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance it has made available to the paper manufacturing industry in each of the last three years.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: In 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000, offers of Regional Selective Assistance by the Scottish Executive, valued at £0.17 million, £1.30 million and £2.47 million respectively were accepted by paper manufacturing companies. Assistance provided under other Scottis…

22 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many employees have been employed in each water authority in each year since their establishment to date.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: The average employee numbers for each authority for each year from 1996-97 to 1999-2000 is given in the following table:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=563><TR><TD WIDTH="17%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P ALIGN="CENTER">Year</TD><…

22 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what analysis it has made of the impact on the economy of bundle services.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive has no function in relation to the condition inserted in BT's licence that mandates Local Loop Unbundling.

22 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the water authorities have any plans to announce any redundancies or voluntary severance scheme; if so, whether it was consulted on any such proposals and, if so, when; when any such announcement will be made, and how many jobs will be involved.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: This is a matter for the water authorities.

22 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications for the Scottish economy are of the Large Combustion Plant Directive.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: As negotiations on the proposal to amend the Large Combustion Plants Directive have only reached the Common Position stage, it is not possible to gauge accurately the costs to the Scottish economy of the proposal until the final text is agreed and adopted by …

22 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to (a) Her Majesty's Government and (b) the European Commission, regarding any implications for the offshore industry of the Large Combustion Plant Directive; whether it has been consulted about any such implications, and, if so, by whom and what its resp…

Answer · Sam Galbraith: The Scottish Executive has played a full part in the negotiations to date on all aspects of the proposed revisions to the Large Combustion Plant Directive and has been in regular contact with the UK Government and the European Commission as negotiations have …

22 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is consulted as a matter of course on the appointment of the Crown Estate Commissioners.

Answer · Henry McLeish: Crown Estate Commissioners are appointed by Her Majesty on the recommendation of the Prime Minister on the advice of the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Scotland. As the management of the Crown Estate is a reserved matter under the …

22 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has in relation to consumer protection matters.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The position is set out in Schedule 5, C7 of the Scotland Act 1998.

22 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to put in place any area closures or other conservation measures in time for the 2001 spawning season for cod.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Any such measures would be part of a cod recovery plan which is currently under consideration within the European Community.

22 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any areas of disagreement that arose between it and Her Majesty's Government during the December meeting of the EU Fisheries Council.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: An agreed UK line was adopted on all issues raised at the December Fisheries Council. The Executive contributed fully to the development of the agreed UK position.

22 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it made to Her Majesty's Government during the December meeting of the EU Fisheries Council, what response it received and what the outcome was of its representations.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Executive was fully involved in working-up the UK line across the whole range of issues raised by the UK team at the December Council.

22 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to meet with Her Majesty's Treasury to discuss financial issues affecting the fishing industry and, if so, when.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with HM Treasury on a range of issues.

22 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many bilateral meetings it has arranged as a result of the outcome of the December meeting of the EU Fisheries Council, with whom and when.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: I hope to meet early in 2001 with the Fisheries Ministers from Denmark and from Ireland.

22 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the economic impact of the quota cuts agreed at the December meeting of the EU Fisheries Council, including any estimated figures for loss of income and job losses within the fishing industry.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Executive will continue discussions with the fishing industry about the economic impact of the outcome of the December Council early in 2001. Only in relation to North Sea cod and North Sea whiting would we expect to see significant shortfalls compared to…

21 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10038 by Mr Jim Wallace on 5 October 2000, whether it will make an announcement this year on the outcome of the evaluation of responses to the consultation paper issued on 12 January 2000 regarding high hedges.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer to question S1W-12936.

13 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the finished paper products exported from Scotland in each of the last three years was exported to (a) the rest of the UK, (b) Europe and (c) the rest of the world, expressed in each case as a percentage of total exports in (i) tonnage and (ii) value terms.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Latest available figures on the export of paper products are from the 1996 Scottish Input-Output Tables. Scotland exported £1,118 million of paper products in 1996 - 49% to the rest of the UK and 51% to the rest of the world.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Data are not he…

13 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the raw materials used by the paper manufacturing industry in each of the last three years was imported, expressed in each case as a percentage of the total raw materials used in (a) tonnage and (b) value terms.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Latest available figures on paper manufacturing imports are from the 1996 Scottish Input-Output Tables. During 1996 the paper industry imported 46.6% (£403million) of its intermediate purchases from the rest of the UK (26.4%) and the rest of the world (20.2%)…

13 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many tonnes of raw materials the paper manufacturing industry imported in each of the last three years and what the value of such imports was in each of these years.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Latest available figures on paper manufacturing imports are from the 1996 Scottish Input-Output Tables. The total value of imports by the paper manufacturing industry was £403 million in 1996. This includes both imports from the rest of the UK (£228 million) …

13 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been consulted by the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food or the other devolved administrations about proposals to introduce a new fishing fleet decommissioning scheme and what the outcome was of any such consultation.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Fisheries Departments have been in close touch on a range of matters, including calls from the industry for financial aid. Further discussion is envisaged in light of the outcome of Council negotiations in particular on whitefish TACs and quotas.

13 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10333 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 20 November 2000, whether any water authority sought advice from or made representations to the Executive regarding exemption from the Competition Act 1998, and whether public authorities seeking such exemption apply dire…

Answer · Sam Galbraith: The water authorities have not sought advice from or made representations to the Executive about exemptions under the Competition Act 1998. The Executive and the authorities are proceeding on the basis that, within the framework of legislation that the Water …

13 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many paper manufacturing facilities there are in Scotland, where they are located and how many people are employed at each facility, giving figures for each of the last three years in each case.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Information on the current local authority basis is available for 1996 and 1997 and is given below. The figures for total employment represent the average number of full and part-time employees on the payroll during the year and include working proprietors.<P…

13 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a strategy to develop the paper manufacturing industry.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11987.

13 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the value of the paper manufacturing industry was to (a) the Scottish economy and (b) the rural economy, in terms of employment and GDP, in each of the last five years.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Latest available information on employment in the paper industry is for 1998 from the Annual Employment Survey. This survey has collected information of employment since 1995. The table shows the total number of employee jobs, and the proportion of all jobs a…

13 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings it has had with Her Majesty's Government to discuss those policies that impact on the paper manufacturing industry.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the United Kingdom Government on a wide range of issues including those that impact on the paper manufacturing industry.

13 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings it has had with representatives of the paper manufacturing industry and what action has been taken as a result of any such meetings.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive and the Enterprise Network are in regular contact with companies in the paper sector and provide a range of support as appropriate.