- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 February 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 4 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what capital charge is levied on the budget of Forestry Commission Scotland per hectare of forest land.
Answer
Capital charges are not levied on a hectarage basis, but on the value of assets shown on a department''s balance sheet. The charge is 3.5% of the average value over an accounting period. Capital charges for the national forest estate amounted to £23.4 million in 2007-08 and since the estate covers some 665,000 hectares we can calculate that the average cost per hectare was £35.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 February 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 2 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-20102 by Shona Robison on 4 February 2009, whether it considers that ending direct payments for new applicants would be consistent with the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002.
Answer
Local authorities have a duty under the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to assess the community care needs of people and decide, in the light of the assessment, whether they should arrange any services, and if so, which services. Since June 2003, local authorities have a duty to offer direct payments in lieu of council community care services to all eligible people. In light of recent concerns, I will be asking the Self-Directed Support Reference Group to review the operation of the legislation as part of their work on developing a Self-Directed Support National Strategy.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 5 February 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive when the formal agreement with the Russian Government on the lifting of its restriction on the importation of Scottish fish was signed.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-19845 on 5 February 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 5 February 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a signed agreement with the Russian Government that secures the sale of Scottish fish to Russia and, if so, whether the Scottish Government will place a copy of the agreement in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
A letter agreeing that a number of the companies that were inspected by Russian veterinary inspectors could export was sent from Russia on 25 December 2008, allowing exports from 1 January 2009.
A fisheries memorandum with the Russian Federation was signed on the Scottish Government''s behalf by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 14 January 2009. This sets out the future terms of reference for the export of fish and fishery products between Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the Russian Federation. A copy has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47406).
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 5 February 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive when it reached formal agreement with the Russian Government on the lifting of its restriction on the importation of Scottish fish.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-19845 on 5 February 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 4 February 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what the effect will be of the withdrawal of direct payments in the Orkney Islands council area.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20102 on 4 February 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 4 February 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with the decision of Orkney Islands Council not to approve new applications for direct payments due to budgetary constraints.
Answer
Officials have been in touch with Orkney Islands Council to clarify the position.
Orkney has made clear that there is no intention to withdraw existing direct payments. The waiting list for direct payments is regularly reviewed and applications are actioned as additional resources become available. In the interim, clients on the waiting list are offered social care services.
Scottish Government statistics make clear that Orkney currently has the highest rate of clients per 10,000 population receiving direct payments. The council is actively looking at the existing position, the current financial pressures, and projected additional financial demands to resolve this situation. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/10/27092036/0.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 4 February 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the respondents who were reported, in the analysis and summary of responses prepared by its Social Housing Division, as having given neutral/not stated responses to proposals in its 2008 Housing Association Grant consultation paper on (a) the annual rate of increase in rents, (b) freezing management, maintenance and major repairs allowances and (c) inflation assumptions.
Answer
Copies of all the non-confidential responses received to the 2008 Housing Association Grant consultation and the subsequent report by Social Housing Division are posted on the Scottish Government website:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/investment/bettervalue/Q/editmode/on/forceupdate/on.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 2 February 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, in the event of an employee of Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) not taking up an offer of job transfer under the transfer of undertakings (protection of employment) regulations (TUPE) under the proposed plans to lease up to one quarter of the most commercially-viable, publicly-owned forests and wishing to remain an FCS employee, whether that employee would be offered an alternative position in FCS or offered voluntary redundancy.
Answer
If any employee expressed a preference to remain with Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS), rather than transfer under the TUPE regulations, FCS would make every effort to find the employee an alternative role.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 2 February 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, in the event of an employee of Forestry Commission Scotland not taking up an offer of job transfer under the transfer of undertakings (protection of employment) regulations (TUPE) under the proposed plans to lease up to one quarter of the most commercially-viable, publicly-owned forests, whether that employee will be deemed to have resigned from their post.
Answer
The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (TUPE) regulations do not provide for an offer of job transfer “ employees are transferred automatically under the regulations. However, Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) would ensure that it made every effort to find an alternative role for any employee who did not wish to transfer.
