- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 24 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what is the estimated population of raptors in Scotland.
Answer
The latest available estimate of the raptor population in Scotland, excluding juvenile and non-breeding birds, is approximately 27,000 breeding pairs.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 24 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what the arrangements are for counting the raptor population in Scotland, including the relevant qualifications of the personnel involved.
Answer
Arrangements vary for different species. Common species such as the kestrel sparrowhawk and buzzard are monitored by the Breeding Bird Survey organised by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). In Scotland much work is undertaken by Raptor Study Group members, all of whom are volunteers and undertake the work in their spare time.
Some scarce species (e.g. peregrine, merlin, hen harrier and golden eagle) are surveyed by dedicated professional surveyors who are employed by one of the main bird conservation groups such as RSPB. .All surveyors are familiar with the species concerned and possess good field ornithological skills. Where appropriate, they are licensed by Scottish Natural Heritage, and in this event SNH undertakes checks on all applicants to establish that they are fit and proper persons to undertake such work.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 24 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive to specify funding provided by Scottish Natural Heritage to the Scottish Raptors Group in the form of grants, loans and contracts, for each of the last three years.
Answer
There were no contracts or loans from SNH to Scottish Raptor Study Groups in the period 1996-1999. Grants paid during this period were:Year | No of grants | Amount |
1996/97 | 2 | £5,358.00 |
1997/98 | 4 | £12,363.50 |
1998/99 | 10 | £25,026.00 |
1999/2000 | 4 | £12,597.00 (provisional figure) |
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Donald Dewar on 24 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what targets its departments have been set regarding replies to correspondence received from MSPs.
Answer
The targets are for an acknowledgement to be issued within 2 working days of receipt of an MSP's letter; for a substantive reply to be issued within 17 working days of receipt; and for an interim reply to be issued where it is evident that a final reply cannot be issued within the 17 working day target.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 24 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what is the average estimated population of peregrines and sparrowhawks in Scotland for each of the past five decades.
Answer
Not all the information requested is available. The most recent reliable population estimate available for the sparrowhawk is the 1988-91 Breeding Bird Atlas Survey. This gives an estimated figure of 7,000 breeding pairs. The most recent full survey of the peregrine was in 1991. This showed a population of 634 occupied territories (occupied territories will generally be occupied by a breeding pair of birds, but not in every case, and single occupancy does occur). The previous figures were: 1961 - 446 occupied territories; 1971 - 365 occupied territories; and 1981 - 489 occupied territories.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 23 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the estimated #12 million expenditure on the Warm Deal by category and by year of spend.
Answer
£12 million is the budget for the Warm Deal for the year 1999/2000. 47% has been set aside for the local authorities stock and 53% for private and housing association stock.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 23 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is or intends taking to insure that people living in deprived communities have access to financial services.
Answer
The recent results from the first round of the Scottish Household Survey suggest that across Scotland, 12% of householders (or their partners) do not have a bank account. This conceals a wide variation: for example only 61% of single parents have some form of account. This is a matter of concern and Scottish Ministers are commited to improving access to financial services. We are actively engaged in discussions with a range of bodies, including financial institutions, to promote wider access to a broad range of financial services.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 23 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the targets set for each Social Inclusion Partnership in Scotland and the latest available information on their performance in relation to these targets.
Answer
A network of 47 Social Inclusion Partnerships is now in place, tackling the problems of exclusion in rural and urban areas across Scotland. Of these, 26 are new Social Inclusion Partnerships, which began their work on 1st April 1999. The new Social Inclusion Partnerships are currently developing their strategies. Their finalised targets will be set out in monitoring and evaluation plans, which each new Social Inclusion Partnership will develop later this year. New guidance is currently being developed to assist the Social Inclusion Partnerships in doing this.As well as the new partnerships, 21 of the existing Priority Partnership Areas and Regeneration Programmes were designated as Social Inclusion Partnerships on 1st April 1999 following a re-focusing of their work programmes. Each of these converted Social Inclusion Partnerships has a set of targets agreed with the Scottish Executive early in its life. Each partnership sets out details of its performance against these targets every year in its annual report. Annual reports for 1998/99 have now been submitted to the Scottish Executive, and I have placed copies of the annual reports in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 23 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive further to answer to the question S1W-324 by Mr Jack McConnell on 14 July 1999, which European Union Council Working Group meetings it has attended to date.
Answer
Officials from the Scottish Executive have since 1 July attended the following European Union Council Working Group meetings:
OFFICIAL VISITS ABROAD: WORKING GROUP MEETINGS
Rural Affairs DepartmentYEAR | DATE | WORKING GROUP | OFFICIAL | DEPARTMENT | PURPOSE |
| 1999 | 9 July 22 July | Environment Working Group Environment Working Group | Mr MurrayMrs Whytock | Rural Affairs DeptRural Affairs Dept | National emission ceilings Ambient air (benzene and carbon monoxide.) |
| 1999 | 1 July 15 July | Internal Fisheries GroupInternal Fisheries Group | Gery McLaughlinGery McLaughlin | Rural Affairs DeptRural Affairs Dept | Reform of Fisheries Marketing Regime |
| 1999 | 22 July | External Fisheries Group | Andrew D Brown | Rural Affairs Dept | External Aspects of Common Fisheries Policy |
Executive Secretariat
YEAR | DATE | WORKING GROUP | OFFICIAL | DEPARTMENT | PURPOSE |
| 1999 | 8 July | Environment Committee | Mr Giverin | Executive Secretariat | Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive |
Education DepartmentYEAR | DATE | WORKING GROUP | OFFICIAL | DEPARTMENT | PURPOSE |
1999 | 8 July 9 July | Education Committee Education Committee | Mrs Johnston Mrs Johnston | Education Dept Education Dept | Socrates II + Leonardo II Socrates II + Leonardo II |
Justice Department
YEAR | DATE | WORKING GROUP | OFFICIAL | DEPARTMENT | PURPOSE |
| 1999 | 5 July | Committee on Civil Law | Peter Beaton | JD-Courts GroupCJ&ID | General Questions |
| | 14 July | Committee on Civil Law | Laura Dolan | JD-Courts GroupCJ&ID | Service of Documents Directive |
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 23 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer to question S1W-307 by Sarah Boyack on 9 August, whether it will provide details of the individual schemes recommended by the Route Action Plan study.
Answer
The individual schemes recommended by the A77 Route Action Plan study are as follows:-
1. Dalquat | 1.1 kms - Northbound climbing lane |
2. South of Ayr | 1.9 kms - Dual carriageway |
3. North of Maybole | 1.8 kms - Dual carriageway |
4. North of Kirkoswald | 3.1 kms - Wide single carriageway |
5. Burnside | 1.4 kms - Wide single carriageway |
6. Haggstone | 1.4 kms - Northbound climbing lane |
7. Ardwell to Kennedy's Pass | 1.4 kms - Wide single carriageway |
8. Auchencross to Carloch | 1.5 kms - Southbound climbing lane |
