- 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 Hugh Henry on 8 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-26064 by Hugh Henry on 31 May 2006, whether it took into consideration the findings of Estimating the National and Local Prevalence of Problem Drug Misuse in Scotland, published by the Centre for Drug Misuse Research and the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health, that in 2003 nearly 2.5% of the population of Dumfries and Galloway were drug misusers, compared with1.8% in Scotland as a whole, when it determined the specific funding allocation for drug treatment in Dumfries and Galloway in 2005-06 and 2006-07.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-26432 on 8 June 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- 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: 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: 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: Thursday, 18 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 31 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it has provided for the treatment of drug and alcohol addiction in (a) Scotland and (b) Dumfries and Galloway in each year since 2000-01.
Answer
The specific fundingallocated for drug and alcohol treatment services in Scotland andDumfries and Galloway since 2000-01 is detailed as follows.
| Year | Scotland | Dumfries and Galloway |
| Drugs | Alcohol | Drugs | Alcohol |
| 2000-01 | £12,352,000 | - | £124,000 | - |
| 2001-02 | £14,973,000 | - | £298,000 | - |
| 2002-03 | £16,952,000 | - | £258,000 | - |
| 2003-04 | £16,952,000 | - | £258,000 | - |
| 2004-05 | £19,752,000 | £3,000,000 | £271,000 | £108,000 |
| 2005-06 | £23,769,000 | £9,900,000 | £482,000 | £359,000 |
| 2006-07 | £23,769,000 | £9,900,000 | £482,000 | £359,000 |
- 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.
