- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 27 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive which farms are affected by emergency prohibition orders related to the Chernobyl incident.
Answer
I am advised by the Food StandardsAgency that 10 farms in Scotland, comprising nine in East Ayrshire Council Area and onein Stirling Council Area, are still subject to restrictions as a result of the Chernobyl incident.The restricted areas are defined in the Food Protection (Emergency Prohibitions)(Radioactivity in Sheep) Order 1991 No. 20 (as amended) and sheep from these farmsare required to be monitored for radioactivity prior to being moved off farm.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 27 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government about the impact on targets for eradicating child poverty of amending the Scotland Act 1998, particularly in respect of Scottish Ministers having direct powers over the tax and benefits system and the setting of a national minimum wage in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Executive remainsin regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including theeradication of child poverty. As and when contact on any issue results in agreedproposals for amending the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament orthe executive competence of the Scottish ministers, these are put to the Scottishand UK Parliaments in the normal way (i.e. either through Orders in Council underthe Scotland Act 1998, or through Legislative Consent Motions in the Scottish Parliament associated with bills before the UK Parliament).
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 27 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to undertake a detailed independent study to determine the underlying factors which result in child poverty and what additional measures will be required to ensure that existing targets to eradicate child poverty are met.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has noplans to commission an independent study into the determinants of child poverty.Extensive independent research already exists, such as the annual Joseph RowntreeFoundation/New Policy Institute report on
Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusionin Scotland.
Poverty is a complex social issuethat has no simple remedy and the Executive considers research from many differentsources in determining how its policies can best tackle poverty in Scottish society.Our Closing the Opportunity Gap (CtOG) approach focuses the efforts of all Departmentson tackling poverty and is consistent with, and complementary to, the UK Government’starget for eradicating child poverty within a generation.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 24 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether delivery of the nationwide concessionary travel scheme passes to those who have applied for them will be completed by 1 April 2006.
Answer
We have made it clear throughoutthat the best way to ensure that individuals have the National Entitlement Cardwhich they will need to access the Scotland-wide Free Bus Scheme was to submit theirapplications early. We will make every effort to ensure that everyone who submitteda valid application before 20 March 2006 will receive their entitlement card by 1 April 2006. Thosewho for whatever reason do not have a new Entitlement Card by 1 April will be ableto use their old travel card for local travel for a limited period of time thereafter.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 24 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been paid put in compensation to farms affected by emergency prohibition orders related to the Chernobyl incident in each year since 1999.
Answer
The total amount of compensationpaid to Scottish farmers since 1999 as a result of the Chernobyl incidentamounts to approximately £398,000. Details for each financial year are set out inthe following table.
| Year | £ |
| 1999-2000 | £64,000 |
| 2000-01 | £60,000 |
| 2001-2002 | £61,000 |
| 2002-03 | £63,000 |
| 2003-04 | £57,000 |
| 2004-05 | £49,000 |
| 2005 to date | £44,000 |
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 23 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it has to eradicate malnutrition in Scotland.
Answer
Although the Executive is notaware of evidence to suggest Scotland has a particular problem with malnutrition, the NHS QualityImprovement Scotland standards on food, fluid and nutritional care in hospital putScotland at the forefront in the UK for dealing with the issue. These advise that all peopleadmitted to hospital should be screened for malnutrition.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 23 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-23721 by Lewis Macdonald on 18 March 2002, which local authorities have concessionary travel schemes for (a) children aged under 16, (b) 16 to 18-year-olds in full time education courses and (c) 16 to 18-year-olds who are not on full time education courses, not in receipt of jobseekers allowance, living independently and receive a living allowance from social work departments, broken down by (i) year and (ii) local authority.
Answer
The information requested isprovided in the following table. Concessionary travel for young people is a discretionarymatter for local authorities. All 16 local concessionary travel schemes give concessionsto disabled young people under the age of 18 if they meet their scheme’s specificeligibility criteria.
