Parliamentary questions

Jim Hume

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

19 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it recognises the contribution that the wood panel industry makes as an employer.

Answer · Michael Russell: We do, indeed, recognise and appreciate the significant contribution that the wood panel industry makes to Scottish employment and to the economy. We fully expect the sector to continue to play a leading role in this respect and in adding value to Scotland''s…

19 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will create a sustainable balance between the use of forestry products for biomass against the need for availability of forestry products in the wood panel industry.

Answer · Michael Russell: We believe that the forecast supplies of wood from the forest sector, and the commercial and industrial waste streams highlighted in the Woodfuel Task Force report are sufficient to allow the panel industry and the biomass energy sector to continue to grow an…

6 Mar 2008 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to develop sustainable and successful economic growth in the south of Scotland.

Answer · John Swinney: We place great importance on supporting and encouraging economic development throughout Scotland, including the South of Scotland. The Government Economic Strategy sets out how we will focus on creating a more successful country through increasing su…

27 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to establish anaerobic digestion plants as a way to reduce methane emissions, treat organic waste and contribute towards Scotland’s renewable energy targets.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government is keen to encourage the development of anaerobic digestion projects in Scotland. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) will run a capital grant scheme in Scotland worth £6 million over the next three years for infra…

14 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will issue guidance to farmers on the number of months that on-farm slurry storage capacity will be required in order to comply with the extended closed period for farms located in nitrate vulnerable zones.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: It is planned that guidance will be issued to farmers in the nitrate vulnerable zones 3 months before the proposed regulations are to come into force. However, for certain provisions, such as the provision of adequate on-farm slurry storage capacity, the inte…

14 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for how many months on-farm slurry storage capacity will be required in order to comply with the extended closed period for farms located in nitrate vulnerable zones.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: In general, the capacity of slurry storage facilities on a farm will need to be sufficient to comply with the relevant provisions of the planned revised regulations and to avoid pollution of the water environment. The proposed requirements are that a farmer i…

23 Jan 2008 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to support the marketing and processing of Scottish food produce.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: We will shortly introducenew schemes under the Scottish Rural Development Programme and the European FisheriesFund which will support the marketing and processing of Scottish food produce.

16 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will set individual targets for local authorities to help them to achieve their contribution towards the national target of 40% energy generation from wind power and, if so, what those targets will be, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Jim Mather: The target for theamount of electricity generated from renewables in Scotland is 50% of whole Scottish demand by 2020. There are no targets for individualtechnologies and the 50% target will be met from a wide range of renewable sources.There are no pl…

16 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it will give to local authorities to help them to achieve their contribution towards the national target of 40% energy generation from wind power.

Answer · Jim Mather: There are no targetsfor individual local authorities. The national target is to generate 50% of Scottishelectricity demand from renewable sources by 2020.However, the ScottishGovernment will provide advice and support to planning authorities on impleme…

19 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost per year is of the older and disabled persons concessionary travel scheme, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: In its first full year Scotland-WideFree Bus Travel for Older and Disabled People cost £154 million against a cappedbudget of £159 million in 2006-07. The ferry element of the Scheme cost £0.5 millionin 2006-07.The cost of Scotland-Wide FreeBus Travel …

17 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the confirmed case of bluetongue virus in a cow imported to England from Germany, whether it will consider introducing a vaccination programme to protect the livestock industry from the potential impact of bluetongue in Scotland.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Whilst Scotland remainsa bluetongue free area, European Commissionlegislation does not permit vaccination against bluetongue. The Scottish Governmenthas had extensive discussions with industry on bluetongue vaccination and how itmight be best utilised when it…

17 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the confirmed case of bluetongue virus in a cow imported to England from Germany, what representations it will make urgently to the European Commission for stricter adherence to export rules to prevent infected livestock being imported into bluetongue virus-free zones.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government fullysupports the strong representations being made to the Commission by the UK and othermember states regarding the urgent need to tighten up, and enforce, the rules onmovements out of restricted zones. I wrote to Hilary Benn on this …

17 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the confirmed case of bluetongue virus in a cow imported to England from Germany, what measures it will put in place urgently to prevent bluetongue from entering Scotland.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: A post-import testing regimehas been in place in Scotland, and the rest of the UK, since the summer of 2006. Itis this regime that identified the infected animal at Kirkcudbright, and allowedit to be dealt with swiftly and effectively, preventing the circulat…

12 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the availability of prescription prepayment certificates is properly advertised and promoted.

