Campbell Martin

16 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a prisoner who is domiciled in Scotland but is serving a custodial sentence in an English prison can, on reaching the point in their sentence at which they qualify for Home Detention Curfew (HDC), return to their home in Scotland to serve the remainder of their sentence under HDC …

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Executive is currently workingwith the Home Office to put the necessary legislative, operational and contractualrequirements in place to introduce reciprocal transfer arrangements for certaineligible prisoners subject to home detention curfew and plans to…

16 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what offence or offences would be committed by a Scottish company that, in bidding for a publicly-funded contract, misrepresented the status and financial standing of the company and deliberately made false statements (a) about being a subsidiary of a major overseas organisation (b) when …

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Depending on the facts and circumstancesof an individual case, conduct such as that referred to may constitute part of thecommon law offence of fraud, which requires a practical result attributable to themisrepresentation, or one of a number of offences under…

16 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether an offence of “negligent misstatement” exists in Scots law.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: There is no offence of “negligentmisstatement” in Scots law. Whether the making of a false statement constitutesan offence, such as the common law offence of fraud, will depend on the facts andcircumstances of a particular case.</p><p>The question of whether …

15 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there was a working group on the licensing of skin piercing and tattooing and, if so, who its members were, what the background was of each member and on what basis they were appointed to the group.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Licensing of SkinPiercing and Tattooing Working Group was established in June 2006, in responseto the introduction of the licensing of skin piercing and tattooing in Scotland.</p><p>Thecore membership of the working group was based on the existin…

24 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact has been of a reduction in policing levels over the last 10 years in the Ayrshire village of West Kilbride, from one sergeant and five constables to one community police officer, on the service provided to the community by Strathclyde Police and, in particular, what the im…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Operational policing is a matterfor individual Chief Constables. Strathclyde Police was allocated in the regionof £496 million, out of a total police budget of almost £1.1 billion for 2006-07.In the last five years alone funding for Strathclyde Police has inc…

8 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what constitutes a common good asset and how such assets differ from property or land owned by a local authority.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Common Good originated asrevenues from properties belonging to the early Burghs of Scotland. The Common Good,as these revenues were then termed, is of great antiquity and there is no equivalentin English local government although the term remains current …

13 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when ministers received an application for consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 for the development of a wind farm at Corlic Hill, Greenock; what the reasons are for it not yet having reached a decision on the matter; when it expects to reach a decision, and whether, shoul…

Answer · Allan Wilson: A section 36 application forthe Corlick Hill, Greenock wind farm was received on 9 May 2003. Following objectionsfrom Inverclyde Council and other consultees, a Public Inquiry was held in March2005.</p><p>Under the Electricity Act 1989,Scottish ministers must…

10 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-28407 by Tavish Scott on 6 October 2006, what the reasons are for the delay in the commencement date of the construction of an off-line improvement to the carriageway of the A737 at the Den, between Dalry and Beith; what the Executive’s source was fo…

Answer · Tavish Scott: The A737 Den Improvement Schemeis being promoted and funded by North Ayrshire Council.</p><p>The scheme programme, and measuringprogress against it, is the responsibility of North Ayrshire Council and requiresto fit in with other planned improvements on the r…

19 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what protection tenants have from being disadvantaged in terms of their right to buy in the event of a local authority issuing a notice of refusal to a sitting tenant in relation to the purchase of a house built by a local authority on land which is subsequently discovered to be outwith t…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The seller of a right-to-buy house is legally obliged to“deliver a good and marketable title” to the purchaser under conditions of sale,as set out in section 64 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987. This protects the tenant from any legal difficultieswhich migh…

15 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, since agreeing with North Ayrshire Council that part of the revenue support grant provided to the council should be used to fund an off-line improvement to the A737 trunk road at the Den, between Dalry and Beith, what contact or communication there has been between the Executive or its a…

Answer · Tavish Scott: Over the last two years the ScottishExecutive and Transport Scotland have been in regular contact with North Ayrshire Councilabout the Den improvement scheme. This has included telephone calls, e-mails, lettersand meetings; the most recent meeting took place …

22 Aug 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when local authorities were first made aware of their responsibilities in respect of licensing piercing and tattooing activities under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Skin Piercing and Tattooing Activities) and by what means this information was communicated to the …

