- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 19 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what agreement has been reached with (a) the Ministry of Defence and (b) the Cairngorms National Park regarding the need for pylons 65 feet higher than at present to carry wind farm energy south from the Highlands.
Answer
No agreement has been soughtor reached.
Discussions between thedeveloper, Scottish and Southern Energy, the stakeholders, such as the planningauthorities, and the wider community on issues that will inform the ultimatechoice of routes for the proposed transmission line are under way. We expect anapplication for consent under Section 37 of the Electricity Act 1989 to be madein the summer when formal consultation on the proposals will be undertaken.Ministers will then reach a determination on whether the proposal should beconsented as submitted, whether it requires amendment or whether it should berefused. That determination will be made in light of all the relevantconsiderations.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 19 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether areas in the Highlands will be declared wind farm free 'ones due to the number of low-flying 'ones managed by the Ministry of Defence.
Answer
There are no plans to do so.The Executive expects operators to work closely with the Ministry of Defence so that sites are chosen which donot compromise the safety of low flying aircraft.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 19 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure sensitive siting of wind farms in order to protect the scenic and environmental heritage.
Answer
The Executive revised itsplanning guidance and advice in 2002 to help ensure that wind farms are sitedin the right locations. These documents set a planning framework which balancesthe Executive’s obligations to tackle climate change with the need to ensurethat sites designated for their natural heritage importance are protected frominappropriate development.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 30 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 17 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4132 by Cathy Jamieson on 26 November 2003, what its position is in respect of the statement in the report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons on HM Prison Inverness that “two members of staff had recently been required to attend a central belt Court to give evidence that a prisoner had grown a beard” and what action it is taking to address such situations.
Answer
The prosecution or defencedecides whom to call as witnesses in a criminal trial. The Scottish Prison Service’s(SPS) job is to respond promptly to these criminal justice requirements; thoughthis may occasionally disrupt the work of the prison we seek to keep this to aminimum. This will be assisted by the move to the new prisoner escort contractwhich SPS has put in place.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 12 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will continue with the hedgehog cull in the Western Isles this year.
Answer
Thedecision to continue with the hedgehog cull in the Western Isles lies withScottish Natural Heritage as the relevant licensing authority.
The Scottish Executive is of the view that SNH’s proposals,which include a continued programme of lethal control (and support for ascientifically rigorous trial), represent the most effective approach.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 10 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities are obliged to consult Scottish Water prior to granting planning permission for new developments and whether new developments can go ahead if Scottish Water objects to the water and sewerage arrangements.
Answer
Local authorities areobliged to consult Scottish Water where a development is likely to require amaterial addition or a material change in the services provided by ScottishWater. Should Scottish Water object to a proposed development then theirobjection would be considered alongside any other material considerations.Planning permission may be granted in these circumstances. However, otherconsents may be required.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 9 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the fixed penalty notices proposed in the draft Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Bill will be (a) regarded as convictions and (b) quotable in future legal proceedings.
Answer
Paragraphs 169-171 of the Policy Memorandum to the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Bill explain how the Executive expects the fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for anti-social offences, introduced by Part 11 of the Bill, to operate.
A fixed penalty notice issued under the proposals will not be a criminal conviction if the notice is paid.
Previous fixed penalty notices will not be quotable in future legal proceedings, although they will be recorded and the police and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service will have access to this information. The Lord Advocate has the power to direct the police about in what circumstances a FPN should be used. Guidance will take into account handling of cases where FPNs have been used previously.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 6 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) will place increased emphasis on access to sports facilities for school pupils as part of the inspection process.
Answer
HMIE already take goodaccount of access to sports facilities in the context of their evaluation ofaccommodation facilities. This occurs in every school inspection and in asample of schools, inspectors also take a closer look at provision for physicaleducation. HMIE have also been looking more closely at health promotionactivities, including the use of sports facilities where appropriate, as partof their review of integrated community schools. There are no plans to alterthis approach.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Euan Robson on 5 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children were referred by Children's Panels to services outwith Scotland in each of the last five years, broken down by service.
Answer
No central record is kept ofchildren placed outwith Scotland in order to fulfil supervision requirements. Theprincipal services accessed in England and Wales are likely to be secure accommodation andmental health places. Some children from England also use places in Scotland. In respect of thesecure estate, in particular data collection, service provision and managementissues are regularly discussed with secure providers, registration andinspection bodies at the Secure Accommodation Forum.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 2 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what concerns it has in relation to the 62% of anti-social behaviour orders that result in a perceived improvement in behaviour.
Answer
The latest report on the useof anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) by the Chartered Institute of Housing,which was commissioned by the Scottish Executive, provided a range of usefulinformation on the use of ASBOs in the period 1 December 2001 to 31 March 2003.
Information on perceivedchanges in behaviour as a result of ASBOs, based on reports from localauthority officials, is one subjective but useful indicator of theireffectiveness. The report concluded that ASBOs are becoming an effective toolin tackling antisocial behaviour. The figure quoted supports this conclusion.
The Executive will continueto work with local authorities and other agencies to promote sharing of goodpractice on the use of ASBOs and thus further improve their effectiveness.
