Parliamentary questions

Stewart Stevenson

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

1 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what budget is available specifically for feasibility studies into the possibility of re-opening local railway stations or stretches of closed railway routes and which bodies can access such funding.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Local authorities, and in the case of the Strathclyde area, Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive, may apply for funding of feasibility studies for public transport improvements from the Public Transport Fund (PTF). Studies or projects supported by the PT…

1 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many speech and language therapists currently operate in the former Grampian Region Council area; what therapist/client ratio this number equates to, and whether the current provision of speech and language therapists in the area is adequate.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: The information requested is not held centrally. Speech and language therapists are employed by NHSScotland and it is the responsibility of NHS boards to assess the needs of their population and to determine the staffing levels appropriate to meet this need.

1 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what facilities currently exist in (a) Scotland and (b) the former Grampian Region Council area for the training of speech and language therapists.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: In Scotland there are two higher education institutions providing pre-registration training which leads to professional qualification with the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and state registration with the Health Professions Council. These ar…

27 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to announce the appointment of a new Chief Inspector of Prisons.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Her Majesty has been pleased to appoint Very Rev Dr Andrew McLellan as HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, in succession to Mr Clive Fairweather.

27 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its response to the Scottish Prison Service Estates Review.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The period for public consultation on the Executive's proposals for the future of the prison estate ended on 12 June. The proposals focused on three main challenges: to provide enough places for the prisoner population; to end the practice of slopping out in …

25 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Environment and Rural Development will reply to the letter of 18 March 2002 from the Member of Parliament for Banff and Buchan, referred to him by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and acknowledged by the Executive's Correspondence Unit on 2…

Answer · Mary Mulligan: Responsibility for the issues raised by the Member of Parliament for Banff and Buchanan in his letter of 18 March rests with the Food Standards Agency, which is in turn within my portfolio. A response was issued on 1 August.

25 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many police stations have been operated by (a) Tayside Police, (b) Northern Constabulary, (c) Strathclyde Police, (d) Lothian and Borders Police, (e) Grampian Police, (f) Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary and (g) Central Scotland Police in each year since 1997.

Answer · Jim Wallace: This information is not held centrally. The numbers of police stations may be obtained separately from each of the forces named or from the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland.

21 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much financial assistance was allocated for the rehabilitation of drugs misusers in (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99, (c) 1999-2000 and (d) 2000-01, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Resources for drug rehabilitation were first provided to local authorities in 2001-02, as part of the £100 million drugs package we announced in September 2000.

21 Jun 2002 · Written Question

Answer · Richard Simpson: The available information is given in the following tables.Number of Seizures of Controlled Drugs by Police Force and Drug Type, 1997-200011997<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=585><TR><TD WIDTH="23%" VALIGN="TOP">Police forc…

20 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether widows and widowers of former Scottish Transport Group (STG) staff will be eligible for payment from the STG pension fund under the arrangements made for the disbursement of the pension fund surplus.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive's eligibility criteria includes any widow, widower or child of a deceased former member of the Scottish Transport Group pension schemes who is currently receiving a pension.

6 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to question S1W-26446 lodged on 5 June 2002, whether any public benefit may be obtained from any value accrued to the owners of salmon fishings, sporting rights and mineral rights as a result of any increase in the market value of their holdings arising as a consequence of the wi…

Answer · Ross Finnie: The introduction of the right to buy under Part 3 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill will not widen the market for salmon fishings, sporting rights and mineral rights. There is nothing at present to prevent crofting communities from purchasing such holdings w…

23 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce any legislation on planning matters that would require the organisation of outdoor sporting pursuits to apply for planning permission to stage a meeting or event.

Answer · Hugh Henry: We have no plans at present to alter the existing planning arrangements in this regard.A meeting or event may require planning permission, depending on the circumstances, in particular if a change in the use of land is involved. However, permitted developm…

23 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Justice intends to reply to the letter dated 11 April 2002 from the Rev David Pitkeathley of Peterhead regarding HM Prison Peterhead.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The letter has been treated as a response to the consultation and has been formally acknowledged as such.

17 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why staff from its Environment and Rural Affairs Department in Inverurie have not yet met my constituent Mr J Hardie as advised in the letter of 27 February 2002 to me from the Minister for Environment and Rural Development and what actions it will take to address my constituent's concern…

Answer · Ross Finnie: The issues raised concern the deterioration in vegetation cover on environmentally sensitive land but the cause was not immediately obvious. Detailed investigations were, therefore, required. Officials undertook a site visit on 5 - 6 February and have made ot…

3 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a substantive answer to question S1W-21658 lodged on 10 January 2002.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I replied to the member on 21 May.

