Parliamentary questions
Ms Rosemary Byrne
600 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
19 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support is given to farmers to prevent the shooting of male dairy calves shortly after birth.
Answer · Ross Finnie: There is no financial supportgiven to farmers to prevent the shooting of male dairy calves. This is a commercialdecision made by farmers where there is no market for the calves.</p>
19 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is in respect of the shooting of male dairy calves soon after birth.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Where male dairy calves havelittle or no value, farmers may make a commercial decision that they should be destroyedshortly after birth. This is legal provided that the operation is conducted in ahumane manner and does not cause unnecessary suffering or unnec…
19 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is in respect of the export of live calves.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Executive would prefer tosee an export trade in carcases. If, however, calves are exported, they must betransported in accordance with the Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order 1997, whichsets down minimum standards and maximum journey times.</p>
27 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ban all nut products and products containing nut traces from school meals.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive currentlyhas no plans to ban nut products or products containing nuts from schools. However,the Scottish Executive is committed to ensuring that schools and education authoritiesare aware of, and implement, measures to protect pupils fr…
27 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice is given to local authority meal providers in respect of nut allergies.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Food Standards Agency (FSA)is the central competent authority for food safety and standards. Local authorityenvironmental health services in Scotland are in a position to provide allergy adviceto local authority meal providers. The FSA Scotland provides u…
23 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is regarding the allocation of funds confiscated by the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency.
Answer · Hugh Henry: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-24644 on 11 April 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.…
23 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive where funds confiscated by the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency since its inception have been allocated.
Answer · Hugh Henry: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-24644 on 11 April 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.…
23 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been confiscated from drug dealers by the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency since its inception.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Scottish Drug EnforcementAgency (SDEA) has not confiscated any criminal assets. The role of SDEA is to identifyand report to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service assets for potentialconfiscation.</p><p>To date three initiatives havebenefited fro…
17 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Dumfries & Galloway Elderly Forum is represented on the on Ageing Population Strategy Advisory Group and, if not, why it is not so represented.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Dumfries and Galloway Elderly Forum is not represented on theAdvisory Group for the Strategy for a Scotland with an Ageing Population. The advisory group neededto draw together a wide range of skills, experience and interests from across Scottishsociety, and …
17 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria were used in setting up the Ageing Population Strategy Advisory Group.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The members of the Advisory Groupfor the Strategy for a Scotland with an Ageing Population were selected on the basisof the range of skills and experience they could bring, along with the perspectivesof different sectors of Scottish society.</p>
17 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to support local authorities in the regeneration of high streets.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive’s RegenerationPolicy Statement sets out a range of actions which, as they are taken forward, willhelp local authorities and others take forward regeneration projects. This complements<i>National Planning Policy Guideline 8: Town Centres and Reta…
17 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to support small high street businesses facing loss of business as a result of supermarket developments.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Office of Fair Trading (OFT)is currently consulting on a proposal to refer the market for the supply ofgroceries by retailers in the UK to the Competition Commission for a marketinvestigation. The issues identified by OFT as potentially distortingcompetit…
16 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to produce a protocol for foster carers.
Answer · Robert Brown: We have no plans to producea protocol for foster carers.</p>
16 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to spend the underspend in its foster care budget.
Answer · Robert Brown: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-23427 on 1 March 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can befound at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.s…
16 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in increasing the number of foster carers across Scotland.
Answer · Robert Brown: We are providing anadditional £12 million funding to local authorities over two years to enablethem to improve recruitment and retention of foster carers, and to increaseplacement choice. We will receive the first progress reports from localauthorities in Jul…
14 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been allocated to proposed plants for sewage sludge burning in each year since 1999.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The disposal of sewage sludgeis an operational matter for Scottish Water. I have asked the Chief Executive to reply to you directly.</p>
14 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated energy production levels are from burning sewage sludge.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Information about thecalorific value of sewage sludge is available in the <i>Strategic EnvironmentalAssessment of the Draft National Sludge Strategy</i> published on ScottishWater’s website <a href="http://www.scottishwater.co.uk/">http://www.scottishwater.co…
14 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what environmental impact assessments have been carried out at sites earmarked for sewage sludge burning.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive doesnot incinerate sewage sludge, and does not earmark sites for this activity.Environmental impact assessments at such sites are a matter for the planning system,in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment (Scotland)Regulati…
14 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what transport impact studies have been undertaken at sites earmarked for sewage sludge burning.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive doesnot incinerate sewage sludge, and does not earmark sites for this activity.Transport impact is a matter for planning authorities considering individualapplications.</p>
14 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what environmental safeguards are put in place when sewage sludge is proposed to be burnt.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Any proposals to burn sewagesludge must meet the conditions of the appropriate environmental permission.What that permission, and those conditions, should be in the case of anyindividual application is a matter for the Scottish Environment ProtectionAgency. A…
14 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive in what locations planning permission has been given for the burning of sewage sludge.
Answer · Ross Finnie: This is a matter forScottish Water and its contractors, and for planning authorities. The informationis not held centrally.</p>
23 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many dentists recruited from overseas are currently working in each NHS board area.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-23432 on 8 March 2006.</p>
23 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many dentists have been recruited from overseas in the last seven years.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This information is not held centrally as NHS boards have powers to recruit directly from overseas on their behalf.</p> <p>However, the Executive has recently worked in conjunction with NHS boards who expressed an interest in employing dentists recruited fr…
23 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is in respect of providing funding to private companies to establish dental practices.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Only dentists and dental bodies corporate whose names are included on the relevant registers of the General Dental Council may own and run dental practices in the UK. These are independent private businesses in the main although some dentists are directly emp…
16 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support and guidance is given to local authorities to ensure the availability of appropriate supported accommodation for vulnerable adults.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executiveprovided investment of £1.2 billion in housing support services over three yearsin the spending review 2004 to support vulnerable people from the Supporting People programme. A further £50 million per annum is provided over the same peri…
16 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what safeguards are put in place to ensure that vulnerable adults are placed in appropriate supported accommodation.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive provides significant resources to local authorities for the support of vulnerable adults. Local authorities are best placed to determine local needs and to secure the care services required by vulnerable adults in their area. Care servi…
2 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support will be given to local authorities to continue employing social workers whose jobs may be lost as a result of the reduction in Supporting People funding.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: It is up to local authorities to decide what housing support services they provide and how many staff are employed, but they are free to draw in resources from other budgets locally as they judge best.</p> <p>Local authorities have been asked to review all ho…
2 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to continue to support the most vulnerable people in our communities following the reduction in Supporting People funding.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Investment of £1.2 billion over three years in Supporting People funding confirms the Scottish Executive’s continuing commitment to help vulnerable people sustain tenancies and maintain independent living. However, evidence from reviews of Supporting People i…
2 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many newly qualified social workers have been employed in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Robert Brown: This is a matter for individual employers. The information requested is not collected centrally.</p>
2 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact on the service to users will be of the reductions in 2005-06 and 2006-07 in Supporting People funding to local authorities.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Local authorities in Scotland are performing service reviews of all services provided under the Supporting People programme and all services reviews are to be completed by March 2007. The Scottish Executive believes that significant efficiencies are achievabl…