- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 March 2005
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 12 April 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to measure the value of sea and inshore angling in the same way that the value of freshwater angling was measured in the 2004 research report, The Economic Impact of Game and Coarse Angling in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is presently considering the possibility of commissioning a report on the economic impact of sea and inshore angling.
- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 April 2005
-
Current Status:
Awaiting answer
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was allocated to Aberdeenshire Council in 2002-03 through healthy choices funding and for what purposes this money was allocated.
Answer
Awaiting answer
- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 March 2005
-
Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 10 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the guidelines for the siting of speed cameras.
Answer
The Handbook of Rules and Guidancefor the Scottish Safety Camera Programme is reviewed each year in conjunction withthe many stakeholders of the Programme at national and local level. A comprehensivereview in 2004 resulted in a number of changes to how camera sites are determinedand was welcomed by stakeholders. A further review will take place in 2005.
- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 February 2005
-
Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 3 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to redraw the boundary for Dundee City Council to include parts of Angus.
Answer
Scottish ministers have no current plans to redraw local government boundaries.
However, we will of course listen to any representations made to us by local authorities or communities.
- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 February 2005
-
Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 24 February 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to monitor the system of GP out-of-hours cover in remote rural areas.
Answer
The new GP out-of-hours arrangements are the responsibility of NHS boards. The health department monitors boards' overall performance, and this year I will be chairing annual reviews to hold NHS boards to account for their performance in providing services to patients and meeting national priorities.
A national General Medical Services Out-of-Hours working group also meets on a regular basis. This comprises key stakeholders, including the Executive, NHS boards, NHS 24 and the ambulance services, and forms an important part of the monitoring process.
In addition NHS QIS have published a set of standards and guidelines for the safe and effective provision of out-of-hours services. Providers of out-of-hours services have a statutory responsibility to meet the standards, which will be monitored by NHS QIS.
- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 November 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 10 December 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation it has had, or plans to have, with battle re-enactment, pageant and martial arts groups about the proposed ban on the sale of swords.
Answer
The First Minister recently announced the Executive’s five point action plan on knife crime, including a ban on the sale of swords. The Executive plans to consult on those proposals in the new year. All groups and individuals with an interest in these matters will be able to respond to this consultation.
- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 December 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 9 December 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what priority it attaches to addressing the issue of underage drinking.
Answer
Tackling harmful drinking by children and young people through a wide range of preventative, educational and other measures is a key priority under the Executive’s national Plan for Action on Alcohol Problems. Current activity will be further reinforced by the proposed new liquor licensing arrangements to be introduced under the Licensing Bill which we are bringing forward early next year. Central to this will be the requirement for all licensed premises to operate on a “no proof, no sale” system.
- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 November 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 18 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on Aberdeenshire Council’s interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights that pupils aged 16 or over, who are excluded from school, have the right to have this information withheld from their parents.
Answer
It is the responsibility of Aberdeenshire Council to ensure its policies comply with the law.
- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 October 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 4 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what support is available to assist community groups in acquiring premises for the provision of facilities for young people.
Answer
The Executive provides grants for premises to voluntary youth and community organisations through the Local Capital Grants Scheme. The Rural Challenge Fund and Social Inclusion Partnership Fund can also provide capital funding for the acquisition of premises. And funding may also be available through the new Futurebuilders Scotland programme.
- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 September 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Johann Lamont on 13 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-10071 by Mrs Mary Mulligan on 17 September 2004, where each of the wind farms are located; what the capacity of each wind farm is, and what the reasons were for allowing the appeal on one wind farm application.
Answer
The following table lists the location proposed for each of the wind farm appeals referred to in answer to question S2W-10071. The generating capacity is not always specified at planning appeal stage, and so the information included in the table is a best estimate as provided by the applicant at the time of the application.
| Area | Site Address | Approximate Capacity in Megawatts (MW) |
| Aberdeenshire | East Mains of Dummuie, Drumblade, Huntly | 11 |
| Aberdeenshire | West Bradieston/East Bradieston Burton and Smiddyhill Farms, Laurencekirk | 12 |
| Argyll and Bute | An Suidhe, Argyll | 6.17 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | Carlesgill Hill Langholm (1) | Not specified |
| Dumfries and Galloway | Carlesgill Hill Langholm (2) | Not specified |
| Dumfries and Galloway | Carlesgill Hill Langholm (3) | Not specified |
| Highland | Creag Riasgain, Crakaig Estate, Helmsdale | 4.8 |
| Highland | Borrowston Mains, Dounreay, Thurso | 13 |
| Moray | Hill of Towie, Knockan and McHattie’s Cairn, Drummuir, Keith | 42 |
| North Ayrshire | Clydeport, Hunterston Terminal, Fairlie, Largs | 53 |
| Perth and Kinross | Balado Activity Centre, Balado, Kinross | 6 |
| South Lanarkshire | Penbreck and Carmacoup Forrest, near Glespin | 27 |
The appeal allowed was within Dumfries and Galloway at Carlesgill Hill, Langholm (case referenced (1) in the table). Planning permission had been granted in 1996 for the erection of five wind turbines with a total capacity of 1.5 MW. The appeal was against the refusal of Dumfries and Galloway Council to vary a condition on that permission, the effect of which would have been to permit an increased size for the towers and rotor blades, giving an overall height of 53.5m compared to the 44m permitted in 1996. The capacity of the proposed new turbines was not specified in the appeal. In allowing the appeal the Reporter concluded that the larger turbines would not contravene the relevant provisions of the Dumfries and Galloway Structure plan; that support for the variation was to be found in National Planning Policy Guidance 6 Renewable Energy; that in static mode the higher turbines would not significantly increase the dominance of the wind farm, and that the slower speed of the larger turbines would outweigh theadverse landscape impact.
The case at Carlesgill Hill in Dumfries and Galloway (referenced (2) in the table) proposed three wind turbines, with an overall height of 99.5m. Capacity was not specified in the proposal, but details of two possible examples of turbines were provided for the appeal, with capacities of 1.75MW and 2.0MW respectively.
The case at Carlesgill Hill inDumfries and Galloway (referenced (3) in the table) related to the same conditionof the 1996 planning permission which was the subject of case (1). The effect of the proposal would be the erection of five turbines with an overall height of 99.5m.As with Case (2), capacity was not specified in the proposal, but details oftwo possible examples of turbines were provided for the appeal, with capacitiesof 1.75MW and 2.0MW respectively.
