Tavish Scott

10 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issued to Scottish Water or Business Stream regarding the issuing of invoices for nil amount water and waste water charges for 2008-09 to charitable and voluntary organisations which qualify for exemption from water and waste water charges under the Water Charges Exemptio…

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-14046 on 19 June 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…

10 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost was of producing and sending invoices, issued by Business Stream, for nil amount water and waste water charges for 2008-09 to charitable and voluntary organisations which qualify for exemption from water and waste water charges under the Water Charges Exemption Scheme.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-14046 on 19 June 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…

10 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why charitable and voluntary organisations which qualify for exemption from water and waste water charges under the Water Charges Exemption Scheme have been sent invoices by Business Stream for nil amount water and waste water charges for 2008-09.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: With the recent opening of the retail market to competition, billing of non-household customers is entirely an operational matter for retail services providers in this case Scottish Water’s retail subsidiary, Business Stream.</p> <p >We understand, however, …

10 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many charitable and voluntary organisations which qualify for exemption from water and waste water charges under the Water Charges Exemption Scheme have been sent invoices by Business Stream for nil amount water and waste water charges for 2008-09.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-14046 on 19 June 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…

14 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact Delivering for Remote and Rural Healthcare: What it Means for You will have on the delivery of the management of patients with complicated problems before they are transferred from the Gilbert Bain Hospital, detailing how the new arrangements will differ from those currently p…

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-12979 on 27 May 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk./webapp/…

14 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact Delivering for Remote and Rural Healthcare: What it Means for You will have on the delivery of maternity care at the Gilbert Bain Hospital, detailing how the new arrangements will differ from those currently provided.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-12979 on 27 May 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk./webapp/…

14 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact Delivering for Remote and Rural Healthcare: What it Means for You will have on the delivery of the management of long-term conditions at the Gilbert Bain Hospital, detailing how the new arrangements will differ from those currently provided.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-12979 on 27 May 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk./webapp/…

14 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact Delivering for Remote and Rural Healthcare: What it Means for You will have on the delivery at the Gilbert Bain Hospital of the management of patients who have suffered a stroke, detailing how the new arrangements will differ from those currently provided.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-12979 on 27 May 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk./webapp/…

14 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact Delivering for Remote and Rural Healthcare: What it Means for You will have on the delivery of the management of acute medical conditions at the Gilbert Bain Hospital, detailing how the new arrangements will differ from those currently provided.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-12979 on 27 May 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk./webapp/…

14 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact Delivering for Remote and Rural Healthcare: What it Means for You will have on the delivery of routine and emergency surgery at the Gilbert Bain Hospital, detailing how the new arrangements will differ from those currently provided.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-12979 on 27 May 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk./webapp/…

14 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact Delivering for Remote and Rural Healthcare: What it Means for You will have on the delivery of the initial management of broken bones at the Gilbert Bain Hospital, detailing how the new arrangements will differ from those currently provided.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-12979 on 27 May 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk./webapp/…

14 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact Delivering for Remote and Rural Healthcare: What it Means for You will have on the delivery of care for urgent cases and managing minor injuries and illnesses at the Gilbert Bain Hospital, detailing how the new arrangements will differ from those currently provided.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-12979 on 27 May 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk./webapp/…

14 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact Delivering for Remote and Rural Healthcare: What it Means for You will have on the delivery of out-patient, day case, in-patient and rehabilitation services at the Gilbert Bain Hospital, detailing how the new arrangements will differ from those currently provided.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: <i >Delivering for Remote and Rural Healthcare</i> will impact on all Rural General Hospitals (RGH) including Gilbert Bain Hospital by improving local access to a range of emergency, diagnostic and planned treatment services.</p> <p >NHS boards are responsi…

24 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any restrictions apply to councillors employing individuals as political advisers.

Answer · John Swinney: Provisions relating to political advisers are contained within the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.</p>

14 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take, following the late dispatch to island based national concessionary travel card holders of their 2008-09 ferry vouchers, to ensure that the vouchers are, in future years, sent out well in advance of the start of the period which they cover.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: For future financial years Transport Scotland are arranging with the ferry voucher production company to print and issue ferry vouchers in January of each year. Vouchers will display a start date of 1 April and expiry date of 31 March the following year.</p>

4 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it provides to local authorities and other public sector bodies to encourage greater use of local businesses for public sector contracts.

