Parliamentary questions

Stewart Stevenson

2,358 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

1 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions in each year since 1999 a minister has had duties removed to avoid a potential conflict of interest.

Answer · Tom McCabe: There has been one instance,at the outset of devolution in May 1999, of a minister informing officials of apersonal interest that led to those ministerial responsibilities being reviewedto avert any potential conflict of interests.

1 Feb 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which PFI health projects have been cancelled in each year since 1999.

Answer · Andy Kerr: No signed PFI health projectshave been cancelled. The decision to use PFI is only taken following a full valuefor money study using accepted economic principles and a competitive procurementprocess.The application of value formoney guidance has however…

31 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many hit and run incidents there were where the driver was subsequently identified as having been (a) under the influence of (i) alcohol and (ii) drugs, (b) uninsured and (c) unlicensed in each of the last five years.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The information requested isnot held centrally.

31 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners housed in open prisons in each year since 2000 were originally convicted of (a) murder, (b) rape, (c) robbery, (d) culpable homicide, (e) sexual assault, (f) assault with a knife or bladed instrument, (g) possession with intent to supply drugs, (h) simple possession of …

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The available information onprisoners held in the open estate on 30 June by main crime and year is providedin the following table:<tabl…

31 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners were housed in open prisons in each year since 2000, broken down by (a) category recommended for each prisoner at the start of their sentence and (b) length of sentence (i) originally handed down and (ii) remaining when transferred to open prison.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The average daily and maximumpopulation for each prison for each year in the period requested can be obtainedfrom the Scottish Prison Service Annual Reports published at:<ahref="http://www.sps.gov.uk/default.aspx?documentid=67e156ce-a4c9-49f5-a526-0dab…

31 Jan 2007 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to work with businesses to improve investment in research and development and reach the targets set out in the 2004 Spending Review, following the publication of Business Enterprise Research and Development 2005 on 30 January 2007 which shows that business resea…

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive is working closelywith the business community to help improve our position with regard to businessexpenditure on research and development. In the six year period from 1999 to 2005it is worth noting that Scottish Business Enterprise…

30 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost is of changes to the rules for transporting animals.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Costs of complying with the newprovisions in EC Regulation 1/2005 on the transportation of animals are estimatedto be:A one-off fee of £40 for a drivercompetency test for drivers driving animals over 65km and up to eight hours or £100for drivers drivin…

29 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-30374 by Ross Finnie on 15 December 2006, why, given that it was received by its Environment and Rural Affairs Department shortly after 21 November 2002, the European Commission Agriculture Directorate General’s Guidance Note 6 on the application of …

Answer · Ross Finnie: It is not customary for my officialsto include guidance notes from the European Commission in scheme information packssent to farmers/crofters. Instead, they ensure that they reflect the guidance, insuch notes, in the notes for guidance (NFG) issued to farmer…

29 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the costs to farmers of implementing Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) measures; what representations it has received regarding the costs of implementation, and whether a regulatory impact assessment has been carried out on the application of …

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Executive consulted widelyon the implications of the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) Directiveprior to the new controls being introduced in 2000. This included the preparationof a Regulatory Impact Assessment which estimated compliance …

29 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers to be a prudent limit on contingent liabilities before it should report to the Parliament on the matter.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish ministers reportto Parliament on such matters in accordance with the Budgeting Process Agreementagreed between the Executive and the Parliament:<ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/committees/finance/Written%20Agreement%20bet…

29 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals from (a) auditors, (b) contractors, (c) sub-contractors, (d) ministers or (e) officials for inclusion of a contingent liability in the accounts of the Executive, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies were not included in published accounts in each of the last five…

Answer · Tom McCabe: All contingent liabilities recordedin the accounts of the Executive and its agencies in each of the last five yearscan be found in the notes to the consolidated accounts which are available on the Scottish Executive website <ahref="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/…

29 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what contingent liabilities have been recorded in the accounts of the Executive, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each of the last five years and what triggers led to the removal of any portion of a contingent liability.

29 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has received from the Auditor General for Scotland in respect of the limits on liabilities for which no budget provision is made before special remedial action should be taken.

Answer · Tom McCabe: We are not aware of any specificadvice received from the Auditor General for Scotland in respect of the limit onliabilities for which no budget provision is made before special remedial actionshould be taken. Per the Scottish Public Finance Manual, if a liabi…

26 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers to be an appropriate upper limit for Scottish Environment Protection Agency charges to grant permission to convert a 20 metre ditch to an enclosed culvert.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The culverting of ditches isregulated under the Water Environment (ControlledActivities) (Scotland) Regulations 2005 (CAR). The charging scheme associatedwith these Regulations was developed in conjunction with stakeholders and approvedby Scottish ministers f…

26 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Single Farm Payment (SFP) claimants have had penalties applied for errors found within their completed (a) 2005 and (b) 2006 SFP forms; what the total sum was of these penalties, and whether it will make a ministerial statement on this matter.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The extent of penalties appliedunder the arrangements for the Single Farm Payment Scheme (SFPS) and arising fromerrors in completing the Single Application Form etc are as follows:2005: 362 Businesses - Total£581,918.982006: 320 Businesses - Tot…

26 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its civil servants have been disciplined for racist behaviour in each of the last five years, broken down by grade.

Answer · Tom McCabe: No Scottish Executive staffhave been disciplined for racist behaviour in the last five years.

26 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) children and (b) adults were admitted to hospital as a result of malnutrition in each year since 1997, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Centrally held informationcan provide details for patients where malnutrition is identified on their hospitalrecords. These figures may represent an undercount of the true number of cases becausemalnutrition as an underlying reason for admission to hospital m…

24 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the limit is on contingent liabilities into which it can enter.

Answer · Tom McCabe: There is no limit oncontingent liabilities as such – it is the nature of a contingent liabilitythat its actual liability or its extent or its timing is uncertain. the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM) does, however, set out a procedure tofollow where the …