Mike Pringle

21 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will launch its review of the children's hearings system.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The review of the children’shearings system is being launched today with the publication of the review consultationpack, <i>Getting it right for every child</i>.</p><p>Thisfulfils a commitment made in the Partnership Agreement to “review the children’shearing…

21 Apr 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has in place to reduce the impact of plastic waste on the marine environment.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive does not condone, or permit by licence, the dumping of plastic waste atsea, and supports advertising and educational campaigns against littering. In particular,last year the Executive awarded £50,000 to the Clean Coast Scotland campaign…

21 Apr 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is giving to establish accessible community-based health facilities.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Through the Primary and CommunityCare premises modernisation programme and associated initiatives, over £50 millionhas been invested over the last five years in new or improved community health facilities.Tailored support is also available to independent cont…

20 Apr 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it disposes of computer equipment that becomes surplus to requirements.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive operatesa disposal policy for its computer equipment which offers alternative disposal routessubject to the estimated market value and volume of the equipment identified fordisposal.</p><p>1. Trade-in of surplus equipmentwhen an order f…

20 Apr 2004 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer how it disposes of computer equipment that becomes surplus to requirements.

Answer · John Scott: It is SPCB policy that allequipment be re-used wherever possible within the Parliamentary estate orexternally for sale or gift.</p><p>Equipment that cannot bere-used by the SPCB is checked for faults and has all its data and softwarepackages fully removed by …

14 Apr 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussions with the City of Edinburgh Council regarding the recent feasibility study report into the Edinburgh South Suburban Railway.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: No discussions have been held with City of Edinburgh Council regarding the feasibility study report.</p>

30 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the research commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Homing Union on the interaction between racing pigeons and birds of prey is the same research as that agreed to by the Transport and the Environment Committee following consideration of petition PE8.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Yes.</p>

30 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consult interested parties after the publication of the research by the Central Science Laboratory on the interaction between racing pigeons and birds of prey before taking any action including proposing legislative change.

Answer · Allan Wilson: I understand that, followingpublication of the report, the Central Science Laboratory has offered to give presentationson the work to interested parties.</p><p>The Scottish Executive will takeno further action on the findings of the research report without co…

30 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish an unedited version of the research by the Central Science Laboratory on the interaction between racing pigeons and birds of prey or otherwise demonstrate whether any changes were made to the independent report as a result of discussions between Scottish Natural He…

Answer · Allan Wilson: This research has been jointlyfunded by Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Homing Union and it is forthem to publish the results of the work.</p>

30 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions are taking place between Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Homing Union before the publication of the research by the Central Science Laboratory on the interaction between racing pigeons and birds of prey.

Answer · Allan Wilson: This is an operational matterfor Scottish Natural Heritage.</p>

30 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the research commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Homing Union on the interaction between racing pigeons and birds of prey to be published.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The research was published onFriday 23 April 2004.</p>

26 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-6356 by Mr Jim Wallace on 15 March 2004, how many students graduated from each of the Scottish universities with Russian as part of their degree in each year since 1999.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The data requested is contained in the following table:</p><p>Graduates and Diplomates in Russian from Higher Education Institutions in Scotland by Institution, 1999-2000 to 2001-02</p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=426…

26 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-6356 by Mr Jim Wallace on 15 March 2004, how many students studied Russian as part of a university course at each Scottish university in each year since 1999.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The data requested is contained in the following table:</p><p>Students Studying Russian at Higher Education Institutions in Scotland by Institution, 1999-2000 to 2001-02</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=421> <thead> <tr> <td> <p align…

24 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1504 by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 August 2003, what guidance is given to NHS boards regarding charging for car parking at hospitals.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Following the review of car parking arrangements across NHS sites in Scotland and certain lessons learned recently in the introduction of car park charging at hospital sites, the guidance issued in 2000 has been updated.</p><p>The revised guidance which will …

24 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the income from car parking facilities at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh is used to offset the overall charges to the NHS for facilities management at the hospital.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Income from car parking at theRoyal Infirmary of Edinburgh is used firstly to pay for the car parking facilitiesprovided. I am told that any surplus generated is shared between Consort, the Cityof Edinburgh Council and NHS Lothian, with NHS Lothian offsetting…

