- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 24 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what programmes are supported by the National Assets and Flooding category of the Environmental and Rural Services Level 2 budget and how it proposes to achieve the 17% reduction in funding between 2010-11 and 2011-12, as indicated in table 11.06 on page 178 of Scotland’s Spending Plans and Draft Budget 2011-12.
Answer
The Natural Assets and Flood budget line support programmes aimed at promoting the air quality and the water environment, implementing the EU Noise Directive and the Government''s support to flood risk management. It is intended that savings will be made in terms of the level of support provided to air quality and noise actions. We will build on past actions and prioritise available resource to maximise benefits. These budget reductions will not impact on our statutory obligations in these areas.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 19 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered introducing a requirement in public procurement contracts for the use of fresh food.
Answer
Existing Scottish Government guidelines on sustainable development in public sector contracts for food and catering services highlights the opportunity for public bodies to specify fresh and seasonal produce in food and catering contracts. The guidance is currently being updated and will be reissued early in 2011.
The Scottish Government''s own contract for catering services reflects the advantages and importance of fresh produce and is anticipated to deliver an increase in fresh produce within Scottish Government staff restaurants.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 19 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the need for the notification of new Sites of Special Scientific Interest for biological features.
Answer
The notification of Sites of Special Scientific Interest is a statutory duty of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) under section 3 of the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004.
SNH regards the SSSI network as being substantially complete but maintains a policy of considering possible additions in certain limited circumstances (e.g. where a new SSSI is necessary to regulate operations in order to fulfil requirements which are associated with Natura 2000 sites).
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 11 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it encourages local authorities to support community use of council-owned buildings that they no longer require.
Answer
Decisions on the future of any local authority owned building, including community centres are solely at the discretion of each individual local authority. The Scottish Government has no locus to intervene. However, the Scottish Government awarded £250,000 in 2009 to the Development Trust Association Scotland (DTAS) to undertake a national two year programme of work to explore the benefits and risks involved in asset transfer. The findings from this will help local authorities fully consider their options.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 9 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how local authorities are permitted to use capital receipts from the sale of buildings.
Answer
Local authorities may use capital receipts from the sale of buildings to finance new capital expenditure or to repay the principal element of loans.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 9 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it issues guidance to local authorities regarding the disposal of buildings that they no longer require and, if so, where it can be accessed.
Answer
Recent guidance to local authorities in relation to the disposal of land (including buildings) was issued by the Scottish Government in May 2010. A copy of the guidance is on the Scottish Government website at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/07/26124543/0.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 4 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether funding will be transferred from the local authority settlement to support the national body proposed in the Children's Hearings (Scotland) Bill and, if so, how much.
Answer
The information requested can be found in the Financial Memorandum to the Bill, pages 73 to 86 inclusive at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/bills/41-ChildrensHearingsb41s3-introd-en.pdf.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 4 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how the cost of the national body proposed in the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Bill compares with the cost of the existing arrangements.
Answer
The information requested can be found in the Financial Memorandum to the Bill, pages 73 to 86 inclusive at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/bills/41-ChildrensHearingsb41s3-introd-en.pdf.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 4 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to promote the introduction of kerbside collections of used batteries.
Answer
The provision of kerbside collection services and the materials collected is the responsibility of local authorities.
Since 1 February 2010 retailers which place more than 32kg per year (equivalent to approximately 1400 AA batteries per year) of portable batteries on the market have an obligation to take back batteries in-store, free of charge, when they become waste.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 04 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 28 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what staff and other costs were incurred by (a) Scottish Natural Heritage, (b) Forestry Commission Scotland and (c) Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate staff in developing and implementing section 7 control orders under the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996 in each of the last five years.
Answer
The following table sets out estimates for the staff and other costs associated with Section 7 control agreements.
| Year | (a) Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) (£) | (b) Forestry Commission Scotland (£) | (c) Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate (£) |
| 2006 | 5,000 | 15,130 | Nil |
| 2007 | 8,000 | 15,130 | Nil |
| 2008 | 10,700 | 15,130 | Nil |
| 2009 | 13,000 | 15,130 | Nil |
| 2010 | 14,000 | 15,130 | Nil |
The figures for SNH staff time are estimates based on work recording. SNH staff record time on the wider designated sites target of which deer impacts is only a part.
