Murdo Fraser

24 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it considers the number and scale of applications for onshore wind farms in Argyll and Bute would have on the landscape, quality of life and tourism in the area if implemented.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Each application fora wind farm is determined on its own merits. Scottish Planning Policy 6 RenewableEnergy provides that consideration should include a wide range of factors includingimpacts on landscape, communities and tourism, and cumulative impacts of ot…

24 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with the number and scale of applications for onshore wind farms in Argyll and Bute.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: There are no localtargets for onshore wind farm developments. Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) 6, RenewableEnergy confirms that the target for the percentage of Scotland’s electricity tobe generated from renewable sources should not be regarded as a cap.</p><p>…

22 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why student representatives are not part of the membership of the Joint Future Thinking Taskforce on Universities.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: A wide ranging review which mighttake years to produce results is not appropriate in this case. Membership of thetaskforce has deliberately been restricted to the government, university principalsand the chair of the Scottish Funding Council to ensure a short…

22 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Joint Future Thinking Taskforce on Universities will consider the use of student contributions towards university funding.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The government is firmly committed to access to higher education being based on the ability to learn rather than the ability to pay. The issue of student contributions is excluded from the scope of the taskforce.</p>

22 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Joint Future Thinking Taskforce on Universities will consider university funding.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Yes. The taskforce will consider university funding.</p>

22 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when and to whom the Joint Future Thinking Taskforce on Universities will report.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The intention is for the finalmeeting of the taskforce to take place in June. The taskforce will report as soonas is feasible after that meeting. I expect the outcomes to be reported to the ScottishGovernment’s Cabinet, amongst others and I would also expect …

22 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether minutes will be published of meetings of the Joint Future Thinking Taskforce on Universities.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: There are currently no plansto publish minutes of the meetings of the Taskforce. The taskforce is making communicationof progress a high priority and will consider how best to achieve this as the exercisemoves forward.</p>

22 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit is of the Joint Future Thinking Taskforce on Universities.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The taskforce will consider:</p><p>Howto optimise and shape the contribution which the Scottish university sector canmake during the next 20 years to the Scottish economy, to Scottish culture and societyand to the political priorities of the Scottish Governme…

14 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007, whether it will publish an update to The Scottish Executive's Expenditure: Comparative Trends: 1996-97 - 2005-06 published in 2004, to provide comparable spending data in real terms, broken down by department to level 2 figures.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government hasno plans to update the comparative trends data. The comparative trend datamerely provided an indication of trends in expenditure over an arbitrary 10year period and was flawed due to the complication of the introduction ofResource A…

14 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-24534 by Tom McCabe on 21 April 2006, whether it will publish comparative data on total managed expenditure in real terms for each year from 1996-97 to 2010-11, broken down by department.

Answer · John Swinney: The information is shown in thefollowing table. It should be noted that there will be slight differences from thedata provided in the response to question S2W-24534 mainly as a result of the ScottishGovernment restructuring last year and the rebasing of real …

14 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much per head has been spent on (a) health, (b) school education, (c) justice and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, (d) transport and (e) enterprise and lifelong learning in each of the last 10 years.

Answer · John Swinney: The informationrequested is set out in the following tables:</p><p>(a) Spend perHead on Health (£)</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td valign=bottom> <p align=center>1997-98</p> </td> <td valign=bottom> <p align=center>1998-99</p> <…

20 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether dualling the A9 will be its number one road priority in 2008.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: In answering the manyparliamentary questions about upgrading the A9 in this parliamentary session wehave made it clear that we are committed to investing progressively in the A9 ona continuing and long-term basis. During 2008-09 work is scheduled to start on …

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its concordat with COSLA will mean for individual school budgets.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The new concordat betweenthe Scottish Government and local government provides total funding of £34.8 billionto local authorities 2008-11, an increase of 12.9% across the three yearperiod. It will remove much of the ring-fencing which previously constrainedlo…

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its targets for efficiency savings in the public sector will lead to redundancies among teachers.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Provided a local authority signsa single outcome agreement with the Scottish Government they will be able to retainefficiency savings. The local government finance settlement provides sufficientfunding for local authorities to broadly maintain current teacher…

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its local government funding settlement will lead to redundancies among teachers.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The staffing of schools is amatter for individual local authorities but the terms of the concordat and the localgovernment finance settlement will allow local authorities to broadly retain teachernumbers at current levels.</p>

