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Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

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Question reference: S3W-29074

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 27 November 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many accidents of all severities have been recorded on roads in Dumfries and Galloway in each month since May 2007, broken down by road.

The following tables show the total number of injury road accidents in Dumfries and Galloway, by month and road.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	June	July	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	Dec
2007
Total					54	46	41	36	35	29	39	46
M74					-	-	-	2	2	-	-	-
A7					-	3	-	-	-	-	-	1
A701					2	1	1	-	1	-	3	1
A702					1	-	-	1	-	-	-	-
A708					1	1	1	-	1	-	-	-
A709					2	2	1	2	2	-	1	3
A710					2	1	1	-	-	1	2	-
A711					1	2	-	1	2	2	2	1
A712					1	-	1	-	-	-	-	-
A713					2	3	-	-	2	1	2	2
A714					1	1	-	1	1	2	-	1
A716					-	-	1	1	-	-	1	1
A718					-	1	1	-	-	-	1	-
A745					-	-	1	-	-	-	1	-
A746					1	1	-	1	1	-	-	-
A747					-	-	-	-	-	2	-	-
A75					6	7	7	11	7	7	5	8
A755					-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
A756					-	-	-	2	1	-	-	-
A76					4	2	3	1	-	2	1	5
A762					-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
A77					-	1	-	-	2	-	1	1
A780					1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
A781					2	1	1	-	-	-	-	1
A74(M)					6	5	5	2	-	1	2	3
B6357					-	-	-	-	-	-	2	-
B7020					-	1	1	-	-	-	2	1
B7027					-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-
B7041					-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
B7068					-	-	-	-	-	-	2	-
B7076					5	1	1	1	-	-	-	-
B7084					-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-
B709					-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-
B721					-	-	-	-	3	2	-	3
B722					1	-	2	-	-	1	-	-
B723					-	1	-	-	1	-	1	1
B724					1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
B725					-	2	-	-	-	1	1	-
B727					-	-	1	-	-	1	-	1
B729					-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-
B732					-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-
B733					1	-	-	-	1	-	-	-
B736					-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
B737					-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
B740					-	-	-	-	2	-	-	-
B798					-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C1					-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
C10					-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-
C105					-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-
C11					-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-
C117					-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-
C12					-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-
C125					-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C14					-	-	1	1	-	-	1	-
C2					-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C208					-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C22					-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C25					-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-
C27					-	-	-	1	-	-	-	1
C28					-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
C3					-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C36					-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C38					-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-
C4					-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-
C44					-	1	-	-	1	-	1	-
C49					1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C50					-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
C51					-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-
C52					-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
C56					1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C6					-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-
C60					-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C62					-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C66					1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C69					-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C7					-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
C79					1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C8					-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
C80					-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C86					-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-
Unclassified					9	5	5	4	5	3	4	5
2008
Total	42	30	39	26	38	39	27	38	37	39	32	32
M74	7	2	4	3	2	3	2	7	3	1	-	-
A7	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	1	-
A701	2	2	4	1	-	2	3	2	-	5	2	1
A702	1	-	1	-	1	1	-	-	-	1	-	-
A708	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	1	1	-	-
A709	2	-	1	-	1	-	-	1	-	2	2	-
A710	2	2	2	-	1	1	-	-	-	1	-	-
A711	1	1	2	3	-	-	1	-	1	1	2	1
A712	1	-	1	-	1	1	-	1	-	-	-	-
A713	-	-	1	2	2	3	-	2	-	2	1	1
A714	1	1	3	-	-	-	-	-	1	1	-	-
A716	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	1	2
A717	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-
A718	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2
A745	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	1
A746	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	-	2	1
A747	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-
A75	4	1	5	7	4	5	4	6	7	8	4	3
A755	-	1	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
A756	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-
A76	3	1	1	1	2	3	1	4	2	1	2	2
A77	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	2	2	1	1	-
A780	1	-	1	-	-	3	-	-	-	1	1	1
A781	1	1	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
B6357	1	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-
B7004	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	1
B7020	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	1	1
B7021	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
B7043	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
B7068	-	-	-	-	1	2	-	-	-	1	-	-
B7076	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
B7077	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-
B7084	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-
B7085	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
B709	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-
B7201	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-
B721	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	1	2	2	-	2
B722	1	1	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-
B723	-	1	-	-	1	2	1	2	-	2	-	-
B724	-	1	-	-	1	-	-	1	-	1	2	-
B725	-	-	-	1	2	-	1	1	1	-	-	-
B727	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	1	1	-	-
B729	1	-	-	-	1	3	-	1	1	1	1	-
B733	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-
B736	3	1	-	-	1	-	1	-	-	-	1	-
B737	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
B738	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
B740	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-
B795	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-
B797	-	1	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	2	-	-
C1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
C10	-	1	-	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C11	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C111	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C114	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C117	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
C12	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
C128	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C13	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C130	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-
C14	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
C15	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C19	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C2	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
C23	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C40	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C41	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-
C43	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-
C46	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-
C5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
C51	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C56	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C6	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C60	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	-
C61	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-
C63	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C69	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-
C7	-	1	-	-	1	2	-	-	-	-	-	-
C8	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	1
C83	-	-	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-
C91	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-
C99	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-
Unclassified	2	3	7	3	4	4	4	3	3	2	2	6

Question reference: S3W-29073

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 27 November 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many fatal and serious accidents on roads in Dumfries and Galloway have been recorded in each month since May 2007, broken down by road.