3 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24755 by Mr Jim Wallace on 29 April 2002, how many members of staff in total from the Scottish Prison Service attended the risk workshop referred to in section 2.7 of the Financial Review of Scottish Prisons Service Estates Review prepared by Pricewa…

Answer · Jim Wallace: Six.

3 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24755 by Mr Jim Wallace on 29 April 2002, whether anyone who attended the risk workshop referred to in section 2.7 of the Financial Review of Scottish Prisons Service Estates Review prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), was attached to the Scotti…

Answer · Jim Wallace: All those who attended were employed by SPS or PwC.

3 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24755 by Mr Jim Wallace on 29 April 2002, how many members of staff from the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) who attended the risk workshop referred to in section 2.7 of the Financial Review of Scottish Prisons Service Estates Review prepared by Pricew…

Answer · Jim Wallace: Six.

3 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24755 by Mr Jim Wallace on 29 April 2002, how many prison officers attended the risk workshop referred to in section 2.7 of the Financial Review of Scottish Prisons Service Estates Review prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers, broken down by rank.

Answer · Jim Wallace: None.

25 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what involvement its Environment and Rural Affairs Department will have in the introduction of the Welfare of Laying Hens Directive 99/74/EC and whether it intends to make proposals for the introduction of the Laying Hens Welfare Code which go beyond those stated in the 1999 Directive.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Animal welfare is a devolved issue. Draft Scottish regulations to implement Directive 99/74/EC on the Welfare of Laying Hens will be laid before the Parliament in the next few days. Whilst we are obliged to implement EU Directives in full, the regulations do …

25 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Deputy Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning will to reply to my letter of 19 March 2002 regarding Caledonian MacBrayne and Northern Isles ferry services.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I wrote to the member on 29 April in response to his letter.

24 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-23810 by Mr Jim Wallace on 20 March 2002, what budget has been set for catering services to the Scottish Prison Service in 2002-03.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The budget for the provision of food to prisoners in 2002-03 is set at £3.3 million.

24 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24664 by Mr Jim Wallace on 12 April 2002, what systems and processes are operated by the Scottish Prison Service to ensure that all enforceable conditions of the Minute of Agreement between the Secretary of State for Scotland and Kilmarnock Prison Se…

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:The SPS controller monitors compliance with the contract on a day to day basis.

19 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the publication by Her Majesty's Government of the report Review of PFI and Market Testing in the Prison Service in regard to prisons in England and Wales, what its policy is in regard to the publication of staff numbers in any private prison in Scotland.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:Decisions and disclosure of any inputs, including any staffing details, is a matter for the contractors.

19 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the recent interim report by the Chief Inspector of Prisons on HM Prison Kilmarnock, whether it will now publish full details of the number and categories of staff employed at that prison.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:No. This is a matter for Kilmarnock Prison Services Limited.

17 Apr 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what additional costs Grampian region will incur as a result of the recent UK budget.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The recent UK budget is good news for Scotland and good news for Grampian. As the First Minister set out in his statement on 18 April, the budget will benefit business, the health service, older people, children, families and people in and out of work. The de…

12 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Finance and Public Services will reply to my letter of 4 March 2002 regarding my constituent Ms M Macleod of Peterhead.

Answer · Margaret Curran: A reply has now been issued.

12 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning intends to reply to my letter of 8 February 2002 to BEAR Scotland Ltd concerning A90 roadworks which has been passed from BEAR to the Executive and within what timescale MSPs should expect to receive responses to such lette…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The letter in question was passed to my officials on 27 March and I replied on 29 April. As indicated in the answer given to question S1W-24765 on 5 April 2002, future correspondence from MSPs on operational and factual matters will be answered directly by th…

10 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why directions by the former Minister for Transport and Planning on 10 August 2001 that BEAR Scotland Ltd should meet my constituent, Mrs S Brown concerning a potentially dangerous situation on the A90 trunk road have not been carried out and what steps the Executive will take to address…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Representatives of BEAR Scotland Ltd met with Mrs S Brown on 29 April 2002 and I understand an order has been placed for the manufacture of signs as a result of that meeting.Executive officials have reprimanded BEAR over their very slow response.

10 Apr 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prison officers currently working at HM Prison Peterhead have worked there for three years or more.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The number of prison officers currently working at HMP Peterhead who have worked there for three years or more is 124.