- Asked by: Shiona Baird, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 16 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what strategy is being implemented to meet the First Minister's commitment to place culture at the heart of its agenda.
Answer
Action is already takingplace to implement the First Minister’s vision for culture in Scotland, asstated in his 2003 St Andrew’s Day Lecture. I am engaging with ministerialcolleagues to discuss how different parts of the Executive and its agencies cancontribute positively to this vision. A new focus is required by all who makecultural provision in Scotland.
The First Ministeralso announced that a review of culture would be launched, as promised in our partnershipagreement. I look forward to announcing arrangements for the review in thecoming weeks.
- Asked by: Shiona Baird, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 16 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will measure the success of its strategy to meet the First Minister's commitment to place culture at the heart of its agenda.
Answer
Targets will be set in thecontext of the 2004 Spending Review.
- Asked by: Shiona Baird, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 16 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional resources have been allocated to Scottish Opera to help fulfil the First Minister's commitment to place culture at the heart of the Executive's agenda.
Answer
The budget allocation forScottish Opera for 2003-06 was set by the Scottish Arts Council following the2002 Spending Review. That remains unaltered. Scottish Opera must operatewithin the level of resource that is available to it.
- Asked by: Shiona Baird, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 9 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it has spent on (a) recycling, (b) composting and (c) waste prevention in each of the last five years.
Answer
A detailed breakdown into (a), (b) and (c) is not available.
In addition to the Revenue Support Grant provided to local authorities for waste management services, over £51 million has been spent on recycling, composting and waste prevention initiatives in the past five years.
A breakdown of funding awarded for these aims from Strategic Waste Fund, Sustainable Action Fund, Quality of Life Fund and Landfill Tax Credit Scheme Interim Fund over the past five years is outlined in the table.
Scottish Executive Grants For Recycling, Composting and Waste Prevention Initiatives 1999 - 2004
| Year | Strategic Waste Fund (local authority grants) | Strategic Waste Fund (other waste initiatives) | Sustainable Action Fund (recycling, composting etc) | Quality of life grants (recycling banks) | Landfill Tax Credit Scheme Interim Fund |
| 1999-2000 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 2000-01 | £3 million | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 2001-02 | £3 million | £1 million | £93,600 | n/a | n/a |
| 2002-03 | £10 million | £1 million | £26,905 | £2.235 million | n/a |
| *2003-04 | £22 million | £6.5 million | £10,000 | n/a | £2.5 million |
| Total | £38 million | £8.5 million | £130,505 | £2.235 million | £2.5 million |
Note: *Figures for 03-04 areexpected outturns.
- Asked by: Shiona Baird, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 9 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is on target to meet its aim that no more than 3.5 million tonnes of municipal waste be produced in 2010, as stated in The National Waste Plan 2003.
Answer
The Executive remainscommitted to the aim in the National Waste Plan to stop growth in the amount ofmunicipal waste produced by 2010. We are taking a number of steps to achievethis aim. These include support for home composting, through the StrategicWaste Fund, and support for a waste minimisation programme by the Waste andResources Action Programme. This programme includes home composting, thepromotion of real nappies and work with retailers. In addition, the Executiveis currently working with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and othersto develop a national framework for household waste prevention.
- Asked by: Shiona Baird, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 9 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average si'e of dairy herds was in (a) 1990 and (b) the most recent year for which figures are available.
Answer
The average number of dairycattle on holdings classified as dairy farms in 1990 and 2003 was 120 and 160respectively. These figures are taken from the Agricultural Census conducted inJune each year.
- Asked by: Shiona Baird, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 9 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many, and what percentage of, dairy farm businesses have gone out of business in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
Answer
Information is not availableat the level of detail requested.
- Asked by: Shiona Baird, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 9 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of dairy processing businesses is (a) farmer-owned co-operatives and (b) private companies.
Answer
This information is not heldcentrally.
- Asked by: Shiona Baird, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 9 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many dairy farmers there were in (a) 1990 and (b) the most recent year for which figures are available.
Answer
The number of occupiers ofholdings classified as dairy farms in 1990 and 2003 was 2,100 and 1,500respectively. These figures are taken from the Agricultural Census conducted inJune of each year.
- Asked by: Shiona Baird, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 December 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 20 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to issue guidance to local authorities for recording complaints received by them regarding noise and, if so, when such guidance will be issued.
Answer
The Executive is planning toissue later this year a noise management guide for use by local authorities. Itis the intention that this will reflect the new provisions on domestic noisecontained within the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Bill, which is atpresent being considered in the Scottish Parliament.
