Parliamentary questions
Rosie Kane
130 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
10 Jun 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will produce an air safety plan to address nitrogen dioxide levels in Glasgow, as requested by the European Commission.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: In line with the requirements of EU legislation, the UK Government submitted its second air quality plan to the European Commission in January 2005. A copy of the report can be accessed at <ahref="http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/airquality/pdf/plans-1daug…
10 Jun 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to address the current levels of nitrogen dioxide in Glasgow.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: <i>The Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, >Wales and Northern Ireland</i> sets out a comprehensive framework of policy measures which aims to improve air quality across the whole of Scotland and the rest of the UK.</p> <p>The Executive is working clo…
18 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it had made to the UK Government in respect of the EU mercury export ban.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive has on-going dialogue with the UK Government regarding the EU Mercury Strategy and the proposed mercury export ban, and has supplied a Scottish perspective to inform the UK Government line where appropriate.</p>
12 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its definition is of the precautionary principle.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The precautionary principle as set out in the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development states that where there are threats of serious or irreversible environmental damage, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postpon…
14 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution it has made, with reference to the Essen European Council of December 2004, to enhancing the efficiency of cooperation between Europe and Asia by promoting a proactive regional strategy to foster environmental research and development networks between Europe and Asia in …
Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-15999 on 26 April 2005. All answers to written questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search">http…
14 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution it has made, with reference to the Essen European Council of December 2004, to enhancing the efficiency of co-operation between Europe and Asia by promoting a proactive regional strategy to focus on priority environmental sectors such as urban and industrial pollution an…
Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-15999 on 26 April 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa…
14 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution it has made, with reference to the Essen European Council of December 2004, to enhancing the efficiency of cooperation between Europe and Asia by promoting a proactive regional strategy to aid the introduction of environmentally-sustainable and socially-equitable develop…
Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-15999 on 26 April 2005. All answers to written questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search">http…
14 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution it has made, with reference to the Essen European Council of December 2004, to enhancing the efficiency of cooperation between Europe and Asia by promoting a proactive regional strategy to ensure more efficient and rational use of natural resources.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-15999 on 26 April 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa…
14 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution it has made, with reference to the Essen European Council of December 2004, to enhancing the efficiency of cooperation between Europe and Asia by promoting a proactive regional strategy to help build Asia's environmental management capacities in conjunction with Scottish…
Answer · Ross Finnie: I am assuming you are referring to the Essen European Council of December 1994.</p> <p>The Scottish Executive has taken a comprehensive range of initiatives to improve the quality of our environment. In <i>One Future – different paths</i> published on 7 March…
24 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many potential prosecutions against polluters brought by individuals and communities have been refused legal aid since 1999.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Scottish Legal Aid Board does not record information in this format.</p>
24 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions have been brought against polluters since 1999 by individuals and communities in receipt of legal aid.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Scottish Legal Aid Board does not record information in this format.</p>
24 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of legal aid is available to individuals and communities wishing to bring cases against polluters.
Answer · Hugh Henry: Under the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986, legal aid can be made available only to individuals not to community groups or communities. Cases against polluters may involve either civil or criminal action.</p> <p>Individuals and communities cannot bring criminal …
25 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the potential equal opportunities implications of police asking children what school they attend in (a) Glasgow and (b) the west of Scotland.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-14790 on <br>9 March 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament/webapp/wa…
25 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the practice of children being asked by police what school they attend before any charge has been made and without an offence having been committed.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: This is an operational matterfor chief constables. However, the police have an important role to play in partnershipworking to prevent harm to children. If, for example, the police are concerned aboutthe behaviour of a child, they may want to contact his or h…
25 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what input it has to the formulation of police policy on stopping and questioning children in the street.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: This is an operational matter for chief constables. However, the police have an important role to play in partnership working to prevent harm to children. If, for example, the police are concerned about the behaviour of a child, they may want to contact a chi…
17 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases brought before the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission in each of the last ten years have alleged Masonic involvement in miscarriages of justice.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Criminal Cases ReviewCommission was established on 1 April 1999. The commission has received a total of 590 cases upto 31 January 2005. In two of these cases, both in 2003, issues relatingto alleged masonic involvement were raised.</p>
17 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has carried out into levels of membership of the Masonic Order within the judiciary.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: For the reasons set out in the answer to question S2W-14527 on 9 March 2005, there has been no research into this matter. All answersto written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the searchfacility for which can be found at: </…
17 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has carried out into levels of membership of the Masonic Order within the police force.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: None. </p>
17 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is in respect of disclosure of membership of the Masonic Order within the judiciary.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Ministers do not require membersof judiciary, or applicants for judicial posts, to disclose membership of the Freemasonsor any other societies to which they may belong.</p>
17 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is in respect of disclosure of membership of the Masonic Order within the police force.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The qualifications for appointmentto the police service are set out in the Police (Scotland) Regulations 2004. Thesedo not include any provisions in relation to the disclosure of membership of theMasonic Order. </p><p>Police officers in the ScottishPolice Ser…
11 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many procurators fiscal specialising in environmental crime there have been in each year since 1999, expressed also as a percentage of the total number of procurators fiscal.
Answer · Elish Angiolini: As indicated in the answer to question S2W-11556 on 17 November 2004, the introduction of a network of environmental specialists was announced on 9 February 2004, when there were 15 environmental specialists appointed. There are 15 environmental specialists a…
11 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many successful prosecutions for environmental crime there have been in each year since 1999.
Answer · Elish Angiolini: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-14407 on 2 March 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.…
11 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions for environmental crime there have been in each year since 1999.
Answer · Elish Angiolini: Environmental offences covera wide range of statutory offences including, but not limited to, the Control ofPollution Act 1974, the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Environment Act1995, and can be reported to the Procurator Fiscal by a number of diff…
11 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why data on the Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory is only available up to 2002.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Pollutant ReleaseInventory (SPRI) data are only available for 2002 as this was the first statutoryreporting year. Data will be available for 2004 as the next statutory reportingyear and then for each subsequent calendar year.</p>
11 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the monitoring cycle is for the Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory reports on an annual cycle based on a calendar year.</p>
10 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-13778 by Johann Lamont on 8 February 2005 regarding the location of toxic waste dumps in the east end and south of Glasgow, who made the decision not to hold an inquiry into the matter; what criteria were used to reach that decision, and whether ther…
Answer · Johann Lamont: It would be for Glasgow City Council, as planning authority, to consider whether to hold a public hearing before granting planning permission for any waste disposal site. Glasgow City Council is also the body responsible for identifying contaminated land in i…
28 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what resources have been made available for the enforcement of EU environmental law.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Primary responsibility for the enforcement of EU environmental law lies with the Scottish Executive’s Environment and Rural Affairs Department, working with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and other bodies as appropriate. The department’s re…
25 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any concerns that companies tendering for contracts in relation to the M74 northern extension may incur higher costs due to protest and direct action.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: We would take a view on all relevant risks throughout the development and construction of all major transport projects.</p>
25 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the M74 northern extension will still be built using private finance.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-11172, on 1 November 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.u…
25 Jan 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it has set aside for construction of the M74 northern extension.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The estimated capital cost of the M74 Completion Scheme remains at between £375 million and £500 million. The funding allocated to the Transport Portfolio for future spending years was published in the Draft Budget 2005-06, a copy of which is available in the…