- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 November 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 5 December 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what the actual outturn percentage change was in Less Favoured Area Support scheme payments for 2011-12 compared with the projected 38% rise previously announced by the Scottish Government.
Answer
We have delivered our commitment to increase LFASS payment rates for the Fragile and Very Fragile areas by 38%, between the 2008 and 2010 scheme years. Actual payments to producers under the scheme can vary so there is not a direct read-across to individual payments. Producers in Fragile and Very Fragile areas will all have benefitted from this increase.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 November 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 5 December 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Northern Ireland Executive regarding its proposal that heather should be subject to a particular height measurement in terms of its eligibility for inclusion in permanent grassland under the common agricultural policy reform proposals.
Answer
We have discussed the eligibility of heather with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Northern Ireland (DARDNI) on several occasions as part of wider UK/Devolved Administration discussions. We are aware that in the guidance they provide to farmers DARDNI suggest that as a general rule heather should not exceed 50cm in height.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 November 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Aileen Campbell on 1 December 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on paragraph 101 of the Audit Scotland report, The role of community planning partnerships in economic development, which states “we found little evidence of action taken by the Scottish Government as a result of either any SOA [single outcome agreement] annual report or the summaries of overall progress.”
Answer
Scottish Government receive annual reports on Community Planning Partnerships’ (CPPs’) progress under their Single Outcome Agreements (SOAs). Last year we published Local Matters which set out progress on the outcomes approach as evidenced by the SOA reports. We plan to publish a similar overview of this year’s reporting process.
The Scottish Government jointly funded the Scottish Local Authorities’ Economic Development Improvement Guide, which was launched on 5 October 2011, to help local authorities improve the quality and impact of their economic development services. The document can be accessed here:
http://www.improvementservice.org.uk/component/option,com_is_blank/Itemid,1459/.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 25 November 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S4W-03542 and S4W-03550 by John Swinney on 4 November 2011, for what reason information on the number of properties liable for the proposed public health supplement at a threshold rateable value of £300,000 is held centrally, but information for different levels is not held centrally.
Answer
The threshold of £300,000 was used to capture the largest retail premises. Of those retail premises with a rateable value over £300,000 analysis shows some 240 sell both alcohol and tobacco and will be liable for the supplement.
Modelling was not carried out on properties with a rateable value threshold of under £300,000.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 21 November 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is legal under EU regulations on the electronic identification of sheep to penalise farmers for failing to achieve a 100% identification if the tag readers cannot be guaranteed to achieve that level of accuracy.
Answer
The creation of a centralised database (ScotEID) and the facility via Critical Control Points (CCPs) to record information directly on to ScotEID allows Scotland to rely on the derogation in Article 5(4) of Regulation 21/2004 which states “by way of derogation from paragraph 1, the register of information required by Section B of the Annex shall be optional in any Member State where a centralised computer database already contains this information.” This provides sheep keepers with some additional flexibility as regards compliance with their relevant registration obligations.
The information on the central database can therefore be accepted as being part of the farmer’s flock register. This does not absolve the farmer from their responsibility to comply with the regulation by ensuring that the information on the register is accurate.
The additional flexibilities which have been put in place regarding a proportionate response to dealing with any cross-compliance breaches arising from inaccurate CCP reads is intended to avoid penalties where 100% accuracy is not achieved due to the technical limitations of the EID technology. Keeper's remain responsible for complying with these EU measures and resultant cross-compliance obligations.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 November 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 18 November 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what official is designated as the senior responsible officer under the project and programme management approach for each of the Scottish Government's major capital projects.
Answer
The Senior Responsible Owners with specific responsibility for delivery of the projects included within the last “Major Capital Projects” progress report sent to the Public Audit Committee on 30 June 2011, are detailed in the following table.
