Parliamentary questions
Stewart Stevenson
2,358 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
19 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money withheld from single farm payments under modulation in each year since modulation commenced has yet to be allocated.
Answer · Ross Finnie: There are two forms of modulationand all funds raised are allocated to different measures.</p><p>European modulation is compulsoryand contributions from farmers and crofters are allocated to fund the Land ManagementContract Menu Scheme, as part of the Scottis…
19 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners have made (a) one to five, (b) 6 to 20, (c) 21 to 50, (d) 51 to 100 and (e) over 100 freedom of information requests.
Answer · Margaret Curran: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-31224 on 1 February 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website the search facility for which can befound at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa…
19 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many freedom of information requests have been made by Scottish prisoners in each year since the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 came into force.
Answer · Margaret Curran: It is for every Scottishpublic authority to adopt its own system for monitoring requests it receives forinformation. It is for each public authority to determine what information canmost effectively be recorded, and there is no requirement to monitor requests…
19 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many racially motivated assaults (a) were reported and (b) resulted in a case being brought before the courts in each year since 1999, broken down by sheriff court.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Official statistics on racist incidentsrecorded by the police in Scotland from 2003-04 to 2005-06 will by published bythe Scottish Executive in March 2007. This will be the first time that such informationhas been collated and published, and it will contain d…
19 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has paid to recruitment agencies for the hire of temporary staff in each year since 1999, broken down by recruitment agency.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive currentlyhas two central contracts for the provision of agency staff. Administrative andclerical staff are supplied through a contract placed with Pertemps. A contractis also in place for the provision of interim managers and specialist…
19 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time was between a pupil being referred to and seen by an educational psychologist in the last period for which figures are available.
Answer · Robert Brown: This information is not heldcentrally. However, statistical returns indicate that we now have more educationalpsychologists working in local authorities than we have ever had. We now have over400 educational psychologists breaching 400 mark for first time, wi…
19 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence there is of adverse effects from manure being spread annually on the same ground.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The environmental risks frommanure spreading are related to several factors, such as the quantity and the timingof the application, but not to whether it is annual. Evidence on the possible adverseeffects of the spreading of manure is summarised in Annex B of…
19 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence there is of nitrate leaching from the spreading of natural manure after mid-November.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The evidence on the leachingof nitrate to groundwater as a result of the spreading of manure is summarised inAnnex B of the Executive’s consultation paper on proposed amendments to the <i>ActionProgramme for Nitrate Vulnerable Zones</i>, issued on 16 November…
19 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on food miles.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-31209 on 2 February 2007. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…
19 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what average distances (a) beef, (b) lamb, (c) pork and (d) chicken meat travels from production site to local Scottish shop.
Answer · Ross Finnie: This level of detailed informationis not collected, and the distance that these commodities travel will vary, as willthe definition of “local Scottish shop”.</p>
19 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what practical, policy or financial initiatives it is taking to reduce the miles travelled by food to plate.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive is seekingto reduce the distance travelled by food through working with the industry to ensurethat more Scottish food is processed in Scotland, by encouraging localised food distribution systems andby supporting local marketing schemes.…
19 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what practical, policy or financial initiatives it is taking to increase the proportion of food consumed in Scotland that is produced in Scotland.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive is seekingto ensure that more Scottish food is processed and consumed in Scotland, byencouraging localised food distribution systems and by supporting local marketingschemes. For example, we have provided over £60 million since 2001 ena…
19 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of chicken production in Scotland representing only 50% of consumption, it will consider taking action to raise the proportion of chickens consumed in Scotland that are produced in Scotland.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Production and consumption levelsare functions of the market. The Executive, however, encourages retailers to continueto offer consumers the option of purchasing Scottish produce.</p><p>Since 2001, the Executive hasprovided £0.5 million to Scottish poultry pr…
19 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the costs associated with Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) regulations, particularly in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones, it considers that there is a future for the pig or chicken-producing sectors.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The IPPC Regulations are designedto tackle a range of potential pollution problems which can result from pig andpoultry farming and which may have an adverse impact on the environment, human healthor both. Although the regulations will impose additional costs…
19 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 pipe.
