Parliamentary questions

Jim Hume

1,310 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

16 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive with which NHS boards it has discussed local food procurement in 2010.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Meetings have been held on sustainable public sector food and drink procurement with NHS National Procurement. In addition, in August, sustainable public sector food and drink procurement was discussed at the NHS Commodity Advisory Panel involving th…

16 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive with which NHS boards it discussed local food procurement in 2009.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-36314 on 23 September 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scotish.parliament.uk/App…

16 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive with which local authorities it has discussed local food procurement in 2010.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Discussions on sustainable public sector food and drink procurement have been undertaken with the following local authorities in 2010: Tayside Contracts (as the Catering and Procurement provider for Perth and Kinross), City of Dundee and Angus Counci…

16 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive with which local authorities it discussed local food procurement in 2009.

16 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times it has discussed local food procurement with local authorities in 2010.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Local authorities have been involved in discussions on sustainable public sector food and drink procurement with a representative of the Food and Drink Industry Division of the Scottish Government, on eight occasions in 2010. A further three meetings are pend…

16 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times it discussed local food procurement with local authorities in 2009.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Sustainable public sector procurement of food and drink has been discussed with a wide range of Local Authorities on 7 occasions in 2009 as well as a wide range of NHS boards and other bodies. These are summarised in the report Walking the Talk - Getting …

9 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether contingencies are in place to increase the money available to the European Fisheries Fund programme to meet any increase in demand.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government awarded £17.8 million in funding through European Fisheries Fund programme in September 2010. Future funding levels will be considered in the forthcoming spending review.

9 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it expects to award in funding through the European Fisheries Fund programme in September 2010.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government will award £17.8 million through the European Fisheries Fund in September 2010.

9 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much was awarded in funding through the European Fisheries Fund programme in 2009-10.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government made awards amounting to £13.8 million through the European Fisheries Fund programme in 2009-10.

9 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much was awarded in funding through the European Fisheries Fund programme in 2008-09.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government awarded £10.8 million in funding through the European Fisheries Fund programme in 2008-09.

9 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support it will offer to individuals, businesses or fishing communities affected by the total allowable catch quotas for mackerel set by Iceland and the Faroe Islands.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The taking of mackerel by Icelandic and Faeroese fishermen has no immediate effect on Scottish individuals, businesses or fishing communities. However, the Scottish Government is doing everything possible to avoid the negative medium-term economic consequence…

9 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to schedule direct talks with the governments of Iceland and the Faroe Islands to discuss the total allowable catch quotas for mackerel set by Iceland and the Faroe Islands.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Scottish Officials have been part of an EU delegation that has had direct talks with the Governments of Faroes (9 to 10 September) and Iceland (21 September) on the issue of the unilateral total allowable catches set by these countries. The EU has the lead re…

26 Aug 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with representatives of South Lanarkshire Council and Scotgen (South Lanarkshire) Ltd regarding the proposed energy-from-waste incinerator plant on Dovesdale Farm, Stonehouse.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government has had no discussions with representatives of South Lanarkshire Council or with Scotgen regarding the proposed energy-from-waste plant at Dovesdale Farm.

26 Aug 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the recycling rate for (a) domestic and (b) municipal waste was in 2009-10, broken down by local authority, also showing the national average compared with the national target.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government does not hold 2009-10 domestic recycling rate data. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is not expected to publish this data until the spring of 2011. The table below contains the 2009-10 recycling rates for …

12 Aug 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the proposed replacement of almost all electric trains by diesel units on the line between Edinburgh and Glasgow Central via Carstairs will impact on its aim of significantly decarbonising Scotland’s public transport.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The decision to replace the majority of East Coast services between Glasgow and Edinburgh with services operated by Arriva Cross Country is directed by the Department for Transport. Further to this, the decision is to replace some of the most energy …

3 Aug 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking in conjunction with public agencies and the retail sector to reduce and prevent unnecessary packaging of goods.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government works closely with the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) to implement producer responsibility regulations in line with EC Directives on Packaging and Packaging Waste. The producer responsibility regulations obligate produ…

