- Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 26 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how long the process to achieve candidate status for UNESCO World Heritage Site status takes to be agreed.
Answer
The process for achieving World Heritage Site status is a long one. The UK nominations until 2010 have already been announced. In order to be nominated for World Heritage status a site must be on the UK Tentative List. Preparation of a nomination usually takes at least three years.
The current Tentative List was agreed in 1999 and is due for review. A consultation on this by the Department for Culture Media and Sport and the devolved Administrations is due shortly. Depending on the results of the consultation we would expect that sites seeking inclusion on the Tentative List will be asked to apply in the autumn, with a new list finalised by the end of 2009.
- Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 19 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what peer-reviewed information it has gathered on the Crown Estate Commissioners’ recent report on proposals to create an undersea connector from Shetland to Norfolk in respect of costs, routes and markets.
Answer
The East Coast Transmission Network: Technical Feasibility Study was commissioned by the Crown Estate. The Scottish Government has not gathered any additional information on the report but welcomes the contribution it makes towards exploring ways of harnessing and exporting Scotland''s vast renewable energy resource
- Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 18 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to lobby the UK Government to reduce or remove VAT on house repairs and improvements.
Answer
The setting of rates of VAT is a reserved matter, but the government is aware of concerns around these particular VAT rules and will consider bringing them to the attention of the UK Government. The government's national conversation on Scotland's constitutional future also provides an opportunity to consider whether decisions on these matters would be better taken in Scotland.
- Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 18 January 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence has been provided by the Chief Scientific Adviser to ministers to justify the view that “the public doesn’t get good-quality information and decisions are being made based on prejudice about GM crops”.
Answer
Ministers have not asked for,nor been provided with, advice on GM crops from the Chief Scientific Adviser forScotland, Professor Anne Glover.
- Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 17 January 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how often the Chief Scientific Adviser has visited the Rothamsted Research centre and when she last visited the centre.
Answer
The Chief Scientific Adviserfor Scotland, Professor Anne Glover, has visited Rothamsted Researchonce, on 10 December 2007.
- Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Maureen Watt on 20 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) special schools have been closed in each local authority area in each of the last 10 years.
Answer
Information onprimary, secondary and special schools which have opened and closed since1996-97 is available on the Scottish Government website at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/School-Education/openingsnarrative07.The informationhas been derived from information collected annually by the Scottish Governmenton the opening and closing of schools. Both local authority and independentschools are included.
It should benoted that the schools listed are those identified as separate institutions foradministrative purposes. Schools which may appear to have closed (or opened)may have done so only in administrative terms, for example, where a school hasmerged with another school under a new name while education provision continueson the same campus. This may particularly be the case with units for pupilswith additional support needs which may have separated from or joined withmainstream schools in administrative terms without any change in provision.
- Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Maureen Watt on 20 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children were relocated from (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) special schools as a result of school closures in each local authority area in each of the last 10 years.
Answer
The ScottishGovernment does not collect information on the number of pupils relocated as aresult of school closures.
Information onthe school rolls from 1996 to 2006 of all primary, secondary and specialschools in each local authority area is available on the Scottish Government websiteat:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/School-Education/HistoricalRolls2006.Information isderived from the annual school census in September of each year. Both localauthority and independent schools are included. In general, a school rolldropping to zero would signify that the school has closed in the year inquestion, and the roll in the preceding year would indicate the approximatenumber of pupils who may have been relocated.
Information onprimary, secondary and special schools which have opened and closed since1996-97 is also available on the Scottish Government website at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/School-Education/openingsnarrative07.The informationhas been derived from information collected annually by the Scottish Governmenton the opening and closing of schools. Both local authority and independent schoolsare included.
Schools which mayhave closed can be identified from this data set and then compared with theschool roll information contained in the historical school rolls in the dataset referred to above.
It should benoted that the schools listed in both data sets are those identified asseparate institutions for administrative purposes. Schools which may appear tohave closed (or opened) may have done so only in administrative terms, forexample, where a school has merged with another school under a new name whileeducation provision continues on the same campus. This may particularly be thecase with units for pupils with additional support needs which may haveseparated from or joined with mainstream schools in administrative terms withoutany change in provision.
- Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Maureen Watt on 20 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the condition was of each (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) special school building that was closed in each local authority area in each of the last 10 years.
Answer
The condition of any schoolat the time of its closure would have been be a matter for the local authorityconcerned.
- Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 December 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 4 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in co-operation with the Northern Ireland Executive on the Campbeltown to Ballycastle ferry service.
Answer
At the British IrishCouncil in July 2007 agreement was reached to re-examine the case for theCampbeltown to Ballycastle ferry service. In taking this forward, I have agreedwith my counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive to commission jointly aSTAG appraisal.
It is importantat this stage that we take the time necessary to consider all of the optionsavailable for delivering a ferry service on this route. A fresh appraisal willalso allow us to examine the economic viability of the route, and consider thecosts and benefits associated with the proposed ferry service.
- Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 2 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive which agency is responsible for identifying areas of intertidal land around our coasts which are vulnerable to the impact of sea level rise and what steps that agency is taking to avoid the loss and deterioration of areas protected by EU conservation measures.
Answer
Local authoritieshave discretionary powers under the Coast Protection Act 1949 to protect the coastagainst erosion and encroachment by the sea.
Scottish Natural Heritageis responsible for providing advice to relevant public bodies on all aspects of the natural heritage of Scotland including the intertidal area and the seasaround Scotland out to 12 nautical miles.
