Parliamentary questions
Ms Rosemary Byrne
600 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
3 Jun 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what provision is made to allow fire and rescue services to access rivers, lochs and other waterways for the purpose of specialist rescue training, both initial and ongoing, at local venues.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Fire (Scotland) Act2005 confers a range of powers and duties on Fire and Rescue Authorities, includinga power to respond to non-fire situations which may cause death or injury. Not allthe Fire and Rescue Authorities have a declared water rescue capability…
30 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the perimeter fence to be erected around Holyrood during the G8 summit is considered necessary when the parliament building already has a blast wall and other counter-terrorist features.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Operational decisions on thesecurity of the Holyrood site are the responsibility of the Chief Constable of Lothianand Borders Police.</p>
30 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive who will pay the costs associated with the perimeter fence to be erected around Holyrood during the G8 summit.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The UK Government and the ScottishExecutive have already announced that additional funding will be made availableto help meet the agreed additional policing costs incurred in connection with thisyear’s G8 summit.</p>
30 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on whose advice the decision to erect a perimeter fence around Holyrood during the G8 summit was taken.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Operational decisions on thesecurity of the Holyrood site are the responsibility of the Chief Constable of Lothianand Borders Police.</p>
20 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria local authorities apply in deciding whether renovation or new build is appropriate in PPP school projects.
Answer · Peter Peacock: This is a matter for individual local authorities in the light of the circumstances of each school under consideration, including its condition, suitability, the nature of the site, and affordability and value for money issues.</p>
20 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what safeguards are in place to ensure that PPP school building projects are driven by local authority requirements rather than private sector requirements.
Answer · Peter Peacock: It is for local authorities to take appropriate measures to ensure that any PPP contracts they enter into meet their requirements. They will specify to potential private sector partners what those requirements are, and there is ample opportunity during the pr…
20 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what single bid contracts for PPP schools have been let.
Answer · Peter Peacock: No such contracts have been entered into.</p>
19 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of repairing any damage to pavements, roads and outside walls will be as a result of the erection of the perimeter fence around Holyrood during the G8 summit.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Lothian and Borders Police do not anticipate any such damage and therefore do not anticipate any additional costs.</p>
19 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the costs will be of dismantling the perimeter fence to be erected around Holyrood during the G8 summit.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Lothian and Borders Police have yet to award the contract for erecting the perimeter fence around Holyrood. We would expect the total cost of the work to include dismantling the fence.</p>
19 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost will be of erecting the perimeter fence around Holyrood during the G8 summit.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Lothian and Borders Police have yet to award the contract for the work. Accordingly, it is not possible to provide an estimate of the cost of erecting the perimeter fence.</p>
19 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government regarding the impact on biological alternative products of the Pesticide Safety Directorate's requirement for a product to demonstrate a certain level of efficacy against a pest or disease.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has held no such discussions.</p>
19 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government regarding the regulation of pesticides by the Pesticide Safety Directorate and, in particular, the impact on biological alternative products of the directorate's commitment to achieving full cost recovery from industry.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Officials from the Scottish Executive, Environment and Rural Affairs Department regularly discuss matters of pesticide regulation with their counterparts in the Pesticides Safety Directorate.</p> <p>Under the full cost recovery policy operated by the Pesticid…
22 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support is available to graduates undertaking postgraduate training.
Answer · Jim Wallace: While most post-graduate students will have received student support as of right during their undergraduate studies, direct Government-funded support at the post-graduate level has always been highly selective. Current funding arrangements are geared towards …
21 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has undertaken into the possible health hazards associated with pesticide use.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD) takes the UK lead in the regulation of Plant Protection Products. PSD spends around 5.7 million pounds each year on research which includes developing better ways to assess and manage risks arising from pesticide use. T…
21 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce measures to reduce pesticide use.
Answer · Ross Finnie: There is a long-standing policy of minimising the use of pesticides in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK by encouraging farmers and others to use pesticides in ways that will have the least adverse impact. The latest development in this policy is a draft strat…
21 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce mandatory sprayer testing and operator registration in the use of pesticides.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Regular checking of sprayers and operators makes sense from both an environmental protection and an economic viewpoint. The farming industry’s Voluntary Initiative on Pesticides includes a National Sprayer Testing Scheme and the National Register of Sprayer O…
21 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to legislate on the amenity use of pesticides.