18 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total change was in the number of beds in (a) the NHS and (b) each NHS board between 2004-05 and 2005-06.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Information on the numbers ofaverage available staffed beds for the years ended 31 March 2005 and 2006 by NHSboard of treatment is published on ISD Scotland’s website at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/files/Annual_trends_in_available_beds_HB_co…
18 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers (a) were recruited and (b) retired in each year from 1997 to 2006, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Hugh Henry: Available information on thenumber of teachers who were (a) recruited by and (b) retired from each local authoritysince 1997 is set out in the following tables. Up to 2002-03 the data representsall teachers in the workforce, excluding supply and part-time tem…
18 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many offensive weapons were confiscated in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The information requested isnot held centrally.</p>
18 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents involving (a) sale and (b) use of illegal drugs on school property have been reported in each local education authority in each year since 2000.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The information requested isnot held centrally.</p>
18 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on repairing damage to schools caused by vandalism in each local education authority in each year since 1999.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The information requested isnot collected centrally.</p>
18 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) permanent and (b) temporary exclusions from school there were in each year since 1999 and, of these, how many were as a result of (i) drug taking, (ii) selling drugs, (iii) violence towards other pupils, (iv) violence towards teachers, (v) vandalism of school property, (vi) t…
Answer · Hugh Henry: Information on temporary exclusionsand removal from the register and the reasons for those are contained within statisticalpublications produced annually.</p><p>Information for the period 1999-2000is available from:</p><p><ahref="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/st…
17 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners have absconded from custody in each of the last 10 years and, of these, how many have not been caught.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The number of absconders is publishedin the SPS Annual Reports and Accounts and can be found by using the following link:</p><p><ahre…
17 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have reported being victims of identity fraud in each of the last five years, broken down by police force.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Data held centrally on crimes of fraud recorded by the policedoes not distinguish identity theft as a separate crime category.</p>
17 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) prosecutions there were and (b) fixed penalty notices were issued for (i) dog fouling and (ii) dropping litter in each of the last three years, broken down by police force area.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The available information on the numberof persons proceeded against for dog fouling and litter offences is given in thefollowing table. The number of fixed penalty notices for littering issued by policeand local authorities under their respective powers in Pa…
17 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions there were for antisocial behaviour in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Johann Lamont: The Antisocial Behaviour etc(Scotland) Act 2004 defines antisocial behaviour (ASB) as acting in a manner, or pursuinga course of conduct that causes or is likely to cause alarm or distress to at leastone person not of the same household as them. It therefore …
17 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacant local authority houses there were in each of the last five years, broken down by authority.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The numbers of vacant local authoritydwellings as at 31 March are published on an annual basis in the quarterly ScottishExecutive Statistical Bulletin (Housing Series) Housing trends in Scotland: quartersending 31 March. Bulletins for the past five years are …
17 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) longest, (b) shortest and (c) average waiting times were for persons seeking (i) one, (ii) two, (iii) three and (iv) four-bedroom local authority homes in each of the last five years, broken down by authority, and which local authorities had the (A) longest and (B) shortest w…
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The information requested isnot held centrally. The numbers of households on waiting lists for each local authorityare published on an annual basis in the quarterly Scottish Executive StatisticalBulletin (Housing Series) Housing trends in Scotland: quarters e…
15 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of crimes resulted in a conviction in each year since 1999, broken down by police force area.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The available information isgiven in the following table. The statistics dealing with recorded crime and courtproceedings are not directly comparable for a number of reasons. A person may beproceeded against for more than one crime involving more than one vic…
15 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what average earnings were in each local authority area in each year since 1999.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The preferred source for earningsestimates is the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), which is carried outby the Office for National Statistics. The latest earnings estimates available arefor April 2006.</p><p>I have placed tables from ASHEcontaining …
15 Jan 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average house price was in each local authority area in each year since 1999.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The following table 1 providesthe count of sales, median and mean price for house sales for each localauthority area for the years 1999 and 2000. The following table 2 shows providesthe same information for the years 2001 and 2002. The following table 3 provi…