- Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 August 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Johann Lamont on 19 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that treating liability insurance as remuneration in kind in respect of charity trustees will encourage or discourage individuals to take up such positions and whether it will consider introducing amending legislation to remove the interpretation of liability insurance as a benefit in kind to charity trustees.
Answer
As I explained in my answer toquestion S2W-27698 on 28 August 2006, the Scottish Executive is aware of the concerns of thevoluntary sector that the restrictions on the provision of trustee indemnity insurancefrom charity funds (by treating it as remuneration in kind) under the Charitiesand Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 may deter potential trustees from takingup such position with Scottish charities.
Through our reform of charitylaw we are committed to establishing a properly regulated and supported charitysector. In doing this we will take measures, legislative or otherwise, to addressany constraints on the sector which may hamper the achievement of this commitment.We recognise that the current treatment of trustee indemnity insurance is provingproblematic and we have therefore been actively working through the options availablefor addressing the issue. I am hopeful of being able to confirm how we will be takingthis matter forward very shortly, at which point I will ensure Mr Martin is providedwith the relevant details.
All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facilityfor which can be at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 August 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 13 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive when local authorities were first made aware of their responsibilities in respect of licensing piercing and tattooing activities under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Skin Piercing and Tattooing Activities) and by what means this information was communicated to the authorities.
Answer
Local authorities were made awareof their responsibilities under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act1982 (Licensing of Skin Piercing and Tattooing) Order 2006 through the Conventionof Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) in November 2005. A press release followedin December 2005 to announce that the Order, subject to the affirmative resolutionprocedure, had been laid before the Scottish Parliament.
The Scottish Executive wroteto Chief Executives of local authorities on 20 February 2006 to confirm that the Order had been made in the Scottish Parliament on 1 February 2006 andwould come into force on 1 April 2006 with a 12 month transitional period for local authoritiesto implement.
- Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 August 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 4 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whom it has consulted in relation to proposals to develop a wind farm at Corlic Hill/Devol Moor, Greenock; what the timescale is for the relevant minister to announce a decision on these proposals; whether a ministerial decision has been delayed for any reason and, if so, why, and what the Executive’s position is regarding a minimum separation distance between the edge of communities and the site of major windfarm developments.
Answer
In addition to the statutoryconsultees, Inverclyde Council, SNH and SEPA, we also consulted
Argyleand Bute Council
, Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park Authority, CAA, DefenceCommunications Services Agency (DCSA), BAA Glasgow Airport, Prestwick Airport, NATS,Defence Estates, Health and Safety Executive, DTI, Historic Scotland, BT, OFGEM,Association of Salmon Fisheries Boards, Royal Fine Art Commission, Crown Estates,Port Glasgow Angling Club, the Dunrod Angling Association and RSPB.
Thereis no timescale set for Scottish ministers to make a decision on an application.Ministers are however required by legislation to be satisfied they have consideredall relevant factors before taking their decision.
As part of theirconsideration of an application, ministers consult the relevant planningauthority regarding potential impacts on the local area and community. TheCouncil’s response will be made in accordance with the National PlanningPolicy Guidelines (NPPG 6). Underexisting National Planning Policy Guideline 6, the Executive does not setminimum separation distances between wind farms and local communities. Howeverthis guidance is currently under review as part of the Scottish Planning Policy6 consultation process where the current draft indicates that “as a generalrule, the Scottish Ministers would support a separation distance of between 0.5and 1.5km, between the edge of a town or village and a major wind farmdevelopment”.
- Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 July 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 17 August 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive why the Minister for Transport has not responded to a letter, dated 20 April 2006, from the Dalry Business Club which raised concerns expressed by residents of Dalry with regard to the ongoing A737 STAG study and when the Minister will provide a substantive response.
Answer
A letter of response from TransportScotland was sent to the Dalry Business Club on 26 June 2006. An Executive announcementon interventions to address the road transport related problems assessed in theA737 Dalry STAG was made on 3 July 2006 with the Final A737 Dalry STAG Report being publishedon Transport Scotland’s website on 24 July 2006.
- Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 July 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 2 August 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive why regional parks have been omitted from the map of national and international natural heritage areas (Annex A) in Scottish Planning Policy SSP6: Renewable Energy: Consultation Draft and what its position is in respect of development within regional parks.
Answer
The map at Annex A of draft SPP6 only shows those areas designated for their international and national naturalheritage value. The draft confirms that it is for planning authorities to considerwhether to use the development plan process to identify and protect areas designatedfor their local natural heritage value. This approach is appropriate for regionalparks since these are designated and managed by local authorities. While such areasmay be important locally, the level of protection should clearly not be as highas that afforded to internationally or nationally designated sites.
- Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
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Date lodged: Monday, 10 July 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Johann Lamont on 2 August 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the implications of the UK Government introducing the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) in Scotland and what provisions there are to ensure that registered social landlords receive rent for properties where LHA payments are made directly to tenants who may be involved in chaotic lifestyles and who could, if rent was not forwarded to a landlord, find themselves evicted and homeless.
Answer
The UK Government has keptthe Scottish Executive informed of its plans to introduce a Local HousingAllowance (LHA) for housing benefit claimants in the private rented sector. TwoScottish local authorities (Edinburgh and Argyll and Bute) wereincluded in the 18 LHA pathfinder authorities and we await the full evaluation reportsfrom the pathfinders.
As set out in the reportfollowing consultation on the Green Paper, ANew Deal For Employment: Empowering People to Work, the UKGovernment has confirmed that it does not intend to extend LHA to registeredsocial landlords or their tenants.
- Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 June 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 27 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been made aware of any plans to carry out a feasibility study into the storage at the Hunterston nuclear site of low and intermediate-level waste produced at any other nuclear facility and what its position would be regarding any such plans.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is awarethat proposals from British Nuclear Group (BNG) were discussed at the HunterstonSite Stakeholder Group meeting on 14 June 2006, to produce a feasibility study toprocess and store a small amount of intermediate level radioactive waste resinsfrom Chapelcross at the Hunterston A site.
This is an operational matterfor the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and its contractor BNG. Any formal proposalswould be subject to regulatory and planning approval.
- Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 6 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the policy that no financial support for starting up a business is provided through Scottish Enterprise’s Business Gateway to anyone over 30 could constitute discrimination on the basis of age.
Answer
The business start-up grant forthose aged 18 to 30 is only one form of financial assistance which can beaccessed by individuals looking to set up in business. Business Gateway staff canadvise on a range of financial support that may be available, for example inthe form of grant, equity or loans.
- Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 4 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23764 by Ross Finnie on 31 March 2006, whether it would expect the diaries of Ministers and Deputy Ministers to record the dates of meetings held by the ministers, with whom meetings were held and the purpose of each meeting.
Answer
Ministerial diaries normallyrecord the date, time and location of official meetings. However, diarymanagement processes can differ in each of the 20 ministerial private officesand the names of individual attendees at a meeting are not always recorded. Similarly,the purpose of the meeting is sometimes recorded but not in every case. This willvary according to the particular circumstances of the meeting and how muchinformation a particular ministerial private office requires to record in orderto conduct its business effectively and efficiently.
- Asked by: Campbell Martin, MSP for West of Scotland, Independent
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 31 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions it has met (a) the Clyde Fishermen’s Association, (b) the Clyde and South West Static Gear Association, (c) the Galloway Static Gear Fishermen’s Association, (d) the Arran Sea Angling Association and (e) community groups representing marine environment matters; when the meetings took place, and what the (i) location, (ii) purpose and (iii) outcome was of each meeting.
Answer
Since 2004 my officials andI have attended numerous meetings involving the Clyde Fishermen'sAssociation and community groups representing marine environment matters.Information on the location, purpose and outcome of each meeting could only beprovided at disproportionate cost. I have not held meetings with the othergroups listed.
