Parliamentary questions
Tavish Scott
2,683 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
16 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the grants or loans made for the construction or development of data centres in the last five years for which records are available, showing the (a) company receiving the grant or loan, (b) value, (c) government agency handling the grant or loan and (d) location of th…
Answer · Jim Mather: Specific information on financial assistance to data centres is not collected. However, from scrutiny of published information on RSA grants made and accepted over the last five years and available on the RSA website, there has been one offer where the projec…
16 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all of its and its agencies’ data management contracts with a value of £10,000 or more per annum, showing the (a) company awarded the contract, (b) annual cost of the contract, (c) start and end dates of the contract and (d) location of the data centre providing the s…
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government has no existing or planned contracts classified as data management.</p> <p >The contracts and tendering plans of the Scottish Government''s agencies are not held centrally.</p>
14 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when a full list of the successful applicants to the seventh round of the Rural Priorities scheme will be made public.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The result to date of the seventh round of the Rural Priorities assessment process is available on the Scottish Government website. This was released onto the website on 8 June 2010 complementing my announcement of the results on the same day. Further success…
14 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when all applicants to the seventh round of the Rural Priorities scheme will be advised of the success or otherwise of their application.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Results of the seventh round of the Rural Priorities scheme were announced by Richard Lochhead on 8 June 2010. Both approved and non-approved applications were published on the Rural Priorities element of the Scottish Government website that afternoon. As is …
1 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of acute cholecystitis have been treated by each NHS board in the last two years for which records are available.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The number of cases with a main diagnosis of acute cholecystitis treated by each NHS board in each of the last two calendar years is shown in the table.</p> <p >Number of Hospital Stays with a Main Diagnosis of Cholecystitis: Calendar Years 2008 and 2009 NHS…
1 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints regarding the treatment of acute cholecystitis have been submitted to each NHS board in the last two years for which records are available.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not held centrally.</p>
1 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29129 by Nicola Sturgeon on 1 December 2009 and if a review of the clinical management of acute cholecystitis is not planned, what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS boards are responsible for the provision of services for the populations they serve and will prioritise their annual work plan accordingly.</p>
1 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29129 by Nicola Sturgeon on 1 December 2009, when a review of the clinical management of acute cholecystitis was last undertaken and what the outcome was.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not held centrally.</p>
1 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29129 by Nicola Sturgeon on 1 December 2009, whether consideration has now been given to undertaking a review of the clinical management of acute cholecystitis and, if not, whether it will give consideration to such a review.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: There are no current plans to conduct a review of acute cholecystitis. NHS boards are responsible for the provision of services for the populations they serve and it is for them to identify when such a review will take place.</p>
27 May 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action has to be taken, or information supplied, by successful applicants for contracts under the Rural Development Contracts - Rural Priorities scheme before they receive (a) part or (b) full payment of the value of their contract.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: For rural priorities (RP) capital claims, applicants must submit a capital claim form, ensuring the claim details are accurate, valid and in accordance with their contract. Invoices in support of the claim must be properly receipted as per instructions on the…
27 May 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what is the total number of contracts under the Rural Development Contracts - Rural Priorities scheme issued to date; and how many have been paid in (a) part and (b) full in (i) Shetland, (ii) Orkney, (iii) Argyll, (iv) Ayrshire, (v) Borders, (vi) Clyde Valley, (vii) Dumfries and Galloway…
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The total number of Rural Priorities cases approved to date is 4,422.</p> <p >The number of claims paid, to 10 June 2010, is 2,391.</p> <p >IT reports which will provide a detailed breakdown of payments made per region are under development. As a result, th…
27 May 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the value to date is of (a) all contracts issued under the Rural Development Contracts - Rural Priorities scheme; (b) payments made in (i) Shetland, (ii) Orkney, (iii) Argyll, (iv) Ayrshire, (v) Borders, (vi) Clyde Valley, (vii) Dumfries and Galloway, (viii) Forth, (ix) Grampian, (x)…
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The value of all approved Rural Priorities cases to date is £327 million.</p> <p >The value of payments made under Rural Priorities is £37 million, to 10 June 2010.</p> <p >IT reports which will provide a detailed breakdown of payments made per region are u…
13 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-32435 by Richard Lochhead on 1 April 2010, (a) what its current assessment is of the five potential benefits of electronic identification of sheep, (b) whether it is undertaking research to make an assessment of whether the potential benefits are bei…
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The potential benefits of electronic identification of sheep covered in answer S3W- 32435 are currently being assessed through the large scale Scottish EID research pilot. With an additional £1 million of Scottish Government funding the Pilot has been extende…
31 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it took to ensure that Highlands and Islands Airport Ltd (HIAL)’s proposal to introduce car parking charges at Sumburgh Airport was subject to a wide and easily accessible consultation involving all Shetland businesses and residents.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The consultation exercise on car parking charges at Sumburgh Airport is being conducted through Sumburgh Airport Consultative Committee which is representative of a wide range of interests in Shetland. The Consultative Committee has provided the views of Shet…
31 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it ensured that Highlands and Islands Airport Ltd (HIAL) formally consulted ZetTrans regarding HIAL’s proposal to introduce car parking charges at Sumburgh Airport and, if not, what the reason is for its approach on this matter.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The consultation exercise on car parking charges at Sumburgh Airport is being conducted through Sumburgh Airport Consultative Committee. ZetTrans and Shetland Islands Council are represented jointly on the consultative committee and have already provided view…
23 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the capital allocation for the Hjaltland Housing Association was in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10 and will be in 2010-11.
