Parliamentary questions
Patrick Harvie
1,454 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
14 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to reduce the incidence of work-related stress in the public sector.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Governmentstrategy in this and related areas was setout in the action plan for health and safety in Scotland,which was published in May and will contribute to theSmart Successful Scotland agenda, a robust strategy to deliver long-term, sustainabl…
10 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the proposed Sentencing of Offences Aggravated by Prejudice (Scotland) Bill.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Living in safe and strong communitiesis an essential part of the Scottish Government’s positive vision for Scotland. Fortoo many people that vision is blurred by the fear of crime and intolerance.</p><p>While good government needs aclear vision it must also d…
9 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with arrangements for applications for prisoner transfer between Scottish and English prisons and whether it has considered making changes to allow prisoners to apply for transfers between England and Scotland under the ordinary transfer system, as they can between…
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>We are not aware of any difficultieswith the framework arrangements for prisoner transfer. Prisoners are normally expectedto serve their sent…
9 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-7536 by Stewart Stevenson on 13 December 2007, under what circumstances it would not be considered appropriate to incorporate the monetary cost of carbon emissions into spending decisions using the government’s new shadow price of carbon guidance.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government is committedto incorporating the monetary cost of carbon emissions into the policy assessmentprocess using the government’s new shadow price of carbon guidance. It may not befeasible or appropriate to incorporate the monetary cost of c…
9 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-7536 by Stewart Stevenson on 13 December 2007, whether it will implement in full the updated shadow price of carbon guidance issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 19 December 2007 in appraisal for all devolved strategies…
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-8273 on 17 January 2008. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…
9 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-7536 by Stewart Stevenson on 13 December 2007, whether it will implement in full the updated shadow price of carbon guidance issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 19 December 2007 in policy appraisal for all devolved pol…
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government is developingguidance, incorporating the government’s new shadow price of carbon, to be usedduring the next budgetary period. This guidance will set out the circumstances underwhich the carbon impacts of future devolved strategies, pla…
5 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what efforts will be made to maximise the use of surface-based transport modes rather than aviation by domestic and European tourists coming to Homecoming Scotland 2009.
Answer · Jim Mather: Visitors to Scotland for Homecoming 2009 will use many different forms of transport to get here. Once in Scotland, VisitScotland encourages visitors to cherish the Scottish environment, and raises awareness of tourism impacts and what can be done to reduce th…
5 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the promotional work for Homecoming Scotland 2009 will focus on domestic and European tourism rather than on increasing the number of visitors who rely on international aviation.
Answer · Jim Mather: VisitScotland''s promotional work for Homecoming Scotland 2009 is focussed on increasing overall tourism revenue from domestic and international tourism, rather than on straightforward visitor numbers. They will seek to measure the net positive difference whi…
5 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it has assessed the level of greenhouse gas emissions expected to be generated by aviation resulting from Homecoming Scotland 2009.
Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government considers that good air links support Scotland''s economy, including the tourism industry. The government has introduced the Scottish Climate Change Bill which sets a target of an 80% cut in Scotland''s greenhouse gas emissions by 2050…
5 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of additional greenhouse gas emissions it expects will be generated by aviation resulting from Homecoming Scotland 2009.
Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government considers that good air links support Scotland''s economy, including the tourism industry. The government has introduced the Scottish Climate Change Bill which sets a target of an 80% cut in Scotland''s greenhouse gas emissions by 2050…
13 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which (a) ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) civil servants have spoken to journalists about the proposed development at the Menie Estate, Aberdeenshire, since September 2007, specifying in each case the relevant media outlets.
Answer · John Swinney: No records are keptof specific conversations between ministers, special advisers and civilservants with the media. However, I can confirm that communications officers onboth the Communications First Minister and Communications Finance desks have respondedto a…
11 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the European Commission has indicated its satisfaction with the extent of EU habitats directive Annex 1 dune habitats proposed for classification as special areas of conservation in (a) Scotland and (b) the United Kingdom as a whole and, if not, what communications it has had with…
Answer · Michael Russell: The Official Journal of theEuropean Union records that on the basis of available information and inaccordance with the criteria for selecting sites (including rangerepresentation at a UK scale), UK representation for dune habitats is satisfactory. Thejournal …
11 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many special areas of conservation contain “decalcified fixed dunes with Empetrum nigrum”; what the total extent of this habitat type is in Scotland, and what proportion of the extent of such habitat type in (a) Scotland and (b) the United Kingdom as a whole is classified as part of a…
Answer · Michael Russell: There are two SACscontaining this habitat type in Scotland (and UK). Figures for the total known UK extentare provided in the table contained in the answer to question S3W-7761 on 15 January 2008. 37.7 hectares (10% of the known UK resource)are designated wit…
11 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the total areas in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland of sand dune habitats of a type listed in Annex 1 of the EU habitats directive and what proportions of these areas are classified as part of a special area of conservation.
