George Foulkes

2 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a substantive answer to question S3W-4325 which received a holding reply on 4 October 2007.

Answer · John Swinney: A substantive answerto S3W-4325 was provided on 20 November 2007. All answers towritten parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the searchfacility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search"…

2 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many hard copies of Firm Foundations: the Future of Housing in Scotland were produced and what the estimated cost was of its production and distribution.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: 2,300 hard copiesof the discussion document <i>Firm Foundations: the Future of Housing inScotland</i> were produced at a cost of £14,933.00 (exclusive of VAT). The costof distributing the discussion document was £304.50.</p>

2 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what requests it has received in the last three years to provide financial assistance to hospices and what responses it has given in each case.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: We are not awareof any such requests. Guidance on funding arrangements for hospices is providedin <i>HDL (2003)18</i> which indicates that hospices will receive funding fromthe relevant NHS board in respect of 50% of agreed running costs. This figurewas reach…

2 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of its staff are registered disabled; how this relates to its targets for employing disabled staff, and what action it is taking to increase the number of disabled people it employs.

Answer · John Swinney: Targets for employingdisabled staff in the Scottish Government vary according to pay band. The targetsare currently set for April 2008, and the following table shows progress acrossthe bands at October 2007.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <th…

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what contacts there have been between Scottish ministers and ambassadors and high commissioners at the Court of St James since May 2007.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: The following tablelists the meetings and events which Scottish ministers have undertaken with Ambassadorsand High Commissioners to the Court of St James since May 2007.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td width=93 valign=top>…

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether official cars have been used to transport ministers, for purposes outwith their official capacities, to or from private addresses other than those registered as the relevant minister’s home address and, if so, whether it will provide details of such journeys, since May 2007.

Answer · John Swinney: All use of officialcars is for purposes within ministers’ official capacities.</p>

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the bills to implement the proposals announced in the First Minister’s legislative programme statement on 5 September 2007.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: The ScottishGovernment will be bringing forward a rolling programme of legislation in linewith the First Minister’s announcement over the remaining months of thisParliamentary year.</p>

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all the heads of government to whom the First Minister wrote regarding observer status for the Executive at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty meetings; how many replies have been received and from whom, and what the content has been of any such replies.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: The First Minister did not write to the heads of government of stateparties to the Non-Proliferation Treaty but to their London and Scotland based representations. Copies of all theletters issued have been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.…

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the responsibilities for agricultural compensation payments in Scotland of the (a) European Commission, (b) UK Government and (c) Scottish Executive.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Governmenthas sole responsibility for disease compensation payments made under tuberculosisand brucella legislation and for compensation due for warble fly.</p><p>UK Government hasagreed to pay compensation due in respect of other notifiable anim…

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the costs of travel by official car were for each minister from May to October 2007.

Answer · John Swinney: Costs incurred bycabinet secretaries/ministers for journeys arranged through the Government Car Services(GCS) are not available in the format requested. Overall running costs for GCS forthe period May 2007 through to September 2007, were £388,417. The calcula…

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who is responsible for supervision of the Scottish Ministerial Code in respect of the conduct of the First Minister.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: As with allmembers of the Scottish Government, the First Minister is ultimatelyaccountable to the Scottish Parliament for his conduct in carrying out hisresponsibilities.</p>

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the meetings held between Scottish and UK ministers since May 2007, showing the dates and topics discussed in each case.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: The detailedinformation requested is currently being collated and I will write to themember as soon as the information is available.</p>

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the overseas official visits made by each minister since May 2007, showing the cost of each visit.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: The ScottishGovernment publishes annually information on all overseas visits undertaken by ministers,including the countries visited, the purpose of each visit and the cost. Wewill publish information on all ministerial visits for this financial year inJune 2…

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what overseas official visits are planned for the First Minister in the next six months.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: The FirstMinister is considering options for overseas travel and we will makeannouncements about visits at the appropriate time.</p>

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whom the First Minister met on his recent visit to the United States of America and what devolved matters were discussed in each case.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: I refer themember to the <i>Report of the First Minister's Official Visit to the UnitedStates from 10-12 October 2007</i> laid in the Scottish Parliament InformationCentre (Bib. number 43943) on Tuesday 30 October 2007.</p>

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil servants have transferred between Edinburgh and London since May 2007 and which Whitehall departments have been involved.

