Richard Baker

28 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals in Grampian applied for a firearms licence from 2002 to 2007, broken down into those that were (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The information requested is published in table 2 of the National Statistics publication series <i >Firearm Certificates Statistics, Scotland</i>. The Bib. numbers of the 2002 to 2007 publications are 29674, 32867, 36509, 39665, 42793 and 45751 respectively.<…

28 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many calls Grampian Police responded to from 2002 to 2007 where the incident was due to excessive noise.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: This information is not held centrally. The Grampian police force or local authorities may be able to give you some information about such incidents.</p>

20 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it now expects new schools in Aberdeenshire to be built, given that new funding mechanisms are being made available for public sector capital projects.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Aberdeenshire Council has responsibility for the provision and maintenance of school buildings in its area. Questions regarding the timing of particular construction projects and how they funded are matters for the council.</p>

20 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it now expects the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route to be completed.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Subject to the satisfactory completion of the statutory procedures, it is expected that the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route will be open to traffic by the end of 2012.</p>

20 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, following its announcement of new options for funding public sector capital projects, how the new school buildings proposed in Aberdeenshire will be funded and whether they have been deemed suitable to be funded through the Scottish Futures Trust.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government announced on 20 May the publication of the strategic business case for the Scottish Futures Trust initiative to be supported by a new company established in the public sector. The trust company will be formed this summer and will work …

20 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, following its announcement of new options for funding public sector capital projects, how the Aberdeen Western Peripheral route will now be funded and whether it has been deemed suitable to be funded through the Scottish Futures Trust.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson : I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-12795 on 22 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/wa…

14 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will next meet NESTRANS to discuss the future of the Aberdeen Crossrail project.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: We have no plans to meet with NESTRANS to discuss Aberdeen Crossrail.</p>

14 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce timescales for progress on the Aberdeen Crossrail project.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The longer term needs of Scotland''s nationally strategic transport corridors, which includes the Aberdeen urban network, are being considered through the strategic transport projects review.</p>

12 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what dialogue it has had with Aberdeen City Council over its school closure programme.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning and I agreed to meet with elected representatives and officials of Aberdeen City Council on 16 January 2008. The agenda for the meeting, which was set by the council, included a range of education item…

12 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve public transport infrastructure in rural areas across Grampian.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The provision of public transport infrastructure in rural Grampian is a matter for NESTRANS and the local councils. Projects recently completed include the new Bus Station in Aberdeen (for rural services), Quality Bus corridors on the Stonehaven, Banchory and…

15 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many random drug tests were carried out by police officers in Grampian and Tayside from 2002 to 2007 as a result of existing policy and, of those, how many showed a positive result.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This information is not held centrally. Operational matters are the responsibility of the relevant chief constable.</p>

25 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the public local inquiry into the route of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route will begin.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-11309 on 23 April 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/webap…

25 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce the timescale for the public local inquiry into the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: A pre-inquiry meeting will be held which will set the timescale for the public local inquiry. It has been announced that the pre-inquiry meeting will be held on 13 May 2008.</p>

25 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much each local authority did not receive but was due from outstanding parking fines in (a) 2002-03, (b) 2003-04, (c) 2004-05, (d) 2005-06 and (e) 2006-07.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The requested information is not held centrally.</p>

25 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to encourage recruitment of nursery staff in Angus.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Recruitment of nursery staff is the responsibility of employers and not the Scottish Government. We are however, developing an improved qualifications structure and framework to support the continuing professional development of all early years and child care…

20 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much each local authority received from parking fines in (a) 2002-03, (b) 2003-04, (c) 2004-05, (d) 2005-06 and (e) 2006-07.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: In local authority areas where decriminalised parking enforcement (DPE) has been introduced, any income accrued from penalty charge notices in respect of parking offences is retained by the council.</p> <p >DPE was introduced in the City of Edinburgh, Glasgo…

20 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many underage drivers were prosecuted in each police force area in (a) 2002, (b) 2003, (c) 2004, (d) 2005, (e) 2006 and (f) 2007.