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Project Title
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Senior Responsible Owner
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Organisation
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Forth Replacement Crossing
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Ainslie McLaughlin
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Transport Scotland
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A90 Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR)
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Ainslie McLaughlin
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Transport Scotland
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M8 Associated Network Improvements
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Ainslie McLaughlin
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Transport Scotland
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M8 Baillieston to Newhouse
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Ainslie McLaughlin
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Transport Scotland
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M74 Raith Junction
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Ainslie McLaughlin
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Transport Scotland
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A90 Balmedie to Tipperty
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Ainslie McLaughlin
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Transport Scotland
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M80 Stepps to Haggs
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Ainslie McLaughlin
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Transport Scotland
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|
Borders Railway
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Ainslie McLaughlin
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Transport Scotland
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Airdrie to Bathgate Rail Link Project
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Frances Duffy
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Transport Scotland
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Traffic Scotland Intelligent Transport System
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Roy Brannen
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Transport Scotland
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M74 Completion
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Ainslie McLaughlin
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Transport Scotland
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Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme EGIP
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Frances Duffy
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Transport Scotland
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Highland Main Line
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Frances Duffy
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Transport Scotland
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Paisley Corridor Improvements (PCI)
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Frances Duffy
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Transport Scotland
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NHS Ayrshire and Arran - Mental Health
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Jim Crichton
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NHS Ayrshire and Arran
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NHS Fife - General Hospital and Maternity Services - Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline
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John Wilson
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NHS Fife
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NHS Forth Valley - New Acute Hospital
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Tom Steele
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NHS Forth Valley
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NHS Grampian - Emergency Care Centre -
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Richard Carey
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NHS Grampian
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NHS Lothian - Royal Edinburgh Hospital
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Jackie Sansbury
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NHS Lothian
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NHS Lothian - Royal Hospital for Sick Children / Department of Clinical Neurosciences 1
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Jackie Sansbury
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NHS Lothian
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State Hospital Redevelopment
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Doug Irwin
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State Hospital Board for Scotland
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NHS Tayside - Mental Health Development
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Gerry Marr
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NHS Tayside
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NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde - New South Glasgow Hospitals and Laboratory Facility Project
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Alan Seabourne
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NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
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NHS Dumfries & Galloway - Dumfries Royal Infirmary Replacement 2
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Jeff Ace
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NHS Dumfries & Galloway
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NHS Orkney – Development of Balfour Hospital and Kirkwall Dental Centre
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Gerry O’Brien
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NHS Orkney
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Glasgow School of Art
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Seona Reid
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Glasgow School of Art
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Glasgow City Centre Colleges
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Janis Carson
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City of Glasgow College
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Kilmarnock College
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Michael Breen
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Kilmarnock College
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Inverness College
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Jacqui Doughty
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Inverness College
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Scotland’s Schools for the Future School Building Programme
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Sarah Smith
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Scottish Government
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Parliament House
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Neil Rennick
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Scottish Court Service
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Scottish Crime Campus - Gartcosh
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Kenneth Hogg
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Scottish Government
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HMP Low Moss
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Willie Pretswell
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Scottish Prison Service
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HMP Grampian
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Willie Pretswell
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Scottish Prison Service
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HMP Shotts - Redevelopment (Phase 1)
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Willie Pretswell
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Scottish Prison Service
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Notes:
1. The NHS Lothian project, the “Royal Hospital for Sick Children/Department of Clinical Neurosciences” was previously shown as two separate projects but these are now being taken forward as a single project by the health board.
2. The NHS Dumfries and Galloway project, “Dumfries Royal Infirmary Replacement”, was previously shown as “Royal Infirmary refurbishment”. The name change follows the Scottish Government’s Capital Investment Group’s authorisation to the health board for a new build project.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 November 2011
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 24 November 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy last met NHS Shetland and what matters were discussed.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 24 November 2011
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 November 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 16 November 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what the difference is between the accountable officer and the senior responsible officer for its major capital projects.
Answer
An Accountable Officer is an individual designated to be personally responsible for propriety, regularity and value for money issues in relation to the public finances of parts of the Scottish Administration or other relevant devolved public bodies.
A Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) is an individual responsible for ensuring that a programme/project meets its objectives and delivers the intended benefits. The SRO owns the overall business change being supported or enabled by the programme/project and ensures that it maintains its business and vision focus. The SRO chairs the Programme/Project Board.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 October 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 November 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive when a decision will be made regarding the Viking Energy Project in Shetland.
Answer
A decision regarding the Viking Energy wind farm project in Shetland, has been delayed whilst the developer, Viking Energy holds discussions with Scottish Natural Heritage and Scatsta Airport at the behest of the parties involved. Scottish Ministers hope to make a decision in the near future.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 October 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 14 November 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason not more than four out of the 10 main species of fish caught by the whitefish fleet are subject to scientific research and assessment by Marine Scotland.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-03441 on 14 November 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.