Answer · Michael Russell: Information on the totalareas of sand dune habitats is provided in the answer to question S3W-7761 on 15 January 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at </p><p…
11 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many golf courses there are in Scotland; what total area of land such courses occupy; what the total area is of sand dune habitats of a type listed in Annex 1 of the EU habitats directive, and what proportion of this area is classified as part of a special area of conservation.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government doesnot hold information on the number, area and distribution of golf courses in Scotland.</p>
11 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total area is in Scotland of each of the types of dune habitat set out in Annex 1 of the EU habitats directive; what information it has on the total areas of each such habitat in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland, and which of these habitat types are present on the …
Answer · Michael Russell: The information requested isset out in the following table.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td valign=top> <p>Type of Dune Habitat</p> </td> <td valign=top> <p align=center>Area of Extent in Scotland (ha)</p> </td>…
11 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps VisitScotland and Scottish Enterprise Grampian took to comply with sections 1 and 12 of the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 before publicly supporting a development proposal that would adversely affect a site of special scientific interest.
Answer · Jim Mather: This is an operational matterfor VisitScotland and Scottish Enterprise and I have asked their Chief Executives to respond to you directly.</p>
11 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any species or habitat types protected by the EU directive on environmental liability are present within the Foveran Links Site of Special Scientific Interest and, if so, whether it will list each species or type.
Answer · Michael Russell: The natural habitats listedin Annex I of the Habitats Directive and the species listed in Annexes II andIV of the Habitats Directive are (inter alia) included within the definition of“protected species and natural habitats” in the Environmental LiabilityDirec…
11 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers, in the absence of transposition, that the EU directive on environmental liability has direct effect in Scotland.
Answer · Michael Russell: The EU directive onenvironmental liability is addressed to member states and the ScottishGovernment is engaged in the necessary process of consulting stakeholders onits implementation in Scotland. Following an initial consultation last year onprinciples and p…
11 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has transposed the EU directive on environmental liability into Scots Law and, if not, when it expects to do so.
Answer · Michael Russell: The EU directive onenvironmental liability has not yet been transposed into Scots Law, although Iexpect to consult shortly on legislation which will transpose the directivelater in the year.</p><p>Last year’s publicconsultation on principles and policy for tr…
11 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many planning applications have been determined as being of national significance before a local planning decision was made; how many were so determined after planning consent had been granted by the local planning authority, and how many after planning consent had been refused by the…
Answer · John Swinney: Over the period 1 January 1999 to 31 December 2007, Scottish ministers called in and determined 250 planning applications where the planning authority had not issued a decision but was minded to grant planning consent subject to notification to the Scottish …
11 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria it uses to determine whether a planning application is of national significance.
Answer · John Swinney: It depends on the individualcircumstances of the case.</p>
11 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many planning applications it has called in for a decision by ministers after a local decision to refuse consent was made; how many of these were called in without an appeal by the developer, and how many were ultimately given planning consent by ministers in each year since 1999.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-7690 on 20 December 2007. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/…
3 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the strategies, plans or programmes that it has published have not been subjected to a strategic environmental assessment and what the reasons for the decision not to conduct a strategic environmental assessment were in each case.
Answer · Michael Russell: The information requestedmay be divided into two specific categories under current Strategic EnvironmentalAssessment (SEA) legislation:</p><p>(a) Those strategies,plans and programmes to which the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 does not apply, a…
3 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers The Government Economic Strategy to be a financial plan.
Answer · John Swinney: The Government Economic Strategy sets out the framework for the delivery of thisGovernment’s overarching purpose of increasing sustainable economic growth.</p>
3 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers The Government Economic Strategy to be exempt from the provisions of the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 and, if so, under which section of the Act the exemption exists.
Answer · John Swinney: The strategy is notexempt from the provisions of the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005.</p>
3 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it sought legal advice on the requirement to conduct a strategic environmental assessment on The Government Economic Strategy.
Answer · John Swinney: The practice of the Scottish Government is neither to confirm or deny whether legal advice has beenreceived on any issue.</p>
3 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive who took the decision not to conduct a strategic environmental assessment on The Government Economic Strategy and when this decision was made.
Answer · John Swinney: Ministers consideredit more appropriate to focus Strategic Environmental Assessments on specific sub-strategiesand policies.</p>
23 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the changes proposed by the General Register Office for Scotland to the questions on religion in the 2011 census.
Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Governmentis supportive of the importance of including some form of question on religion inthe 2011 Census. It recognises the strong level of support that was expressed byusers in response to the spring 2007 Census consultation for the exclusion …
23 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what input it has given, or intends to give, to the General Register Office for Scotland following the published analysis of responses to the Spring 2007 Census Consultation.
Answer · Jim Mather: A series of informaldiscussions have been held with the General Register Office for Scotland (GROS)in response to the Census Consultation. Further input across a range of issues in relation tothe Census will be provided to the GROS over the coming months as p…