The following tables show the number of fatal and serious road accidents in Dumfries and Galloway, by month and road.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	June	July	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	Dec
Total					15	17	16	12	7	7	8	12
M74					-	-	-	2	1	-	-	-
A7					-	2	-	-	-	-	-	-
A701					-	1	-	-	-	-	1	1
A702					-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
A708					1	-	-	-	1	-	-	-
A709					-	-	1	2	-	-	-	2
A710					-	1	1	-	-	1	-	-
A711					-	1	-	1	-	-	1	-
A712					1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
A713					2	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
A714					1	-	-	-	-	1	-	-
A716					-	-	-	1	-	-	1	-
A718					-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
A745					-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-
A75					1	2	3	4	1	1	1	1
A76					3	-	1	-	-	-	-	3
A762					-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
A77					-	-	-	-	1	-	1	1
A781					-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
A74(M)					1	2	2	1	-	1	-	1
B7020					-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-
B7027					-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-
B7076					1	1	1	-	-	-	-	-
B721					-	-	-	-	-	1	-	1
B722					-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-
B723					-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
B725					-	1	-	-	-	1	-	-
B727					-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-
B733					-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-
C10					-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-
C12					-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-
C14					-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-
C25					-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-
C4					-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C44					-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-
C56					-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C7					-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
C79					1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C80					-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Unclassified					3	2	1	-	1	-	2	1
2008
Total	8	7	11	6	12	5	9	9	10	7	3	7
M74	1	1	2	2	-	-	1	1	1	-	-	-
A7	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
A701	-	1	1	-	-	-	2	1	-	1	1	-
A702	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
A708	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	1	-	-
A709	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-
A710	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
A711	-	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	1	1
A712	-	-	-	-	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
A713	-	-	-	2	1	1	-	-	-	1	-	-
A717	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-
A718	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
A745	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
A746	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	1	-
A75	2	-	1	-	2	-	2	2	1	1	-	1
A76	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	2	-	-	-	-
A77	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-
A780	-	-	-	-	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	-
A781	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
B6357	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
B7004	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-
B7020	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-
B7076	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
B7084	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-
B7085	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
B709	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-
B721	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	1	-	-	-
B723	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-
B724	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-
B725	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-
B727	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-
B729	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
B737	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
B797	-	1	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	-	-
C10	-	1	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C2	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C63	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C7	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C8	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
C83	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
C91	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-
Unclassified	-	1	3	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	3

Question reference: S3W-28937

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 26 November 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Timings and Scheme Year Rules for Annual Recurrent Payment Claims page was (a) included and (b) last updated on the Scotland Rural Development Programme section of the Scottish Government’s website.

The Timings and Scheme Year Rules for Annual Recurrent Payment Claims page in the Claims section of Rural Priorities web guidance was first included on the website on 10 July 2008 and was last updated 25 September 2009.

As has been publicised, the intention is to begin to pay annual recurrent claims for Rural Priorities in early 2010, as soon as possible after the end of the scheme year. This in line with arrangements for previous agri-environment schemes, where such payments were also made after the end of the scheme year, which is January to December for Rural Priorities.

The timing is also informed by the need to comply with European requirements for all inspections for land-based activities to be carried out before payments can be made.

My officials will of course make every effort to ensure payments are made as soon as possible.

Question reference: S3W-28692

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 19 November 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget is and what the spend has been since April 2009 for the installation of enhanced measures under Stage Four of the Energy Assistance Package.

The Energy Assistance Package is a holistic approach to tackling fuel poverty that addresses both the home and the householder, and includes services to maximise income, reduce fuel bills and improve energy efficiency. Stage 4 of the package offers a menu of enhanced physical measures to groups most likely to be fuel poor, including central heating.

The Energy Assistance Package is supported by a budget of over £60 million in 2009-10. Fuel poverty budget spend to date is £15.728 million. This is in line with the expected profile as spend on installation measures is traditionally weighted towards the last two quarters of the financial year.

Question reference: S3W-28694

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 19 November 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) applications and (b) eligible applications for the installation of enhanced measures under Stage Four of the Energy Assistance Package had been received by 30 September 2009, broken down by local authority area.

The Energy Assistance Package (EAP) is a holistic approach to tackling fuel poverty that addresses both the home and the householder, and includes services to maximise income, reduce fuel bills and improve energy efficiency. Stage 4 of the package offers a menu of enhanced physical measures to groups most likely to be fuel poor, including central heating.