LocalAuthority Concessionary Travel Schemes for Young People
| Scheme Type | 2003 -04 | 2004 -05 | 2005 -06 |
| Children Aged Under 16 | Clackmannanshire (14 – 15) Falkirk (14 – 15) Shetland (5 – 16) Stirling (14 – 15) Western Isles (5 – 16) | Clackmannanshire (14 – 15) Falkirk (14 – 15) Shetland (5 – 16) Stirling (14 – 15) Western Isles (5 – 16) | Clackmannanshire (14 – 15) Falkirk (14 – 15) Shetland (5 – 16) Stirling (14 – 15) Western Isles (5 – 16) |
| 16 -18 Year Olds in Full Time Education | Fife | Aberdeen City Fife | Aberdeen City Fife |
| 16 – 18 Year Olds Not in Full Time Education or in Receipt of Jobseekers Allowance, who Live Independently and are in Receipt of a Living Allowance from Social Work Departments | None | None | None |
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 July 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 23 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of the office of the Deputy First Minister was in each year since 1999.
Answer
The costs for staff and administrationexpenses in the Deputy First Minister’s office are contained in the following table.Staff costs are based on gross pay and include National Insurance and Superannuationcosts and overtime payments. Administration costs include travel, hospitality, telecommunications,IT, stationary and other office costs.
| Year | Staff Costs (£) | Administration Costs (£) | Total Costs (£) | Total Costs in 1999 Prices (£) |
| Part-year June 1999- March 2000 | 55,009 | 22,101 | 77,110 | 77,110 |
| 2000-01 | 106,467 | 33,299 | 139,766 | 137,960 |
| 2001-02 | 116,924 | 32,527 | 149,451 | 143,963 |
| 2002-03 | 129,436 | 30,736 | 160,172 | 149,540 |
| 2003-04 | 164,149 | 56,459 | 220,608 | 200,659 |
| 2004-05 | 211,962 | 61,324 | 273,286 | 243,383 |
Increased costs since1999 reflect a range of factorsincluding changes to the grading profile of private office posts to engage moreeffectively with the policy detail and administrative requirements of an increasedlegislative and parliamentary programme and updated rules allowing middle gradestaff in private offices to claim overtime. The change in ministerial portfolioresponsibilities on the Deputy First Minister’s office, from Justice to Enterprise,Transport and Lifelong Learning, has also impacted on the requirement for travel,etc.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 July 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 23 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff were employed in the First Minister’s office in each year since 1999.
Answer
The total number of staff (posts)employed in the First Minister’s private office in each year since 1999 are setout in the following table:
| Year | Staff |
| 1999-2000 | 6 |
| 2000-01 | 6 |
| 2001-02 | 8 |
| 2002-03 | 10 |
| 2003-04 | 9 |
| 2004-05 | 9 |
The increase in the number ofposts reflects the need to engage more effectively with the policy detail and administrativerequirements of an increased legislative and parliamentary programme following devolution.The 2002-03 figure includes one post dedicated to the overall management of MinisterialPrivate Offices which has subsequently been transferred from the First Minister’sOffice to the Cabinet Secretariat.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 July 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 23 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of the salaries of staff in the First Minister’s Office was in each year since 1999.
Answer
The costs for staff in the FirstMinister’s office are contained in the following table. These figures are basedon gross pay and include National Insurance and Superannuation costs and overtimepayments. Administration costs are also shown and include travel, hospitality, telecommunications,IT, stationary and other office costs.
| Year | Staff Costs (£) | Administration Costs (£) | Total Costs (£) | Total Costs at 1999-2000 Prices (£) |
| Part-year June 1999-March 2000 | 131,258 | 109,124 | 240,382 | 240,382 |
| 2000-01 | 233,952 | 82,378 | 316,330 | 312,242 |
| 2001-02 | 303,205 | 81,015 | 384,220 | 370,111 |
| 2002-03 | 330,928 | 96,272 | 427,200 | 398,843 |
| 2003-04 | 370,926 | 94,770 | 465,696 | 423,554 |
| 2004-05 | 422,535 | 104,419 | 526,954 | 469,300 |
Increased costs since1999 reflect a range of factorsincluding changes to the grading profile of private office posts to engage moreeffectively with the policy detail and administrative requirements of an increasedlegislative and parliamentary programme and updated rules allowing middle gradestaff in private offices to claim overtime.
Total staff and administrationcosts per member of staff in real terms have increased by less than 0.2% (£104)between 2004-05 and 2000-01, the first full year of devolution (from £52,040 to£52,144).
