Parliamentary questions
Richard Lochhead
2,448 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
7 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its plans are for Historic Environment Scotland’s Dallas Dhu whisky distillery.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The operation of the properties in care of Scottish Ministers is delegated to Historic Environment Scotland under the Historic Environment Scotland Act 2014. I have asked David Mitchell, the Acting Chief Executive, to provide an update on the options being co…
7 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how public services ensure that they provide appropriate care and support for former service personnel with post-traumatic stress.
Answer · Maureen Watt: NHS boards and local authorities have a statutory duty to provide health and social care services which meet the needs of their populations, including for former service personnel with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A range of care and treatment for …
7 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether there has been a recent change to the rights of grandparents seeking access to their grandchildren and whether a review is planned.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: There have been no changes made to the rights of grandparents. However, the Scottish Government is planning to review the Children (Scotland) Act 1995. The 1995 Act makes provision on parental responsibilities and rights, on contact orders and on related area…
7 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what role it plays in the management of wildfowling in nature reserves such as Findhorn Bay and whether it has provided or will provide financial assistance to local authorities and other organisations for this purpose.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The management of local nature reserves, including activities such as wildfowling, is primarily the responsibility of local authorities under the provisions of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949.
7 Jun 2016 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage people to take up teaching posts in the Moray area.
2 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of lottery funding awarded to each parliamentary constituency expressed also on a per capita basis.
Answer · Angela Constance: The National Lottery is reserved to the UK Government and information on how lottery funds are distributed in Scotland is not held by the Scottish Government. However the Big Lottery Fund in Scotland has provided a breakdown of the lottery funding it awarded …
2 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the timetable is for establishing the land commission and for its work to begin.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government aims to appoint the five land commissioners and the tenant farming commissioner by the end of 2016, with the land commission in operation on 1 April 2017.
2 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much has been awarded in grants from the Scottish Land Fund to applicants in Moray since 2007 and who the successful applicants were.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government began funding the Scottish Land Fund in 2012, prior to this, communities could access funding from a variety of different streams to support land and land asset acquisitions. Since its’ launch in 2012 two projects in Moray have receive…
2 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how cycling events benefit Scotland; what the outcome is of the most recent research, and what further research is planned.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The latest report into the value of cycle tourism was published in June 2013 by Transform Scotland, the national sustainable transport alliance. This states that the total value of cycle tourism – by residents and visitors, touring and leisure cycling – in Sc…
2 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to promote cycling events such as cyclosportives; what impact this has on (a) tourism and (b) the economy of (i) Scotland, (ii) Moray and (iii) the Highlands and Islands, and what funding it provides.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-00463 on 10 June 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/2…
19 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many fatalities there have been on open roads in each of the last five years, broken down by police force area and expressed as a percentage of total fatalities in each year.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Data about injury roadaccidents are collected by the police and reported to the Scottish Executiveusing the Stats 19 statistical report form. These returns include informationabout the normal speed limit for the road at the place where the accidentoccurred. N…
19 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to promote Scottish beef abroad since the export ban was lifted.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I was delighted to attend each of the main European events lastyear to re-launch Scotch Beef into Europe. I am also pleased that the Executivehas awarded Quality Meat Scotland grant under the Marketing Development Scheme towardsthe cost of agents in both Fran…
19 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Warm Deal installations have been carried out by Scottish Gas, broken down by postcode area.
Answer · Des McNulty: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>The Warm Deal measures which had beeninstalled by Scottish Gas to 18 March 2007 are shown by postcode area in the followingtable:</p><table b…
19 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Central heating programme installations have been carried out by Scottish Gas, broken down by (a) postcode area and (b) fuel type.
Answer · Des McNulty: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>The number of central heating systemsinstalled by Scottish Gas to 18 March 2007 is shown by postcode and fuel type inthe following table:</p><…
19 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the net expenditure on public libraries was in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority and also expressed on a per capita basis.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The information requested is not held by the Executive, butI understand that it is available from the Scottish Library and InformationCouncil.</p>
19 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding was provided to each local authority in each of the last eight years, showing year-on-year percentage changes and change over the whole period, also expressed on a per capita basis and showing national averages in each case.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested isshown in the following tables.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td width=143 nowrap rowspan=2 valign=bottom> <p align=center> </p> </td> <td width=227 nowrap colspan=3 valign=bottom> <p …
19 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to reform the agriculture subsidy appeals system and whether it has made any representations to the European Union on this matter.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The EU Agricultural Subsidies appealsprocedure has been in operation since November 2000. It was set up to review decisionsin relation to the refusal, recovery and reduction of a producers EU subsidy andto ensure that my officials reached the correct decision…
19 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on implementation of the Sea Fisheries Strategy since its launch.
