- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 26 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive (a) what effect the European Commission's proposed Physical Agents directive will have on the economy and (b) what strategies it proposes to handle any effects of introduction of the directive.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no function in relation to the health and safety implications in the proposed European Commission's Physical Agents directive.
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 26 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make any representations to the Robert Gordon University with regard to restoring the learning disability branch programme of its Diploma in Higher Education and Bachelor of Arts in Nursing courses.
Answer
The National Review of the Contribution of Nurses to the Care and Support of People with Learning Disabilities was a key recommendation contained in Caring for Scotland: The Strategy for Nursing and Midwifery in Scotland, which was published in March 2001. The National Review is due to report at the end of June 2002. Thereafter the issue of learning disability training will be addressed.
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 09 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many multiple sclerosis sufferers there currently are in the Banff and Buchan parliamentary constituency.
Answer
I refer the member to the answers given to questions S1W-12859 and S1W-15296 on 9 February 2001 and 4 May 2001 respectively, which made it clear that information on multiple sclerosis in individual areas is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 23 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what forms of support are available from it and Her Majesty's Government for the production of wind energy.
Answer
The Executive is committed to the promotion of renewable energy in Scotland, and to its accounting for 18% of electricity supply in Scotland by 2010. This will be achieved by means of the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) which will start next year, subject to parliamentary approval. We expect that most of the resultant development will comprise wind energy projects.Financial assistance for the development of specific renewable energy technologies is a matter for the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Funding for research and development, and capital grants for development of offshore wind technologies, is available from DTI for projects across the UK.
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 22 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the number of reported incidences of mites and varroa disease in the bee population in each of the past five years, giving the most appropriate area breakdown available.
Answer
Incidence of
Varroa destructor in Scotland (number of infested apiaries) is as follows:
| Numbers of infested apiaries1 |
| | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 (to 23 Oct.) |
| Dumfries & Galloway (plus part of Borders region) | 9 | | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Fife/Perthshire | | 8 | 16 | 12 | 15 |
| Argyll and Bute | | | | 1 | |
| Total | 9 | 8 | 20 | 17 | 23 |
Notes:1. The numbers of infested apiaries in the table are following detection of
Varroa destructor in samples submitted by SEERAD bees officers and findings of the mite in samples of bee debris submitted for analysis at SASA by beekeepers. Some apiaries in the table may have been recorded as infested in previous seasons.
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 22 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to prevent the spread of mites and varroa disease in the bee population.
Answer
All bee movements to non-infected islands from within the Statutory Infected Area (SIA) are prohibited. As a result, on 8 December 2000 the SIA was extended to cover the whole of mainland Scotland and the Isle of Bute. By this action it is hoped that we will maintain a source of varroa free bees. In addition, we continue to monitor the varroa situation throughout Scotland by testing samples submitted by beekeepers for signs of varroa. However, it is generally accepted that the spread of varroa throughout mainland Scotland is inevitable.
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 20 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will respond to the request from Aberdeenshire Council to stop-up the right of way at Philorth Avenue/Witchhill Road, Fraserburgh, which was submitted on 8 May 2000, and whether there are any plans to hold a local inquiry into this matter.
Answer
Aberdeenshire Council advertised the Aberdeenshire Council (Philorth Avenue, Fraserburgh) Stopping Up Order 2000 on 10 September 1999. There were sustained objections to the Order and in May 2000 it was passed to Scottish ministers for consideration.The Order was promoted under section 68(1) of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984. To stop up a road under section 68(1) the council must demonstrate that the road is either "dangerous" or "unnecessary". There has been correspondence on this matter between the council and the Executive since May 2000 and currently we await further information from the council. At this stage, it is not known whether or not a Public Local Inquiry would be an appropriate means to resolve this Order.
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 16 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how long the governor of each prison establishment had been in his or her present position as at 31 October 2001.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The information requested is given in the following table.
Establishment | Date of Appointment |
Aberdeen | 01.10.011 |
Barlinnie | 01.10.01 |
Castle Huntly | 14.02.00 |
Cornton Vale | 30.07.01 |
Dumfries | 03.07.99 |
Edinburgh | 13.03.00 |
Glenochil | 18.06.01 |
Greenock | 23.07.01 |
Inverness | 24.01.00 |
Low Moss | 22.10.01 |
Noranside | 24.09.011 |
Perth | 26.04.99 |
Peterhead | 01.10.01 |
Polmont | 01.06.96 |
Shotts | 01.10.01 |
Note:1. Acting Governor.
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 16 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make funding available to Grampian Health Board to enable it to make available the anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha drugs Enbrel (Etanercept) and Remicade (Infliximab) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
Answer
The Executive is providing substantial resources to Grampian as part of the record investment we are making in NHSScotland. Grampian NHS Board's general funding allocation for 2001-02 is over £446 million - an increase of £21.3 million (5.5%) compared with last year. In each of the next two years it will receive further increases of at least 6.5% and 7.4%.It is for NHS Grampian to decide how to deploy these funds on the basis of its assessment of local need and priorities for investment. In determining expenditure on the prescription of drugs, the NHS Board will of course also take account of national guidance and professional clinical advice.
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 16 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what programmes exist for serious sex offenders serving sentences of more than four years and in which prisons these programmes are delivered.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:CORE STOP 2000 is the predominant Sex Offender programme used in Scotland for prisoners serving more than four years. Also available are the Cognitive Skills and Anger Management programmes along with a number of locally developed initiatives. The CORE STOP 2000 is being delivered at HM Prison Barlinnie and HMP Peterhead, with an adapted version being delivered at HM Prison & Young Offenders Institute Polmont.
