- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 8 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been allocated to the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative (SCHRI) for 2006-07 and whether the Energy Savings Trust (EST) continues to distribute SCHRI grants in the south of Scotland and the central belt and, if so, what funds have been made available to the EST for this purpose in 2006-07.
Answer
The original allocation of fundingto the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative (SCHRI) for 2006-07was £2.2 million. On 16 May, I announced an additional £3 million for SCHRI foryears 2006-07 and 2007-08. This will ensure that the Energy Saving Trust and Highlands andIslands Community Energy Company can continue to distribute grants to eligible applicantsacross Scotland, including those from the south of Scotland andthe central belt.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by George Lyon on 7 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-26062 by Johann Lamont on 31 May 2006, how many pensioner households lived in (a) the DG postcode and (b) Scotland in (i) 2001-02, (ii) 2002-03, (iii) 2003-04, (iv) 2004-05 and (v) 2005-06.
Answer
The latest available informationis from the 2001 census. The number of all-pensioner households in the DG postcode andScotland were 17,797 and 514,692, respectively.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 7 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to provide financial support to the providers of long-distance bus services to support the entitlement of pensioners in rural areas to free off-peak nationwide bus travel.
Answer
All localregistered bus services and long-distance scheduled coach services in Scotland arepart of the Scotland-wide free bus scheme for older and disabled people. All busoperators will be paid at the rate of 73.6% of the average adult single fare toensure that they are no better and no worse off through taking part than they wouldbe if there was no scheme.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 6 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether funding is available in the current financial year through Scottish Enterprise Dumfries and Galloway to enable learners to set up individual learning accounts.
Answer
Funding is available forlearners resident anywhere in Scotland to set up individual learning accounts, including inthe Dumfries and Galloway area.
The delivery agenciesresponsible for enabling learners to set up individual learning accounts arethe Student Awards Agency for Scotland and learndirect scotland.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 2 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-20474 and S2W-25525 by Rhona Brankin on 17 November 2005 and 16 May 2006 respectively, why it did not issue new guidance to local authorities on best practice measures on the control of urban seagulls early in 2006, as stated in the answer to S2W-20474.
Answer
Chapter 7 of the
Review ofUrban Gulls and their Management in Scotland outlines the wide range of powersavailable to local authorities to deal with the various problems caused by urbangulls. Chapter 8 provides best practice recommendations, including guidance on variousmitigation techniques.
As the report already providesextensive information and guidance, I should like to hear the views of the PetitionsCommittee and local authorities before considering whether further guidance fromthe Executive could contribute anything further.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 2 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that disabled pensioners have the opportunity to gain as much benefit from their entitlement to free national travel as able-bodied pensioners.
Answer
The Confederation ofPassenger Transport and local authority and disability representatives wereincluded on task groups set up to advise on the development of theScotland-wide free bus scheme for older and disabled people. These task groups consideredaspects of equity of access, including which coach and bus services would beeligible in the scheme and the eligibility criteria for individuals.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 2 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-25625 by Tavish Scott on 18 May 2006, what the reason was for the delay in publishing the draft orders for the A7 Auchenrivock scheme.
Answer
The Environmental Statement,which has to be published with the draft orders, required additional work to meetthe quality requirements of Transport Scotland.
Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more informationif required.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 2 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether oxygen cylinders of a capacity smaller than 460 litres can be provided on prescription in Scotland.
Answer
Portable oxygen has been availableon prescription since 1 April 2004.
The preferred cylinders for thesupply of portable oxygen at present on the Scottish Drug Tariff are 300 litresPD and 430 litres B2i cylinders.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 31 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional funding has been made available to Dumfries and Galloway Council through end-year flexibility for private sector housing grants in each year since 2000-01.
Answer
I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is asfollows:
Private Sector Housing Granthas only been available as direct grant since 2004 and has achieved full spendin the last two years.
Dumfries and Galloway’s baseline allocations were £0.652 million for 2004-05and £0.652 for 2005-06. These were based on their average expenditure on thisprogramme from 2001.
These allocations wereincreased during the course of these two years as follows:
| Year | Baseline | Additional funding for specific bids | Additional funding for Disabled Adaptations | Additional funding for Care and Repair | Total |
| 2004-05 | £0.652m | £2.478m | £0.000m | £0.125m | £3.255m |
| 2005-06 | £0.652m | £2.478m | £0.300m | £0.125m | £3.555m |
None of this was from end-yearflexibility but from ministerial approval to increase spend in what they regardas a priority programme. This was done for all councils.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Johann Lamont on 31 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many pensioner households in (a) Dumfries and Galloway and (b) Scotland have benefited from its free central heating programme since it was introduced in 2001.
Answer
I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is asfollows:
Information is held by mainpost code area. From September 2001 to end of April 2006, 1,842 pensionerhouseholds in the DG postcode area have benefited from the central heating programme.
Across Scotland theprogramme has funded 47,000 central heating systems in pensioner householdsduring the same period.