Answer · John Swinney: There is guidance available on working with small and medium-sized enterprises available on the Scottish Government website.</p> <p >The Scottish Public Procurement Toolkit provides Best Practice detailed guidance on procurement for the public sector. It giv…

4 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it defines “small” and “medium” sized enterprises as part of the public procurement process and whether it has any intention to change these definitions.

Answer · John Swinney: For consistency with other parts of the Scottish Government in calculating spend, the Scottish Procurement Directorate defines businesses on number of staff:</p> <p >Small business - less than 50 staff.</p> <p >Small and medium-sized enterprises - less than…

4 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) percentage and (b) total value of public sector contracts awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises was in each financial year from 2003-04 to 2007-08.

Answer · John Swinney: Information is not available on the number of contracts by percentage awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises for the period given and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. We have only partial indications for financial year 2005-06 and infor…

4 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to ensure that greater use of shared public services does not preclude small and medium-sized enterprises from successfully tendering for public sector contracts.

Answer · John Swinney: Shared public services projects do not necessarily mean larger contracts nor the automatic exclusion of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It will be for individual projects to consider the possible impact on suppliers.</p>

4 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has taken, or intends to take, to encourage more small and medium-sized enterprises to tender for public sector contracts.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government has held extensive discussions with small and  medium-sized enterprise (SME) representatives including Scottish Chambers of Commerce, CBI Scotland and the Federation of Small Businesses. These discussions have led to the introduction o…

4 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a target for the percentage of public sector contracts that are awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises and, if so, what that target is.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government believes such a target would be appropriate and is currently exploring how it can be defined and applied.</p>

2 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that limiting applications to the Rural Developments Contracts – Rural Priorities programme to those made online complies with all Scottish and UK equal rights and human rights legislation.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: We believe that we are complying with the Equality and Human Rights legislation and that we have not been discriminatory in introducing online delivery of Rural Development Contracts “ Rural Priorities (RDC RP).</p> <p >Due to the number and range of options…

2 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that limiting applications to the Rural Developments Contracts – Rural Priorities programme to those made online complies with all EU regulations governing access to grant schemes.

Answer · Michael Russell: Yes.</p>

2 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many project officers are employed in each SGRPID area office area as a result of the £300,000 funding it has provided to the Crofters Commission and Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations to employ project officers to work with applicants to the Rural Developments Contracts – R…

Answer · Richard Lochhead: None. The funding has been provided to enable the Crofters Commission (CC) and the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) to provide support for crofting townships and rural community bodies rather than individual applicants for assistance under …

2 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the number of potential applicants to the Rural Developments Contracts – Rural Priorities programme who do not have effective access to the internet as a result of (a) broadband connection not being available or (b) any other reason and what the results were…

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Applicants to the Rural Development Contracts “ Rural Priorities can apply online from home where they have internet access or using facilities provided for community use, for example, in public libraries.</p> <p >We recognise that online submission and ass…

26 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce matched funding for transport projects, in addition to the £15 million for sustainable travel demonstration communities.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: We have no such plans.</p>

26 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have bid for a share of the £15 million matched funding to create sustainable travel demonstration communities.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Expressions of interest in the matched funding to create sustainable travel demonstration communities are being sought from local authorities by 30 April. I will write to you after these bids have been received giving details of the bids and place a copy of t…

26 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has provided to local authorities on the provision of free personal care.

Answer · Shona Robison: Circular CCD 5/2003 consolidated earlier guidance on free personal and nursing care to local authorities, the NHS and other service providers. The circular provides guidance on implementation of the policy. In addition, further guidance on charges for food pr…

26 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional expenditure will be required to meet the capital costs of implementing its P1 to P3 class-size reduction policy, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Maureen Watt: We have made clear that the pace and scale of changes which will be needed to meet our commitment to reducing P1 to P3 class sizes is subject to further discussion with COSLA. As was the case with previous class size changes, the full implications for physica…

26 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional expenditure will be required to meet the staffing costs of implementing its P1 to P3 class-size reduction policy, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Adam Ingram: We have signed an historic concordat with local government under which year on year progress will be made in reducing primary 1 to primary 3 classes to a maximum of 18. The rate and scale of progress will vary between local authorities and it is for individua…