Answer · Alex Neil: The National Affordable Housing Investment Programme was announced on 25 March 2010 and the link attached details this.</p> <p ><a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/investment/ahip">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-En…
23 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, following the vote of the European Parliament Agriculture Committee to call for an amnesty of three years on cross-compliance penalties relating to electronic identification of sheep and goats, whether the Scottish Government will make representations to the European Commission seeking i…
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Scottish Government is taking every opportunity to press the European Commission for a proportionate approach to cross compliance reductions including those associated with electronic identification of sheep and goats. Last month I met the chief of staff to t…
23 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the impact of strike action on services in Scotland, whether it has made representations to HM Government regarding its dispute with the Public and Commercial Services Union regarding plans to make changes to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme.
Answer · John Swinney: Changes to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme are a reserved matter. The Prime Minister announced plans to reduce the costs of running the Civil Service, and this required changes to be made to the Civil Service Compensation arrangements that operated up u…
16 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it or its agencies (a) operates or (b) can operate farm holding compensation schemes for degradation of land caused by geese and, if so, what areas are covered by such schemes.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: No, schemes are currently operated for the purpose of providing compensation to occupiers of farm holdings in respect of the degradation of land by geese. Furthermore, no such schemes could be implemented as there are not currently measures provided in the SR…
16 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs regarding the consistency of standstill periods on farm holdings between Scotland and England and Wales.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: There have been several informal discussions regarding standstill periods between officials of Defra and the Scottish Government since 2001. Initial discussions were concerned with ensuring that cross border movements could take place without disadvantage to …
16 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to change the 13-day standstill period on farm holdings implemented under animal health regulations, given that the equivalent period in England and Wales has been reduced to six days.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: There are no plans to change the 13 day standstill period at this time. The original standstill period of 20 days was introduced in the wake of the foot and mouth epidemic of 2001. The standstill period was relaxed to 13 days in 2003 in response to representa…
16 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the long-term benefits to producers are of electronic identification of sheep.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Although many producers believe there are no benefits to themselves or to the sector, others take the view that there are benefits linked to the way individual businesses operate and how businesses fulfil their statutory obligations. The potential benefits th…
16 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the 1,100 agricultural units in Shetland are eligible for funding of up to £1,000 for purchasing electronic reading equipment for on-farm electronic identification of sheep through the Scotland Rural Development Programme; what information on this scheme has been sent to indiv…
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Any of these producers may choose to include the purchase of electronic ear tag readers, under the Modernisation through Electronic Data Management for Agriculture option in their Land Managers Options (LMO) application under the Scotland Rural Development Pr…
16 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the electronic identification of sheep database will operate, given concerns that the information obtained from producers will not be 100% accurate.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government''s Electronic Research Pilot database is being used by farmers on a voluntary basis. By extending the pilot through 2010-11 with an additional £1 million of Scottish Government funding, this database will be stress tested to identify a…
16 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when its electronic identification of sheep database will be operational; how will it operate, and what information will be accessible to producers.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government''s Electronic Research Pilot database, which works on an individual animal basis, has been built to assess the feasibility and practicality of operating a fully reconciled individual movement database. It is currently operational and o…
16 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, given that pilots of the electronic identification of sheep are reportedly demonstrating that it will not result in 100% accurate information, what penalty regime will apply to farmers and crofters under the scheme.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The penalty regime which applies to farmers and crofters covering breaches of sheep identification and traceability is unchanged. Payment reductions will not be applied under Cross Compliance where discrepancies are purely as a result of any known technical l…
15 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the 38% increase in expenditure on ferry services since 2007 has been spent, as referred to by the First Minister in the chamber on 11 March 2010 (Official Report c. 24519).
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: In 2007-08, the Scottish Government spent £68.6 million to support the ferry services provided by CalMac Ferries Ltd (Clyde and Hebrides services), NorthLink Ferries Ltd (Orkney and Shetland) and Cowal Ferries Ltd (Gourock to Dunoon).</p> <p >Since May 2007,…
15 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its (a) capital and (b) revenue spending was in (i) 2007-08 and (ii) 2008-09, is in 2009-10 and will be in 2010-11 on (A) CalMac Ferries Ltd’s services to the Western Isles covered by the Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) pilot, (B) other CalMac Ferries Ltd services, (C) NorthLink Ferries…
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The following tables set out revenue spending on (A) the RET pilot to the Western Isles, (B) support for all ferry services provided under CalMac Ferries Ltd contract with the Scottish Government, (C) Northern Isles services (D) other ferry services and in ad…
11 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria were used by Scottish Screen when considering the application for script development assistance for b4 films’ Between Weathers production.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Between Weathers production was eligible to apply for assistance under the Content Development Fund. Scottish Screen consistently assesses all applications for this fund against the same criteria. Those criteria are as follows:</p> <p >1. Cultural Impact…
22 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether crofters collaborating on a grazings committee that applies for Rural Priorities would receive a higher score as a result of that collaboration should (a) a single application by the committee be made or (b) each crofter apply outlining plans to collaborate on such a committee.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The score achieved by any Rural Priorities proposal depends on it meeting a number of criteria.</p> <p >In order to achieve a high score for collaboration currently, there needs to be separate applications working together to meet the desired outcomes. Howev…