Answer · Elish Angiolini: The following table shows the number of charges of underage driving prosecuted in each police force area in each of the last five years. In addition, a total of 911 charges (or 35 per cent of those reported) were referred by Procurators Fiscal to the Children…

20 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will meet representatives of Network Rail to discuss its timetable of engineering works, in light of plans revealed for works to take place on Scottish routes over the Easter holiday weekend.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I meet regularly with Network Rail to discuss progress on the portfolio of rail projects.</p> <p >I am pleased to note that the engineering works carried out in Scotland over the Easter weekend were completed on time.</p>

20 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking with police forces to deal with the conduct of parents whose children are caught underage drinking.

Answer · Shona Robison: This is an operational matter for chief constables. Whilst specific procedures vary across each force, the interests of the child are always paramount and every effort is made to support parental responsibility. At a strategic level, we are developing a longe…

20 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints against the NHS resulted in compensation being claimed in (a) 2002, (b) 2003, (c) 2004, (d) 2005, (e) 2006 and (f) 2007, broken down by NHS board and also showing the amounts of compensation paid.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-11176 on 14 April 2008, in relation to annual statistical information on complaints made under the NHS Complaints Procedure.</p> <p >Information on the number of complaints which resulted in compensation is n…

20 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints against the NHS were made in (a) 2002, (b) 2003, (c) 2004, (d) 2005, (e) 2006 and (f) 2007, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-11097 on 28 March 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…

20 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints against the police resulted in compensation being claimed in (a) 2002, (b) 2003, (c) 2004, (d) 2005, (e) 2006 and (f) 2007, broken down by force and also showing the amounts of compensation paid.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This information is not held centrally.</p>

20 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints against the police were made in (a) 2002, (b) 2003, (c) 2004, (d) 2005, (e) 2006 and (f) 2007, broken down by force.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Audit Scotland website stores this information centrally at: </p> <p ><a href="http://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/performance/police/">http://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/performance/police/</a>. </p> <p >The following table shows the breakdown of complaints…

20 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been set aside in the current spending review to fund nursery teachers.

Answer · Adam Ingram: For the spending review period 2008-11, most of the funding provided to local authorities will be absorbed into the local government finance settlement to give local authorities more freedom and more flexibility to meet both local needs and the national outco…

20 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to protect disabled groups in Aberdeen whose funding will be reduced or lost as a result of local authority proposals.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell:  Aberdeen spent almost £50 million more than it had budgeted for during 2002-07. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth is due to meet the leader and deputy leader of the council on Wednesday 23 April 2008 to discuss Aberdeen''s financial po…

18 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its response to the submissions received to its consultation on the proposed Scottish Futures Trust.

Answer · John Swinney: The responses to the consultation exercise, which closed on 14 March 2008, will be made available within 20 days as set out in the consultation paper. The responses are now being analysed and will be taken fully into account in decisions to be made by the Ca…

14 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents involving police there were where cannabis was confiscated during a routine search in each year from 2002 to 2007, broken down by police force area.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Information on incidents involving police where cannabis was confiscated as a result of a routine search is not held centrally. However, data on all cannabis-related seizures is available in the following publications. All of the following publications have b…

14 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents involving police there were where alcohol was confiscated from youths in each year from 2002 to 2007, broken down by police force area.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The available information is given in the following table, which shows all offences recorded under section 61 of the Crime and Punishment (Scotland) Act 1997.</p> <p >The police have powers under section 61 of the Crime and Punishment (Scotland) Act 1997 to…

11 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that appropriate expertise is retained in deer management if it proceeds with its plans to abolish the Deer Commission for Scotland.

Answer · Michael Russell: I have recently met with the Chair and members of the Board of the Deer Commission for Scotland to discuss the proposals.</p> <p >We will seek to maintain business continuity in any approach to merging the functions of the Deer Commission for Scotland with S…

11 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many delayed discharges there have been in (a) Grampian and (b) Tayside since 2005.

Answer · Shona Robison: The requested information is shown in the following table:</p> <p >Patients Ready for Discharge</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=99 rowspan=3 valign=top > <p align=center >&nbsp;</p> </td> <td width…