- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 4 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-10264 by Allan Wilson on 17 September 2004, whether research expertise and knowledge available at the Hannah Institute in Ayrshire is suitable for development work on subjects such as the health consequences of obesity, in light of previous research in the field of animal fat reduction and into insulin resistance and mammary gland development.
Answer
The expertise and knowledge available at the Hannah Research Institute may be suitable for development in some areas of research.
The draft strategy for agricultural, biological and related research identifies the key policy areas where the Scottish Executive will continue to fund relevant research.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 17 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what role it envisages the Hannah Institute having in the Executive’s “Smart, Successful Scotland” strategy.
Answer
A Smart, Successful Scotland recognises the importance of high quality research and development activities. The Scottish research community has a valuable role to play in producing high quality research and ensuring its commercial potential is exploited.
The Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department is currently considering responses to the consultation on the draft strategy for agriculture, biological and related research which includes those objectives.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 16 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to establish a Scottish body to carry out, administer or fund agricultural and biological research and what the objectives will be of any such body.
Answer
Consultation with a wide range of stakeholders on the draft strategy for Agricultural, Biological and Related Research closed on Friday 10 September. The draft strategy considers the future structure of the Department’s relationship with its main research providers but there is no proposal to establish a body to administer or fund research.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 15 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial allocation it has made for science and research this year; what allocation was made in each of the last three years; what the projected sums are for the next three years and how much has been allocated for agricultural and biological research in each year, and what information it has on the amount spent in England and Wales on science and research in each of these years.
Answer
The most recent comprehensive and comparable data on government funded science, engineering and technology expenditure is published by the DTI in
The Forward Look 2003 and relevant extracts are given below. Plans for the next three years will be available in next year’s edition. The most recent science expenditure outturn data for the Scottish Executive’s Environment and Rural Affairs Department are £56.4 million in 2001-02 and £56.3 million in 2002-03.The latest estimates for 2003-04 and 2004-05 are £64.9 million and £65.2 millionrespectively.
| £ Million | Outturn 2001-02 | Estimated Outturn 2002-03 | Plan 2003-04 | Provisional Plans 2004-05 |
| Scottish Executive | 142.9 | 150.4 | 165.5 | 169 |
| National Assembly for Wales | 36.5 | 49.9 | 46.4 | 54 |
| Whitehall Civil Departments1 | 1,578.3 | 1,807.0 | 1,945 | 1,660 |
Notes: 1. Excludes expenditure by Ministry of Defence, UK Research Councils, Office of Science and Technology, devolved administrations and Northern Ireland departments.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 August 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 7 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to use underground cables as transmission lines for wind farms.
Answer
We are not aware of any plans to use underground transmission lines, but it is for the transmission companies involved to decide how best to meet the needs of their customers.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 August 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 7 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive who will meet any capital and additional revenue costs of using underground cables for wind farm output transmission.
Answer
Capital costs associated with installing and maintaining the electricity transmission infrastructure fall to be met in the first instance by the electricity transmission companies. The activities of these monopoly companies are regulated and the Office for Gas and Electricity Markets (OFGEM) has to be satisfied that the investment is necessary before the costs can be recovered from consumers.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 August 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 7 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has carried out, and what information it has, on the cost differentials between overland and underground high voltage transmission lines for wind farm output.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has carried out no specific research into the cost differentials between overhead and underground high voltage electricity transmission lines. However, in December 2003 a report to the European Commission entitled
Undergrounding Electricity Lines in Europe reported the following cost differential factors in European countries :
| | Construction Cost Factor for Undergrounding at 380/400 kV |
| Austria | 8 |
| Denmark | 7.2 |
| France (rural) | 10 |
| Italy | 5.9 |
| Norway | 6.5 |
| UK (National Grid) | 15-25 |
Costs are subject to many variable factors including the technology employed and the nature of terrain involved. The report suggested that a construction cost factor of 15 for a 400 kilovolt underground line could reduce to 7-12 owing to lower operational costs over its lifetime. It was also estimated that undergrounding 25% of the high voltage and extra high voltage network in the UK would increase the cost of electricity by 3-5%.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 21 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 13 July 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the age is at which a child can have an abortion without the consent of her parents.
Answer
I refer the member to the answergiven to S2W-9205 answered 13 July 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for whichcan be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/searchwa.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 21 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 13 July 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive at what age it would be acceptable for voluntary organisations or public authority agencies to arrange prescription of the morning-after pill, or other forms of contraception, to children without advising or seeking consent from their parents.
Answer
Section 2 (4) of the Age of LegalCapacity (Scotland) Act 1991 allows a person under the age of 16 years to consenton his or her own behalf to medical procedures or treatments, provided that in theopinion of a qualified medical practitioner he or she is capable of understandingthe nature and possible consequences of the treatment. A competent young personis, in general, owed the same duty of confidentiality as an adult. However, doctorsand other medical professionals approached by young persons seeking any form ofcontraception should, as a matter of good practice and in accordance with professionalbodies’ ethical guidelines, seek to persuade them to confide in a parent or anothertrusted adult.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 21 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 13 July 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive from what age it considers it is acceptable that children undergo an abortion procedure without the consent of their parents.
Answer
Section 2 (4) of the Age of LegalCapacity (Scotland) Act 1991 allows a person under the age of 16 years to consenton his or her own behalf to medical procedures or treatments provided that in theopinion of a qualified medical practitioner he or she is capable of understandingthe nature and possible consequences of the treatment.
A girl seeking a terminationof pregnancy would, of course, need the agreement of two medical practitioners thatshe met the requirements of the Abortion Act 1967 as well as being competent togive her own consent. A competent young person is, in general, owed the sameduty of confidentiality as an adult. Doctors will, however, be guided by the BritishMedical Association’s ethical guidelines on abortion, which say on this point:
“The value of parental supportmust be discussed with the patient. Doctors should encourage young people to discusstheir situation with parents but must provide reassurance that their confidentialitywill be maintained. If the young woman is unwilling to inform her parents of theconsultation there may be another adult, perhaps an aunt or a friend of the family,in whom she would be prepared to confide. The importance of support during and afterthe termination should be discussed.”