Answer · John Swinney: The number of ScottishGovernment civil servants loaned to other government departments in London since May 2007 is four. The following table providesthe requested information broken down into inward and outward loans. The Whitehall departments involved in the…

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what communications there have been between ministers and EU commissioners since May 2007 and on what subjects.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: The Scottish Governmenthas engaged in communications and had many meetings with the EU since May 2007.The First Minister met European Commissioners Borg (Fisheries and MaritimeAffairs), Grybauskaite (Budget), Mandelson (Trade) and McCreevy (InternalMarket and…

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase support for Scottish music, poetry and painting.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: Funding for thearts in Scotland is disbursed by the Scottish ArtsCouncil. Once I have set the initial budget it is for the Scottish Arts Councilto determine how that should be allocated amongst the different art forms. The ScottishArts Council will plan its b…

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects bridge tolls to be abolished.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Abolition of BridgeTolls (Scotland) Bill was introduced on 3 September 2007. The principles of the bill will be debated on 15 November2007 and further progress is subject to the will of the Parliament. However,ministers expect the bill to complete its par…

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the prison population has been in each month since May 2007.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked MikeEwart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response isas follows:</p><p>The following tableshows the average daily population for each month since May 2007. For clarity thetable also distinguishes between convicted …

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings it has held with the STUC since May 2007 and which ministers were involved in each case.

Answer · Jim Mather: Since May 1999, ScottishExecutive ministers have been involved in the following bilateral meetings withthe STUC:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td valign=top> <p align=center>Minister</p> </td> <td valign=top> <p ali…

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in establishing the Scottish futures trust; when it is expected to be launched, and when local authorities will be able to apply for funding from the trust.

Answer · John Swinney: Our working groupis making considerable progress in developing the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) initiativeto deliver better, more efficient infrastructure for taxpayers and an announcementwill be made when we are ready to explain it in more detail.</p><p>I ha…

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which college and university developments will be supported by the funds released by HM Treasury, as announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning on 26 October 2007.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The allocation offunding to individual colleges and universities is a matter for the Scottish FundingCouncil. They have advised that of the £100 million allocated, £40 million willbe distributed on a formula basis to the university sector and £60 million on a…

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the difference is between its plan for upgrading the full length of the M8 to motorway standard and the proposals of the previous administration.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The M8 corridor isbeing reviewed as part of the Strategic Transport Projects Review which is currentlyunder way and will report in the summer of 2008. I set out our commitment to theplanned upgrading of the last remaining gap on the M8 corridor between Bailli…

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many schools in each local authority area have been designated as community schools with extended access and opening hours.

Answer · Maureen Watt: There is no longerany formal government designation of the term “community school”. Both governmentand local authorities recognise the importance of delivering better services tothe wider community through schools. In each local context it is for the authorit…

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of electricity has been generated from (a) coal, (b) nuclear power, (c) renewables, (d) gas and (e) other means in each month since May 2007.

Answer · Jim Mather: Data on electricitygeneration in Scotland is collected by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR). Monthly data is not available. The latestdata available is for 2005 and is shown in the following table, expressed in bothGigaWatt …

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals for renewable energy generation have been considered by ministers since May 2007 and what the outcome has been in each case.

Answer · Jim Mather: Scottishministers are currently handling 38 renewable energy consent applications at variousstages in the section 36 process leading to determination. Since May 2007, Scottishministers have determined seven renewable energy applications and referredthree wind…

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of free personal care was in 2006-07, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Shona Robison: Expenditure informationon the cost of free personal care is only available up until 2005-06.</p><p>The most up-to-dateinformation on free personal care in Scotland can be found in tables 8 and 10 inthe annex of the publication <i>Free personal and nursing car…

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of people aged 65 and over are in receipt of free personal care, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Shona Robison: The numbers and percentagesof people aged 65 and over who receive free personal care either in a care homeor at home, broken down by local authority, are detailed in the following tables.</p><p>These figures representall older people resident in care homes wh…

1 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what sporting events have been attended by the Minister for Communities and Sport since May 2007.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I have attended thefollowing sporting events since May 2007:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=492> <thead> <tr> <td width=106 valign=top> <p align=center>Date</p> </td> <td width=386 valign=top> <p align=center>Event</p> </td…