Richard Lochhead

19 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to initiate research into the current crisis affecting the lamb industry, particularly its pricing structure.

Answer · Ross Finnie: From discussions I have had with all sectors of the sheep industry, there is a recognition and clear understanding of the sources of current difficulties, including the intricacies of the pricing structure.

19 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to address the crisis facing Scotland's lamb industry and whether it intends to offer any assistance to help the industry with marketing and advertising measures.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I have already convened one meeting of key industry interests to address the present difficulties. This has led to positive action being taken to increase lamb sales on home and export markets. Further meetings are planned so that I can work with the ind…

11 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make available to the Parliament copies of background papers on fisheries and related matters prepared for the Executive and, if so, whether it will make them available at the same time as they are made available to Ministers.

Answer · John Home Robertson: A common backgound briefing note on fisheries was prepared for both MSPs and Ministers and is available through the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. I have arranged for a copy to be sent to Mr Lochhead. Other fisheries related documents are posted regu…

10 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer to question S1W-367 by Donald Dewar on 2 July, whether it has now received the draft memorandum of understanding and supporting concordats from Her Majesty's Government, whether fisheries will be the subject of a separate concordat, and when the draft memorandum and …

Answer · John Home Robertson: I refer to the answer given by Donald Dewar to Alex Neil (S1W-886) and my answer to question S1W-867.

10 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made representations on behalf of the fishing industry to Her Majesty's Government in relation to the Scottish Waters Adjacent Boundary Order 1999 and, if so, when they were made, to whom, and whether any response has been received.

Answer · John Home Robertson: I have, as promised in the debate, written to the Minister of the Crown on these matters. The outcome of this correspondence, and any ancillary consultations, will be made known to the Parliament when they are concluded.

10 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the fisheries schemes which have been administered for each of the last ten financial years, the amounts of funds allocated to each scheme for each financial year, the total number of applications received and the total number of successful applications made for each scheme.

Answer · John Home Robertson: During the last 10 financial years fisheries aid schemes were administered under EU Regulations 355/77; 4028/86; 4042/89 and 3699/93. In addition, The Scottish Office operated "back-up" grants schemes which provided the requisite Member State contri…

10 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will specify expenditure on fisheries for each of the last ten financial years.

Answer · John Home Robertson: Total expenditure on fisheries for each of the last 10 years is covered in the answers to PQ No SIW-00888 and PQ No SIW-00863.

10 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to make funds available to the universities to develop products out of recyclable waste.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: We are committed to increasing recycling where it provides benefits by saving natural resources, reducing energy consumption and waste disposal, and cutting costs to business. While a number of universities are involved in projects in this area, it is a decis…

10 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who represented the Scottish Executive during any discussions relating to the memorandum of understanding and any supporting concordat relating to fisheries drawn by Her Majesty's Government; when these discussions took place; what the venue was for these discussions; whether any minutes …

Answer · John Home Robertson: Fisheries issues will be covered in a bilateral concordat between the Scottish Executive and the Ministry for Agriculture Fisheries and Food. This concordat will be discussed and agreed after the Memorandum of Understanding and other multilateral concordats h…

10 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to make available financial assistance to Grampian Police Force to assist towards the estimated additional #300,000 cost of policing the millennium celebrations.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Police grant-aided expenditure for 1999-2000 was set at a level which assumed full use of Government funds available for expenditure on police services. However, while forces must plan to meet their expenditure from within the resources available to them, the…

10 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications have been received for the post of Water Industry Commissioner and who will sit on the interview panel for the post.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: 20 applications were received. The members of the interview panel were: Mr John Graham, Secretary and Head, Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department, Mr Stephen Hampson, Head of Environment Group, Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department, and Dr Tom Beg…

10 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of fishing licences in circulation, by category, for each of the last ten years.

Answer · John Home Robertson: The Scottish Executive does not hold centrally comprehensive data on fishing licences prior to 1996. The number of licences administered by Scottish Ports on January 1 for the last four years is shown in the following table:<FONT SIZE=2><P ALIGN="CENTER"><CEN…

10 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the grants available to develop harbours for each of the last ten years and the amount of funds available each year through these grants.

Answer · John Home Robertson: During the last 10 years grants were available for fishery harbour development works under the Fisheries Act 1955 and the European Regional Development Fund. Expenditure in each of the last 10 years was as follows:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=…

10 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to increase the level of funding dedicated to research into amnesic shellfish poisoning currently affecting the scallop fishery and whether it intends to investigate the disease testing regime, in particular the time-lag between testing and issuing of results.

Answer · Susan Deacon: There are no proposals to change the research funding arrangements as a result of this incident.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The programme is routinely reviewed each year, and any necessary changes made to reflect shifts in priorities.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>The t…

10 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to record sales of fisheries quota, fishing licences, vessels and entitlement to fishing interests outwith Scotland.