Answer · Ross Finnie: All pesticides, including those used in amenity situations such as landscape, sports turf, highways and parks sectors, are subject to strict regulatory control and must be approved before they can be marketed or used in Scotland or elsewhere in the UK.</p> <p…
21 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce a national pesticides strategy.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has no plans to issue a separate national pesticides strategy as it has been actively involved in the drafting of the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs-led national strategy for the sustainable use of plant protection pr…
15 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support all NHS boards in setting up dual diagnosis teams to treat people with alcohol or drug misuse and mental health problems.
Answer · Hugh Henry: It is the responsibility of NHS boards and their partners to plan and provide services for people with alcohol, drug and mental health problems according to local priorities and circumstances. The Scottish Executive published a report, <i>Mind the Gaps: Meeti…
15 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in improving provision for treatment and support for children and young people with mental health problems.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: There is a range of activityunderway to improve provision for treatment and support for children and young peoplewith mental health problems.</p><p>The Scottish Executive has consulted on a draft framework for children and young people’s mentalhealth promotio…
15 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children have been referred to children's hearings in each of the last six years as a result of their parents' inability to care for them due to substance misuse.
Answer · Euan Robson: Children are referred to the Children’s Reporter on the basis of grounds contained within section 52 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995, for example parental neglect, not on the factors which underlie the referral. Data on parental substance abuse is therefo…
13 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what levels of funding have been made available for (a) research, (b) product quality, (c) development of new products and manufacturing methods, (d) environmental sustainability and (e) comparative studies of products in respect of organic farming and traditional farming respectively in …
Answer · Ross Finnie: The levels of funding which have been made available by the Scottish Executive in respect of organic farming and traditional farming in the respective areas questioned in each of the last five years is as follows:</p> <p>(a) Research including (e) Comparative…
13 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has introduced to harmonise experimental methods, control procedures, supervision and authorisation of producers in respect of organic farming.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Organic Products Regulations 2004 which are applied throughout the United Kingdom provide for the continued administration, execution and enforcement of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2092/91 on organic production of agricultural products.</p> <p>The Depart…
13 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has introduced to ensure the use of the European Commission organic logo in Scotland.
Answer · Ross Finnie: In March 2000 the European Commission introduced a logo through Commission Regulation (EC) 331/2000 bearing the words “Organic Farming – EC Control System” to be used on a voluntary basis by producers whose systems and products have been found on inspection t…
13 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has introduced to ensure the traceability and authenticity of organic farming products.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Organic Products Regulations 2004 which are applied throughout the United Kingdom provide for the continued administration, execution and enforcement of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2092/91 on organic production of agricultural products.</p> <p>The Depart…
13 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has introduced to ensure that the Common Agricultural Policy assists in the development of organic farming.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Organic Aid Scheme,which is an accompanying measure to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP),encourages the development of organic farming. In 2004, the Scottish Executiveincreased the payment rates available to farmers under this scheme forconverting to o…
13 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has introduced to encourage exchanges of technical information between farmers with regard to organic farming.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Executive provides funding in the region of £234,000 per annum for the Scottish Agricultural Colleges (SAC) Advisory Activities in support of the Organic Aid Scheme (OAS) and Organic Farming.</p> <p>Executive funding supports: telephone advice (including …
13 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has introduced to target ecologically-sensitive areas with regard to organic farming.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Since 1994, the Scottish Office and Scottish Executive have operated an Organic Aid Scheme (OAS) which is part of the Scottish Rural Development Plan, supporting the conversion of land to organic status. This scheme was introduced as a means of securing the e…
6 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase access to dual diagnosis programmes for those suffering from mental health illness and drug or alcohol misuse.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Scottish Executive published the report <i>Mind the Gaps: Meeting the Needs of People with Co-Occurring Substance Misuse and Mental Health Problems</i> in October 2003. This included advice to agencies on service, planning and quality issues. It is the re…
6 Apr 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what provisions are in place to support drug misusers on completion of prison sentences.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p>At the end of an offender’s sentence a “transitional care” service is offered to support drug-misusing offenders serving sentences of four…