Parliamentary questions
Jim Hume
1,310 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
20 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how Clydesdale will benefit from the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, detailing those benefits and showing the knock-on effects on local projects and investments.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15672 on 2 September 2008. 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.scottish.parliament.uk/web…
20 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how Ayr will benefit from the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, detailing those benefits and showing the knock-on effects on local projects and investments.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15672 on 2 September 2008. 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.scottish.parliament.uk/web…
20 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how Carrick, Cumnock and Doon will benefit from the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, detailing those benefits and showing the knock-on effects on local projects and investments.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15672 on 2 September 2008. 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.scottish.parliament.uk/web…
20 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale will benefit from the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, detailing those benefits and showing the knock-on effects on local projects and investments.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15672 on 2 September 2008. 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.scottish.parliament.uk/web…
20 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how East Lothian will benefit from the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, detailing those benefits and showing the knock-on effects on local projects and investments.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15672 on 2 September 2008. 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.scottish.parliament.uk/web…
20 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how Dumfries will benefit from the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, detailing those benefits and showing the knock-on effects on local projects and investments.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15672 on 2 September 2008. 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.scottish.parliament.uk/web…
20 Aug 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how Roxburgh and Berwickshire will benefit from the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, detailing those benefits and showing the knock-on effects on local projects and investments.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Hosting the Commonwealth Games presents the whole of Scotland with great opportunities to make material improvements to people''s lives: to improve people''s health, to help get people into work, to increase the confidence and international profile of Scotlan…
23 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will preserve the service provided by the NHS to rural communities that may lose out under the implementation of the new NHS Scotland Resource Allocation Committee funding formula.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Under the implementation of the NHS Scotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC) funding formula all boards will receive a standard increase in funds each year with those boards currently below NRAC formula target given additional funds to move them towards …
23 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what role small local hospitals play in rural areas and whether it will safeguard future funding for the services they provide.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The report, <i >Delivering for Remote and Rural Healthcare</i>, published by Scottish Government in 2008, recognised the important role of Community Hospitals as a resource hub providing a range of core services, including enhanced diagnostics and integrating…
23 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any hospital wards will need to be closed in the south of Scotland as a result of the change from the Arbuthnott Formula to the new NHS Scotland Resource Allocation Committee funding formula and, if so, how many.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: No. Like under Arbuthnott, the changes to the funding formula will be phased in gradually to assure the stability of the health boards'' financial position. I have confirmed that no board will receive a drop in the level of their funding as a result of the fu…
1 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to support the textiles industry in the Borders.
Answer · Jim Mather: Scottish ministers provide a range of support to the textiles industry across Scotland – including in the Borders - through our enterprise agencies, Scottish Development International, local authorities and other local economic development partners and specif…
1 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has held any discussions with Pringle of Scotland over its proposal to end manufacturing in Hawick.
Answer · Jim Mather: The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth met with management from Pringle of Scotland in Hawick on Wednesday 2 July 2008, two days after the company announced its plans, to discuss the implications of the announcement and see what assistance t…
1 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to support workers facing redundancy following Pringle of Scotland’s proposal to end manufacturing in Hawick.
Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government’s Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) initiative has been triggered and the local PACE team met with employees of Pringle of Scotland in Hawick on Tuesday 22 July. The meeting provided an opportunity for staff affected …
26 Jun 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that Quality Meat Scotland receives the full amount allocated to it under the foot-and-mouth disease aid package as soon as possible.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The £1 million awarded to the industry in October 2007 as part of the foot-and-mouth disease package was to help promote the long-term resilience of the red meat sector. £330,000 has already been allocated to Quality Meat Scotland. We will work with the indus…
26 Jun 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much Quality Meat Scotland has received of the £1 million allocated to it in October 2007 under the foot-and-mouth disease aid package.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The £1 million announced in October last year was to help promote long term resilience in the red meat sector. Of this, £330,000 has been allocated to Quality Meat Scotland to fund a strategic review of the pig sector and a project aimed at adding value to th…
24 Jun 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made towards the target of growing Scotland’s food and drink industry to reach £10 billion by 2017.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the question S3W-14564, answered on 25 July 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:</p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.u…
24 Jun 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the terms and remit of its inquiry into affordable access to food will be.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-14564 on 25 July 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:</p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.u…
24 Jun 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will (a) begin and (b) complete its inquiry into affordable access to food, and whether the inquiry will be limited to Scottish issues or take a global view.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-14564 on 25 July 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:</p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.u…
24 Jun 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will (a) begin and (b) complete its investigation into “Scottish” labelling of food and drink.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-14564 on 25 July 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:</p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.u…
24 Jun 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will deliver its National Food and Drink Policy.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: As I announced on the 19th June, the aim of Scotland’s first national food and drink policy is to promote Scotland’s sustainable economic growth by ensuring that the Scottish Government’s focus in relation to food and drink, and in particular our work with Sc…
24 Jun 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its new catering contract, as described by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment on 19 June 2008, will be rolled out across the public sector and, if so, within what timescale
Answer · John Swinney: The catering framework will be available for use by the Scottish Government, its associated departments, agencies and NDPBs. The core Scottish Government catering contract will commence on the 1 March 2009 with other organisations joining the framework at var…
24 Jun 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the details of its new catering contract, as described by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment on 19 June 2008, will be made public.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government’s contract will be awarded under a catering services framework agreement. The Scottish Government intends to publish an advert within the next two months, which seeks expressions of interest from companies wishing to tender to be inclu…
24 Jun 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when its new catering contract, as described by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment on 19 June 2008, will be introduced.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government’s new catering contract will commence on 1 March 2009.</p>
29 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it recognises the impacts that high fuel costs are having on rural economies and what measures it is taking to ensure the viability and longevity of rural economies in the south of Scotland.
Answer · Michael Russell: We are concerned about the impact of fuel costs on both rural communities and businesses such as the road haulage industry, where fuel represents a significant cost burden. We also recognise that there is greater reliance on private car transport in rural tha…
29 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to assist those facing rural fuel poverty.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Last year, a record 14,377 central heating systems were delivered to the private housing sector and 5,259 homes benefited from the Warm Deal.</p> <p >We are reviewing the fuel poverty programmes inherited from the previous administration to ensure that they …
29 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered implementing a rural fuel rebate scheme for people in rural communities who meet defined and set criteria.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: HM Treasury''s response to a letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth confirmed that fuel duty is a UK-wide central government tax and that the UK Government has no plan to introduce regionally differentiated rates of duty. The Sco…
29 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to assist rural communities in coping with high fuel costs for both household heating and vehicles.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government is deeply concerned about the impact that high fuel prices are having upon rural communities. This issue was discussed with UK Government Ministers at Ofgem''s fuel poverty summit on 23 April 2008.</p> <p >The central heating and war…
22 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to help people who do not qualify for the NHS voucher scheme to help with the cost of glasses and, if so, what those plans are.
Answer · Shona Robison: There are no current plans to provide help with the cost of glasses to people who do not qualify under the NHS voucher scheme.</p> </
22 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to expand the eligibility criteria for NHS vouchers to allow more people to access help with the costs of glasses and, if so, what those plans are.
Answer · Shona Robison: There are no current plans to amend the NHS voucher scheme to extend the categories of people entitled to a voucher.</p>
19 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what efforts are being made to ensure that all waste forestry products are fully utilised as biomass in the production of energy.
Answer · Michael Russell: I launched the Woodfuel Task Force in the summer of last year with the aim of increasing the supply of wood for renewable energy production. The utilisation of forestry residues was considered by the task force, and it features among the recommendations in th…