Answer · Shona Robison: We are currently developing proposalsto ensure that people are made aware of the reductions to prescription charges beingintroduced from 1 April 2008. We are specifically looking at ways of informing thepublic about the availability and benefits of Prescripti…

3 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive from where in the budget any financial support made available to assist farmers to meet their obligations in respect of the increased closed period in the Nitrate Vulnerable Zones Action Programme will come.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Farmers in the Nitrate Vulnerable Zones will be eligible for Scottish Rural DevelopmentProgramme (SRDP) options.

3 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assurances it will give that any financial support made available to assist farmers to meet their obligations in respect of the increased closed period in the Nitrate Vulnerable Zones Action Programme will not come from Scottish Rural Development Plan resources to the detriment of ot…

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I do not considerthat the use of the Scottish Rural Development Programme resources to improve manureand slurry storage on livestock farms in the Nitrate Vulnerable Zones is to thedetriment of the other areas of agriculture.

3 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support it will put in place to assist farmers to meet their obligations in respect of the increased closed period in the Nitrate Vulnerable Zones Action Programme.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The proposed ScottishRural Development Programme will have several options to help protect the waterenvironment. One option includes support for the capital cost of manure or slurrystorage, which is expected to be the largest cost for farmers on slurry-based …

6 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria it will use to determine whether a condition is chronic for the purpose of determining which patients are eligible for free prescriptions.

Answer · Shona Robison: Detailed arrangementsfor implementing the Scottish Government’s policy to abolish prescription chargesare under consideration. A statement will be made to Parliament in the near future.

6 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which diseases will be defined as chronic conditions for the purpose of allowing patients access to free prescriptions.

6 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will abolish prescription charges for people suffering from chronic illnesses such as cancer.

31 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will put 1,000 more police officers on the beat, in line with the 2007 SNP manifesto commitment.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-6201 on 12 November 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…

24 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the expert panel on energy efficiency, established in August 2007, will make use of the draft energy efficiency and microgeneration strategy, published in March 2007, and the consultation responses to that draft, in the development of its new strategy on the energy efficiency of h…

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I have asked Dr. PaulStollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), to answer.His response is as follows:No. The panel wasappointed by Scottish ministers to produce an independent report on a Low CarbonBuildings Standards S…

24 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to publish the responses to the consultation on the draft energy efficiency and microgeneration strategy, published in March 2007.

Answer · Jim Mather: The ScottishGovernment has already published the individual responses to the strategyconsultation from those organisations and individuals that gave theirpermission to do so. These can be found at <ahref="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/08/091104…

23 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when in the course of its work the Housing Supply Task Force will meet local task force groups and local authorities to gather and share information on the regional priorities for affordable housing in Scotland.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Housing SupplyTask Force includes representatives from local authorities in its membership andlocal authorities have been invited to be represented at task force meetings; mostrecently at the task force meeting on 23 October 2007. Further meetings and eve…

22 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will introduce measures to deal effectively with complaints about high hedges and what those measures will be.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: I recognise the considerabledistress that can be caused to residents by their neighbours’ high hedges. The ScottishGovernment is giving active consideration to how it can best support the provisionof effective means of resolving disputes.In determining…

16 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what delegated authority the restructured Scottish Enterprise network will give to the six new regional operations.

Answer · Jim Mather: This will be an operationalmatter for the enterprise networks.

11 Oct 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to protect battlefield sites from being developed on.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: Historic Scotland is currently developing a policy to manage andpromote battlefields within its Scottish historic environment policy series.This will include a proposal to create a non-statutory Inventory of nationallyimportant sites intended to encourage mor…

28 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is in a position to make available a timeline for relaxations in foot-and-mouth restrictions for livestock producers.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: On 9 October 2007 I announced that, subject to no deterioration in thedisease situation, the foot-and-mouth disease restrictions in Scotland would be lifted on 17 October. This timing is linkedto the ending of the Protection Zone established in Surrey and the…

27 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to press the case for appropriate and fair financial recompense to farmers who opt into any welfare disposal scheme that is implemented.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Sheep WelfareScheme that began on 9 October 2007 is a voluntary scheme thatoffers farmers £15 per head for lambs under 25kg. We believe that figure representsa fair price for producers withoutproviding an incentive for culling animals for which a market c…

27 Sep 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the issue of a welfare disposal scheme, in light of the animal welfare and economic issues faced by farmers as a result of the recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The First Ministerwrote to the Prime Minister on 19 September 2007, amongst otherthings to seek support for a welfare disposal scheme and to request funding at UK level. I have had a number of conversations with theSecretary of State during which I have argue…