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact its concordat with COSLA will have on teacher numbers.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The terms of the concordat andthe local government finance settlement will allow local authorities to broadlyretain teacher numbers at current levels.</p>

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it issues any guidance to NHS boards in respect of women who have suffered miscarriages being placed in maternity wards with women giving birth.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is committedto constantly improving care provision, and the Framework for Maternity Servicesin Scotland and Expert Group on Acute Maternity Services (EGAMS)set out clear ways for this to be achieved. Principle 3 of the Framework states…

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on women who have suffered miscarriages being placed in maternity wards with women giving birth.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is committedto constantly improving care provision, and the Framework for Maternity Servicesin Scotland and Expert Group on Acute Maternity Services (EGAMS)set out clear ways for this to be achieved. Principle 3 of the framework states…

11 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent in Scotland on fixed capital formation in each year since 1995, expressed in (a) real and (b) cash terms and what information it has on how this compares with expenditure in (i) England, (ii) Wales and (iii) Northern Ireland over the same period.

Answer · John Swinney: The amount of “fixed capitalformation” by the Scottish Executive is published annually in notes 5 and 6 of theConsolidated Accounts. Expenditure on other fixed capital formation in Scotlandis undertaken by a wide range of bodies including local authorities wh…

6 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that there are sufficient occupational therapists.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS boards are responsiblefor designing the models of service they require and ensuring the staffing resourceto deliver that and meet the needs of their population.</p><p>Occupationaltherapy recruitment is a matter for individual health boards.</p><p>Board wo…

6 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many occupational therapists there are in each NHS board.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Information on staffemployed in NHSScotland is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website underWorkforce Statistics at <a href="http://www.isdscotland.org/workforce">www.isdscotland.org/workforce</a>.</p><p>Section F gives detailsof therapeutic, heal…

6 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to increase the funding available for occupational therapy services.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: All NHS boards receivean annual allocation of funds. Each board’s allocation will be increased in eachyear of the spending review period. It is for each NHS board to decide how bestto utilise these funds to meet the health care needs of its resident populati…

6 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what each NHS board’s budget for occupational therapy services has been in each of the last five years.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: No specific budgethas been allocated to NHS boards for occupational therapy services. All NHSboards receive an annual allocation of funds. It is for each board to decide howbest to utilise these funds to meet the health care needs of its resident population,i…

4 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual GDP growth rate for Scotland has been in each year since 1970 and what information it has on the rates for (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Northern Ireland and (d) the United Kingdom over the same period.

Answer · John Swinney: Table 1 shows the annual GDPgrowth rates for Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole from 1970 onwards. Nocomparable figures exist for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.</p><p>Table 1: Gross Domestic Productat Constant Basic Prices for Scotland and the …

4 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many pupils attended state schools in each year since 1990.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The information isavailable on the government website at the following link <ahref="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/School-Education/PupilTeacherHistoric">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/School-Education/PupilTeacherHis…

4 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on school education in each year since 1990, broken down into (a) local authority spending and (b) central government grants.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The questionraises two different concepts: spend on school education and how this spend isfunded. The following table outlines (a) gross revenue expenditure on schooleducation by local authorities and (b) central government grants for schooleducation (which e…

15 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has paid to LGBT Youth Scotland in each year since 1999.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Executivehas not given core funding to LGBT Youth Scotland, nor does it fund campaigningactivity. Grant Funding awarded to LGBT Youth Scotland has been time limited projectfunding for specific pieces of work relating mainly to community engagemen…

15 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has paid to the Equality Network in each year since 1999.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Executivehas not given core funding to Equality Network, nor does it fund campaigning activity.Grant Funding awarded to Equality Network has been time limited project fundingfor specific pieces of work relating mainly to consultation and engageme…

2 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has paid to Stonewall in each year since 1999.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Governmenthas not given core funding to Stonewall Scotland, nor does it fund campaigning activity. Grant Funding awarded toStonewall Scotland has been time limited project funding for specific pieces ofwork relating mainly to inclusion in health …

2 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has paid to the Scottish Inter-Faith Council in each year since 1999.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The ScottishInterfaith Council has received funding from the Scottish Government in eachyear since 1999 as detailed in the following table. </p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td valign=top> <p>Year</p> </td> <td valign=top> <p align=…