Answer · Andy Kerr: Local authorities were made awareof their responsibilities under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act1982 (Licensing of Skin Piercing and Tattooing) Order 2006 through the Conventionof Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) in November 2005. A press release follow…

22 Aug 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that treating liability insurance as remuneration in kind in respect of charity trustees will encourage or discourage individuals to take up such positions and whether it will consider introducing amending legislation to remove the interpretation of liability insuran…

Answer · Johann Lamont: As I explained in my answer toquestion S2W-27698 on 28 August 2006, the Scottish Executive is aware of the concerns of thevoluntary sector that the restrictions on the provision of trustee indemnity insurancefrom charity funds (by treating it as remuneration …

8 Aug 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whom it has consulted in relation to proposals to develop a wind farm at Corlic Hill/Devol Moor, Greenock; what the timescale is for the relevant minister to announce a decision on these proposals; whether a ministerial decision has been delayed for any reason and, if so, why, and what th…

Answer · Allan Wilson: In addition to the statutoryconsultees, Inverclyde Council, SNH and SEPA, we also consulted <b> </b>Argyleand Bute Council<b>, </b>Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park Authority, CAA, DefenceCommunications Services Agency (DCSA), BAA Glasgow Airport, Prestwick Airpo…

14 Jul 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why regional parks have been omitted from the map of national and international natural heritage areas (Annex A) in Scottish Planning Policy SSP6: Renewable Energy: Consultation Draft and what its position is in respect of development within regional parks.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The map at Annex A of draft SPP6 only shows those areas designated for their international and national naturalheritage value. The draft confirms that it is for planning authorities to considerwhether to use the development plan process to identify and protec…

14 Jul 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why the Minister for Transport has not responded to a letter, dated 20 April 2006, from the Dalry Business Club which raised concerns expressed by residents of Dalry with regard to the ongoing A737 STAG study and when the Minister will provide a substantive response.

Answer · Tavish Scott: A letter of response from TransportScotland was sent to the Dalry Business Club on 26 June 2006. An Executive announcementon interventions to address the road transport related problems assessed in theA737 Dalry STAG was made on 3 July 2006 with the Final A73…

10 Jul 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the implications of the UK Government introducing the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) in Scotland and what provisions there are to ensure that registered social landlords receive rent for properties where LHA payments are made directly to tenants who may be involv…

Answer · Johann Lamont: The UK Government has keptthe Scottish Executive informed of its plans to introduce a Local HousingAllowance (LHA) for housing benefit claimants in the private rented sector. TwoScottish local authorities (Edinburgh and Argyll and Bute) wereincluded in the 18…

16 Jun 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been made aware of any plans to carry out a feasibility study into the storage at the Hunterston nuclear site of low and intermediate-level waste produced at any other nuclear facility and what its position would be regarding any such plans.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive is awarethat proposals from British Nuclear Group (BNG) were discussed at the HunterstonSite Stakeholder Group meeting on 14 June 2006, to produce a feasibility study toprocess and store a small amount of intermediate level radioactive …

19 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the policy that no financial support for starting up a business is provided through Scottish Enterprise’s Business Gateway to anyone over 30 could constitute discrimination on the basis of age.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The business start-up grant forthose aged 18 to 30 is only one form of financial assistance which can beaccessed by individuals looking to set up in business. Business Gateway staff canadvise on a range of financial support that may be available, for example …

3 Apr 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23764 by Ross Finnie on 31 March 2006, whether it would expect the diaries of Ministers and Deputy Ministers to record the dates of meetings held by the ministers, with whom meetings were held and the purpose of each meeting.