Answer · Ross Finnie: There has been a great deal of progresssince the launch of the Sea Fisheries Strategy (<i>A Sustainable Framework for ScottishSea Fisheries</i>) in 2005.</p><p>In September 2006, the SeaFAR group,which brought together all the key players in the Scottish sea …
19 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) percentage and (b) number of police officers are due to reach retiral age in each of the next five years, also broken down by police force.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The available information isshown is the following table. A breakdown by police force is not held centrally.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td valign=top> <p align=center>Year</p> </td> <td valign=top> <p align=cente…
19 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many operational police stations there were in each police force area in each of the last eight years.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: This information is not heldcentrally. The staffing of police stations is an operational matter for chief constables.Force call centres are contactable by the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week.</p>
19 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) full-time and (b) retained firefighters there were in each fire board area in each of the last five years, also expressed as a ratio to the population and showing the number of current vacancies in each category.
Answer · Johann Lamont: The information requested isgiven in Appendices 1 and 2 of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Fire Services forScotland annual reports published by the Scottish Executive in October 2001, January2003, January 2004; October 2005 and December 2006, copies of whic…
19 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much transport expenditure there was in each (a) regional transport partnership and (b) local authority area in each of the last five years, also expressed on a per capita basis.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The Regional Transport Partnershipswere established on 1<sup> </sup>December 2005 and therefore do not haveinformation for the last five years. The Regional Transport Partnerships have abudget in 2006-07 of £46.6 million. £46.0 million of this budget is curre…
19 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many registered drug misusers there were in each of the last three years, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) NHS board area, also expressed as a ratio to the population.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to theanswers to questions S2W-18148 on 18 August 2005,S2W-27311 on 8 August 2006 and S2W-28609 on 5 October 2006.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’swebsite the search facility for which can be f…
16 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) households and (b) children lived in overcrowded housing in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Table 1 shows the percentage of Scottishhouseholds living in dwellings below the bedroom standard in each local authorityarea, and table 2 shows the percentage of children in Scotland who live in suchhouseholds.</p><p>Table 1 Scottish Households Living Below …
15 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much VAT was paid by non-departmental bodies in each of the last eight years, also broken down by body.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested isnot held centrally. Payment of VAT by non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) isan operational matter for individual bodies to consider. Contact details for allNDPBs are contained in the Directory of Scottish Public Bodies featured …
14 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what new powers it is seeking under the UK Government’s consideration of the forthcoming Marine Bill.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive is actively reviewing with the UK Governmentthe appropriate balance of responsibilities in relation to the new powers proposedthrough this legislation.</p>
14 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent the Crown Estate Commission submits regular reports to ministers and the Scottish Parliament on its Scottish operations, giving details of the number of any such reports and the dates on which they were submitted.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Crown Estates publishes its annual report in July each yearand circulates it widely to a range of interests including Scottish ministers witha portfolio interest, and MSPs with a constituency interest. The Crown Estates alsomakes an important contribution…
8 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to submit the Scottish Rural Development Programme to the European Commission.
Answer · Ross Finnie: We are unable formally to submit the Scotland RuralDevelopment Programme (SRDP) until there is agreement over the EuropeanCommissions proposed regulation on voluntary modulation. I am unable to saywhen this will be.</p><p>Drafts of the SRDP have been shared w…
8 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to introduce voluntary modulation of single farm payments and, if so, at what level if voluntary modulation is adopted by the Agriculture/Fisheries Council on 19 March 2007 and includes the adoption of the Article 3 proposal for a council regulation laying down rules fo…
Answer · Ross Finnie: Voluntary modulation will be used in Scotland in order to delivera credible Scotland Rural Development Programme that supports our priority outcomesfor rural Scotland. I cannot confirm the rate until the European voluntary modulationregulation has been finali…
8 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the impact of the developing market in Single Farm Payment entitlements on the ability of new entrants to farming to access such entitlements.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Entitlement trading is required by EC regulations; it facilitatesthe development of farm businesses, for example, following mergers, splits or inheritanceof farms. The Executive recognises that access to entitlements would help new entrantsby providing a stre…