Parliamentary questions

Rob Gibson

971 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

27 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Royal Mail to produce a set of postage stamps to celebrate the Year of Highland Culture 2007.

Answer · Frank McAveety: The Highland Year of Culture2007 project team is looking at a range of programming and other options tocelebrate the occasion. The member’s suggestion will be forwarded to the teamfor consideration.

27 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Secretary of State for Scotland and Royal Mail to promote future issues of postage stamps that celebrate Scottish themes.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The UK Government has giventhe responsibility for selecting topics for special stamps to Royal Mail. Thedecision is regarded as a matter for Royal Mail to make on a commercial basissubject to advice from the Stamp Advisory Committee. Royal Mail has informedth…

27 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussions with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs about the implications of growing GM mai'e in Scotland.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive has regular contact with Defra on a range of issues, including GMcrops.

27 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to instigate a statutory coexistence and liability regime if authorised GM crops were to be grown commercially in England but not in Scotland.

Answer · Allan Wilson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-5789 on 10 February 2004.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/w…

27 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the precautionary principle would be applied in Scotland if authorised GM crops were to be grown commercially in England.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The precautionary principleis integral to EU Directive 2001/18 which governs the deliberate release ofGMOs. No GMO will receive consent under Directive 2001/18 if there issubstantiated evidence that it would be harmful to human health, animal healthor the env…

14 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what sources and quantities of organic food pellets are available for the farmed salmon industry, shown also as a proportion of total feed used in Scottish salmon farms, in each year since 2000.

Answer · Allan Wilson: This is a matter forindustry bodies, such as the UK Agriculture Supply Trades Association. Theinformation requested is not held centrally.

14 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what health checks it has made of ingredients in approved food pellets for farmed salmon.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Food Standards Agency (Scotland) isnow responsible for the regulation of animal feeding stuffs in Scotland.Trading standards officers within each local authority enforce theseregulations which includes sampling of animal feeding stuffs for dioxins andPCBs…

7 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what input NHS Scotland has had to the development of NHS Digital TV.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHS Digital TV is a departmentof Health initiative in England led by NHS Direct. NHS 24 is currently indiscussions with NHS Direct on how the Digital TV service will be developed,including the development of a separate Scottish section.

7 Jan 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what areas will benefit from the launch of NHS Digital TV next summer.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHS Direct Digital TV willbe rolled out in summer 2004. The service will be available to everyone in the UK whosubscribes to digital TV.

19 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many full-time equivalent vacant GP posts there are in the Highland NHS board area, expressed also as a percentage of all full-time equivalent GP posts.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The most recent information availableis shown in the following table.Unrestricted PrincipalEquivalents (UPEs) 1 in Highland Health Board: As at 1 October 2003P<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td co…

18 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has held with the Crown Estate Commission concerning the role of udal law in giving a right of access for potential users in Shetland and Orkney to the sea area above the low water mark.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The ScottishExecutive have not had discussions with the Crown Estate Commission on thismatter.

18 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to seek the diversion for use in Scotland of current Crown Estate Commission income raised from Scottish sources.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive has no plansto seek the diversion of current Crown Estate Commission income raised fromScottish sources, as the use of income raised by the Crown Estate is a reservedmatter.

18 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the level of rents to be paid to the Crown Estate Commission for the installation and maintenance of underwater power cables to carry electricity from (a) Shetland, (b) the Western Isles and (c) Orkney to the mainland grid.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: We have no information on thelevels of rents, which are a commercial matter between the Crown Estate Commissionand the developers.

18 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had since 1999 with the Crown Estate Commission regarding the subjects it has selected for research funded by the commission into seabed, inshore and foreshore matters.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Until recently the Executivewas represented on the Crown Estate’s Fish Farming Research Committee (CEFFRC).The Committee enabled stakeholders to direct available funds to aquacultureresearch. The CEFFRC has since been superseded by the Scottish AquacultureRes…

18 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to speed the transfer of regulatory powers of the Crown Estate Commission to local authorities.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: No regulatory powers are beingtransferred from the Crown Estate to local authorities.However, the Executive iscurrently taking forward work on the extension of planning controls to covermarine fish farming. There will not be a formal transfer of functi…

12 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost is to the NHS of treating victims of road accidents caused by vehicle collisions with deer

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested isnot available from central returns.