Our fuel poverty programme is helping thousands of households in Scotland to heat their homes more cheaply and efficiently. By 31 October:

Over 22,500 have taken up help under EAP,

Benefits checks have achieved nearly £687,000 in extra income,

Over 900 households have moved on to a social tariff due to referrals under EAP,

Over 2,700 insulation measures have been delivered,

Four thousand, seven hundred and one central heating systems have been installed.

The number of households taking up the Energy Assistance Package to end September, broken down by local authority area, is given in the following table. The table also shows the figure for the end of October.

Eligibility for Stage 4 is determined by the managing agent by means of a survey process. The number of households accepted by the managing agent as eligible for Stage 4 to end October, by local authority area, is given in the following table.

The second table shows installations that include central heating to 31 October, broken down by postcode area.

Local Authority	Households Taking Up EAP, At End September 2009	Households Taking Up EAP, At End October 2009	Households Accepted At EAP Stage 4 Survey, At End October 2009
Aberdeen City	314	529	52
Aberdeenshire	506	851	85
Angus	322	487	56
Argyll and Bute	282	453	57
Clackmannanshire	148	204	13
Dumfries and Galloway	641	857	180
Dundee City	362	523	84
East Ayrshire	470	588	48
East Dunbartonshire	365	550	40
East Lothian	284	383	30
East Renfrewshire	419	519	29
Edinburgh, City of	1,115	1,598	112
Eilean Siar	103	177	20
Falkirk	615	749	55
Fife	1,474	1,979	113
Glasgow City	1,359	1,776	163
Highland	819	1,320	105
Inverclyde	321	453	36
Midlothian	261	343	21
Moray	239	386	47
North Ayrshire	484	750	56
North Lanarkshire	998	1,270	113
Orkney Islands	94	124	16
Perth and Kinross	422	691	74
Renfrewshire	586	713	65
Scottish Borders	381	542	54
Shetland Islands	26	40	7
South Ayrshire	489	698	64
South Lanarkshire	1,096	1,467	135
Stirling	371	538	31
West Dunbartonshire	245	303	23
West Lothian	494	635	23
Local authority Not Identified	8	11
Total	16,113	22,507	2,007

Total Number of Installations That Include Central Heating, to 31 October 2009

Postcode Area	Total
AB	306
DD	237
DG	188
EH	610
FK	233
G	1,154
HS	18
IV	219
KA	411
KW	55
KY	273
ML	397
PA	391
PH	142
TD	60
ZE	7
All Scotland	4,701

Question reference: S3W-28733

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 19 November 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how the managing agent will handle any increase in demand resulting from wider eligibility for Stage Four of the Energy Assistance Package to ensure that waiting periods do not increase beyond the current average of 77 days.

Question reference: S3W-28696

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 19 November 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that Stage Four of the Energy Assistance Package is (a) working as intended and (b) successful.

Yes. The EAP is helping thousands of households in Scotland to heat their homes more cheaply and efficiently. To end September:

Over 16,000 have taken up help,

Benefits checks have achieved nearly £454,000 in extra income,

400 households have moved on to a social tariff,

Over 2,100 insulation measures have been delivered and

4,683 central heating systems have been installed.

The independent Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum is responsible for monitoring the Energy Assistance Package (EAP) and considered the operation of the first six months of the package at their meeting on 27 October 2009. The forum considered that EAP is already delivering real benefits to people in fuel poverty “ increased income through benefit reviews, reduced prices through access to social tariffs, and more efficient heating through better insulation and new heating systems and recommended specific changes to further improve its operation and widen access to stage 4.

The Scottish Government announced on 4 November 2009 changes to operating procedures to speed up delivery of stage 4 and amendment to regulations to broaden the definition of an energy inefficient home.

Question reference: S3W-28693

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 19 November 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) budget and (b) spend was for installations under the Central Heating Programme in each of the last three years.

Question reference: S3W-28699

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 19 November 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-28049 by Alex Neil on 29 October 2009, whether the seven contractors in Dumfries and Galloway are the same as those previously involved with the Central Heating Programme.

The seven contractors working in Dumfries and Galloway were all previously involved with the Central Heating Programme. The managing agent has advised that, wherever possible, Central Heating Programme contractors are used to carry out work under the Energy Assistance Package, with additional contractors being taken on to carry out work for the range of additional measures now available at Stage 4, for example air source heat pumps.

Question reference: S3W-28761

Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 19 November 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it projects that it will cost to widen the eligibility for Stage Four of the Energy Assistance Package to include homes with a band E energy performance rating.

The Energy Assistance Package is a demand-led programme supported by a budget worth over £60 million in 2009-10.

In itself, widening the eligibility criteria for Stage 4 of the Energy Assistance Package has no cost implications. The effect of including band E will be to nearly double the pool of households eligible for enhanced measures. Newly eligible households will have better energy efficiency ratings and therefore the cost of measures under Stage 4 may be less than those required for F and G band homes.

Central Heating Programme	(a) Budget	(b) Spend
2008-09	£51.57 million	£49.46 million
2007-08	£52.3 million	£48.9 million
2006-07	£58.19 million	£45.8 million