- Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has identified any statutory regulations applicable to the farming industry that it considers to be unnecessary.
Answer
We are working withNFU Scotland on such matters and to identify ways in which we can improve the regulatoryframework for agriculture so that the sector continues to meet its regulatory obligations,but with fewer constraints on farm businesses and reduced cost of regulation.
- Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will tackle issues arising from cheap and inferior imports reaching the shelves of Scottish supermarkets.
Answer
We will be consultingprimary producers, processors and the supermarkets on how best to ensure fresh localand seasonal produce is given adequate space and clear signage in retail outletsacross Scotland.
- Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how it reached its decision that £10 million was the appropriate amount of funding for the new entrants scheme for farmers.
Answer
This decision wasbased on the experience and funding of a similar scheme in Northern Ireland and on the funding available for the new Scotland RuralDevelopment Programme (SRDP). There will be flexibility within the new SRDP to varythe funding available under the New Entrants measure should this be appropriate.
- Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 15 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will encourage estate owners to make starter units available for new tenants.
Answer
My officials are indiscussion with estate landowners to explore how they can play a greater role inthe provision of affordable housing in rural areas where there is pressing housingneed.
- Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 14 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many new entrants to farming it estimates it will attract by establishing its £10 million new entrants scheme.
Answer
The main factor in attractingnew entrants to farming will be the development of a vibrant and profitable industryand this is a key aim of our rural policy. It is also important, however, that newentrants are supported in the critical early stages and the New Entrants measurecould potentially provide this support to up to around 500 new entrants over thelife of the Scotland Rural Development Programme.
- Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 14 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will allocate the £10 million that it has earmarked for the new entrants scheme for farmers.
Answer
The New Entrants measure willbe included within Tier 3 of Rural Development Contracts. Funding will thereforebe allocated under the competitive application process that will apply to all Tier3 measures.
- Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 11 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when the next round of funding to build new schools in Aberdeenshire will be brought forward.
Answer
Existing investment plans willsee schools continuing to be built and refurbished across Scotland to theend of this decade. In the case of Aberdeenshire, several communities are alreadybenefiting from recently built schools in line with priorities identified by thecouncil.
We recognise though that thereis yet more to be done to improve the school estate across Scotland. Furtherfinancial support for that purpose will need to be considered in the context of the forthcoming spending review.
- Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 March 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 22 March 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will increase the level of payments to those in receipt of free personal and nursing care from the £210 per week introduced in July 2002.
Answer
The future rates of payment forpersonal and nursing care to self funders in care homes are due to be consideredas part of the spending review.
The levels of funding for thesepayments will have risen by £14 million between 2003-04, the first full year ofimplementation, and 2007-08, an increase of some 18.7%.
- Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Des McNulty on 24 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many households in the West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine parliamentary constituency have benefited from installations under the central heating programme since its inception.
Answer
I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:
Information is held by main postcodearea. In the AB postcode area a total of 3,045 households in the private sectorare now centrally heated as a result of the central heating programme.
- Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Des McNulty on 24 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many households in the West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine parliamentary constituency have benefited from the provision of insulation under the Warm Deal scheme since its inception.
Answer
I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:
Information is held by main postcodearea. In the AB postcode area a total of 6,657 households across all sector benefitedfrom Warm Deal insulation measures provided through the Managing Agent. In the publicsector Aberdeenshire Council insulated 4,684 households as part of theprogramme.