12 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for Environment and Rural Affairs has declined the request of the Deer Commission for Scotland for new powers of appropriate compulsion to reduce increasing deer numbers and, if so, for what reasons

Answer · Ross Finnie: We have not ruled out futureupdating of deer legislation in Scotland to improve effective management and welfare. However,the Executive is yet to be convinced that existing compulsory powers will notwork particularly when underpinned by robust, sound evidence…

12 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the financial impact of the increase in deer numbers on farms, crofts and gardens.

Answer · Ross Finnie: None.Under current legislation, landmanagers have powers to deal direct at all times with incursions of deer ontoarable land, improved pasture or enclosed woodlands where the occupier believesthat serious damage will be caused to woodland, crops, pastu…

12 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is promoting NHS consultant contracts that provide cross-NHS board solutions to meet patients' needs.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Yes. The new consultants’contract, through the job planning process, provides the opportunity forNHSScotland to deliver more efficient and effective ways of working and to putin place service re-design that will deliver better services to patients andallow fo…

3 Dec 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent progress has been made in the transfer of the regulatory powers of the Crown Estate Commission in Scotland to the Executive.

Answer · Margaret Curran: No regulatorypowers are being transferred from the Crown Estate to the Scottish Executive.

25 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what work has been carried out by the Scottish Enterprise Community Land Unit since its inception.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The main thrust of ScottishEnterprise’s (SE) activity in relation to community land acquisition and/ordevelopment is related to the New Opportunities Fund Scottish Land Fund(NOFSLF) which is administered by a joint Scottish Enterprise/Highlands andIslands Ent…

24 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3077 by Ross Finnie on 21 November 2003, whether increased travel time and costs adversely affected the savings achieved through setting a lower hourly rate for the meat hygiene service for official veterinary surgeons in Scotland.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The savings of 12.5% are netsavings based on an hourly rate which allows for an element of travel costs tobe included. Official veterinary surgeons are paid only for the hours spent at plant.

14 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has investigated whether there are any links between members of the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment and their recent employment with, or use of research funding from, GM companies.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The chair and members of theAdvisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) are appointed in linewith the Commissioner for Public Appointments “Code of Practice for the MinisterialAppointments to Public Bodies”. ACRE is an independent and technical c…

14 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much public expenditure has been committed to research into the safety of GM crops.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Public expenditure is usedto fund academic research into genetically modified organisms but it is notfeasible to identify the sum spent on research directly related to the safetyof GM crops.

6 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the environmental factors that were taken into account when the Dounreay area was ruled out by NIREX in the 1980s as a possible site for long-term nuclear waste storage.

Answer · Ross Finnie: This is a matter for Nirex.Details of Nirex’s publications are available on its website at: <ahref="http://www.nirex.co.uk/">http://www.nirex.co.uk/</a>.

3 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to extend the remit of the Caledonian MacBrayne Users Committee Scotland to include passengers on NorthLink ferries.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: We are currently consideringnew arrangements for future consultation with ferry users following a publicconsultation exercise carried out last year. I expect to make an announcement shortlyon future arrangements, including those covering ferry services provid…

8 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the fourth supplementary question to question S2O-536 by Mrs Mary Mulligan on 2 October 2003, whether it will provide an explanation of the "issues around competition between private and public housing" (Official Report, col 2338).

Answer · Mary Mulligan: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-3261 on 3 November 2003.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/we…

8 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the fourth supplementary question to question S2O-536 by Mrs Mary Mulligan on 2 October 2003, whether it will clarify the statement that "if we can resolve the issue through planning guidance, we will do so" (Official Report, col 2338) in regard to 'oning land sp…

Answer · Mary Mulligan: Current planning guidance onland for housing is contained in Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) 3 Land forHousing, published in February 2003.We will publish further good practice advice on how the planning systemcan contribute to affordable housing…

2 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost savings were to the Meat Hygiene Service following the 2002 tender procedure for veterinarian services in Scotland.

Answer · Ross Finnie: As a result of the 2002re-tendering exercise the average hourly rate charged to the meat hygiene servicefor official veterinary surgeons in Scotland reduced by 12.5%.

1 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the levels of market incentive for wave energy projects such as Ocean Power Delivery Ltd's Pelamis project being offered by other countries such as Portugal.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Renewable energy generatorsin Portugal are guaranteed access to the grid, with utilitiesobliged to pay a guaranteed tariff for renewable output. For the first 20MegaWatts of installed wave capacity built, developers can expect a price of 23Eurocents or 14.5 p…