24 Mar 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much income has been generated through car parking charges at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

10 Mar 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is addressing the issue of litter.

Answer · Allan Wilson: In July 2003 we doubled the fixed penalty fine forlittering.</p><p>We also fundKeep Scotland Beautiful (KSB) for work such as the new local environmental auditmanagement system to audit councils’ litter clearance, and revise the code of practiceon litter and …

10 Mar 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what resources are available to assist the continued opening of post offices serving communities in urban areas.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: TheExecutive recognises that post offices can play a critical role in providingsocially important services and often act as an anchor for other local retailactivity.</p><p>That is why we have made £2 million available until 2005 tosustain and improve sub post…

19 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has in place to encourage the teaching of Russian in schools and universities.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Since 2001, the Scottish Executive has provided education authorities with £10.5 million to support modernlanguages learning and teaching and to take forward the recommendations of the ministerialaction group on Languages’ report <i>Citizens of a Multilingual…

19 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many students study Russian at Scottish universities.

Answer · Jim Wallace: In 2001-02 there were 92 students studying Russian in higher education institutions in Scotland.</p>

19 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children currently learn Russian in secondary schools.

Answer · Peter Peacock: This information is not heldcentrally. However information on examination presentations for 1998-2002 isprovided in the <i>Scottish Qualifications Authority Annual Statistical Report2002</i>. Their report incorporating the data for 2003 will be published inJu…

18 Feb 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is supporting the reduction of excessive packaging on products.

Answer · Allan Wilson: In December 2003 the Executive increased the packaging wasterecovery target from 59% to 63% and set a target of 70% for 2008. It also setspecific recycling targets for different types of packaging material, rangingfrom 18-65% in 2004 to 21-71% in 2008. These …

6 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the interim report of the Barker Review of Housing Supply, Securing Our Future Housing Needs, and whether it will institute a similar review focussing specifically, and in more detail, on the future needs for housing in Scotland.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The Executive has been inclose touch with the work of the Barker Review Team and has noted the contentof its interim report. It will consider any implications for Scotland of the final report when it is published in the spring. There are no plans for a separa…

2 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) Acts of the Scottish Parliament and (b) Scottish Statutory Instruments were enacted and made respectively in 2003 and, of these, how many were enacted or made in order to implement EU legislation.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: 19 Acts of the Scottish Parliament were enacted and 623 Scottish Statutory Instruments (SSIs) were madein 2003. Of these, 1 Act and 57 SSIs were brought forward wholly or in part toimplement EU legislation.</p>

30 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to conduct a review of the legislation relating to game birds in order to address alleged non-compliance with the EU Birds Directive, referred to in the European Commission's press release of 29 January 2004; if so, what its timetable for such a review will be and wheth…

Answer · Allan Wilson: No decision has been taken on whether a review should be conducted of Scottish legislation relating to game birds.</p>

30 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of the matters on which the UK is alleged not to comply with the EU Birds Directive, referred to in the European Commission's press release of 29 January 2004, relate to Scotland and, if so, whether it will list them.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The European Commission has alleged non-compliance in relation to the UK Government’s failure to consult the Commission in relation to the continuance of trade of certain species of game birds. There are also allegations of non-compliance in relation to the s…

30 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce legislative proposals to address the alleged non-compliance with the EU Birds Directive, referred to in the European Commission's press release of 29 January 2004.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive isalready actively improving legislation through the Nature Conservation (Scotland)Bill and its proposals to improve further the protection afforded to birds. Theseinclude measures which will address concerns expressed by the EuropeanCo…

30 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it received a copy of the final written warning from the European Commission on alleged non-compliance with the EU Birds Directive, as referred to in the commission's press release of 29 January 2004.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Yes.</p>

28 Jan 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the City of Edinburgh Council regarding the redevelopment of major sporting facilities, including the Royal Commonwealth Pool, in the city.

Answer · Frank McAveety: There have been severalformal and informal contacts between the Executive and the City of Edinburgh Council in the period since we launched our National and Regional SportsFacilities Strategy in March 2003.</p>

5 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what events are planned for the Scottish Entente Cordiale centenary celebrations in 2004.

Answer · Frank McAveety: An announcement will be madeon 22 January.</p>