2 Aug 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to amend the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 to provide further exemptions in respect of the licensing of sporting weapons under the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Bill.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: As I indicated during the stage 3 debate on the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Bill on 30 June, the Scottish Government will bring forward in the near future appropriate legislation to assist sports that may be affected adversely by the introductio…

2 Aug 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has given to local authorities on how to achieve the waste reduction and recycling targets outlined in the Zero Waste Plan.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government has established the Zero Waste Scotland delivery programme to support the implementation of Scotland''s Zero Waste Plan. The delivery programme provides advice and guidance to all stakeholders involved in achieving a zero waste society…

2 Aug 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has given to local authority planning departments on the measures available to deal with the processing of waste in the context of the Zero Waste Plan.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Scottish Government published its Zero Waste Plan on the 9 June 2010. Annex B of the plan sets out guidance for local authority planning departments on the role of the land-use planning system in delivering waste management facilities. Scottish Govern…

15 Jul 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has undertaken tests regarding the potential links between herbicide spraying and bee deaths and, if so, what the results were.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government takes issues related to bee populations very seriously and monitors developments in relation to pesticides and insects carefully. For example the Scottish Government have contributed to a £1.8 million study led by Dundee University on …

14 Jul 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its procurement policy follows the guidelines set out in the EU’s handbook on green public procurement.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government policy on green procurement is set out in the Scottish Sustainable Procurement Action Plan, which is broadly consistent with the EU handbook

14 Jul 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to change the rules which govern public sector food procurement before May 2011.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Public sector procurement in Scotland is regulated by European Union (EU) Procurement Regulations, implemented in Scotland by the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. We are not aware of any plans to change EU Procurement Regulations as they apply to…

14 Jul 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether all its procurement contracts include a community benefit clause.

Answer · John Swinney: Community Benefit clauses are one of a range of social clauses that can be included in contracts. In February 2008 the Scottish Government published a detailed report on Community Benefit clauses with practical information on how and when to use the clauses a…

14 Jul 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there have been any changes to the rules which govern public sector food procurement since the national food and drink policy workstream, Walking the Talk, was established in August 2008, and if so, what these changes were.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Public sector procurement in Scotland is regulated by European Union Procurement Regulations, implemented in Scotland by the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. However the Scottish Government is encouraging the procurement of healthy, sustainable f…

12 Jul 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the potential increase in greenhouse gas emissions due to the cancellation of the Energy Saving Scotland home renewables grant scheme and what the outcome was.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Energy Saving Scotland home renewables grant scheme has been very successful in stimulating the market for microgeneration technologies and helping over 4,000 householders to generate their own energy. Continued high demand led to an extra allocation in 2…

7 Jul 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce the decision of the public local inquiry into the Fallago Rig wind farm.

Answer · Jim Mather: The application was re-referred to Public Local Inquiry and a hearing was held in April this year in Duns. To date the official inquiry report has not been received, however upon receipt, full consideration will be given to all material issues, including the …

6 Jul 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what checks are made to ensure that the same criteria to define ineligible land under the Single Farm Payment Scheme are used throughout the Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate''s Agricultural and Rural Delivery Division headquarters staff are responsible for the issue of internal guidance to its 250 professional and technical staff and ongoing support in the form of training in relatio…

6 Jul 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the same criteria for ineligible land under the Single Farm Payment Scheme are used throughout the Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-35161 on 2 August 2010. The Single Farm Payment Scheme is regulated by European Council Regulation (EC) 73/2009 and this defines what constitutes eligible land. The Scottish Government''s Rural Pay…

6 Jul 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria it uses to define ineligible land under the Single Farm Payment Scheme.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-35161 on 2 August 2010. Eligible land is either arable land, permanent pasture of land used to grow permanent crops. It follows that land that does not meet these definitions, which are set in Euro…

6 Jul 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive under what statutory instrument its Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate is implementing rules regarding ineligible land under the Single Farm Payment Scheme.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Single Farm Payment Scheme is regulated primarily by European legislation with domestic legislation (i.e. Scottish or UK statutory instrument, as appropriate) being used for those aspects where member states have a choice over the way in which a measure i…