Answer · Margaret Curran: Ministerial diaries normallyrecord the date, time and location of official meetings. However, diarymanagement processes can differ in each of the 20 ministerial private officesand the names of individual attendees at a meeting are not always recorded. Similar…

2 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions it has met (a) the Clyde Fishermen’s Association, (b) the Clyde and South West Static Gear Association, (c) the Galloway Static Gear Fishermen’s Association, (d) the Arran Sea Angling Association and (e) community groups representing marine environment matters; when …

Answer · Ross Finnie: Since 2004 my officials andI have attended numerous meetings involving the Clyde Fishermen'sAssociation and community groups representing marine environment matters.Information on the location, purpose and outcome of each meeting could only beprovided at disp…

17 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that there are any reasons why local authorities will be unable to fill vacancies for teachers in subject departments and, if so, what these reasons are and what action it will take to address the issue as soon as possible.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The staffing of individual subject departments are matters for local authorities.</p> <p>The Scottish Executive carries out an annual teacher workforce planning exercise to ensure at a national level adequate numbers of newly qualified teachers are trained fo…

7 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has allocated towards the funding of local authority PPP projects in total and broken down by project; how many local authority PPP projects have subsequently been referred for Executive consideration, broken down by project; how many local authority PPP projects have been agr…

Answer · Tom McCabe: The funding allocated by the Scottish Executive towards local authority PPP projects is shown in the following table. The figures represent the amount of financial support provided (or to be provided) by the Executive for these projects annually, and does not…

4 Nov 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it accepts the statement by Dr Steven Gaines, Director or University of California’s Santa Barbara’s Marine Science Institute that “there are virtually no exceptions to the fact that all (no-take zones) have the exact same result: Where the average abundance (of marine species) go…

Answer · Ross Finnie: The success of no-take zones (NTZs) is critically dependent on the mobility of the species that live within the zone and how fishing effort is displaced from the zone. Where species remain in the NTZ for most of their lives and fishing effort is removed from …

31 Oct 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any assessment has been made of the impact on the health and general well-being of disabled people in Scotland whose mobility is severely restricted of the situation whereby, according to Motability, the waiting time for a vehicle capable of being driven from a wheelchair is 24 mo…

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Executive is aware that there is a current waiting list of close to two years for applications to be processed under the Motability Scheme for the drive-from-wheelchair vehicles under the Specialised Vehicles Fund (SVF) funded by Department for Work and P…

28 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what redress citizens have when protracted works carried out on roads by local authorities result in financial losses for business and noise nuisance and disruption for local residents.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Local authorities have powers under Section 1 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 to manage and maintain all public roads in their area.</p> <p>Any redress for financial losses incurred by business and noise nuisance and disruption for local residents when such …

2 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many registered heroin users there were in the North Ayrshire local authority area in each of the last five years; what the current figure is, and how this compares with (a) East Ayrshire local authority area, (b) South Ayrshire local authority area and (c) each NHS board area.

Answer · Hugh Henry: There is not a central register of heroin users in Scotland. </p><p>The Scottish Drug Misuse Database collects information on new clients at their point of contact with drug treatment and care services. The following table details the percentage of new client…

2 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time was for drug rehabilitation treatment in the North Ayrshire local authority area in each of the last five years; what the current figure is, and how this compares with (a) East Ayrshire local authority area, (b) South Ayrshire local authority area and (c) eac…

Answer · Hugh Henry: This information is not heldcentrally. Average waiting times are not regarded as a particularly effective measureof the availability and efficiency of drugs services. </p><p>A national waiting times informationframework was implemented in April 2004. It colle…

2 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what facilities for drug rehabilitation are available in the North Ayrshire local authority area and how such facilities compare with those available in previous years.

Answer · Hugh Henry: There are two specialist drugtreatment and rehabilitation services located in North Ayrshire local authorityarea: the Townhead Centre in Irvine and the Vernon Centre in Saltcoats. Both services providea wide range of interventions, including substitute prescr…

1 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been awarded to companies in North Ayrshire under regional selective assistance (RSA) in each year since 1999 and how many jobs have been safeguarded by RSA, broken down by company.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Since January 1999 to end August 2005, 54 offers of RSA were accepted by businesses in the North Ayrshire Council Area. The total amount of RSA accepted was £29.2 million for projects linked to the planned creation of 1,183 new jobs and the safeguarding of a …

1 Sep 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time jobs have been (i) created and (ii) lost in North Ayrshire in each year since 1999 and how these figures compare with other areas of Scotland.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Statistics on the number of jobs created are not centrally held. However the number of employee jobs in each local authority is available from the Annual Business Inquiry (ABI). Table 1 shows the level of full-time employee jobs for each local authority area …