Answer · John Home Robertson: The Scottish Executive holds records of all licensed fishing vessels administered by Scottish ports. These records include any associated Fixed Quota Allocation units, details of catches of quota species and the names and addresses of licence holders, whether…

10 Aug 1999 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body intends to make available any assistance, financial or otherwise, for all-party parliamentary groups.

Answer · David Steel: Clerks are currently preparing draft proposals for the establishment of a scheme to register all party parliamentary groups, to be considered by the Standards Committee. Once such a scheme is in place, the SPCB will be invited to consider what facilities migh…

10 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to study the impact of Scottish film locations as a means of promoting tourism in Scotland.

Answer · Henry McLeish: The Scottish Tourism Co-ordinating Group has issued guidelines to help the tourism industry identify business and marketing opportunities and to capitalise on the film tourism market. I will arrange for copies to be placed in the Parliament's library. I will …

10 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government regarding the technical difficulties being experienced with the new ADAS 2000 computer system planned for HM Coastguard in Scotland, with a view to ensuring that the new system will be in full working order from the date of …

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Maritime safety and the responsibilities of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) are matters reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Executive maintains contact with the UK Government on the Agency's policy and strategy in Scotland and where operation…

9 Jul 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will be responding to the concerns of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in Scotland relating to the transfer of lead ministerial responsibility for forestry from the Secretary of State for Scotland to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in London.

Answer · John Home Robertson: Yes, we shall respond to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in Scotland by explaining that Scotland's forestry interests receive Ministerial attention fully reflecting the relatively greater importance of forestry in Scotland. Policies on forestry i…

9 Jul 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide the names and locations of registered drug detoxification centres and day-care drug detoxification centres in Scotland together with details of the number of clients referred to such centres, by whom they were referred and by whom they were funded, for each of the …

Answer · Susan Deacon: I would refer to the answer I gave to S1W-00517, also answered today.

9 Jul 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide the names and locations of registered residential drug rehabilitation centres and day-care rehabilitation centres in Scotland together with details of the number of clients referred to such centres and by whom they were funded for each of the past five years.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Following is the information available in respect of services registered with local authorities. Comparable information for earlier years is not readily available. There is in addition a wide range of drug treatment and support services provided by local aut…

9 Jul 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the drug support services in Scotland which are funded with public money, including their primary functions, locations, staff numbers and annual budgets.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The information requested is not held centrally.

9 Jul 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any regular analysis of crime figures in Scotland in order to identify trends in drug related crime and, if so, whether it will provide details of such analysis.

Answer · Angus MacKay: Quarterly returns of information relating to the number of all crimes and offences recorded and cleared up are made by police forces to the Scottish Executive Justice Department. A summary of the data collected is published annually in the statistical bulleti…

9 Jul 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the number of registered drug addicts in Scotland for each of the past ten years and give a breakdown by health board area.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The statistics presented in the attached table relate to notifications under the Misuse of Drugs (Notification of and Supply to Addicts) Regulations 1973 which, up until 30 April 1997, required doctors to send to the Chief Medical Officer at the Home Office p…

9 Jul 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the amount of public spending on tackling drug addiction in Scotland for each of the past ten financial years.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The information is not available centrally. In addition to formal drugs programmes, there is spend to tackle drug misuse within a wide range of health, social work, police and criminal justice services.<P>The following statistics are, however, available:-<P>…

9 Jul 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage the Marine Conservation Society and other agencies involved in beach award schemes to take into account sites which are not tested by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Water quality at each locality is one of the fundamental aspects which interests the public in most award schemes. There is no merit therefore in encouraging such bodies to take into account sites which are not tested.

9 Jul 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will discuss with local authorities the influence which the provision of differing levels of beach facilities has on the number of beaches which pass the various beach surveys.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: There are a number of beach survey schemes which are used to convey the standards of beaches to the public. Among these are the European Blue Flag, and the Seaside Award both of which are co-ordinated by Keep Scotland Beautiful. The Marine Conservation Societ…

6 Jul 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the membership of each Water Industry Consultative Committee will be announced and what criteria will be used in appointing members.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Under the Water Industry Act 1999 the Water Industry Commissioner will appoint members to the three Water Industry Consultative Committees. The Scottish Executive expects the Commissioner to take up his or her appointment on 1 November, and to appoint Committ…

6 Jul 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which bodies it intends to involve in the recruitment process for the Water Industry Commissioner for Scotland and specifically whether it intends to involve the Parliament in this process.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Under the Water Industry Act 1999, it is for the Scottish Executive to appoint the Commissioner. The Executive will make the appointment in full accordance with the principles in the Code of Practice for Public Appointments. This means the Commissioner will b…

6 Jul 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will increase the resources available to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency for testing the water quality of Scotland's beaches.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Government has identified 60 bathing waters in Scotland. These identifications under EC Directive 76/160/EEC (The Bathing Water Directive) provide protection for both the environment and public health and require the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (S…